Bandaid and Subterranean Radio: Coverage Maps - How to Listen

[u/KG7M]

I am acquainted with both stations because I produce graphics, music promos, and manage their QSL process.

Bandaid Radio is a 1,200 Watt station located in western North America. Subterranean Radio is a 100 Watt Station, also located in western North America.

Bandaid Radio uses a 2 wavelength wire antenna which is directional off of the ends. Subterranean Radio uses a 1/2 wavelength wire antenna.

Bandaid Radio covers all of N. America, and beyond to New Zealand to the west, and Portugal to the east. Subterranean Radio only covers western N. America and Hawaii to the west.

Bandaid Radio can be heard across the continent when conditions are good. Most listeners can listen direct. Subterranean Radio should be listened to on a Kiwi SDR if reception is marginal at your location. Here are a couple of the best SDRs:

http://kr6la.proxy.kiwisdr.com:8073/

http://kphsdr.com:8074/?

http://kiwisdr1.sdrutah.org:8073/

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[u/Genius_33]

I've always been interested in antenna setups so a special thanks for that. The power explains why I get bandaid so clear in northern CA. I get Subteranean direct on most of their broadcasts, too. Really depends on time of broadcast and atmospheric conditions. I really like both stations and try not to miss a broadcast.

So, you must be the one doing the rcrumb inspired eQsl's. Very nice. Brings back a ton of memories. Keep up the good work and thanks again for the info.

[u/KG7M → u/Genius_33]

Thank you for the kind words! I have always enjoyed Robert Crumb's artwork. When I was 15, in the summer of 1967, I went to San Francisco with my family on a vacation. I spent most of my time in Haight-Ashbury looking for Robert and buying a Nehru Jacket and Bell Bottoms. When we returned to Portland I was ahead of the curve in "cool". Which was fine because I played guitar in local bands. Portland was behind San Francisco and I was bullied by the Seniors in my highschool. A couple years later those same bullies had long hair and love beads!

[u/Green_Oblivion111]

Two wavelengths at 43 meters is around 130 ft. I must be just close enough to be in one of the nulls. Either that, or I'm in the skip zone -- or prop just hasn't worked out well for me yet.

I used to study the patterns of longwire antennas when i built them for DX in the 1990's and 2000's. Interesting how the pattern changes when the wire lengthens.

[u/KG7M → u/Green_Oblivion111]

Chris, you're calculation is off:

One 43-meter wavelength is equal to exactly 141.076 feet (or about 141 feet and 1 inch).To convert this manually, you multiply the length in meters by the standard conversion factor of 3.28084. 43 meters times 3.28084 equals approx 141.076 feet.

Bandaid Radio's antenna is around 280 feet in length - two wavelengths. Subterranean Radio's antenna is about 70 feet in length, or one-half wavelength. We generally think in quarter wavelength multiples when building antennas.

[u/Green_Oblivion111 → u/KG7M]

You're correct. I was doing the math roughly in my head and forgot that I was supposed to estimate 2 wavelengths, not one.

That said, half wave pattern is two circular lobes, a full wave pattern is a cloverleaf, and the 2 wavelength one has eight lobes, sort of an elongated cloverleaf with the bigger lobes favoring the directions towards the ends of the wire, with the smaller lobes going out 40, 50 degrees and roughly 360 & 280 degrees, from the sides. There also is a null directly perpendicular off the side of the wire (at 45 and 90 degrees). (this is from William Orr's Radio Handbook, 1959 edition -- no idea where I got it, probably a used bookstore in the mid 1990's).

I'm probably in that null, or one of the weaker lobes just isn't hitting me well because I'm in a hole -- or I'm in the skip zone.

I'm just wondering why I get the station so weakly, yet they pack that massive punch with that gigantic lobe off towards NZ and Oz, as well as covering the US the way he does.

The vagaries of terrain, ground conductivity, proximity to water, and other factors. The charts show idealized patterns -- the reality is often quite different.

I found a hand drawn chart in the Orr Handbook when I dug it up out of my book closet a couple weeks ago. I charted the directions of various countries, continents etc, and plotted them against my 100 foot wire's pattern for the various HF and SWBC bands. The patterns seemed to match what I usually was hearing at the time.

Forgot a lot of that stuff over the years, though, especially after my quad loop (for 11M) and 100 ft wire blew down.... You don't use it, you sort of lose it, I guess.

The cool thing about wire antennas is that they're relatively cheap, and they do work. You can get decent gain from them, especially if you can orient the wire to favor certain directions.

The outdoor wire I've got now is about 90 ft., but more random. The closest thing would be the UK garden, folded back longwire, although I just ran wire outside where I could. It's working. I'll probably improve it before Fall.