hearing voices from computer speaker. computer is turned OFF!

[KevinCU]

I, for one, like the new SE.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Crazy is also inheritable.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

My headphones pick up a local AM station. It took me a lot of careful listening before I realized which station it was.

No worries.

 

[z1ggy]

Electricity is cool.

Seems like the radio waves passing through your house are inducing currents in your speaker coils.

ooooooooooor you're bat shit crazy.

 

[BoberFett]

At one point I lived a mile away from a radio station. I could clearly hear the music over my computer speakers.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

No one saw it...

 

[highland145]

It's in your head, sand.

 

[Imp]

The guberment. He coming for you, baby!

 

[Tweak155]

GSM cell signals interfere with speakers. Maybe someone was on the phone listening to a centrally broadcast call?

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I have an old Pioneer stereo amp that picks up some radio frequency and plays it through the headphone output. It isn't anything on the FM or AM Frequencies as far as I can tell. It is faint and garbled enough that you can't really make much out. It sounds like an overly garbled 1950s radio recording.

 

[Schfifty Five]

i have a DELL that the kids use and it's turned off at the moment. i heard some static coming from the cheap Logitech speakers. as i went closer i could make out words coming from the speaker. i put it to my ear and i hear a guy with an accent (probably Nigerian) speaking in English and preaching the words of God. I kid you not. freaked me out. i assume the speaker is picking up some radio frequency? but why this specific channel? anyone else experience anything like this??

:thumbsup:

 

[SandEagle]

I, for one, like the new SE.

new?

 

[MarkXIX]

Nigerians have found a new way to scam people. Shit.

 

[tcsenter]

Yep, years ago (like 1999-ish) I had some cheapo powered computer speakers. I would get some sort of 2-way radio communication on them. Couldn't tell if it was CB or what because it was so static-filled and intermittent, but every few seconds I could make-out a word or two.

 

[phucheneh]

I've had speakers pick up CB. But I'm pretty sure they had to be powered up. Radio waves aren't going to energize the voice coil of a speaker on their own- you need amplification.

CB is all you'll pick up, AFAIK. All other forms of radio are on a higher frequency that will not be picked up by random lengths of wire hooked to the signal input of your speakers.

 

[NiceCold]

is this a parody mock thread? because i recognize this story before. sound exactly.

 

[GeekDrew]

CB is all you'll pick up, AFAIK. All other forms of radio are on a higher frequency that will not be picked up by random lengths of wire hooked to the signal input of your speakers.

Uh, no.

 

[phucheneh]

Uh, no.

Care to elaborate? I'm not any kind of radio expert. I just thought CB was the lowest widely-used frequency band.

It may also depend on the kind of transmission. CB is usually amplitude modulation (AM), but there's another less common type that I can't think of at the moment (not FM).

 

[RelaxTheMind]

happened with my old $5 bargain headset i got from a computer expo like a decade ago. used to pick up a dennis miller talk show i thought was an AM station. never could find it with an actual radio.

 

[BoberFett]

Care to elaborate? I'm not any kind of radio expert. I just thought CB was the lowest widely-used frequency band.

It may also depend on the kind of transmission. CB is usually amplitude modulation (AM), but there's another less common type that I can't think of at the moment (not FM).

I guarantee you I was hearing FM radio over my computer speakers. It was in St. Cloud, MN, I lived near the tower for 101.7 FM and could clearly hear the DJ rattle off the call letters.

 

[Rubycon]

If the conditions are right you would be surprised at what you can pick up. If you are close to a transmitter even without power connected to a loudspeaker it's possible to hear something (albeit distorted) from the transmitter.

CB gets blamed for most of this because there are many "operators" of such equipment that's illegal and grossly misconfigured. Running 2kW on 11 meters without proper consideration for RF grounds, ALC on the audio input side, etc. will cause severe interference on many bands and that's touch the tip of the iceberg, folks.

High power RF used in commercial broadcast and television is amazing especially if something goes wrong. (hopefully no one gets hurt!) That mega hurts. Sorry, could not resist! (That's usually around 50Ω BTW)

Check out this singing arc!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pjrWjlBf4Q

 

[Red Squirrel]

Speaking of picking up stuff you don't want to, we had this old Lapel mic at church that was often used for weddings or other situations where the person needing it is not just behind the pulpit. So there was this wedding, and then the lapel started picking up transports or taxis or something. I kept having to turn it off but then nobody heard the preacher doing the vows.

It kinda went like this:

"[name], do you accept this lovely bride as your wife?"
"PSSSSSHSHS 10-4 roger that"

After the wedding was over we had a good laugh, because the preacher caught on too on what was going on and why I kept turning him off.

We got a newer lapel not too long ago, it works at a different frequency. So far so good.

 

[Rubycon]

Entry level mics are low power and closer to broadcast FM so this can happen easily.

 

[marvdmartian]

Yep, it happens. Happened to me, about 10 years ago. Thought I was hearing things. Come to find out, the local country & western radio station (strongest output in the area) was coming in through my cheap computer speakers.

Since I can't stand most C&W music, it gave me the excuse I needed to finally replace the cheap speaker set with something of better quality!

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Entry level mics are low power and closer to broadcast FM so this can happen easily.

There's my tech gal and right again too!

For the other posters, the other form of transmission is SSB. If one were to look at an AM signal, and this is what it looks like, the composite at the bottom.

Note the symmetry. Each half or "sideband" contains all the information needed, but AM requires both haves to be intelligible, with the result beyond twice the power consumption really needed. Thats simply the result of adding the carrier signal. It also takes twice the bandwidth.



So some clever dick thought to send just the signal and have the receiver add back the signal. Yes SSB is based on AM, but it's a significant refinement.

As far as "why" this voice came through...


it's just how it is.


How did I do Ruby?