Speakers making morse code sounds. Anyone else have it happen?

[denverbill]

OK, this is a tad on the wierd side.

About a year ago, we bought this alarm clock that makes white noise. A few months later, in the middle of the night, along with the 'white noise' it started making these morse code-like beeps (which, I might add, have the exact opposite effect from white noise). It doesn't happen every night, or at a consistant time. It only lasts for 5-10 seconds, then stops.

Well, at first, we thought it was a defective clock. Then, at work one day, my computer speakers starting doing it. I normally keep them turned off, but in this case had them on.

Now, today, it happened with our home computer.

The only explanation I can think of is that I know power companies are looking into using power lines to connect to the internet, and I'm wondering if these noises are the result of some sort of test they are running.

Has anyone else heard of this or had it happen? Particularly XCel energy customers?

[Mara Steele]

1. Someone is trapped in the electronic dimension

and is trying to communicate with you!

:tinfoilhat:

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Only the insane hear such things

:evilgrin:

[Kellanved]

3. Cell Phone?

A Cell Phone near the computer is the most likely reason. At least IMHO.

[DBoon]

4. There may be a ham radio operator in your neighborhood

and your appliances are picking up his transmissions. This is usually due to the flawed (cheap) design of most contemporary home electronics. It is very rarely due to the ham operator's equipment.

There are line filters you can buy for very cheap that will keep the ham operator's radio signals out of your alarm clock, computer speakers, etc.

Otherwise, we now have a good use for the tinfoil hat!

[denverbill]

6. I might suspect that.

However, the beeps follow the same pattern every time, and only last a few seconds, then totally stop. Sometimes they might occur again a few hours later.

I would think if it was a ham radio operator, it would be a series of dots and dashes, but it would be an identical series of dots and dashes every time, and it would last considerably longer than 5-10 seconds.

[DBoon]

8. Maybe an automated repeater

putting out a legally required ID? Could be ham radio, could be a business service-type system (taxi dispatch, etc.)

[denverbill]

10. Would that be at the same time every day though?

That (or the cell phone thing) might explain the ones at home. I work about 30 miles away though, so that wouldn't account for those, unless it's an enormously powerful repeater.

[DBoon]

16. Automatic usually implies same time

However looking at the other responses, I'd put my money on a cell phone right now

[donco6]

5. CELL PHONE

Mine does the same thing.

[denverbill]

7. That's 2 votes for cell phones.

We do have 4 cell phones in our household and I would've had one at work that day too.

It's odd that they would interact with our clock-radio and two different computers though.

[Kellanved]

9. not strange at all

Turn off the phone, go near the PC and turn it on - most likely the PC will make the exact noises you are describing.

[denverbill]

11. OK, that's something to try.

Is it only certain cell phones (e.g. Nokia's) that do that?

[Kellanved]

13. no

I can only speak for GSM phones, but those generally do it.

A pulsed high-frequency transmission does disturb cheap (and not quite so cheap) electronics - that's a given.

[ScreamingMeemie]

21. No, mine does it too and it's a (get ready to yell at me)

Verizon. It makes weird clicking noises all the time.

[donco6]

14. They react with any speaker

The EM field they generate as they check for voicemail interferes with speakers.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. That's a Big 10-4

Not all code transmissions are coming from amateur operators.

I am in Alexandria, Virginia. The local police, fire and emergency rescue services are assigned frequencies in the 850 Megahertz range, which is up near cellphones and above UHF television frequencies. Transmissions between the dispatchers and the personnel out in the field are made not by way of code, but by voice transmissions.

However, every fifteen minutes, by FCC requirement, the licensee has to identify itself, just as a commercial radio stations are required to identify themselves "at the top of the hour." The identification comes in the form of the licensee's callsign, and it is sent in code format. This burst of code last about five seconds.

My guess is that you are close enough to a public service transmitter, or a cab company's transmitter, or a railroad's transmitter, or so forth, that these bursts of code are coming through your radio, due to the marginal design that is characteristic of consumer electronics.

So where are you? We can track this down.

KI4-something-something-something

[denverbill]

15. I work in Aurora Colorado.

And it happened once here.

But I live 30 miles away, and it happens frequently there.

It really does sound like it could be some sort of callsign, based on it's length and consistancy.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. Callsigns

are generally six or seven alphanumeric characters long. You can look them up, starting here:

FCC Gullfoss site

You would start by selecting the option "State/County" and searching for Adams County, Colorado. Enter that info. On the next screen, select "ULS DATABASE". Let's see if this link works:

State/County Results ULS DATABASE

Go down the page. See those character strings such as KD42380, KNEE232, and KUD811, just to choose three at random? Those are the licensees' callsigns. Those callsigns must be broadcast regularly.

