Hi,
Fortunately, there are some things that if, ignored for long enough,
will go away. It may take some time, but with patience, these annoying
things will be gone. But they must be ignored.
On the other hand, the HUM doesn't seem to be one of those things that
can be ignored.
I did notice a few things about my area that I don't remember addressing
before. But with the loss of the HUM here, I noticed another artifact
that I will strive to record audibly and to post for the forum to listen
to.
This involves interference on a radio that I carry to listen to the
police frequencies at 453.250 MHz. While traveling to work over the last
15 years, I noticed that I periodically encounter interference to the
above mentioned frequency as I pass within a mile to a mile and a half
of the County Airport. The interference is strong. If I bypass the
squelch and listen to the frequency when the radio is not receiving a
signal, the very strong interference received souds like a diesel engine
idling. Perhaps some interference from the Airport systems (for landing,
location, communication, and the like). The Airport is the Allegheny
County Airport. Larger than a small airport, but well smaller that a
large airport, this airport is also nearly visible from my house.
Now I don't hear the HUM at home, but noticed that the Diesel sounding
interference on the radio is stronger and more persistent than usual, I
cannot help but to draw some correlation. It is actually occurring on a
radio that seemed to be resistant to it in the past. (I'm suggesting
that the cause is stronger than usual).
Can someone tie the two situations together? Can the airport (on the
Horizon from my house), be a source of a signal that may be interpreted
as the HUM. The airport is about 5 to 10 miles from my house as the crow
flies. Could something have changed that is lobbing the interference in
the other direction, leaving my house silent, but adding more
interference to the radio?
I'm away for the weekend, I check back on this Sunday. Please feel free
to repost this as it's own post if no one responds to this link. I do
think that there's something to this.
Jim
--- In humforum@yahoogroups.com, "Leah Ryan" <leahryan@...> wrote:
>
> Congrats, Jim. I hope it continues to be silent longer for you and
your wife than it has been
> for me. After enjoying nearly a week without the Hum, it returned this
morning.
> When I went shopping for two hours this afternoon I did not hear or
feel the Hum, but the moment
> I returned to my apartment (a new place I moved into four months ago),
the Hum was still in full swing. [This disproves the tinnitus theory.]
> I believe it has something to do with a still to be discovered
physical law.
> Leah Ryan
> (south shore of Long Island in NY USA)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Zaday wrote on Thursday, April 30, 2009:
>
>
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> My wife and I are still HUM free in Pittsburgh. Not so much as a
squeak
> (figuratively speaking).
>
> I didn't know there was such a thing as silence.
>
> Jim
>
> --- In humforum@yahoogroups.com, Glenn Fisher mgfisher@ wrote:
> >
> > Still hearing hum today in santa cruz, ca
> >
>
It is my view, after years experience, that "the Hum" cannot be detected
audibly, but rather, is a perceived "sound" inside one's head. In fact it is
not really a sound, but is perceived as one.
Definition of the word "sound":
"Vibrations transmitted through an elastic solid or a liquid or gas, with
frequencies in the approximate range of 20 to 20,000 hertz, capable of being
detected by human organs of hearing."
Thus, "the Hum" is not a sound, since it is not waves of vibrations in the
air!
I do not mean to say that it is psychological, but it is not really a
"sound" in the sense that it can be detected using microphones etc. Or by
any other definition of the word.
Most people with perfectly good hearing cannot "hear" or otherwise detect
this phenomenon.
My wife and I both hear it at the same time when its here, and we both agree
when its gone. So clearly it is objectively perceived, and certainly is
coming from a foreign source.
FYI, I do not live anywhere near an airport, and the hum does not correspond
with AM radio interference.
I suspect it is some electromagnetic energy, which, when it hits our brain,
resonates in our ear canal, or with our auditory nerves, creating the
perception of sound.
My own theory is this can be exacerbated by the electrolytes inside our
brain fluid. We carry around metallic particles, minerals, etc ("hard
water") in our brain fluid, which, depending on the mixture and
concentration, can CONDUCT these electromagnetic waves, which, in turn,
stimulate our auditory nerves.
I think this site is the best for all Hum related info:
http://homepages.tesco.net/~John.Dawes2/
Still HUM Free.
Not so much as a vestige.
I realized that my post, addressing the issue of the airport, was one
avenue of approach. I will endeavor to tape the sound of the
interference to the FM Frequency of 453.250 MHz. I think you and others
will agree that there is an eerie similarity to what "we HUM Hearers"
commonly identify as The HUM.
Your reply may reinforce my assertion (I am not looking for support,
just trying to disseminate information to someone capable of making
sense of it), as I am also pondering an electromagnetic source of the
HUM (in my case) with the Airport offering the source of the
electromagnetic energy.
Being that the HUM is now not present in the country (where I first
started hearing it) and in the city (neither my wife or I are hearing
ANY of it), and there is no airport in the country, at least not within
line of sight, I do not offer this as the only cause of the HUM.
Be well.
Jim
--- In humforum@yahoogroups.com, Glenn Fisher <mgfisher@...> wrote:
>
> It is my view, after years experience, that "the Hum" cannot be
detected
> audibly, but rather, is a perceived "sound" inside one's head. In fact
it is
> not really a sound, but is perceived as one.
>
> Definition of the word "sound":
>
> "Vibrations transmitted through an elastic solid or a liquid or gas,
with
> frequencies in the approximate range of 20 to 20,000 hertz, capable of
being
> detected by human organs of hearing."
>
> Thus, "the Hum" is not a sound, since it is not waves of vibrations in
the
> air!
>
> I do not mean to say that it is psychological, but it is not really a
> "sound" in the sense that it can be detected using microphones etc. Or
by
> any other definition of the word.
>
> Most people with perfectly good hearing cannot "hear" or otherwise
detect
> this phenomenon.
>
> My wife and I both hear it at the same time when its here, and we both
agree
> when its gone. So clearly it is objectively perceived, and certainly
is
> coming from a foreign source.
>
> FYI, I do not live anywhere near an airport, and the hum does not
correspond
> with AM radio interference.
>
> I suspect it is some electromagnetic energy, which, when it hits our
brain,
> resonates in our ear canal, or with our auditory nerves, creating the
> perception of sound.
>
> My own theory is this can be exacerbated by the electrolytes inside
our
> brain fluid. We carry around metallic particles, minerals, etc ("hard
> water") in our brain fluid, which, depending on the mixture and
> concentration, can CONDUCT these electromagnetic waves, which, in
turn,
> stimulate our auditory nerves.
>
> I think this site is the best for all Hum related info:
>
> http://homepages.tesco.net/~John.Dawes2/
>
Hello all,
Please see the files section under HUM Simulations. I did not know where
to put these files (the sound and an image). They are entitled Alinco
Scanner Interference.
I have recorded interference that I hear periodically while carrying my
Amateur Radio in the vicinity of Allegheny County Airport. It's not an
international airport, but can handle decent size planes.
I first noticed this interference around election time a year or so ago
(not making any correlations,merely stating a fact). It was very strong,
nearly overwhelming the actual signal, and at that time I was using
another radio. (Yeasu VX-2).
The interference disturbed me to the point that I contacted the American
Radio Relay League. Of course,they told me that since I was not licensed
on that frequency, it was none of my business. Real pros. I was
concerned that the interference may affect the public safety radios, yet
no one seemed to care. Likely, since the area for these frequencies is a
few miles in the opposite direction, no significant interference is
occurring.
