In the absence of better information, what antenna height for the Caller/Transmitter should be used for range ring analysis?

• A. 30 feet
• B. 60 feet
• C. 15 feet
• D. 100 feet

Answer: (A)

When you perform range ring analysis, you base the rings on how far the signal can reach given the height of the transmitting antenna, since elevation affects the radio horizon. If you don’t have better information about where the Caller is or how high their antenna sits, you use a standard default that gives a sensible, balanced starting point. Thirty feet is chosen because it represents a moderate elevation—higher than ground level but not a tall tower. It provides a realistic estimate of reach for many field situations without leaning too far toward overestimating range (as a very tall antenna would) or underestimating it (as a very low antenna would). If you later learn the actual height, you can adjust the rings accordingly, but using thirty feet keeps the initial analysis practical and not biased by extreme assumptions.