In search of the silent tone, today we are at brooks-acoustics.com, an acoustics engineering firm. Brooks Acoustics, a acoustics engineering firm that has been around since 1956, has examined NASA data that evaluates structural vibration and resulting sound pressure waves The slides presented indicate that many can detect low-level house vibrations and the associated low pressure sound waves.
For those that have a silent tone as their unwanted house guest, that no one else hears, you may want to investigate sound pressure meters. If you know an audiophile, you may want to ask them questions or even ask them if they have a precision sound meter they could use to measure sound pressure waves. Better yet, talk to an audio engineer. The Audio Engineering Society may just have a chapter that meets regularly in your neighborhood.
About the Silent Tone
The silent tone is a tone that has been associated with smart power meters and the smart power grid. Often only those that are audio sensitive can hear it. Its is believed to be a low-energy audio tone, between 5 Hz and 300 Hz. Cross-breezes from open windows have been reported as a method to reduce silent tone amplification.
The Silent Tone also refers to high frequency electromagnetic waves that are generated from cell phones, wifi and other wireless communication equipment.
Showing posts with label Smart Power Meters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Smart Power Meters. Show all posts
Thursday, May 22, 2014
In Search of the Silent Tone, A Smart Power Mystery Story, Day 4, House Noises
In the last smart power meter post a number of silent tone sources were listed. Some other suspected sources include natural gas pipes, water pipes, power line harmonics, seismic activity, structural cohesiveness or a combination of these.
Successfully eliminating silent tones often requires a well-thought out plan. This plan will often include a list of all possible silent tone sources and a list of standard home noise sources. A comprehensive list of home noise sources as listed at joncakes.com. There the post, "Noises, sounds that tell you what is wrong with your house" reveals some startling noises that could just help you isolate structural problems that may contribute to silent tone amplification.
Successfully eliminating silent tones often requires a well-thought out plan. This plan will often include a list of all possible silent tone sources and a list of standard home noise sources. A comprehensive list of home noise sources as listed at joncakes.com. There the post, "Noises, sounds that tell you what is wrong with your house" reveals some startling noises that could just help you isolate structural problems that may contribute to silent tone amplification.
Monday, May 19, 2014
In Search of the Silent Tone - A Smart Power Mystery Story, Day 1
Today we are the wisegeek in search of the silent tone. The silent tone, a barely audible continual low frequency, base-like tone, has been associated with the mass deployment of smart power meters. However, as the wise geek points out, the silent tone is nothing new and has been investigated before. According to the wise geek, the source of the ever-imposing sound has been directly linked to natural and man-made structures, including volcanoes, pipe lines and towers. According to the wise geek "in Kokomo, India, the sound was traced to a cooling tower emitting a 36 Hz tone and an air compressor intake emitting a 10 Hz tone, and on the Big Island of Hawaii, where a tone was attributed to known volcanic activity."
As the wisegeek explains, there are other suspected silent tone sources. However, complicating the location of a silent tone source are the time, expense and technology required to locate them.
As the wisegeek explains, there are other suspected silent tone sources. However, complicating the location of a silent tone source are the time, expense and technology required to locate them.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
How to eliminate audible hum in your home - for high and low energy silent tones
If you live in California, Maine or Texas odds are that you have had smart power meters installed on your house or apartment. People in smart meter regions have reported audible tones in their homes withing 6 months to a year after the installation of the smart power meters. Many believe that these effects are not only due to the smart power meter, but the smart power grid itself.
Although no one can really say for absolute sure that the ever-persistent audible tone, know as the silent or oboe tone, comes from, there have been many attempts to try to eliminate it.
The one method that seems the most practical and seems to work are low-noise or even silent fans. Thankfully, the silent tone can be easily obliterated with small wind currents. Small fans, even Japanese hand fans, can easily dissipate the low frequency audible waves. A practical fan solution requires that you selectively place your fans around the room and then listen for the silent tone(similar to the low note from an oboe). You may have to adjust the fan placement and speed if the silent tone can still be heard.
Alternately, you can use one big fan. Many don't like the big fan method because of the noise a big fan makes. Big fans may be necessary however if you have high energy silent tones in your home. In this case, a big fan could be replaced with a network of silent fans or an adjustable air circulation system.
If an electric fan is not around and you need some instance relief, try a Japanese hand fan. This works well for low energy silent tones. For higher energy silent tones, you will have to fan faster.
If you want to further reduce the resonance and vibration effects that are also associated with the mysterious smart power grid, consider a new bed if it has metal bed springs. Some suspect that the coil shape of these springs electromagnetically or acoustically couples with the power meter
(and or the power grid) to turn your smart power meter and bed into a one big gigantic speaker. Although removing bed coil springs has been reported to help reduce the silent tone effect. The data so far suggests that you will still need to use fans to eliminate all the noise
If you still have problems, you might also want to take a look at the structure of your home, the electrical and the pipes and the materials it is made of. It may just be that your home is incompatible with the smart power grid altogether.
