LinkZoneTools LLC · RF Coverage & Sector Planner · Terms of Use & Disclaimer
📋 Reference & Educational Use Only
This tool is provided for reference, planning, and educational purposes only. It is not professional RF engineering advice and is not a prediction of actual coverage. Results are estimates from theoretical models.
⚠ Coverage Model Limitations
Coverage is estimated using free-space path loss (ITU-R P.525) with a Gaussian antenna pattern approximation. It does NOT model terrain, buildings, vegetation, diffraction, multipath, interference, or rain. Real-world coverage is typically substantially smaller than a free-space estimate, especially below rooftop height or in built-up areas. Treat the coloured area as a best-case envelope, not a service boundary.
📡 Antenna Pattern Approximation
Sector patterns use a Gaussian main lobe with a smooth sidelobe taper and a nominal 30 dB front-to-back ratio. Real antenna patterns have nulls, ripple and manufacturer-specific behaviour. Use the manufacturer’s published pattern file for final design.
⚖ Limitation of Liability — No Warranty
LINKZONETOOLS LLC PROVIDES THIS TOOL "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. LINKZONETOOLS LLC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES ARISING FROM USE OF OR RELIANCE ON THIS TOOL, INCLUDING FAILED DEPLOYMENTS, COVERAGE SHORTFALLS, LOST REVENUE OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION. THE USER ASSUMES ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR DESIGN DECISIONS AND OUTCOMES.
RF Coverage & Sector Planner
This tool answers: how far does this tower reach, and where? It models each sector antenna separately and maps the predicted signal as nested bands.
1
Place the tower
Address, coordinates, or a click on the map. Drag the marker to adjust.
2
Set the RF baseline
Transmit power and receiver sensitivity together define the coverage edge — coverage extends to where predicted signal falls to the sensitivity threshold.
3
Add sectors
Start from the 3-sector preset for a standard 120° tower, or build your own. Each sector has its own azimuth, beamwidth and gain. A single 360° omni is also valid.
4
Tune the trade-off
Narrower beamwidth means higher gain and longer reach, but covers less angle. More sectors reach further but cost more hardware. Try 3 versus 6 and compare.
5
Read the bands
Strong, Good, Fair and Marginal show margin above the receiver threshold. Plan services to the Good contour, not the Marginal one — marginal coverage is at the edge of usable.
6
Mind the model
This is free-space: no terrain, no buildings, no vegetation. Real coverage is typically substantially smaller, especially below rooftop height. Treat the footprint as a best-case envelope, not a service-area claim.
This is a free-space propagation model with an antenna pattern applied per sector. It is deliberately optimistic: understanding exactly how optimistic is the difference between a planning aid and a misleading picture.
What the contour actually solves
For each azimuth the tool solves for the range at which predicted received signal equals the threshold:
RSL(θ,d) = EIRP(θ) − FSPL(d) + Grx
with FSPL = 20·log₁₀(dkm) + 20·log₁₀(fGHz) + 92.45. Because FSPL is the only loss term, the contour is a pure inverse-square envelope shaped by the antenna pattern.
Sector pattern approximation
Each sector is modelled with its boresight gain held across the 3 dB beamwidth and a roll-off beyond it. Real antennas differ in ways that matter at the edges:
Sidelobes and backlobes are not modelled — real sectors radiate behind themselves, typically 20–30 dB down
Elevation pattern and electrical downtilt are not applied; the model is effectively 2-D
Front-to-back ratio, which governs real inter-sector interference, is not represented
Consequence: predicted overlap between adjacent sectors is a geometric estimate, not an interference prediction. Sizing an SINR-limited deployment from this footprint will overstate capacity.
Beamwidth and gain
Aperture gain and beamwidth trade against each other. For a given aperture:
G ≈ 10·log₁₀(η·(πD/λ)²) · HPBW ≈ 70λ/D
Halving beamwidth adds roughly 3 dB, which extends the free-space range by about 41% (range scales as 10^(ΔG/20)). Six 60° sectors therefore reach meaningfully further than three 120° sectors at equal power — at double the radio count.
Why real coverage is smaller
No terrain, no clutter, no diffraction, no foliage, no building penetration. Against measured data, free-space consistently over-predicts:
Open rural, elevated site — closest to free-space, still optimistic beyond radio horizon
Suburban — clutter loss commonly 10–20 dB, cutting range by roughly half to two-thirds
Urban / below rooftop — the model has essentially no predictive value; use a terrain-and-clutter model
Use it for: comparing sector configurations, sizing initial hardware, and sanity-checking whether a site is plausibly in range. Do not use it for: published service-area maps, coverage guarantees, or regulatory filings.
Radio horizon
Independent of signal strength, geometry imposes a ceiling. With k = 4/3:
dhorizon(km) ≈ 4.12·(√ht + √hr) [h in metres]
A 30 m tower serving 3 m receivers reaches about 29 km before curvature intervenes. If the predicted contour extends past that, the limit is terrain, not link budget.
