General Category > OT Knowledge

Is there a Russian spy in the neighbourhood?

(1/4) > >>

Deano:
Weird thing: the radios in the house (and only the old-fashioned analogue AM/FM radios) keep being overridden by insistent, buzzing beeps. It even happens when the radios are in CD mode. It's at irregular intervals, and it's bloody irritating as it's noticeably louder than the radio/CD. I was happily dozing in bed the other morning listening to whatever-it-was and was rudely shaken from my doze by a dozen harsh notes.

So what is it? Morse code messages plotting the invasion? Aliens?

mrcharly:
Mobile phones

Arch:
I don't know, but I noticed a similar phen.. phenomem... thing some years ago when I was waiting with a minibus for some walkers in a layby just below Fylingdales - I was listening to a Walkman (tape only) but hearing a faint Morse style interference as well.

Kim:
Radar can certainly do that sort of thing, but my money's on mobile phones, or some other localised source of interference (central heating boilers for example do a good impression of a spark gap transmitter under certain conditions).

If the irregular intervals are short enough that you won't die of boredom, take one for a walk around the area and you'll probably be able to track down the source.  Similarly, turn everything mains-powered off and see if it still happens.

Exit Stage Left:
I can remember the interval signal of Radio Tirana which used to bleed through into Radio 1 on 247 MW at night.
http://www.swldxer.co.uk/tirana3.wma

Radio Moscow was so strong that the cartidge coils on record players could pick it up.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page