very low frequency noise

[NX]

The hum has gotten loud in the last 30 minutes, even with the strong winds tonight.

[NX]

great, I think I just saw Bigfoot walking down the street blowing on a harmonica. Problem solved! Now we are all doomed for sure! 

[samsonite]

NX,

I don't live in that area now, but I did have power lines that made a low frequency hum at a previous property.  It was very inconsistent.  Sometimes they would even crackle.

Since there was a lot of moisture in the air last night and given the sounds you describe, it sounds to me like it is a power line issue.

HTH

[NX]

really loud this morning and now. been walking around outside, and can't pinpoint anything. 

so.. is there anything to do to have someone check out this noise? 

[Moose]

Are any of the tranformers on the power poles creating this hum?

How about any of the cable tv equipment mounted nearby?

[YosemiteSam]

I have heard a noise similar to this which is caused by jets.  Planes from northern California that are landing at Ontario turn east at Bakersfield and fly over Pinon Hills while descending using their flaps.  The flaps cause a low pitch rumble sound when under power descending.  Look over the north ridge to see if there is a jet there...

Y-Sam

[Wrightwood]

I went over by the Methodist Church yesterday and wasn't surprised once I observed the potential RF mess that exists. The houses on the North side of Barbara are surrounded by SCE lines. One set of lines is the main underground feed that goes above ground at Ross & Walnut and heads West. I'm far from an expert by any means but I could see the potential of harmonics occurring between hi tension power lines and even cable TV lines that surround these houses.

In addition, there are (illegal) un-terminated cable TV antenna drops everywhere I looked. In fact one of them on Ross is wrapped around a wooden power pole and looks like an oversize coil.

There are wires running back and forth across streets and properties and doesn't surprise me at all that there is humming being heard in that neighborhood.

I'd start with the Cable TV company as they have already been informed by the FCC about issues in Wrightwood.

http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forum/index.php?topic=9604.0

http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forum/index.php?topic=2936.0

[NX]

nice work, WW. I'll give them a call and see if we can get somewhere.

I'm really not looking to cause problems, (I have plenty of other things I need to waste my time on) but it really is causing sleeping problems, not to mention affecting my mental stability. 

Thank you

[SkierBob]

That very low frequency noise is the sound of the Langoliers coming...

[Jirka]

This morning, I came across an article on Yahoo News and remembered seeing this thread . . .

Mysterious Hum Driving People Around the World Crazy
 http://news.yahoo.com/mysterious-hum-driving-people-around-world-crazy-115259328.html

excerpts from the article:
It's known as the Hum, a steady, droning sound that's heard in places as disparate as Taos, N.M.; Bristol, England; and Largs, Scotland.

Reports started trickling in during the 1950s from people who had never heard anything unusual before; suddenly, they were bedeviled by an annoying, low-frequency humming, throbbing or rumbling sound.

Most of the people who hear the Hum (sometimes referred to as "hearers" or "hummers") describe the sound as similar to a diesel engine idling nearby. And the Hum has driven virtually every one of them to the point of despair.

Most researchers investigating the Hum express some confidence that the phenomenon is real, and not the result of mass hysteria or hearers' hypochondria (or extraterrestrials beaming signals to Earth from their spaceships).

[ChrisLynnet]

That's weird -- I clicked on the video to hear the Taos Hum and my dog didn't like the sound one bit. He's asleep but started to growl.... as soon as I stopped the video he was perfectly quiet. Maybe it IS alien communication!    (Or just an incredibly annoying sound.)

[Leftfield]

If we were to get aliens here, they probably will send the dumb ones. 

Im wondering if these humming sounds might be from radars or satellites beaming stuff back to earth or maybe someone is using a cheap microwave for their popcorn. 

[tcaarabians]

Well, I've never heard that sound before. Just experimented with the dog. Dog was sound asleep.. played the video.. dog lifted up head for a few seconds. .. dog went back to sleep. And, I really wouldn't call it a 'hum noise.' It's closer to a flag flapping in the wind to me. My electrical wires here used to 'sing.' I think that was mostly related to when it rained. Obviously, no singing lately here.
cheryl o7o

p.s. My old antennae used to 'thwack' in the wind. I few well placed nails and that puppy doesn't move at all.

