22 June 2011

Can you hear "The Hum"?

| Cabin12
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Myself and my partner moved to Canberra from Sydney nearly two years ago. Whilst living in the inner west, around 2008, we both became aware of a low-pitched humming noise, a little like the hum sometimes omitted by old stereo speakers that are on the way out. It sounded decidedly electrical in nature, and the sound seemed to oscillate between a low constant bass note and a note about an octave about it. It was most noticeable between 2am and 4am, but also at other times, and had us completely baffled. We ruled out all possible causes that we could think of (faulty electrical equipment, primarily), but the sound continued.

Thinking we might be free of it in Canberra, it was not to be – we can also hear it here in the capital. If you search the internet for hum phenomenon, you’ll find that there are various known hums around the world (Taos, USA; Bristol, UK, Auckland, NZ; Bondi, AU), which various “experts” all seem to be at odds to explain adequately. My own feeling is that it is some sort of auditory response to the microwave radiation that we are all bombarded with constantly these days, which some people pick up on and others don’t.

As the hum in our part of Canberra, not too far from Mt Stromlo, was particularly bad around 1am this morning, I’m curious to know whether anyone else in our fair city can hear it too. And please, no “you’re a nutter” comments – this phenomenon is very real (to some of us, at least).

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Does anyone hear a constant low droning noise in Downer, Canberra? It has been around for a few years driving me crazy at night.

victor clarke12:44 pm 06 Feb 22

The hum is back start around 1am stops completely around 11am then for an hour around 5pm. This is now very regular and i can hear it at our local shops but not in the shopping centers. I also seems louder on very hot still days then on cooler days its gone completely

victor clarke12:28 pm 12 Jan 22

As quickly as it came it has now stopped here in perth Australia. Im dreading the day it comes back

Capital Retro11:27 am 08 Apr 20

Are you wearing your tin hat?

Chillie Marie3:29 am 08 Apr 20

Yes. I hear this in Brisbane every night, some nights more noticeable than others, what is it?? The earth?

MountainHouse said :

I hear the Hum. You’re description of the sound was nice. The low vibrating hum seems to have a disturbingly random rhythm as it oscillates between the higher and lower octave, both being extremely low however. I’m in a small mountain town in California, US. I thought I was getting away from all the noise of the city when I moved here. I’ve got a huge communication tower a mile or so from me. I don’t know if that is where the sound is coming from. Like you, I’ve ruled out the most likely scenarios. I’ve even heard the hum during power outages in the middle of winter? I think it’s coming from the Banner Mountain tower.

Yes…the Banner Mountain tower…yes indeed…slowly back away…check for escape route…

MountainHouse8:57 pm 08 Nov 11

I hear the Hum. You’re description of the sound was nice. The low vibrating hum seems to have a disturbingly random rhythm as it oscillates between the higher and lower octave, both being extremely low however. I’m in a small mountain town in California, US. I thought I was getting away from all the noise of the city when I moved here. I’ve got a huge communication tower a mile or so from me. I don’t know if that is where the sound is coming from. Like you, I’ve ruled out the most likely scenarios. I’ve even heard the hum during power outages in the middle of winter? I think it’s coming from the Banner Mountain tower.

micky_c85 said :

Skeptoid.com asked the very same question in this episode:

“Can you hear the hum?”
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4090

+1 Excellent find.

Cabin12, your description matches my experience precisely! I am in Melbourne and have heard it on & off during the last few years, although not in recent months. The key attribute you mention, “it seems to oscillate between a low constant bass note and a note about an octave about it” is exactly the same as my perception of it, mainly at night in either of the two rooms at the back of my house. The point about the frequency variation indicates it is not related to mains power effects.

Tinnitus, or global conspiracy perpetrated against millions by evil villains for reasons yet to be exposed.

The conspiracy theories sound more appealing than than an ageing problem, but I think it’s Tinnitus.

Tinnitus – is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound.

