The signal levels around and within eight suburban houses were measured at 800 MHz. These measurements are needed in refining the requirements for portable-radio communication systems that can accommodate low-power radiotelephone sets. The measurements were made from an instrumentation van having an erectable 27-foot-high antenna. Large-scale distributions of the small-scale signal medians are approximately log normal. The decrease in median signal level with distance ranges from d-2 for the eight houses. Signal decreases as d-4 .5 for the overall data set. At 1000 feet, regressions to signal levels range from 12.5 to 37.1 dB below free-space propagation levels for locations outside and locations inside on first and second floors. In basements, regression levels at 1000 feet range from 29 to 48.2 dB below free space. For the overall data set, regression signal levels at 1000 feet are 27.7 dB below free space. For all the basements, this value is 39.6 dB. Other signal statistics are given in this paper.

In this paper we describe an experiment conducted to measure 800‐MHz attenuation into buildings. This information is needed for refining the configuration and design of portable radiotelephone systems that will accommodate low‐power portable sets. Signal levels have been measured in and around three small buildings and a house, using an instrumentation van with an erectable 27‐foot‐high antenna. These buildings and the house all have metallic materials in their walls and thus are expected to exhibit high attenuation. The van was parked at one location with respect to the three buildings, and at nine different locations, at distances ranging from 400 feet to 1600 feet, from the house. We found that small‐scale signal envelope variations are approximately Rayleigh distributed. For the house, large‐scale distributions of the small‐scale signal medians are approximately log‐normal. Median signal levels outside the house decrease as d‐4.5, where d is the distance from the van. Inside the house, levels decrease as d‐3.9 for first‐floor locations and as d‐3.0 for second‐floor locations. Average signal levels at 1000 feet, relative to free space, are −12.5 dB outside, −18.5 dB for the first floor, −16.5 dB for the second floor, and −28.9 dB for the basement. Other statistics of the signal levels and of attenuation into the house are also given in the paper. Cross‐polarization couplings of −10 dB to 0 dB were measured in and around the three small buildings. The small‐scale signal medians inside the three buildings range from 2 dB above to 24 dB below the averages of the signal medians outside buildings.

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