This radio seemed to be somewhat more resilient than the Yaesu to this
interference, but I was stunned while traveling to work recently with
the radio and hearing how loud the interference is with this radio.
Since I have stopped hearing the HUM (and so has my wife) for a few
weeks now, and this interference sounds VERY similar to a Diesel Engine
Idling,I wondered if a correlation existed. Originally I believed that
the source was the Airport itself, yet I noticed as I drove (in the
direction in the photo of the scanner) that the interference was getting
stronger, or perhaps more correctly, not growing any weaker. What did my
eyes behold? A microwave antenna cluster on the horizon, just visible in
the photo to the left of the roadway, about 1/2 miles in the distance.
As I continued to drive well past the antenna, the interfering signal
grew weaker, with characteristic fall-outs as if various terrain
obstacles were blocking the signal. It would go to pure static then
return, oscillating as I drove down the street. As I continued further,
the road dropped off significantly (hills) and the signal disappeared.
The Radio is tuned to 453.250 MHz FM. The end of the recording was due
to the police dispatcher coming on to contact a car. My car's engine was
off and no devices in the car (such as the radio) were operating. I
noticed that while using the digital camera (to record the sound), the
camera would actually cause mild interference in the radio in the form
of static. The Radio had the squelch adjusted to minimum to permit the
recording to be made. The radio does not suffer this anywhere else I've
been. Just this area. It is noticeable when the dispatcher contacts a
unit and the channel falls silent,there is a moment that is referred to
as a "squelch tail".(i.e. noise can be heard for a moment before the
squelch opens the audio circuit).
Let me know what you think. I'm thinking Microwave Generated
Interference that sounds like a diesel and wonder if this type of signal
may be causing some of us to hear the HUM. Alternately, it may be
something from the Airport, yet the signal is so Diesel like it's
uncanny.
Jim
Hello. I wonder if you can help please. I work for BBC Radio News in the UK and am working on a feature piece on "the hum" that will go out on various BBC Radio outlets as well as the BBC News website. I'm keen to speak to anyone living in the UK who's currently suffering with "the hum" and is willing to talk about their experiences. If anybody wishes to get in touch, my e-mail address is james.alexander@.... Hope you can help. Many thanks!
http://www.bbc.co.uk This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal views which are not the views of the BBC unless specifically stated. If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system. Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it and notify the sender immediately. Please note that the BBC monitors e-mails sent or received. Further communication will signify your consent to this.
Does anyone know what percentage of hearers also experience regular tinnitus and/or have diagnosed hearing loss or damage? Watching the Unsolved Mysteries episode about the Hum today on YouTube, the subject was found to have some hearing loss (as do I).
The fact that a larger than normal percentage of hearers seem also to have tinnitus and/or be over 50 makes me think it has to do with hearing loss in some way. Whether that means the Hum is simply tinnitus, or the hearing damage imparts some additional sensitivity to an external source is an open question.
Enter your vote today! A new poll has been created for the
humforum group:
What auditory and associated problems do you have ?
o Hum only
o 'Cicadas' tinnitus
o 'Pure tone' tinnitus
o Hearing loss
o Inner ear blockages
o Hayfever
o Insomnia
o General stress
o Bad sleeping habits
o Significant caffeine and/or alcohol consumption
To vote, please visit the following web page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/humforum/surveys?id=12905788
Note: Please do not reply to this message. Poll votes are
not collected via email. To vote, you must go to the Yahoo! Groups
web site listed above.
Thanks!
Does anyone know what percentage of hearers also experience regular tinnitus and/or have diagnosed hearing loss or damage? Watching the Unsolved Mysteries episode about the Hum today on YouTube, the subject was found to have some hearing loss (as do I).
The fact that a larger than normal percentage of hearers seem also to have tinnitus and/or be over 50 makes me think it has to do with hearing loss in some way. Whether that means the Hum is simply tinnitus, or the hearing damage imparts some additional sensitivity to an external source is an open question.
It would seem that most of us have some degree of hearing loss and/or regular tinnitus. Have created a new group poll to find out some stats.
Hi,
I've had hearing tests done at work for the last 15 years, no shift in
the baseline. Yet when I began to hear the HUM, I had just turned 50. My
wife, same age, began to hear the HUM at roughly the same time. She has
moderate to significant hearing loss in one ear, and mild hearing loss
in the other.
She and I concur on the times when the HUM is present and when it is
absent. (This has been done hundreds of times). In other words, it seems
to be an actual world event, and not something that is a function of
hearing loss. (In our cases).
I suspect that changes in hearing may allow some to hear the HUM. With
vision, after the age of 40 or so, people begin to develop presbyopia.
Hardening of the crystalline lens in the eye prevents it from being
reshaped to closely see things. There is also presbycusis with age, or
loss of hearing attributed to age. Perhaps the hardening of auditory
structures is responsible for permitting some people to hear the HUM.
Be well.
Jim
--- In humforum@yahoogroups.com, Nina Capozzola <bactant@...> wrote:
>
> Does anyone know what percentage of hearers also experience regular
tinnitus and/or have diagnosed hearing loss or damage? Watching the
Unsolved Mysteries episode about the Hum today on YouTube, the subject
was found to have some hearing loss (as do I).
>
> The fact that a larger than normal percentage of hearers seem also to
have tinnitus and/or be over 50 makes me think it has to do with hearing
loss in some way. Whether that means the Hum is simply tinnitus, or the
hearing damage imparts some additional sensitivity to an external source
is an open question.
>
> -Nina
>
zaday wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've had hearing tests done at work for the last 15 years, no shift in
> the baseline. Yet when I began to hear the HUM, I had just turned 50.
I am 51 now, and started hearing Hum around 46.
Two nights ago , dead still quiet, I had an interesting experience - I ran
up a flight of stairs at 1AM (had gone down to check daughter had turned
lights off) , and when at the top had a Hum pulsing on with my sligthly
elevated heartbeat, for several minutes. No Hum before that or after.
geoff
Hi Geoff,
I probably shouldn't do this, but I can say that under some
circumstances, I have heard the HUM in relation to what I surmise was
increased blood pressure, such as from climbing the stairs.
I believe that enough evidence exists by many forum members that the HUM
in itself is not strictly a tinnitus effect for many, (though not ruling
out the possibility of it being so for some) but I do agree with you
that circumstances, such as you describe, has caused me to perceive the
HUM at low and discontinuous levels.
Perhaps a melding of the tinnitus principle with real world events may
reveal more. I don't suspect the real world events are simply low
frequency noise, else I would not hear the sound exactly the same at
points 80 miles apart.
In deference to all, I still believe that multiple causes for the HUM
exist. Some of us no doubt perceive a HUM that others, if in the same
location, would fail to. This does not take away from the significance
of the experience, nor does it imply that, if yet others were brought to
your location, that they would all fail to hear it.
I miss seeing new posts. Hopefully those no longer posting are HUM Free.
I remain substantially HUM free, as does my wife, though vestiges can be
heard from time to time.
I will be away for a week, so if anyone responds to this post, don't
take it as a slight if you don't hear back from me right away.
Regards.
Jim
--- In humforum@yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Wood" <geoff@...> wrote:
>
> zaday wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I've had hearing tests done at work for the last 15 years, no shift
in
> > the baseline. Yet when I began to hear the HUM, I had just turned
50.