Cabin12, I too have recently become aware of the hum. Most noticable at night in the upstairs bedroom of my new home. My wife can’t hear it. It is like a low rumble as in a far off diesel generator but I can also feel the vibration slightly. I can also hear it at work, 70 k’s away in a city high-rise, but only in the quieter moments. Certain noises will diminish it’s effect, most noticable when wathing TV. Load noise and fans seem to block the sound completely. It is not tinnitus, but something different, and it appears to be coming from a long way off and not in your head. I read that it is not apparent if you are underground, so will have to test this out on my next cave visit. Don’t listen to the nutters.

Someone rang up Dr Karl’s show on JJJ a few months ago and asked the same question – he put it down to cosmic radiation from memory.

Meconium said :

Diggety said :

And I remember one film using a similar noise (though not as distant) either in a scene or even throughout most of the film.

I just can’t remember what it was called or what it was! Perhaps because I tried to forget it.

I’m certain you’re thinking of Irreversible.

Perhaps. That was a film I tried desperately to forget. It was good, but just too confronting!

ConanOfCooma1:43 pm 29 Jun 11

Get 100 people over to visit at the time you hear the noise the most, and ask them if they hear it as well. Results from this will determine what course of action to take.

Diggety said :

And I remember one film using a similar noise (though not as distant) either in a scene or even throughout most of the film.

I just can’t remember what it was called or what it was! Perhaps because I tried to forget it.

I’m certain you’re thinking of Irreversible. I didn’t hear the bassy sine wave noise during the movie though, probably because of the crappy TV speakers, only heard about it afterwards, reading about the movie online.

As for this hum – I’ve never heard it myself but I have no reason at all to doubt that it’s real. Some people are just more sensitive to things like this than others. Must be annoying, not least with all the comedians out there who doubt its existence.

Make sure you rule out any possible sources of domestic noise. Make a list of all the nearby electrical or plumbing etc sources that you can control, and give a reason the noise can’t be caused by each source.

And don’t expect to be able to record it. It may be some kind of ambient electromagnetic radiation interacting with your brain or ears, stimulating them in such a way so that you think you’re hearing something when you’re really not. It might not necessarily be radiation causing it either, it could be chemical. Heaps of different drugs including aspirin cause tinnitus-like symptoms.

Good luck finding the cause, and have faith that one day a sufferer of this annoying hum will get down to it and find out where it comes from. Maybe someone already has a good idea; it might pay to read about the many people around the world who experience this.

Skeptoid.com asked the very same question in this episode:

“Can you hear the hum?”
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4090

dungfungus said :

How far are you from the Cotter Road water treatment plant? Could be the pumps (motors) transferring water at an “off peak” time. There is a lot of concrete in that plant and low frequency noises can get amplified in these structures. Also, the main sewerage line to the Lower Molonglo Treatment Works crosses under the T’Nong Speedway and they “vent” the pipe in the middle of the night through vertical towers near the road (sometimes you can smell the “marsh gas” as you drive past). It is possible that the rushing air makes a sound like a big organ pipe.

Dungfungus, I think you you could be on to something with this, for my particular hum anyway. I’m very close to the Parkway and there is that ActewAGL structure just in Chifley on Waldock St on the way up Mt Taylor. I’ve never paid attention whether it’s water treatment or electricity or what. But it could be an option. Close enough for you to hear Cabin12?

I mentioned this to my mother last night, to see if she’s ever heard it as she usually is awake at strange times at night. She said she’s heard it off and on for the last 20 years or so in different suburbs around Weston Creek. She has heard the same hum come out of a street sweeper once, and decided it must be people sweeping the streets at 2am.

I personally don’t think the ACT Government is capable of being that diligent however, but I’m a cynic.

Diggety said :

And I remember one film using a similar noise (though not as distant) either in a scene or even throughout most of the film.

I just can’t remember what it was called or what it was! Perhaps because I tried to forget it.

Pontypool?

And I remember one film using a similar noise (though not as distant) either in a scene or even throughout most of the film.

I just can’t remember what it was called or what it was! Perhaps because I tried to forget it.

Erg0 said :

There’s an informative analysis of the “Hum” phenomenon, including a link to a claimed recording of the “Auckland hum”, here: http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4090

Have you tried earplugs? If so, did they help?

I’ve heard similar many times, both in Canberra and Brisbane.

– Only when things are quite, i.e. very early morning.
– Only when my ears are wet internally, e.g. shower before bed.
– Never felt physical vibrations

Then again, I can here my own blood pulsating loudly and at these times.

The comments on this thread are very interesting.
I’ll just highlight some key points from my research in this topic:
* The noise is not associated with utility services – water, gas, electricity, mobile phone towers.
* The noise is not affected by environmental conditions – temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind – Although wind does tend to mask the affect of the noise.
* The noise is typically more pronounced during colder periods of the winter months, but is still audible at other times of the year.
* The noise is not generated by the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station
* The noise is not specific to Canberra and surrounds, but is a worldwide phenomenon.
* It is not alien spacecraft, although I haven’t seen one of these either. 🙂

Perhaps Cabin12 and others can help out here. My understanding (as described in work with others – not my own experience) is that the ‘hum’ presents itself quite often as a pulsing sound, almost mechanical in nature, and is felt rather than heard. The noise ‘feels’ very low in frequency, and may cause feelings of nausea, unsettledness or anxiousness.

Regarding low-cost sound level meters, A & C weighted filters on inexpensive handheld Sound Level Meters (SLM) are typically no good below about 250Hz, have a relatively high noise floor, do not provide statistical analysis and only measure broadband noise. These units do not provide frequency specific analysis. The Apps available for iPhone are also limited, although some do provide freq. information – but once again, pretty unreliable at low freq’s. They are certainly useful as a guide for measuring louder sounds.

I have also tried to measure this noise on several occasions, at various locations and over several years. I use a professional handheld SLM (costing in excess of $20k) using a Z-weighted filter with frequency specific analysis. The measured results are not conclusive, however it is expected that the hum may be in the order of 7Hz or lower (below the threshold of audible human hearing) and with a ‘loudness’ of approx 15dB SPL.

People who have experienced this noise have done a few things to live with it including:
* playback low level background music or radio during sleep – but this usually affects the partner
* playback relaxation music
* playback low level pink noise to ‘mask’ the noise – although to be effective, a high quality audio system capable of low freq playback is usually required.
* attended therapy to teach the brain to ignore the noise – most effective method to date
* sleeping with the windows open (not too popular in winter!)
* move to a new location – I’ve had one person that regularly would go to Sydney to get away from the noise!
* use high doses of sleeping tablets

So hope this helps a little. I’m really interested to hear more comments.

ThatUniStudent11:18 am 23 Jun 11

johnboy said :

ThatUniStudent said :

Have you considered getting in sound testing equipment to detect if there is actually a noise? OH&S people generally can get people in to test noise levels in the office, so surely there is equipment they could use to measure sound in your home. A Decibel Meter should do the trick. You could even buy one. They are not very expensive. Typically less than $40 on eBay
http://shop.ebay.com.au/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=decibel+meter&_sacat=See-All-Categories

or free on a smart phone.

Got a link to download an app?
Not that I have a smart phone, but the OP might have one.

Yep, in Pearce, around 1am, low level humming. I used to think it was the water heater using off-peak power, it would sometimes wake me up, but I never investigate it further. Definitely only a ‘late at night’ effect.

I have tinnitus (reminding me of it makes me aware of it again) which is a constantly changing high-pitch sound (in both ears), and the hum is more a visceral sound, you can almost feel it.

ThatUniStudent said :

Have you considered getting in sound testing equipment to detect if there is actually a noise? OH&S people generally can get people in to test noise levels in the office, so surely there is equipment they could use to measure sound in your home. A Decibel Meter should do the trick. You could even buy one. They are not very expensive. Typically less than $40 on eBay
http://shop.ebay.com.au/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=decibel+meter&_sacat=See-All-Categories

or free on a smart phone.

Sometimes late at night I hear a loud wet, sort of tearing sound, almost like someone is ripping a big piece of damp corrugated cardboard.

Of course, I always have baked beans and brown bread for dinner.

ThatUniStudent9:35 am 23 Jun 11

Have you considered getting in sound testing equipment to detect if there is actually a noise? OH&S people generally can get people in to test noise levels in the office, so surely there is equipment they could use to measure sound in your home. A Decibel Meter should do the trick. You could even buy one. They are not very expensive. Typically less than $40 on eBay
http://shop.ebay.com.au/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=decibel+meter&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Uhh, when I first read this I thought wtf? then I recalled that a few times this winter I have had the same experience. Not every night though. And I have put it down to the Electric Blanket switch. I’ll be more aware next time

Thoroughly Smashed9:18 am 23 Jun 11

Call CERN, I think you’ve begun detecting neutrinos.

gooterz said :

At night there is less background noise from the sun and other things.

If the sun’s too loud you’ve had too much to drink.

UCI_carpetbagger11:08 pm 22 Jun 11

I too used to hear a 100 Hz hum very late in the evening in my living room. It had the
same quality that you would hear from an old mains powered radio or record player
whose power supply filter capacitors were on their last legs.

I was able to isolate the source of the hum to one of the old floor boards. Stepping on
that board would stop the hum, which would return in a few seconds after I removed my
foot. So clearly that board resonated at a frequency close to 100 hz, because it took a
few seconds to build up the amplitude to a steady state.

At first I suspected electrical wiring under the floor, because the wires were not encapsulated
in plastic but were loose inside iron pipes and could in principle vibrate at 100 hz due to the
magnetic field produced by the alternating current flowing in them. But an experienced electrician
discounted that theory and suggested that a more plausible explanation might be sound carried
via water pipes.

It just so happens that there are water pipes attached to the floor beams under the living
room and the Mt Stromlo water works are less than a kilometer from the house.

The hum was not annoying and moving the rug over the offending floor board go rid of it.

This happened before the 2003 fire. After the fire there was a big overhaul of the piping at the
water works and the hum has now vanished.

Your all cylons!

It could be a number of things !
Humans have auto gain hearing so we hear whatever is the loudest anything too soft gets missed. We normally get used to the normal sounds, electic hums, **fluro light bulbs** etc. so when there is an unusal dead silence we hear the noises which we arent used to!

The other thing is that sounds above 20kHz can be heard under the right conditions. such as a particular air pressure and particular hairs in the ear. Or multiple high frequency sounds create particular air patterns in the ears which mimic lower frequency sounds.

At night there is less background noise from the sun and other things..

To fix it just get like a noisy clock or something constant that you get used too. Your hearing wont randomly adjust so low that u can hear the occasional freak noise!

ainm said :

Also, most nights around 11pm there is a very loud banging noise that I’ve never been able to pinpoint the source of, but it happens like clockwork…

That’d be me and the missus going for it. We live in Belco, and we’re getting on a bit, but you know, age shall not weary them. 🙂

All silliness aside, I have many, many, many years of professional experience with high energy microwave radiation. It can make you sterile, send you blind, and even kill you Very Quickly Indeed if you’re not careful. Overall, it can have a lot of negtive physiological effects, but I’ve never heard of humming in the ears being one of them.

Were I you, I would discount the microwave radiation theory, and look for alternative explanations.

I think wildturkeycanoe may be onto something here. Our neighbours have in slab heating and when that cuts in during off peak its makes a distinctive humming noise.

