original post : https://www.hdwarrior.co.uk/2013/02/03/where-is-that-strange-humming-noise-coming-from/
UPDATED January 2021
This is a bit off topic but as I am in an industry that makes a living out of recording sound and vision I feel obliged to report this weird phenomena that has occurred a second time over the last two years.
I was in the edit suite which is right next door to our bed room when my wife came in and asked me what the humming noise was, it was about 1.30am. I switched off all the equipment and could still faintly hear a low, almost mains hum in our bedroom, it is officially reported to be between 40-80 Hz.
I decided to see if the noise was only in the house or outside so we drove round the local area in Burnside, Rutherglen stopping and listening, strangely the noise could also be heard a quarter of a mile up the hill from my house facing south but going the same distance north, nothing.
I looked for the obvious train line maintenance or any kind of construction but once again nothing, the same happened about a year and a half ago and we went through the same exercise.
This strange low frequency hum has also been reported from Canada and England all with the same story only noticeable at night, we don’t have any overhead pylons anywhere near us so it remains a mystery.
Is mother earth being mined under our very feet ?
A recent question… “Anyone have any ideas why it’s mostly heard at night and in the bedroom?”
Editor : Night time is simple…a lot less noise from cars, birds etc its probably in every room but you are more in tune with your bedroom as you spend a third of your life in it and more importantly in the same place i.e.. your position in your bed remains a constant so your ears are highly tuned to that particular space.
“The Hum is a mysterious and untraceable sound that is heard in certain locations around the world by two to ten percent of the population. Historically, the area that has been most affected by the Hum is the United Kingdom, where reports have been frequent since the early 1970s. In the United States, Hum reports date from the early 1990s, with the two most publicized locations being Taos, New Mexico, and Kokomo, Indiana. The source of the Hum has never been located. The Hum does not appear to be a form of tinnitus and may not be an acoustic sound. More than just a noise, the Hum is also capable of manifesting as vibrations felt throughout the body and is often accompanied by a suite of physical symptoms that includes headaches, nausea, and pain in the ears. Analysis of the largely anecdotal data that are available at the present time suggests that the most probable explanation is that some people have the capability to interpret radio transmissions at certain wavelengths as sound. It is well established in the scientific literature that people can hear electromagnetic energy at certain frequencies and peak power levels. Previous studies have found that a subset of the population has an electromagnetic sensitivity that is significantly greater than the mean. Several hypotheses are considered and discussed as possible sources of the Hum. These include cellular telephone transmissions, LORAN, HAARP, and the TACAMO aircraft operated by the US Navy for the purpose of submarine communications. “
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_18_4_deming.pdf
Here is a BBC radio program on this topic…
Glenn Marden “Anyone wishing to create the exact tone/frequency as to what they hear, can create and download an MP3 file here: http://onlinetonegenerator.com/
Maybe show to others. Have one headphone in, and use slider on tone generator to align sound until you then hear the hum equal in both ears. For me it was 36Mz.
Taken from the Largs and Millport news 30th December 2020
A Largs (A seaside town in the West of Scotland) history buff believes he has found a credible explanation for the infamous hum that has plagued the town for more than 40 years.
Robert Cathcart believes the electrification of the local railways line and how it interacts with the surrounding landscape is to blame.
He says he made the discovery, which he believes has never been put forward before, while researching the Largs hum for a timeline project.
Robert said: “I was trawling the net in recent weeks to find when the hum started as I wanted to add it to the town’s timeline we are creating from the Largs History Group, which I run.
“When I went to put it in I noticed that Largs railway was electrified at the same time and I thought it was a bit of a coincidence.
“So I looked into the description of the hum as measured by university studies, the frequency of the current and where it’s been heard from.”
Robert believes the noise comes from the hum of the railway tracks bouncing off the hills and echoing, creating a small noise only in certain areas of the town.
He said: “I believe that the noise is an interference pattern resulting from an almost inaudible electric hum interfering with its own echo from the hill behind Cathcart Road.
“This creates pockets where the crests of sound are doubling up and becoming audible, even though you cannot hear anything when you stand beside the railway.
“Poor shielding, cable problems and proximity to magnetic fields cause hum, which may be inaudible at source but when crossing its echo every second wave doubles in volume.
“The people hearing it are mainly between the hill and the railway line, which also supports the electrification theory.”
Although there have been other ideas put forward by locals over the years, Robert believes his explanation stands up to scrutiny.
He said: “My theory definitely explains why it’s heard in certain locations and measured loudest just to the east side of the main road.
“I’ve never read any of the theories where people have mentioned windmills and activity at Hunterston.
“To me any source of sound could be pointed to, walked towards and pinpointed, except of course an interference pattern.
“It beats me how 10,000 people could wonder and debate it for 30 odd years and still not agree on the cause. I just wanted to throw this theory out there.”
Hope this maybe useful to others.
