Jeff wrote:
"- 96 db seems about right for "free space" path loss."

96 seems abour the right number for a path loss at 2400 MHz at a
distance of 500 meters. To nit pick, -96 db loss is a gain.

I worked a few years with Pete Saveskie who wrote a book he called
"Propagation". It contains a formula for free space loss: 23 db is lost
in the first wavelength from the transmitter and after that 6 db loss is
added every time the distance is doubled.

With Pete`s formula, you would lose the 23 db at a distance of 0.125
meter, and at a distance of 512 meters you would lose a total of 95 db.
That`s close enough agreement for me.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI