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Forumite
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| Radio Interference through Speakers |
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Ok, this is an off-topic post, i have found the answer to my problem (more just curiosity), and seeing the number of people affected makes me wonder if anyone here has experienced it aswell.
I've been using Logitech X-530 Speakers for the last 3 months now, and about 20 minutes ago i pretty much got weirded out, scared is a different thing but i guarantee you i was mentally along the lines of WTF.
Apparantly, i am not the only one that has these "Problems", it seems these Speakersets come with an unprotected coil and wiring, as such, this wiring is susceptible to picking up Radio interference, most often it being short-wave transmissions, which bump of the Ionosphere during night-time.
Which my Speakers pick up and start to play, only at 0 to half volume is it noticable, if the volume goes up it dissapears.
The price of these speakers was average, i don't have complaints as its not annoying when upping the volume it simply dissapears, but apparantly Alot of speakers out there are unprotected, meaning alot more people might have atleast heard strange stuff coming out of their sets late night.
I've seen it only a few times before, but back then i was pretty much sure the person i was with had some browser or tab open in the background, i was so wrong.
Tracked it down a bit, although i can't translate, it seems im picking up Russian/Eastern Block transmissions, its pretty funny hearing voices while browsing.
Just thought i'd share it to the people here a bit mostly, because it can cause alot of confusion to people, returning your items won't solve it either, unless you wrap your house in tin-foil.
Too bad im not picking up more nearby radio stations, random talking isn't getting my groove on.
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| 05/05/08 16:31 |
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Benms
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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I had this happen to me in my car one time, it was pretty wierd. I'm listining to the radio and next thing I know I hear someone's phone dialing, ringing, then a conversation. It was really muffled so I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but it was strange nonetheless.
At least I know how it happened now lol
***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***
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| 05/05/08 17:02 |
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Calypso_FtW
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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lol reminds me to that myth were some woman caught radio transmissions with her fake tooth made out of some material that can supposedly absorb the radio waves..
No ur not, ur a ranger.
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| 05/05/08 17:09 |
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Forumite
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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About the car thing, your not the only one out there, i've heard it via an old cellphone once, i could hear muffled sounds of other people calling nearby, say roughly 50 meters away, it was really stupid & funny at the same time, keep in mind that was years ago, cellphones are different i think these days.
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| 05/05/08 17:26 |
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Future Man
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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Well I'll take a crack at this.
You have an unprotected cable, which is probably acting as an antenna. I dont know how old you are, but you remember the rabbit ears for your Tv? Some time you'd put alluminium foil on them for better reception. Its just acting as a conductor to absorb more energy from the sound waves. The fact that your computer is powering these speakers probably amplifies the effect of this wire, into a fairly effective antenna.
Cell phone and TV and stuff travel on a circuit of waves called narrow band, and radio is the stuff that broadband. A sound wave looks like this picture.  As they travel out their wave length and amplitude decreases and they decay. (that is what the decay setting on your reverb pedal does btw musicians) The difference between AM bands and FM bands is one main thing. FM you alter the amplitude (the height) to alter the station or frequency. Because of this, FM radio waves tend to decay alot faster since they expend so much of their energy going up and down instead of horizontally. You are picking up AM waves most likely. They alter the wavelength making them much lower quality and mono (this is why music is on the FM dial by the way) But they also travel much farther because each cycle is loooong.
Sometimes, you might notice if you are listening to a weak frequency (like college radio) and you go under a tunnel, you get a different frequency. This is because the FM bands pack more in formation per cycle and there for take priority. Your computer is probably just in a weird spot where these low AM bands are hitting it just right.
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| 05/05/08 17:38 |
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Forumite
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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Hahaha, i sure hope you didn't jump the gun too soon, i've already read that a while ago, but the technical explanation can't do no harm.
Its funky though, but not much one can do about (if its that annoying) besides soldering or thing like that, im not too fond of wrecking the warranty just because of a 20 seconds distorted Russian news break.
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| 05/05/08 17:42 |
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CorruptNinja
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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Whenever i leave my Cell Phone close to my speakers itll go; Click Click, Click Click. Sometimes catches me offguard and scares the hell out of me. There's also this little machine at Burger King in the Play Area for kids, it picks up Police Transmissions :P Heard about a' Armed Suspect' there once :)
***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***
"People are like slinkies; Basically useless, yet so amusing to watch fall down the stairs."
"No! He would kill you like a small dog. Let your anger be as a monkey in a piñata... hiding amongst the candy... hoping the kids don't break through with the stick!" - Master Tang
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| 05/05/08 19:13 |
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Chrisworld
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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My teachers know when a kid is reciving a call because it interferes with the CPU in their comps and makes the speakers go nuts, lol.
Gameamp Guides [AMP]
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| 05/05/08 19:17 |
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RevBudGreen
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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When I leave my Blackberry on my desk it will make funny noises. Usually when I have a call or text message coming in. Bugged me at first, now I'm just use to it.
Well I wish I had a nickel, For every time I fell and blamed somebody else
I'd give a ton of money to the ones I’ve hurt, And I’d still be sittin' pretty well
I've spent years losin' touch of what's right and what's real Caught up in these missions of my own
And you're tellin' me you think I’ve done so damn well While we're sittin' here a thousand miles from home
There's a hole in your wisdom, a hole in your sky
Two holes in your head where the light's supposed to get by
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| 05/05/08 20:21 |
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sonofjenova7
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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I remember a freind of mines had a classic rock station playing through his guitar and amp setup.
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| 05/05/08 22:06 |
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Tor Den Mektige
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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yea, I know what your talking about ... cept this is happening to me on my studio speakers IN my studio ... and when working on tracks, mixing down and mastering etc, it drives me nuts, caus some times the music is played along with radio
while you might just be noticing it while browsing, I notice it while working in the studio also. :X but once in a while im not affected at all by it and cant hear it .... bizarre
Account 1: Tor Den Mektige, Account 2: Ching Chong Whi
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| 05/05/08 23:24 |
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hairychimpdude
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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i used to get that problem with my hi-fi where i used to live, used to hear pilot's getting landing details and stuff cos lived very close to a small airfield. THAT was odd
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| 05/06/08 06:24 |
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Jamnog
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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| QUOTE | Well I'll take a crack at this.
You have an unprotected cable, which is probably acting as an antenna. I dont know how old you are, but you remember the rabbit ears for your Tv? Some time you'd put alluminium foil on them for better reception. Its just acting as a conductor to absorb more energy from the sound waves. The fact that your computer is powering these speakers probably amplifies the effect of this wire, into a fairly effective antenna.
Cell phone and TV and stuff travel on a circuit of waves called narrow band, and radio is the stuff that broadband. A sound wave looks like this picture. [img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:Nf64zxwxS8HbwM:http://cache.eb.com/eb/image%3Fid%3D62908%26rendTypeId%3D4[/img] As they travel out their wave length and amplitude decreases and they decay. (that is what the decay setting on your reverb pedal does btw musicians) The difference between AM bands and FM bands is one main thing. FM you alter the amplitude (the height) to alter the station or frequency. Because of this, FM radio waves tend to decay alot faster since they expend so much of their energy going up and down instead of horizontally. You are picking up AM waves most likely. They alter the wavelength making them much lower quality and mono (this is why music is on the FM dial by the way) But they also travel much farther because each cycle is loooong.
Sometimes, you might notice if you are listening to a weak frequency (like college radio) and you go under a tunnel, you get a different frequency. This is because the FM bands pack more in formation per cycle and there for take priority. Your computer is probably just in a weird spot where these low AM bands are hitting it just right. |
Very good future man I think your right... apart from the diagram that shows and fm (frequency modulation) transition.
frequency of the carrier wave is changed to represent the amplitude of the original signal (dj voice etc).
With am (amplitude modulation) the frequency of the carrier wave remains the same and the amplitude of that wave changes.
The carrier wave on shortwave could be picked up by a peice of wire of a specific physical length or half that length or a quarter of that length. and you wouldnt need to filter out the higher frequency carrier wave in order for that signal to affect an audible effect in your speakers. If a coil or peice of wiering within the speakers is unsheilded then i would expect them to be pretty big speakers for that component to be acting as the antenna more likely as futureman points out the lead between the earphone jack and your speaker with im presuming build in...i have to go
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| 05/06/08 11:14 |
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Forumite
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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I doubt it can be the metal of the jack's, that seems just too tiny, i got this set:
The cables all run into the Subwoofer unit where its send to the speakers, i think what's inside the Subwoofer is big enough to act as an antenna.
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| 05/06/08 11:27 |
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Future Man
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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well
maybe its ghosts ???
i mean really, isn't that what most problems usually come down to ?
*#&#&#ing ghosts
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| 05/06/08 15:40 |
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Forumite
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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Nah this house is clean, the talking lights are a nice addition, but my broker assured me it wasn't ghosts.
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| 05/06/08 16:32 |
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Chrisworld
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| RE: Radio Interference through Speakers |
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| QUOTE | | Nah this house is clean, the talking lights are a nice addition, but my broker assured me it wasn't ghosts. |
LMAO Talking lights?
You gotta explain that one.
Gameamp Guides [AMP]
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| 05/06/08 17:57 |
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