Electronic – relationship between frequency and signal strength

radio

I know that [the commercial broadcast] radio spectrum is divided into several chunks and each chunk is assigned to be used by different radio stations. Suppose that radio station S1 is using 93MHz and radio station S2 is using 94MHz. My question is, which radio station's signal strength is higher? As far I know:

  • signal strength is high if wavelength is high
  • wavelength is low if frequency is high
  • So signal strength is low if frequency is high

Is my understanding correct? If so, why would some radio stations pick a higher frequency? Is there a competition among companies to acquire lower frequencies? I am a computer science student and only have a bit of knowledge in signals.

Best Answer

No, your understanding is not correct.

First, just "signal strength" by itself is meaningless. Signal strength where? If you mean at some distant receiver, then yes, frequency is one factor in how strongly a station is received at the same distance and transmitter power. However, there are many such factors and the relationship with frequency is not monotonic. The difference between 93 MHz and 94 MHz will be irrelevant in a practical sense.

Long wavelengths, like are used by commerical AM (around 1 MHz) are long enough that they refract around the earth to some extent. This doesn't really happen at commercial FM frequencies (around 100 MHz). Different wavelengths also get absorbed, passed, or bounce off of layers in the atmosphere. There is much more to this than lower frequencies magically have more "signal strength", whatever that actually means.