Radio communications, prior to the advent of landlines and satellites as communication paths and relays, was always subject to unpredictable fade outs caused by weather conditions, practical limits on available emission power at the transmitter, radio frequency of the transmission, type of emission, type of transmitting antenna, signal waveform characteristics, modulation scheme in use, sensitivity of the receiver and presence, or lack of presence, of atmospheric reflective layers above the earth, such as the E-layer and F-layers, the type of receiving antenna, the time of day, and numerous other factors.