Home > Published Issues > 2025 > Volume 20, No. 6, 2025 >
JCM 2025 Vol.20(6): 646-656
Doi: 10.12720/jcm.20.6.646-656

Accurate Hybrid HF Radio Direction Finder Approximation for Territorial Border Monitoring

Abdul Hadi Ramli1, Nor Fadzilah Abdullah1,2*, and Asma Abu-Samah1,2
1Department of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Malaysia
2Wireless Research@UKM, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Email: hadira73@gmail.com (A.H.R.); fadzilah.abdullah@ukm.edu.my (N.F.A.); asma@ukm.edu.my (A.A-S.)
*Corresponding author

Manuscript received March 22, 2025; revised June 1, 2025, accepted June 24, 2025; published November 6, 2025.

Abstract—Radio Direction Finding (RDF) is essential in Military or Law Enforcement using for identifying targets through electromagnetic spectrum emissions. The signal sources are crucial for strategic intelligence; real-time data collection and situational awareness related to communication networks and radar systems. RDF systems operate across multiple frequency bands including High Frequency (HF), Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) utilizing methodologies such as Angle of Arrival (AOA), Frequency Difference of Arrival (FDOA), and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). Attaining precise direction-finding accuracy in the High Frequency (HF) band is challenging due to ionospheres variations, multipath propagation, and interference. This study presents a hybrid High Frequency (HF) Radio Direction Finding (RDF) system that combines Angle of Arrival (AOA) and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) techniques to enhance geolocation accuracy. The system employs three sensor stations to execute triangulation and enhance detection reliability in maritime settings. Simulations and field trials utilising Software Defined Radio (SDR) transceivers exhibit substantial enhancements in precision and audibility, elevating target localisation success from 80% to 95%. The proposed hybrid approach offers enhanced precision and stability, making it highly effective for maritime surveillance, enforcement operations, and traffic control along territorial borders. Furthermore, hybrid system Radio Direction Finder is more effectively for enforcement vessels and maritime traffic control is described in this paper.


Keywords—radio direction finder, high frequency, radio emitter, operating system. angle of arrival, time difference of arrival, space weather forecast, optimum working frequency


Cite: Abdul Hadi Ramli, Nor Fadzilah Abdullah, and Asma Abu-Samah, “Accurate Hybrid HF Radio Direction Finder Approximation for Territorial Border Monitoring," Journal of Communications, vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 646-656, 2025.


Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).

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