>
> I am 51 now, and started hearing Hum around 46.
>
> Two nights ago , dead still quiet, I had an interesting experience - I
ran
> up a flight of stairs at 1AM (had gone down to check daughter had
turned
> lights off) , and when at the top had a Hum pulsing on with my
sligthly
> elevated heartbeat, for several minutes. No Hum before that or after.
>
> geoff
>
- absent last night, after a (driving) trip 5 hours away the day before. Hum restarted after midnight. Wish I could come up with a theory as to why that happens.
In a message dated 08/05/2009 12:58:24 GMT Standard Time, james.alexander@... writes:
Hello. I wonder if you can help please. I work for BBC Radio News in the UK and am working on a feature piece on "the hum" that will go out on various BBC Radio outlets as well as the BBC News website. I'm keen to speak to anyone living in the UK who's currently suffering with "the hum" and is willing to talk about their experiences. If anybody wishes to get in touch, my e-mail address is james.alexander@bbc.co.uk. Hope you can help. Many thanks!
Dear James,
Rosemarie Mann here,
LFNS Helpline.
I spoke to you
recently about the 'Hum' problem,
and sent you 'loads' of 'papers', hoping
they may have helped in your preparations
for your item on 'The Hum'.
I am so sorry I was not able to take part
directly, and the 'house moving nightmare' is
still in full swing :
I am so exhausted, I feel really ill.
However,
thank you for attempting to present the Hum problem
via Radio 4, 19 May, 2009.
It was a pity that the overall conclusion
that came over was that
sufferers would have to
' learn to live with it ', -
that they were probably over-sensitive, etc.
I was disappointed to get this impression :
it is like a torturer saying to his victim,
"Learn to live with it,
go to relaxation classes,
it's your fault you are badly affected."
The question of sensitive hearing
is not the whole story , by any means.
The scientists' have NOT 'solved' it,
not at all.
Having said that,
of course, my Helpline sadly still has to attempt
to advise people how to cope with the
often serious and very debilitating effects
of stress and sleep loss.
It is one way to deal with it, to attempt
not to be bothered by it.
But when you have an identified source,
then that source should obviously be
muffled if it causes anyone discomfort.
I will continue to assert
that LF noise IS disruptive,
and just expecting people to cope with a
nuisance noise is not enough, quite honestly.
It seems to me that that approach is a
neat way of getting out of tackling the problem at source,
i.e., noise culprits.
It will help reluctant E.H.O's at Councils
decline to pursue complaints,
and must be a 'gift' to them,
it lets them off the hook !
For millions of years, humans have
not had to endure persistent
or frequent, LFN,
(not all LFN nuisances are '24 / 7' :
some come and go, either completely,
or go up and down in loudness).
It is also clearly not ONE single source,
(When people say "THE" Hum,
it implies only one source.
but it must be many similar sources,
either acting alone in any given area,
or combining with other sources.
It is probably more reported in towns
than elsewhere simplt because more people
live in or near towns, thus the law of averages, etc.
People in rural areas can get it too :
since LFN can float miles on the wind.
Plus there are things like ventilation systems or
crop driers etc that can make quite a din,
and that is just the kind of noise that can travel
out and become a nuisance.
Once noise/s have reached a distance,
they are more difficult to pinpoint :
LFN becomes like a 'fog',
you can't easily get a direction on it .
If you wanted to help with this further,
an excellent experiment that
still has not been done,
(To my knowledge), would be to take a
measurement of say an electricity sub-station
( I know of a 'lovely' example in Southampton,
near the main railway station,
just down the road from BBC,
which makes a terrific loud hum ,
just the kind of noise that people complain of...),
and replicate that sound with a noise generator
( if possible : advice needed),
then go to a quiet place,
make the noise, and measure many times,
each time a little further away,
then see how far the noise travels,
( till it doesn't register any more),
(check it's still being made, using
a mobile phone to the operators )
and make a graph.
You'd need a 'still' day,
or measure downwind....
different results perhaps for those 2
different conditions.
That would be a useful 'follow-up' item,
to carry on looking into the mystery of 'The Hum'.
I would love to help in any way I could,
and it would be possible extra prestige for yourself,
making a bona-fide scientific experiment,
that is long overdue !
Any chance we could try ?
It would be a most valuable experiment,
to help everyone understand how
noises of lower frequencies do travel surprising distances.
It would be great to get some actual data on just HOW far !
It is only since the world has
become so over-populated,
that background noise has crept up and up.
And with industrialisation increasing relentlessly,
the world is getting ever noisier.
In my humble opinion, most people do not
have super-sensitive hearing,
but have what amounts to
normal hearing ability.
I am convinced that the noise laws are
under-estimating what people
should be able to hear.
The hundreds of people I have been in
contact with over 22 years have for the
vast majority been perfectly steady,
sensible, UN-'neurotic' types,
and my conclusion is that LFN has been
steadily increasing as the country gets
more crowded and busy,
thus causing more people to be affected
by external noise.
True, there seem to be certain drugs
and medical conditions that may make
hearing more sensitive,
and true, if a person is under stress already,
they may react 'worse' to further stress.
BUT :
my opinion is that there IS too much LFN being produced,
and culprits 'hide', either knowingly or otherwise,
behind the inadequate noise laws,
which fail to recognise the intrusive
nature of persistent LFN.
2 or more sources of LFN can act together,
behaving rather like 2 shadows that,
when they overlap,
make an area of deeper 'shadow'.
I hope you can imagine how, if this happens,
then someone in the 'deeper shadow',
will be likely to hear a louder 'hum'
than either of the components
that went into that 'focus'.
(or if the peaks and troughs of the sound
waves coincide in a certain way, then : silence)
(It's called constructive and
destructive interference)
(It's another quirk of 'sound
transmission' that makes the
problem more difficult to fathom....)
The world of sound is so very complicated,
and it is rather difficult to understand at first,
but my abiding view over so many years
is that the Acoustic Environment
is VITAL for people's health,
and that persistent noise will wear down their health,
over time.
'Quiet' is the natural state, not 'noise'.
That's why people often go to the
countryside or the seaside to relax,
away from noise,
which is always demanding to be assessed
by the subconscious brain,
as to whether it is a threat or not.
This is a perfectly natural function,
and the person experiencing it is not to blame.
Evolution and 'survival' is probably to blame,
for people noticing odd extra noises
that they can't identify readily,
because over millions of years,
there has not been persistent LFN,
as there is in so many places, today.
Have you ever been trying to write,
or concentrate on something ,
only to notice some irritating noise
in the background that
keeps distracting you?
That's why Libraries prefer people not to be noisy.
( Although they are slightly more 'easy-going' these days ).
But you will still find that people studying
tend to want to do it in a quiet environment....
In the large library at Southampton,
many people sit quietly to read or study at the computer.
You did give it a good 'shot',
but I fear you may have been constrained by time,
and had to make a 'snappy' item for the radio,
and with such a complicated subject,
sweeping statements like
"Scientists have solved the problem"
is not a lot of help,
and the conclusion that people have
to go for treatment, as if they are mentally ill,
will have saddened many people,
because it implies a fault on their part .
The finished item on the radio this morning
gave a false impression,
I regret to say.
And this rather underlines what I was saying
to you about people coming to
the subject 'from scratch'.