For example, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is assigned callsign WNQW309 (and a few others). We click on that, and go down to "RECORD NUMBER 2". We click again on the option "FREQUENCY" to see that the frequency the BNSF uses at its transmitter located in Brighton, Adams County, Colorado, assigned callsign WNQW309 is 160.215 MHz. It's transmitting with 45 watts, so it ought to be able to punch through the ether.

If you happen to live or work near this transmitter, maybe that's what you are hearing. Or, it could be someone else.

Wasn't that fun? Kind of like Freedom of Information for geeks.

If you have the urge, you can decipher the mysterious callsign.

Morse code alphabet

Not to get too picky about it, but that's international code, not Morse. If we're going to get that anal retentive, however, we might as well all walk around in Starfleet uniforms, or get amateur radio licenses.

Angry responses:

Flames must be sent in code format. Please send no faster than 5 wpm, as I'm not terribly proficient. Complaints sent in AM, FM, digital, or SSB formats will be discarded without having been read.

KI4-(deleted)

[denverbill]

23. Interesting info.

I wish I was better at deciphering the signals. Unfortunately, I apparently can't tell a dot from a dash, cause to me, the first part sounds like ESSSS.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

18. ... using power lines to connect to the internet ...

The technique is called BPL, for broadband over power lines. Test have been conducted in Manassas, Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; Raleigh, North Carolina; Penn Yan, New York; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and no doubt some other places I can't recall right off the bat.

BPL is a bad idea, and here's why. The frequencies used for BPL are the same frequencies used by some amateur radio operators and by international broadcasters in the shortwave bands. Power lines, stretching for mile after mile, make perfect antennas. Thus, they will broadcast hash exactly in frequencies that interfere with amateur and international transmissions.

Of course, if you're happy with Fox, there's no need to listen to the BBC or Radio Canada or Deutsche Welle, or any of those other icky foreigners.

You'll never guess who's for it. Go ahead; guess. Oh, that was too easy, wasn't it?

Google for "bush broadband"

ARRL Responds to * Comments on Broadband Internet Technology

"Beloved Leader" Kim_Jong_Il, frequent poster at the Usenet group rec.radio.shortwave, started this thread there back in April:

Bush Backs BPL

Here's what he had to say:

======================
A month ago, I pointed out that Bush backed broadband access.

Bush backs broadband access

or

TinyURL

His speech at the time lacked details, and he made no mention of BPL.
Yesterday, he backed BPL.

Bush Backs BPL

--quote--
....
And so here are some smart things to do: One, increase access to
federal land for fiberoptic cables and transmission towers. That makes
sense. As you're trying to get broadband spread throughout the
company, make sure it's easy to build across federal lands. One sure
way to hold things up is that the federal lands say, you can't build
on us. So how is some guy in remote Wyoming going to get any broadband
technology? Regulatory policy has got to be wise and smart as we
encourage the spread of this important technology. There needs to be
technical standards to make possible new broadband technologies, such
as the use of high-speed communication directly over power lines.
Power lines were for electricity; power lines can be used for
broadband technology. So the technical standards need to be changed to
encourage that.

And we need to open up more federally controlled wireless spectrum to
auction in free public use, to make wireless broadband more
accessible, reliable, and affordable. Listen, one of the technologies
that's coming is wireless. And if you're living out in -- I should --
I was going to say Crawford, Texas, but it's not -- maybe not nearly
as remote. (Laughter.) How about Terlingua, Texas? There's not a lot
of wires out there. But wireless technology is going to change all
that so long as government policy makes sense.

And we're going to continue to support the Federal Communications
Commission. Michael Powell -- Chairman Michael Powell, under his
leadership, his decision to eliminate burdensome regulations on new
broadband networks availability to homes. In other words, clearing out
the underbrush of regulation, and we'll get the spread of broadband
technology, and America will be better for it. (Applause.)
....
--end quote--

Sell your radios now. America will be better for it.
======================

FWIW, Kerry favors broadband access, but I don't know if he is in favor of using power lines for such access. Broadband access is not the problem. It's using power lines for access that is troublesome.

Behind in Broadband

More than you ever wanted to know:

Threats to Our Amateur Bands

Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) and Amateur Radio

[Rabrrrrrr]

19. My cell phone rings through the computer before it rings itself

and by ringing, meaning the clicks and pops you hear. Only when it's near the computer, though. Took me a while to figure out why the clicks and popping were happening over my speakers.

:-)

Also interesting that the clicks and pops occur a second or two before the phone actually rings. Not so surprising, just interesting.

[GOPisEvil]

24. Mine does that too!

Freaked me out at first, but now I expect it and know what's up.

[eyesroll]

20. My car stereo did that for a few weeks.

Then it died completely. No idea what went wrong; I got rid of the car itself soon after.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

22. It's the Lawnmower Man

He wants you to join him.

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