[Week 2 VHF Range] - What is the maximum effective range of a typical VHF radio under ideal atmospheric conditions?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To analyze the options, we start from the fundamental property of VHF communications: it is largely line-of-sight. The practical maximum range depends on the heights of the transmitting and receiving antennas, since higher antennas extend the radio horizon.
Option 1: 500 nautical miles. This is generally far beyond the typical VHF line-of-sight reach for standard equipment. Even with very tall antennas, atmospheric refraction and practical power limits usually prevent reliable VHF ranges this large under normal conditions, so this overestimates the practical maximum.
Option 2: 200 nautical miles. This aligns with the idea of a line-of-sight limit for reasonably tall antennas and favorable, ideal conditions. While everyday handheld and shipboard VHF ranges are often far shorter, under ideal circumstances and with high antennas, reaching roughly a couple of hundred nautical miles is within the realm of possibility, making this the best-supported option among those given.
Option 3: 50 nautical miles. This is a conservative figure that reflects typical everyday ranges for handheld or low-antenna setups, not the “maximum under ideal conditions” scenario. It understates what could be achieved with higher antennas and optimal conditions, so it’s not the maximum.
Option 4: 1000 nautical miles. This is far beyond what VHF can usually achieve because the signal would have to propagate beyond the practical radio horizon for VHF frequencies; such a distance would require either very unusual propagation modes or much higher frequencies, which isn’t the assumption here. Hence, this is not plausible for typical VHF under ideal conditions.

25F --Aircraft Communication Systems (SEC. 501) FINAL 25F --Aircraft Communication Systems (SEC. 501) FINAL

[Week 2 VHF Range] - What is the maximum effective range of a typical VHF radio under ideal atmospheric conditions?

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