Report ITU-R SM.2486-1 (06/2024) Use of commercial drones for ITU-R spectrum monitoring tasks
Foreword
Policy on Intellectual Property Right (IPR)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Introduction
2 Functional components of commercial drone-based monitoring systems
     2.1 The drone flight system
     2.2 Radio monitoring and measurement systems
     2.3 Radio mission control
     2.4 Radio mission remote control
3 Other considerations
     3.1 Prerequisites to operation
          3.1.1 Size, weight and power impacts on performance
          3.1.2 Antenna patterns
          3.1.3 Noise floor
          3.1.4 National flight regulations
     3.2 Measurement uncertainty factors
          3.2.1 Flight control by single operator
          3.2.2 Location control by global navigation satellite system (GNSS)
          3.2.3 Horizontal and vertical position control (hovering) and homing
          3.2.4 Measurement and transmission antenna characteristics
          3.2.5 Influence of wind
     3.3 Current limitations of commercial drones
          3.3.1 Location positioning, homing
          3.3.2 Dependency on weather condition
          3.3.3 Short operating time
          3.3.4 Size, weight, and power
          3.3.5 Risk of accident
          3.3.6 Cost and regulations
     3.4 Safety factors
          3.4.1 Airspace considerations
          3.4.2 Equipment payload considerations
          3.4.3 UAV operator site selection
          3.4.4 Communications redundancy
          3.4.5 Crash-prevention
          3.4.6 Environmental considerations
4 Experiment and use cases
     4.1 Radio field strength measurement: DTV broadcasting signal
          4.1.1 Technical considerations
          4.1.2 Experiment of DTV terrestrial broadcasting signal measurement by UAV
     4.2 Locating VSAT uplink satellite signal
          4.2.1 Introduction
          4.2.2 System information
               4.2.2.1 UAV
               4.2.2.2  Radio monitoring system (RF payload)
               4.2.2.3 Control and operations
          4.2.3 Measurements and results
     4.3 Use of commercial drones for time difference of arrival emitter location
          4.3.1 Overview
          4.3.2 Implementation
          4.3.3 Example workflow and application case
     4.4 Flight testing of the ground-based airport radio navigation facilities
          4.4.1 System information
               4.4.1.1 UAV
               4.4.1.2 Radio monitoring system
               4.4.1.3 Control and operations
          4.4.2 Measurements and results
               4.4.2.1 ILS
               4.4.2.2 VOR