They tend to take a simple conclusion,
which in this case,
will have disappointed
many people who have been
suffering for many years.
Salford University was mentioned :
if that was Dr. Andy Morehouse,
then the conclusion of your radio item
was not the impression I got from
his very lengthy paper.....
maybe he has done another ?
or maybe it was someone else from Salford Uni'?
This is 1450 hours now, approx,
and I just had a call from a Dr Allan Sweeney,
who was not impressed with Dr. Baguelly
(that's putting it mildly !),
and agreed with me,
that this 'Hum' problem
cannot be summed up so easily, i.e.,
that it is up to the sufferer to learn to live with it.
I will copy this letter to Dr. Sweeney,
and take comfort from
hearing that someone else had the same
(worse actually !)
reaction as me to this morning's radio item,
and the text on the BBC website,
which I hope to read in a few minutes.......
Thanks for trying , anyway, and I hope
we can do something else about it another time....
The story includes an audio example of the HUM (Not what I hear), and a video of
Katie Jacques' experience with it.
Thanks to BBC and Mr Alexander for getting this information out to those who
most likely don't know about the HUM.
If only they could report on how insidious this affliction is. :(
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8056284.stm
For decades, hundreds of people worldwide have been plagued by an elusive
buzzing noise known as "the Hum". Some have blamed gas pipes or power lines,
others think their ears are faulty. A few even think sinister forces could be at
work.
"It's a kind of torture, sometimes you just want to scream," exclaims retired
head teacher Katie Jacques.
Sitting in the living room of her home in the suburbs of Leeds, the 69-year-old
grandmother describes the dull drone she says is making her life a misery.
Most visitors hear nothing, but to Katie the noise is painful, vivid and
constant.
"It has a rhythm to it - it goes up and down. It sounds almost like a diesel car
idling in the distance and you want to go and ask somebody to switch the engine
off - and you can't."
Katie says she no longer has any quiet moments and getting a good night's sleep
has become impossible.
"It's worst at night. It's hard to get off to sleep because I hear this
throbbing sound in the background and you know what it's like when you can't get
to sleep and you're tossing and turning and you get more and more agitated about
it."
Katie first became aware of the maddening rumble two years ago. She turned
everything electrical off at the mains, but that made no difference. Neither did
her efforts to block out the sound with ear plugs, or smother it with music.
Neighbours are unaffected and tests by environmental health officials have drawn
a blank.
Checks on Katie's ears ruled out tinnitus, a ringing noise that generally
follows the sufferer wherever they go.
Katie, like most victims of the hum, only hears the noise at a specific location
- in her case, at home. Elsewhere, her hearing is fine.
Moving out is an option she's considered, but she's reluctant to leave the house
she's lived in for nearly 50 years.
"My children grew up here, they still live nearby, so do my grandchildren. I
have lots of friends here. I don't want to move, but I have thought I may have
to if I can't find out what's causing it."
Bad vibrations
The hum is a phenomenon that has been reported in towns and cities across the
world from Vancouver in Canada to Auckland in New Zealand.
In Britain, the most famous example was the so-called "Bristol hum" that made
headlines in the late 1970s. One newspaper asked readers in the city: "Have you
heard the Hum?" Almost 800 people said they had.
The problem persisted for years. Residents complained of sleep loss, headaches,
sickness and nosebleeds. Experts eventually found traffic and factories were to
blame.
There have been other cases in Cheshire, Cornwall, Gloucestershire, London,
Shropshire, Suffolk and Wiltshire.
A low-pitched drone known as the "Largs hum" has troubled the coastal town of
Largs in Strathclyde for more than two decades.
At least one suicide in the UK has been linked with the hum.
And the problem is on the increase, according to the Low Frequency Noise
Sufferers' Association. Two thousand people have so far contacted its helpline,
and it says it receives two or three new cases every week. They are generally
over 50 and are mostly female.
'Cover-up'
So what is the cause? Various features of modern life have been blamed - gas
pipes, power lines, mobile phone masts, wind farms, nuclear waste, even
low-frequency submarine communications.
The internet is abuzz with rumour and speculation. There are dark mutterings
about secret military activity, alien contact and government cover-ups. The hum
even featured in an episode of the sci-fi drama "The X-Files".
Such conspiracy theories are understandable, but unhelpful, according to Dr
David Baguley, who's head of audiology at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.
He estimates that in about a third of cases there is some environmental source
that can be tracked down and dealt with.
"It may be a fridge or an industrial fan or a piece of heavy machinery at a
nearby factory that is causing the disturbance and can be switched off," he
says.
Most of the time, however, there is no external noise that can be recorded or
identified.
"People do come up with some strongly constructed, sometimes strange theories,"
says Dr Baguley.
His own theory - based on years of research - is that many sufferers' hearing
has become over-sensitive.
Surrounded in his office by plastic models of human ears, he explains how we
each have an internal volume control that helps us amplify quiet sounds in times
of threat, danger or intense concentration.
"If you're sitting by a table waiting for exam results and the phone rings you
jump out of your skin. Waiting for a teenager to come home from a party - the
key in the door sounds really loud. Your internal gain is sensitised."
This is a mechanism we all rely on at moments of pressure or stress when we want
our senses on full alert.
According to Dr Baguley, the problem comes when an individual fixes on a
possibly innocuous background sound, and this act of concentration then triggers
the body's "internal gain", boosting the volume.
The initial "signal" may vary from person to person, but the outcome is the
same.
"It becomes a vicious cycle," he explains. "The more people focus on the noise,
the more anxious and fearful they get, the more the body responds by amplifying
the sound, and that causes even more upset and distress."
Sound of silence
In an attempt to break this cycle, Dr Baguley is currently working on a pilot
project with the acoustics laboratory at the University of Salford.
The trial - funded by the Department for Environment and the Department of
Health - uses psychology and relaxation techniques to help sufferers become less
agitated and distressed by the hum.
The experiment is not finished, but Dr Baguley says the initial results look
promising, allowing the noise to quieten and in some cases fall silent.
"It's really exciting," he says. "For years I've been seeing people with this
problem in my clinic and it's been hard to find answers. But now there is hope
and there is potentially help."
Back in Leeds, Katie Jacques is pleased the hum is being taken seriously, but
remains adamant that her suffering is caused by a real, external noise nuisance.
She suspects it may be something to do with the nearby airport, although the
authorities there say no engines are left running overnight.
"People assume you must be hearing things, but I'm not crackers," she laughs.
"I don't know how I can get this over to people, but this is not in my head.
It's just as though there's something in your house and you want to switch if
off and you can't. It's there all the time."
Nocredo1969, Melbourne Australia.
i live in terre haute, indiana and i started hearing the "hum" in april, 2008.
i spent countless nights searching for the source. i happened onto the
paper,written by david deming, recently. i quickly scanned the paper without
reading it in its entirety. i phoned mr deming immediately and he was kind
enough to speak with me that day. i was distraught at the time i spoke with him
because the noise was extremely loud that day. i was so relieved to find out
that an intelligent being actually understood what i was going through. i ran
the gamut. i complained to my doctor and he sent me to a psychologist for what
amounted to five bs sessions and no help. i do suffer from tinnitus and have
for eight years. i "do" know the difference and this horrible vibration and
noise is not tinnitus. i have been ridiculed for complaining about a noise that
not one other person can hear. i can tune it out with a fan. it took me a
while to figure that out. if i hadn't finally realized that i honestly don't
know how i would have coped. i was able to condition myself to tinnitus, with
the help of god but with the hum, i just have to have the fan on. my theory is
that it is coming through the electrical power lines. it started here right
after two men were killed while working on a project near the duke energy plant
on the wabash river. it also coincide with installation of an ozonator where i
work.
This is the first hypothesis that makes sense, for me. It
explains the “holiday effect” (desensitized by hours in a noisy
car/aircraft), the ability to hear (my) hum in the wilderness, masking effects
of fans – everything except the infrequent vibration effect.
Assuming this is correct, the question might then be – “what
environmental trigger causes overly sensitive hearing?” A quick
internet search suggests vitamin deficiency (specifically magnesium),
antibiotics (both prescription and natural), alcohol, etc.
Arne
Central MN USA
From:
humforum@yahoogroups.com [mailto:humforum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of nocredo1969
…Most of the
time, however, there is no external noise that can be recorded or identified.
"People do come up with some strongly constructed,
sometimes strange theories," says Dr Baguley.
His own theory -
based on years of research - is that many sufferers' hearing has become
over-sensitive.
Surrounded in his office by plastic models of human
ears, he explains how we each have an internal volume control that helps us
amplify quiet sounds in times of threat, danger or intense concentration.
"If you're sitting by a table waiting for exam
results and the phone rings you jump out of your skin. Waiting for a teenager
to come home from a party - the key in the door sounds really loud. Your
internal gain is sensitized."
This is a mechanism we all rely on at moments of
pressure or stress when we want our senses on full alert.
According to Dr Baguley, the problem comes when an
individual fixes on a possibly innocuous background sound, and this act of
concentration then triggers the body's "internal gain", boosting the
volume.
The initial "signal" may vary from person to
person, but the outcome is the same.
"It becomes a vicious cycle," he explains.
"The more people focus on the noise, the more anxious and fearful they
get, the more the body responds by amplifying the sound, and that causes even
more upset and distress."…
What age were you when you first started hearing the HUM?
My wife and I started hearing it just after we turned 50. It seems that many
people hear it starting at that time. I had a friend at work (he's now retired)
that started to hear the HUM at that age, only I was of no help to him since I
couldn't hear it (I was younger).
We just came back from vacation. A week in the country. For the large part, prior to the vacation, we were HUM free (for a period of time). We heard the HUM extensively last year, in the country and city, and were largely free of it for the winter. Spring came and the HUM returned to a limited degree.
While on vacation this past week, we would hear the HUM in the morning. Interestingly enough, on several days, while in the living room of the home, the HUM would roll through sometime between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. (actually, rather than be inaccurate, I'm giving the time over such a broad range). In reality, we noticed this week as well as remembering from other times, that the HUM begins when the sun is about 25 degrees above the horizon. For this reason, I suspect that the HUM may have an innocent cause, though the reason that some of us perceive it is yet unknown.
Be well and hang in there.
Jim
--- In humforum@yahoogroups.com, "marciacarter86" <marciacarter86@...> wrote: > >
I live in Terre Haute, Indiana
and I started hearing the "HUM" in April, 2008. I spent countless
nights searching for the source. I happened onto the paper, written by David Deming,
recently. I quickly scanned the paper without reading it in its entirety. I
phoned Mr Deming immediately and he was kind enough to speak with me that day.
I was distraught at the time I spoke with him because the noise was extremely
loud that day. I was so relieved to find out that an intelligent being actually
understood what I was going through. I ran the gamut. I complained to my doctor
and he sent me to a psychologist for what amounted to five BS sessions and no
help. I do suffer from tinnitus and have for eight years. I "do" know
the difference and this horrible vibration and noise is not tinnitus. I have
been ridiculed for complaining about a noise that not one other person can
hear. I can tune it out with a fan. It took me a while to figure that out. If I
hadn't finally realized that I honestly don't know how I would have coped. I
was able to condition myself to tinnitus, with the help of God but with the HUM,
I just have to have the fan on. My theory is that it is coming through the
electrical power lines. It started here right after two men were killed while
working on a project near the duke energy plant on the Wabash
river. It also coincide with installation of an ozonator where I work.
I keep reading all these messages month in and month out about new sufferers to
the hum, and how do we find the source, which we do not yet know, and how do we
counteract the hum noise with fans, earplugs and white noise.
Yet, there has not been many writers on this forum experimenting pratically to
find a way of being hum free or even as in my case as trying to reduce the
intensity of the hum.
OK, maybe my theory is wrong but I am trying to reduce the effect of the hum on
myself, and this has been ongoing for over two years now.
My best fitting theory of the hum (others may dissagree on pieces)
Most of us are over forty before we get the hum.
We hear the hum in one ear or both.
Most of us hear the hum indoors but not outdoors.
Most of us get an air noise (and vibration) and an 'up through the pillow' noise
when in bed (and vibration).
This leads me to the 'calcite cristals' theory being the culprit where these
cristals take time to grow in the inner ear cavities until they are in resonance
with the hum frequency. hence you may have one ear in resonance and the other
not, like me where the right ear is affected, yet, my left ear does not.
I decided to experiment on myself to reduce my calcium intake and see if this
reduced the effect of the calcite cristals in my right ear.
At this point I have to give the warning for females of the possiblility of
brittle bone disease if you go for a reduced calcium diet, so beware.
I cut out cheese the worst culprit
I cut out yogart, and reduced my milk intake.
I have kept a hum diary for everyday since I got the hum six years ago. The
problem with the hum as you are well aware is that it can vary from off to low
to medium ot high in a random way. So the only way to prove my experiment was to
check my average over this long two year period.
Results.
I get less intense hum day and nights than I used to.
I can control the worst nights now with just a foam earplug, as my hum intesity
is down.
I do not suffer much from the hum 'through the air' within the house, it is
really only the head on pillow that I still suffer from , though less intensity
than before.
I am now recommending others to try this calcium reduced diet, it is not that
bad to do and see if it does reduce the intensity for you, but it will take
quite a while for it to start working, and you have nothing to lose by trying
it, and everything to gain.
I would like someone else to confirm if this works for them, as it has helped me
to cope living with the hum. I hope it is the answer for you., because we hum
sufferers know what it is like. Awful !
Cheers Colin, West Coast, Central Scotland.
I find it strange that you can further reduce the
"calcite cristals" induced hum with "just a foam
earplug" - if this were an internal hum you would not be able to
affect the hum with an external method.
But, I am happy that you have some control over this torture.
Jerry - Florida Panhandle
At 05:13 PM 5/23/2009, you wrote:
I keep reading all these
messages month in and month out about new sufferers to the hum, and how
do we find the source, which we do not yet know, and how do we counteract
the hum noise with fans, earplugs and white noise.
Yet, there has not been many writers on this forum experimenting
pratically to find a way of being hum free or even as in my case as
trying to reduce the intensity of the hum.
OK, maybe my theory is wrong but I am trying to reduce the effect of the
hum on myself, and this has been ongoing for over two years now.
My best fitting theory of the hum (others may dissagree on pieces)
Most of us are over forty before we get the hum.
We hear the hum in one ear or both.
Most of us hear the hum indoors but not outdoors.
Most of us get an air noise (and vibration) and an 'up through the
pillow' noise when in bed (and vibration).
This leads me to the 'calcite cristals' theory being the culprit where
these cristals take time to grow in the inner ear cavities until they are
in resonance with the hum frequency. hence you may have one ear in
resonance and the other not, like me where the right ear is affected,
yet, my left ear does not.
I decided to experiment on myself to reduce my calcium intake and see if
this reduced the effect of the calcite cristals in my right ear.
At this point I have to give the warning for females of the possiblility
of brittle bone disease if you go for a reduced calcium diet, so
beware.
I cut out cheese the worst culprit
I cut out yogart, and reduced my milk intake.
I have kept a hum diary for everyday since I got the hum six years ago.
The problem with the hum as you are well aware is that it can vary from
off to low to medium ot high in a random way. So the only way to prove my
experiment was to check my average over this long two year
period.
Results.
I get less intense hum day and nights than I used to.
I can control the worst nights now with just a foam earplug, as my hum
intesity is down.
I do not suffer much from the hum 'through the air' within the house, it
is really only the head on pillow that I still suffer from , though less
intensity than before.
I am now recommending others to try this calcium reduced diet, it is not
that bad to do and see if it does reduce the intensity for you, but it
will take quite a while for it to start working, and you have nothing to
lose by trying it, and everything to gain.
I would like someone else to confirm if this works for them, as it has
helped me to cope living with the hum. I hope it is the answer for you.,
because we hum sufferers know what it is like. Awful !
Cheers Colin, West Coast, Central Scotland.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
"Have you forgotten?" - Darryl Worley
Hello to all,
I am new to this group and I joined for a reason. No I do not hear any
humming noises. My tinittis is too loud for that. I recently met a woman that
had to move because of a hum that she couldn't live with. The problem is that
she lives in one of the 138 lightning super hot spots that I have mapped. These
are locations that have been struck by lightning five times or more. I have over
400 regular lightning hot spots. Unfortunately, this woman moved from one super
hot spot to yet another one. She claims that she does not hear any hum at her
new residence. However, lightning recently struck there so any earth charge is
likely vented or diminished.
I am a scientist in the study of patterns in nature and lightning hot spots
are only one small pattern that I observe. I have considered and find it to be a
good hypothesis that the reason lightning strikes the same locations over and
over through time has to do with the condition that the power companies use the
earth as a neutral circuit to return waste power back to the sub stations. I
find that this charges the earth mostly at Ts and Es or end of the line in the
power grid. My findings to date allow me to actually predict exact lightning
strikes in advance. I am currently also predicting some major structure fires in
advance and forewarning the fire departments. These predictions are based upon
patterns in the earth's magnetic field as flux lines are slowly propagating to
the wesst over time.
I am wondering if you all that are hearing the hum noise live at Ts or Es in
the power lines? Have you had cases of lightning damage or major structure fires
at your location? Have you suffered other ailments? How large are the power
lines near your residence? Do your animals exibit strange behaviors? Any other
oddities at your location?
Mark S. Jordan
zorbasci@...
I live within 3 miles of a 600+ MW power plant. A synthesizer
that matches my hum is closer to 70/80 Hz.
No structure fires since I’ve been here, lightning strikes
have occurred within 20 feet of the house.
No tinnitus, excellent hearing, only hear the hum in my left ear
(by audiometric tests, the “best” ear). By most measures,
excellent health (for near 60). Many close-by lakes and an interstate highway
is 1 mile away. No strange behaviors from animals (horses, cats, dogs),
other than the “normal” J House is on relatively
flat land, mostly sand/gravel base, 1 mile from the Mississippi river.
Power plant output lines are 115 KV, 230KV and 345KV @ 60 Hz.
There is a +/- 500KV DC line within 10 miles.
However, I also hear it in the Canadian wilderness (where I
first noticed it in 2004), at least 50 miles from any power source, and
have heard it at rural locations in Iowa and South Dakota. Have not
heard it in any major city (Minneapolis, New York, Sioux Falls, Atlanta,
Schenectady, Chicago, Dublin, Oslo, Copenhagen) due to background noise.
Arne
Central MN USA
From:
humforum@yahoogroups.com [mailto:humforum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of mark
jordan
I am wondering if you all that are hearing the hum noise live at Ts or Es in
the power lines? Have you had cases of lightning damage or major structure
fires at your location? Have you suffered other ailments? How large are the
power lines near your residence? Do your animals exibit strange behaviors? Any
other oddities at your location?
Hi Mark,
It is my understanding that an electrical charge builds on clouds and a
corresponding charge follows underneath the cloud on the ground, similar
to a shadow. I have avoided referencing the charges as positive and
negative due to some nomenclature and scientific differences concerning
polarities.
Once the cloud has passed, the difference in polarities would seem to
neutralize. I would not imagine that a recent strike would deplete the
ability for any area to receive another strike save perhaps in the
context of a specific on-going storm.
I do not believe that Waste Power is returned to the Power Stations.
There is indeed the need for conductance between single line power
systems and the Power Station, this is a function of complete current
paths. Imagine a power line used for supplying country homes. It usually
consists of a single line of a single phase of power. The power is
transformed from a few thousand volts to 240 volts, still single phase.
The 240 volt secondary has a center tap, so that when used, creates 120
volts relative to the center tap. This creates 2 hot lines and a neutral
(actually the center tap connection) for use in the home, 120 volts
each. If needed, connection can be made across the hot lines without
using the center tap, and 240 volts (the actual secondary voltage) is
derived.
The use of the ground path is necessary for the operation of the
transformer, not, from my understanding, as a path for waste power.
Look forward to reading more of your postings. The forum has been a
little shy of posts lately.
Be well.
Jim
--- In humforum@yahoogroups.com, "mark jordan" <zorbasci@...> wrote:
>
> Hello to all,
>
> I am new to this group and I joined for a reason. No I do not hear
any humming noises. My tinittis is too loud for that. I recently met a
woman that had to move because of a hum that she couldn't live with. The
problem is that she lives in one of the 138 lightning super hot spots
that I have mapped. These are locations that have been struck by
lightning five times or more. I have over 400 regular lightning hot
spots. Unfortunately, this woman moved from one super hot spot to yet
another one. She claims that she does not hear any hum at her new
residence. However, lightning recently struck there so any earth charge
is likely vented or diminished.
>
> I am a scientist in the study of patterns in nature and lightning
hot spots are only one small pattern that I observe. I have considered
and find it to be a good hypothesis that the reason lightning strikes
the same locations over and over through time has to do with the
condition that the power companies use the earth as a neutral circuit to
return waste power back to the sub stations. I find that this charges
the earth mostly at Ts and Es or end of the line in the power grid. My
findings to date allow me to actually predict exact lightning strikes in
advance. I am currently also predicting some major structure fires in
advance and forewarning the fire departments. These predictions are
based upon patterns in the earth's magnetic field as flux lines are
slowly propagating to the wesst over time.
>
> I am wondering if you all that are hearing the hum noise live at Ts
or Es in the power lines? Have you had cases of lightning damage or
major structure fires at your location? Have you suffered other
ailments? How large are the power lines near your residence? Do your
animals exibit strange behaviors? Any other oddities at your location?
>
> Mark S. Jordan
> zorbasci@...
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: humforum@yahoogroups.com [mailto:humforum@yahoogroups.com] On
> Behalf Of zaday
>
> Once the cloud has passed, the difference in polarities would seem to
> neutralize. I would not imagine that a recent strike would deplete the
> ability for any area to receive another strike save perhaps in the
> context of a specific on-going storm.
