Mountains blocking radio signals

[IBadget]

The other day, I was listening to Kauai Community Radio KKCR online and heard that in Hanalei, you can't pick up the other Kauai radio stations because the mountains are blocking the signals. IMHO that is very irksome because you can travel a relatively short distance and completely lose all the radio stations you so want to listen to. On Oahu, if you travel to Kaneohe or Waianae, it is very difficult to get most of the Honolulu radio stations because of the mountains. On Maui, some radio stations are using FM translators to make up for coverage due to signals being blocked by the mountains, e.g., KPOA FM 93.5 can be heard on 92.9 in West Maui.

[oggboy]

Re: Mountains blocking radio signals

Driving to Hana Maui, radio signals are blocked by Mt. Haleakala. Only can get Big Island stations and some Honolulu stations, until you reach Hana town.

[mel]

Re: Mountains blocking radio signals

Mountains blocking local radio signals are "as old as the hills". Quite a common problem on the Big Island where Hilo stations cannot be heard in the Hamakua district, Kohala, Waimea and Kona. Vice versa for Kona stations. Some stations get around this limitation by building repeaters on the other side of the island from where the main stations are.... others just simply buy another firm's transmitter or license. Case in point, the new B93 FM which just repeats Hilo's B97 FM classic rock.

[IBadget]

Re: Mountains blocking radio signals

I was in Aina Haina this morning and I could not pick up most of the Honolulu FM stations. Ironically, however, I was able to pick up the flamethrower Maui FM stations, e.g., KLHI 92.5, KPOA 93.5, KAOI 95.1, KJMD 98.3, KJKS 99.9, KNUQ 103.7, and KONI 104.7. I was also able to pick up Molokai's KMKK 102.3. Because I could pick up the Maui FM stations, I call Aina Haina the almost-Maui part of Oahu. It's an interesting phenomenon.

[Composite 2992]

Re: Mountains blocking radio signals

TV signals get blocked by our mountain ranges the same way. This is why cable television is so popular and penetrated the local market by more than 90%.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Mountains blocking radio signals

Late at night at the top of Kaimuki Hill on some nights you can pull in KFI in Los Angelas.

Here on the Big Island in East Hawaii (Hilo) Mauna Loa shields us from virtually all radio stations west of it. That's why you'll never hear this KSSK stinger: From Hilo to Honolulu you're listening to KSSK.

[IBadget]

Re: Mountains blocking radio signals

TV signals get blocked by our mountain ranges the same way. This is why cable television is so popular and penetrated the local market by more than 90%.

That is also the same reason why the Honolulu FM stations are on Oceanic Digital Cable, e.g., KORL 101.1 is on Oceanic Digital Cable channel 883. On Maui, they're doing it the good old-fashioned FM translator way.

[mel]

Re: Mountains blocking radio signals

FM stations on Oceanic don't have to be all digital. Long ago in the 1980s Oceanic delivered all of Honolulu's FM stations plus the BBC and one other through the standard FM band via a coaxial cable hook-up. Cost of that cable going directly into your FM stereo receiver was only $1 extra per month on top of the regular cable TV bill. When they went to digital audio, you had to get either a Music Choice box and subscribe to that for an extra $10 or like today, just flat out get a digital cable TV hookup and pay rent for the box.

Needless to say when Oceanic dropped the FM cable service, I never upgraded to the more expensive digital box.

Now with high speed internet I can listen to more digital audio "broadcasts" through various sources on the internet.