You may also want to contact your local utility or a consumer safety organization if you suspect that your smart power meter or the smart power grid is the silent tone source. If you want to measure the tone, you can use a frequency spectrum analyzer or build your own tone detector or band pass filter. There are a lot of devices out there that may help you further isolate the source of the tone. They vary widely in quality and price. However, it may be necessary for your power company to measure for the presence of audio harmonics if they are coming from the power line.
But before you go to the expense and time, consider that the power gird could be the source of the tone. Some theorize that the silent tone is a result of acoustic feedback similar to what you hear when you cross two wires that connect to a speaker. However, in this case it is a low-power, low-frequency acoustic feedback instead of a high power, ear piercing acoustic feedback.
Keep in mind that the smart power grid or smart power meter may not be the source of the problem. Consider contacting an electrician, plumber and electromagnetic, audio and mechanical vibration specialist or even your doctor to determine if there are any underlying problems than may be the source or aggravating the situation.
For the most part, there should not be continually audible low frequency tones in a home.
Although no one can really say for absolute sure that the ever-persistent audible tone, know as the silent or oboe tone, comes from, there have been many attempts to try to eliminate it.
The one method that seems the most practical and seems to work are low-noise or even silent fans. Thankfully, the silent tone can be easily obliterated with small wind currents. Small fans, even Japanese hand fans, can easily dissipate the low frequency audible waves. A practical fan solution requires that you selectively place your fans around the room and then listen for the silent tone(similar to the low note from an oboe). You may have to adjust the fan placement and speed if the silent tone can still be heard.
Alternately, you can use one big fan. Many don't like the big fan method because of the noise a big fan makes. Big fans may be necessary however if you have high energy silent tones in your home. In this case, a big fan could be replaced with a network of silent fans or an adjustable air circulation system.
If an electric fan is not around and you need some instance relief, try a Japanese hand fan. This works well for low energy silent tones. For higher energy silent tones, you will have to fan faster.
If you want to further reduce the resonance and vibration effects that are also associated with the mysterious smart power grid, consider a new bed if it has metal bed springs. Some suspect that the coil shape of these springs electromagnetically or acoustically couples with the power meter
(and or the power grid) to turn your smart power meter and bed into a one big gigantic speaker. Although removing bed coil springs has been reported to help reduce the silent tone effect. The data so far suggests that you will still need to use fans to eliminate all the noise
If you still have problems, you might also want to take a look at the structure of your home, the electrical and the pipes and the materials it is made of. It may just be that your home is incompatible with the smart power grid altogether.
You may also want to contact your local utility or a consumer safety organization if you suspect that your smart power meter or the smart power grid is the silent tone source. If you want to measure the tone, you can use a frequency spectrum analyzer or build your own tone detector or band pass filter. There are a lot of devices out there that may help you further isolate the source of the tone. They vary widely in quality and price. However, it may be necessary for your power company to measure for the presence of audio harmonics if they are coming from the power line.
But before you go to the expense and time, consider that the power gird could be the source of the tone. Some theorize that the silent tone is a result of acoustic feedback similar to what you hear when you cross two wires that connect to a speaker. However, in this case it is a low-power, low-frequency acoustic feedback instead of a high power, ear piercing acoustic feedback.
Keep in mind that the smart power grid or smart power meter may not be the source of the problem. Consider contacting an electrician, plumber and electromagnetic, audio and mechanical vibration specialist or even your doctor to determine if there are any underlying problems than may be the source or aggravating the situation.
For the most part, there should not be continually audible low frequency tones in a home.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Smart Power Meters - The Beginning of the End for Utility Companies
Smart power meters are a new technology that may allow for improvement of the United States power grid. The plan is to have smart meters everywhere. However not everybody is sure what the health effects will be. One big questions is how many smart power meters is too many , . Because of the location of power and gas meters, some homes and apartments can have as many as 20 smart power meters right next to where they sleep. On the other hand, there are other homes and apartments were the power meter is far away from their living quarters.
So are those that have more than two smart power meters next to where they sleep more likely to develop health effects than those that don't. Doing a random statistical sample of 200 homes and 200 apartments it was found there are about 1 in 30 dwellings have 4 or more smart power meters located near were they sleep.
This group may be the first to develop adverse health effects from smart power meter. If the utility companies blanket 80 percent of all residences with smart power meters in the United States, the sample data suggests that up 8 million people could possible develop adverse health effects. If the effects are serious, the liability of the utility companies as well as contractors such as smart power meter installers as well as smart power meter manufacturers could be enormous. Not to mention the effects on overall productivity in the United States.
So are those that have more than two smart power meters next to where they sleep more likely to develop health effects than those that don't. Doing a random statistical sample of 200 homes and 200 apartments it was found there are about 1 in 30 dwellings have 4 or more smart power meters located near were they sleep.
This group may be the first to develop adverse health effects from smart power meter. If the utility companies blanket 80 percent of all residences with smart power meters in the United States, the sample data suggests that up 8 million people could possible develop adverse health effects. If the effects are serious, the liability of the utility companies as well as contractors such as smart power meter installers as well as smart power meter manufacturers could be enormous. Not to mention the effects on overall productivity in the United States.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)