[TimG]

I think WW is on the right track with the RF.  Especially living in a relatively narrow valley ... we probably have our own little inversion layer as cold air plunges off the Blue Ridge, so sound could be bouncing off that as well, and creating a perfect little triangular box to build up standing sound waves inside.  Just a theory.  But with all the electricity we have flying around these days, I think that's probably the source of the hums.  Every time I've seen a hum story it's always been someone's town, not backpackers in the middle of nowhere.

[Tall Trees]

I hear the "Wrightwood Hum" on differnet occasions ever since I have lived in the village.  The Hum comes and goes sometimes it will last for several days and then go away for months.  I always hear the hum at night and it caused severe insomnia which disrupts my health the following day due to sleep deprivation.  I never thought about Tim G's suggestion that it might be weather related due to air bouncing off the sides of the Swarthout Valley at night.  From now on I will start to collect data on when the hum occurs.  The date, time, high and low temperature for that day and wind speed and direction.  I have heard the hum in all four seasons so I do not think snow load plays a very big part in producing the hum.  I have made previous comments on this post about possible sources for the mysterious hum that so many people have talked about on the forum.  Maybe we could form a group of individuals who experience the hum here in Wrightwood and start collecting data as a group.  We could use my recommendations of data collection as mentioned above or as a group decide what information we think may be important.  For those of use who hear the hum it can be very disturbing to ones well being and constitution when it occurs.  Other than reports of the hum on the forum we really do not have any specific information about it.

[Joe Schmoe]

The muffled buzzing of underground power cables?  Trains heading up or down the pass?

BTW...no one I know hears as well as I do.  I can track down sounds no one hears.  I almost want to challenge myself to find this for you guys.

[samsonite]

So after all this talk about the low frequency hum, I heard something last night.  However, I am certain what I heard was caused by wind chimes.  Someone near me has some of the lower range wind chimes.  There was just enough of a breeze last night to not make them hit against each other, but to hum.  I could hear them occasionally softly  hit together and also hear the chime vibrate and then stop.  It was quite annoying actually and hurt my ears even. Kind of like the buffeting you get when some car windows are open, but not others.   I could feel the vibration.  I'm not a fan of wind chimes, especially wind chimes that are not mine.  What sounds melodic to you, is clanking to others.  I even looked at some at Lowes the other day and almost bought them.  Then I remembered that I HATE THEM.  lol  Wind chimes are for people with NO NEIGHBORS for at least a mile. lol

[Bob C]

I think it's just someone playijng their Didgeridoo every night

[Tall Trees]

To start the Wrightwood Hum/mysterious vibrations sound group I would propose that I will volunteer to lead the group and research (Unless someone else wants to) and we could pm each other or share information on the phone if you would like to remain anonymous.  The minimum reporting requirements would be date, time and location of when the hum is heard. 

I like some of Joe Schmoe's thoughts,  The muffled buzzing of underground power cables?  Trains heading up or down the pass? 

What about the high pressure natural gas pipeline leading into the village and where is it located?  These are all great starting points to consider but, individuals reporting real occurrences either on the forum or anonymously would be extremely helpful for establishing a perimeter.

I know that some of these issues with the hum will be easily identified due to electrical lines, transformers and SCE equipment located in certain sections of the village.

The reports of the low frequency sounds emitting in other areas where a direct connection to utilities cannot be made might require that we have some outside professional help.

Joe Schmoe seemed sincere when posted " BTW...no one I know hears as well as I do.  I can track down sounds no one hears.  I almost want to challenge myself to find this for you guys.

Thanks Joe Schmoe for offering to volunteer your time and help us possibly solve this mystery.

[SNOW]

Have you tried to determine what direction it is coming from?  A megaphone or a highway cone held (small end) to one ear with the other ear blocked, rotating slowly around.  The loudness would give you a sense of which way it is coming from.  It should be much louder when the listening device is pointing toward the source,  Then drive in that direction for a distance and repeat.  This is somewhat similar to a Ham Radio transmitter hunt.  You might be able to determine the approximate location of the source.  Could be a satisfying exercise even if you don't fully succeed.  If you do succeed, "GOTCHA" is a beautiful word!

Maybe some of the other Hams with RDF experience would have some helpful suggestions.

Marking direction lines on a map would help to zero in on the source.