PC Speakers Picking up Radio Waves

PaulaJedi

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Zenith
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8,711
My computer speakers are picking up radio waves. I hear a male talking non-stop as if something is playing continuously, 24/7. Is a short wave radio the only way to hear it clearly, or is there something else I can do? I'm really curious as to why something is being played non-stop. I want to know what the guy is blabbing about.
 

Num7

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Hey, I experienced this a couple of months ago. I heard muffled babbling in my earphones when my music was quiet, on my computer.

Couldn't decipher what was being said, could not even guess the language. Increasing volume didn't seem to make it louder.

It didn't happen enough times to make me wonder what it was or mention it. Well, now it's intriguing me.

It's certainly weird!!
 

Beholder

Senior Member
Messages
1,015
If a part of the sound curcuit breaks so that no drain is going to + or - through a resistor, it will function like an antenna by roaming freely from incomming energy. Might be a bad solder on a resistor.
What is Transistor Biasing?

I used to wake up to Russian techno music on long wave because my old speaker system with amplifier picked it up.
 

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PaulaJedi

Survivor
Zenith
Messages
8,711
Hey, I experienced this a couple of months ago. I heard muffled babbling in my earphones when my music was quiet, on my computer.

Couldn't decipher what was being said, could not even guess the language. Increasing volume didn't seem to make it louder.

It didn't happen enough times to make me wonder what it was or mention it. Well, now it's intriguing me.

It's certainly weird!!

Something is being played over shortwave radio, I'm guessing. My next question is, if I got a short wave radio or a kit for my PC, how do I know what channel to tune into? I don't think you live anywhere near Florida, so this is strange.
 

PaulaJedi

Survivor
Zenith
Messages
8,711
If a part of the sound curcuit breaks so that no drain is going to + or - through a resistor, it will function like an antenna by roaming freely from incomming energy. Might be a bad solder on a resistor.
What is Transistor Biasing?

I used to wake up to Russian techno music on long wave because my old speaker system with amplifier picked it up.

Ok, good explanation as to why it is happening, but now I want to know why someone has a speech on repeat 24/7.
 

Beholder

Senior Member
Messages
1,015
Ok, good explanation as to why it is happening, but now I want to know why someone has a speech on repeat 24/7.
We can probably exclude police radio, because these are often encrypted and brief. Russian long wave only plays music.

It could be amateur radio, which are used by the people maintaining radio antennas and other electronic geeks. These people usually have antennas visible miles away on their houses, so finding the house might be simplest. When my uncle took down a christmas decoration from his antenna, children in his town became sad.
 

Mayhem

Senior Member
Zenith
Messages
6,715
My computer speakers are picking up radio waves. I hear a male talking non-stop as if something is playing continuously, 24/7. Is a short wave radio the only way to hear it clearly, or is there something else I can do? I'm really curious as to why something is being played non-stop. I want to know what the guy is blabbing about.
It is a question of why its picking up, we all have had speakers for years.

As you said id like to listen in:)
 

Wind7

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Staff
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8,435
I found a source that might help. (?)


Q: As I am typing this, a random radio broadcast is coming through my monitor’s speakers. My computer seems to be somehow capturing a radio signal. What can I do to prevent this?

A: The most likely cause is the wiring that connects your speakers to your computer. Most such wiring is not well-shielded and can pick up radio signals as well as signals from portable phones and other devices.

And, by the way, the longer the wiring to your speakers is, the more prone it is to interference. The wiring essentially acts as an antenna.

What can you do about it? Try simply moving the wiring and the speakers a bit. That may be enough.

If the problem remains, and if you’ve got a lot of unneeded length of wiring between the computer and the speakers, try coiling the wire and tying it together. That will cut down on its effective length as an antenna.


Next, you could replace the wire with another wire that has better shielding. Finally, you might want to try adding ferrite clamps, or rings, to the wiring. You place the clamp around the wire close to the speaker. You can find the clamps at Radio Shack.

Source)

 
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Num7

Administrator
Staff
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12,376
I knew a guy at work who had super old speakers from the 90s on his computer. They would start buzzing quite loudly about 3-4 seconds before his cell phone would ring. It was unmistakable. Every single time his cellphone rang, the speakers would buzz.

It's too bad I don't hear those noises we mentioned anymore on my earphones and computer, as I didn't even investigate it... Maybe I should have.
 

Beholder

Senior Member
Messages
1,015
I knew a guy at work who had super old speakers from the 90s on his computer. They would start buzzing quite loudly about 3-4 seconds before his cell phone would ring. It was unmistakable. Every single time his cellphone rang, the speakers would buzz.

It's too bad I don't hear those noises we mentioned anymore on my earphones and computer, as I didn't even investigate it... Maybe I should have.
My speakers sounded like they were going to burst when my neighbor drove by with his GPS.
 

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