>
> I do not believe that Waste Power is returned to the Power Stations.
> There is indeed the need for conductance between single line power
> systems and the Power Station, this is a function of complete
I get Hum clear nights or cloudy, and it is never on to our local mains
frequency (50Hz).
Exactly all the power from a power station returns through earth. Otherwise
is it not a circuit.
geoff
From: humforum@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:humforum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jerry Cummings
I find it strange that you can further reduce the "calcite cristals"
induced hum with "just a foam earplug" - if this were an internal hum
you would not be able to affect the hum with an external method.
But, I am happy that you have some control over this torture.
Jerry - Florida Panhandle
You could, by the physical pressure they create. If I have Hum I
can change it ‘per ear’ by inserting a finger. Sometimes I feel a physical quivering
from the ear region in lieu on Hum, which returns when I extract.
A few comments, Jim:
> ... Once the cloud has passed, the difference in polarities would
seem to neutralize.
No, in fact there is an omnipresent vertical voltage field that is quite
significant, on the order of _100V per meter_, even on a clear day.
That field can reach much larger potentials when an electrical storm is
present, but it never dissipates to zero. A device that is used to
measure this is called a Field Mill; search for that if you want more
information.
> ... The use of the ground path is necessary for the operation of the
transformer...
That is incorrect for most contemporary distribution systems. The
ground is a safety system that does not carry load current except in
Single-Wire Earth Return distribution. SWER systems are rare in the US,
although more common in rural Australia, I understand. I had an
exchange with an engineer at Lee County Electric Cooperative, our
utility in Cape Coral, about SWER systems. His comment (he has been a
distribution system engineer for some 40 years):
> I personally have never seen a SWER distribution system in my travels. I
suspect, if it exists in the USA, it's in very rural, lightly loaded
applications.
>
> The LCEC distribution system has a neutral connection back to the feeder
substation that connects to the substation ground grid. The neutral bushing of
the substation power transformer connects there as well.
>
> Also, each pole has a ground bond wire that connects to the neutral. This
bond wire goes to the bottom of the pole underground where it attaches to a butt
plate.
The low side of the (typically 7.5kv) primary of each residential pole
transformer is connected to Neutral, which is connected to the
substation by a wire of the same size as the primary phase distribution
wire, usually physically below that wire on the poles, and above
telephone and cable, if they also share the poles. Ultimately, Neutral
makes its way all the way back to the generator. Neutral is also
grounded at each pole and at the service entrance of each customer. The
center-tap of the 240v secondary is connected to Neutral and, thus,
grounded for safety - but the ground _does not carry load current_.
Because the primary phase and Neutral conductors exactly out-of-phase,
parallel, and very close to each other, there is little energy radiated
by residential power line distribution, therefore little loss. This
also true for three-phase high lines.
Tom
hello jim, i started hearing the "hum" last april 2008. i was 55 years old. believe me, this noise is external. it usually starts around 1100 am and often goes until 1230pm. i can be driving in my car and not be able to hear it but all i have to do is place my fingers over my ears and if the air is humming, i will hear the noise going right through my head. i had convinced myself that it was all in my head a couple of times but i know, as sure as i am alive, that this is not a physiological condition. i believe other people hear it but it just does not bother them. i know my husband heard it once and said it was just road noise. i honestly believe that it is coming through the electrical lines. i can be in a store and everything is quiet, then when it starts, i can hear the wiring start to drone.
if it is not the power lines, it is something that affects the wiring. the professor stated that his smoke detector went off and light bulbs exploded. i think that power companies may be replacing the wiring and using cheap,defective equipment. i know they started replacing them around the time i started hearing the noise. maybe we should start yelling louder. thanks, marcia
--- On Sat, 5/23/09, zaday <zaday@...> wrote:
From: zaday <zaday@...> Subject: HUM_FORUM: Re: terre haute hummer To: humforum@yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, May 23, 2009, 10:01 PM
Hi,
What age were you when you first started hearing the HUM?
My wife and I started hearing it just after we turned 50. It seems that many people hear it starting at that time. I had a friend at work (he's now retired) that started to hear the HUM at that age, only I was of no help to him since I couldn't hear it (I was younger).
We just came back from vacation. A week in the country. For the large part, prior to the vacation, we were HUM free (for a period of time). We heard the HUM extensively last year, in the country and city, and were largely free of it for the winter. Spring came and the HUM returned to a limited degree.
While on vacation this past week, we would hear the HUM in the morning. Interestingly enough, on several days, while in the living room of the home, the HUM would roll through sometime between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. (actually, rather than be inaccurate, I'm giving the time over such a broad range). In reality, we noticed this week as well as remembering from other times, that the HUM begins when the sun is about 25 degrees above the horizon. For this reason, I suspect that the HUM may have an innocent cause, though the reason that some of us perceive it is yet unknown.
Be well and hang in there.
Jim
--- In humforum@yahoogroup s.com, "marciacarter86" <marciacarter86@ ...> wrote: > >
I live in Terre Haute , Indiana and I started hearing the "HUM" in April, 2008. I spent countless nights searching for the source. I happened onto the paper, written by David Deming, recently. I quickly scanned the paper without reading it in its entirety. I phoned Mr Deming immediately and he was kind enough to speak with me that day. I was distraught at the time I spoke with him because the noise was extremely loud that day. I was so relieved to find out that an intelligent being actually understood what I was going through. I ran the gamut. I complained to my doctor and he sent me to a psychologist for what amounted to five BS sessions and no help. I do suffer from tinnitus and have for eight years. I "do" know the difference and this horrible vibration and noise is not tinnitus. I have been ridiculed for complaining about a noise that not one other person can hear. I can tune it out with a fan. It took
me a while to figure that out. If I hadn't finally realized that I honestly don't know how I would have coped. I was able to condition myself to tinnitus, with the help of God but with the HUM, I just have to have the fan on. My theory is that it is coming through the electrical power lines. It started here right after two men were killed while working on a project near the duke energy plant on the Wabash river. It also coincide with installation of an ozonator where I work. >
mark, i started hearing the hum after the power company started replacing the lines in my area of the country. i think that the electric company is gradually "downgrading" the lines by using cheaper materials. if it isn't the power lines, whatever it is, certainly has an effect on them. marcia
--- On Sun, 5/24/09, zaday <zaday@...> wrote:
From: zaday <zaday@...> Subject: HUM_FORUM: Re: New Here and Questions For You To: humforum@yahoogroups.com Date: Sunday, May 24, 2009, 12:45 AM
Hi Mark,
It is my understanding that an electrical charge builds on clouds and a corresponding charge follows underneath the cloud on the ground, similar to a shadow. I have avoided referencing the charges as positive and negative due to some nomenclature and scientific differences concerning polarities.
Once the cloud has passed, the difference in polarities would seem to neutralize. I would not imagine that a recent strike would deplete the ability for any area to receive another strike save perhaps in the context of a specific on-going storm.
I do not believe that Waste Power is returned to the Power Stations. There is indeed the need for conductance between single line power systems and the Power Station, this is a function of complete current paths. Imagine a power line used for supplying country homes. It usually consists of a single line of a single phase of power. The power
is transformed from a few thousand volts to 240 volts, still single phase. The 240 volt secondary has a center tap, so that when used, creates 120 volts relative to the center tap. This creates 2 hot lines and a neutral (actually the center tap connection) for use in the home, 120 volts each. If needed, connection can be made across the hot lines without using the center tap, and 240 volts (the actual secondary voltage) is derived.
The use of the ground path is necessary for the operation of the transformer, not, from my understanding, as a path for waste power.
Look forward to reading more of your postings. The forum has been a little shy of posts lately.
Be well.
Jim
--- In humforum@yahoogroup s.com, "mark jordan" <zorbasci@.. .>
wrote: > > Hello to all, > > I am new to this group and I joined for a reason. No I do not hear any humming noises. My tinittis is too loud for that. I recently met a woman that had to move because of a hum that she couldn't live with. The problem is that she lives in one of the 138 lightning super hot spots that I have mapped. These are locations that have been struck by lightning five times or more. I have over 400 regular lightning hot spots. Unfortunately, this woman moved from one super hot spot to yet another one. She claims that she does not hear any hum at her new residence. However, lightning recently struck there so any earth charge is likely vented or diminished. > > I am a scientist in the study of patterns in nature and lightning hot spots are only one small pattern that I observe. I have considered and find it to be a good hypothesis that the reason lightning
strikes the same locations over and over through time has to do with the condition that the power companies use the earth as a neutral circuit to return waste power back to the sub stations. I find that this charges the earth mostly at Ts and Es or end of the line in the power grid. My findings to date allow me to actually predict exact lightning strikes in advance. I am currently also predicting some major structure fires in advance and forewarning the fire departments. These predictions are based upon patterns in the earth's magnetic field as flux lines are slowly propagating to the wesst over time. > > I am wondering if you all that are hearing the hum noise live at Ts or Es in the power lines? Have you had cases of lightning damage or major structure fires at your location? Have you suffered other ailments? How large are the power lines near your residence? Do your animals exibit strange behaviors?
Any other oddities at your location? > > Mark S. Jordan > zorbasci@... >
You don't need to convince my wife and I about the external nature of the HUM ;-) We hear it together. With very little exception, and I mean very little, if she hears it, I hear it. If she hears it strong, I hear it strong. So on and so forth. This is not tinnitus (in our case).
I've seen (for other issues) a well known Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor (ENT). Older, conservative and careful in the treatment of his patients, he has seen many thousands of people for various issues. For the sake of trying to help others, my wife and I broached the topic of the HUM with him. He said that it is tinnitus. When my wife affirmed that she and I hear it at the same times, and don't hear it at the same times, I thought he was going to fall off his chair.
My ENT sees many patients. If 5% of the population hear the HUM (and I think it's likely a greater value, some people are very good at ignoring things) my ENT certainly sees or has seen patients that hear it (the HUM). If he's not aware of the HUM, his patients likely will be told that tinnitus is the cause (I do believe that tinnitus is the cause of some cases of the HUM).
Yet, regardless of the cause, we are all stuck with the affect. We hear an extremely (to some of us) annoying sound that we are powerless to stop.
Your age is similar to that of my wife and I, and the guy I knew at work when he began to hear the HUM. You are hearing a HUM, you are not imagining it, and it is a real world event. Don't rely on affirmation by others to validate your experience, you'll be disappointed.
I wrote awhile ago about people that can smell colors. (Others on this forum supplied the name for the phenomenon). When they perceive a color, they actually experience an olfactory sensation related to the color. Imagine them asking their friends "what does this color smell like to you?" The friends may think he/she is a lunatic. Yet the experience is real to them.
Although the above example is due to a neurological wiring issue, it does demonstrate that some people experience things in life that others are incapable of experiencing. But the failure of some people to experience it does not rule out the experience itself.
The HUM may be from electrical or electromagnetic interference, may be gravity waves, extra-low frequency submarine communications, continental plate tectonics, or the like. The HUM may also be a natural phenomenon. The relative recent ability of humans to perceive the HUM may be due to substances we ingest as part of our modern diets (i.e. chemicals used to preserve the food) and medications.
My wife and I hear the HUM while we are out in the country. Visit this link: http://tinyurl.com/qa8j23 Use headphones (decent ones) to hear this file, it may be too low for the speakers on your computer. This links to a file on this forum under the Files Section. This is close to what I hear in the country, outside, on a day with little to no wind. My wife agrees. This was purportedly taped by Tom Moir. Many people disagree that the HUM can be taped, and I'm not disputing that. BUT, this is the way the HUM sounds to my wife and I. Oddly enough, my wife always said that the HUM was a constant drone, and I said that it varied (similar to the link above). What I have come to realize is that the HUM is indeed a constant drone, and the variation is caused by drop outs in my hearing in response to minute noises in the environment, such as a bird chirping, or even the slightest sound generated by scratching fabric.
Go here: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/humforum/files/Hum%20simulation%20files/ and find out which one, if any, sounds like what you hear. Use headphones. If any sound similar, please let me (and the group) know which one. Also, this is useful tool to demonstrate to your husband what you hear. (remember, use headphones, otherwise some people simply say that don't hear anything). These tones are very deep. Some of the other simulation files may actually be a little close to what my wife and I hear, I don't want to bias your choice until you hear them.
I have two friends that I would discuss the HUM with. They did not think much of it until I let them listen to the simulation files. The one friend won't listen to it anymore, he's afraid that he may become sensitized and start hearing the hum himself. The other, an engineer, became slightly obsessed with a hum in his neighborhood (for a short period that evening) after he listened to the recording. (I was there). I assured him it wasn't the HUM. He finally satisifed himself that it was the neighbor's dryer.
The point is that when people experience what you experience, it may put them into a different view of the HUM. It is indeed very odd to hear the sounds (similar to some of the simulation files) when you are at points in the country otherwise quiet. They are not local sounds as my wife and I have driven more than 50 miles into the adjacent state, found a quiet road, and heard the exact same sound.
Interesting.
Be well.
Jim
--- In humforum@yahoogroups.com, Marcia Carter <marciacarter86@...> wrote: > > hello jim, i started hearing the "hum" last april 2008. i was 55 years old. believe me, this noise is external. it usually starts around 1100 am and often goes until 1230pm. i can be driving in my car and not be able to hear it but all i have to do is place my fingers over my ears and if the air is humming, i will hear the noise going right through my head. i had convinced myself that it was all in my head a couple of times but i know, as sure as i am alive, that this is not a physiological condition. i believe other people hear it but it just does not bother them. i know my husband heard it once and said it was just road noise. i honestly believe that it is coming through the electrical lines. i can be in a store and everything is quiet, then when it starts, i can hear the wiring start to drone. if it is not the power lines, it is something that affects the wiring. the professor stated that his smoke detector went off and light > bulbs exploded. i think that power companies may be replacing the wiring and using cheap,defective equipment. i know they started replacing them around the time i started hearing the noise. maybe we should start yelling louder. thanks, marcia >
I just read where scientists believe the Earth's magnetic fields are about to
reverse. Has been 750,000 years since the last reversal.
Abnormalities in the Atlantic Ocean(lg. hurricanes)could be an indication of
magnetic fields about to reverse. They will reverse not if but when scientist
believe.
Could HUM be an indication of the magnetic fields about to reverse?
Satellites are now in orbit measuring the magnetic field with more to in 2010.
The above is not my prediction. Just thought I'd pass it along. I have no
knowledge of any kind of noise coming from the magnetic fields of Earth.
Sandra
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