I live in the Weston Creek area, and have heard it too. My partner thinks it’s from construction sites…. Wright or North Weston?
Also, most nights around 11pm there is a very loud banging noise that I’ve never been able to pinpoint the source of, but it happens like clockwork…

How far are you from the Cotter Road water treatment plant? Could be the pumps (motors) transferring water at an “off peak” time. There is a lot of concrete in that plant and low frequency noises can get amplified in these structures. Also, the main sewerage line to the Lower Molonglo Treatment Works crosses under the T’Nong Speedway and they “vent” the pipe in the middle of the night through vertical towers near the road (sometimes you can smell the “marsh gas” as you drive past). It is possible that the rushing air makes a sound like a big organ pipe.
Otherwise the other suggestions on this blog like of an off peak meter (put your ear against the water heater case) with the noise being transmitted through your house by the HW pipes, an “earth loop” in an electrical device on standby power (check transformer on electric garage door as well) or an electrical box in the hood (check Actew for locations).
I am a tinnitus sufferer and the constant noise is a high spitched shrill which phases occasionally, never low frequency.

MissChief said :

We had a power sub-station in the laneway near our house when I was growing up. You could often hear a low electrical hum in the quiet of night and especially on rainy nights. Old clock radios can made a similar sound.

Try turning your power off at the mains to see if it’s something in your house or not.

We’ve done that, and it makes no difference whatsoever.

troll-sniffer said :

If it not be an electrical item in your house, nor a street electrical transformer close by, it be almost certain a form of tinnitus if my experience be anything to be adjudged by.

I did for many years visit a friend’s farm far from any noise. I used to wake up in the middle of the night with a distinct hum invading my hearing, as though there was a low frequency motor or device at an indeterminate distance (low volume nearby or louder at a distance). The sound was as real as the office noise around me is today, yet, it didn’t exist.

It was quite difficult to accept, but over a couple of years I trained my consciousness to ignore it, and once it had gone it didn’t come back. In a similar vein, I am sometimes aware of a high frequency ringing in my ears which the more I concentrate on becomes seemingly more fixed in my head, leading to the horrible thought that it might not go away. I used to notice it quite a lot when we had CRT monitors and TVs, lately it has become less pronounced. I use various tricks to make it disappear, reading, going for a walk, putting on another overriding source of noise etc, and mostly it struggles to rear its ugly head again. The worst thing is to dwell on it.

Best of luck dealing with whatever is causing your hum.

Thanks.

Rusalka said :

Cabin12 said :

Rusalka said :

We’re in Weston Creek too but under Mt Taylor, not Mt Stromlo. I’d love to know what it is.

We’re actually quite close to you, then. How long have you been hearing it for?

I’ve only heard it in the last 9 months or so. We’ve been in this house for 5 years now, and I grew up in the Creek, but I don’t remember ever hearing it before this time.

Cabin12 said :

Interesting. You can kind of also “feel” the hum when it’s at its worst. Would moisture particles do this as well?

And I agree with this, you can sort of feel it resonating through your body, as most loud bassy noises do. It actually makes me feel a little ill when I wake up to it.

Jivrashia said :

Wow, this is starting to sound as good as an X-Files episode!
*grabs popcorns*

I’ll have a stab at this – it could be resonance, which means you may have multiple sources converging at some point (your neighbourhood).

Interested in the resonance idea, what’s your thoughts?

And yes, sorry the story didn’t end up with me being beamed up and probed. I’ll try harder next time.
But I decided to stick to details as I wanted to let Cabin12 know that at least another 2 people have heard it too, while everyone else was being dismissive.

@Rusalka: thanks muchly for taking me seriously.

wildturkeycanoe4:44 pm 22 Jun 11

If it’s only at night, 11pm through till early morn, could be the off-peak meter if the house has one. The contactor [relay] when switched on could be causing a humming noise. Place an ear against various walls in the house to see if it amplifies it, maybe to help you locate its point of origin. If it comes from outside, good luck in finding it.

There’s an informative analysis of the “Hum” phenomenon, including a link to a claimed recording of the “Auckland hum”, here: http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4090

Have you tried earplugs? If so, did they help?

troll-sniffer4:14 pm 22 Jun 11

beep said :

If the sound is really there you will be able to record it with a microphone.

I’d love to hear the recording.

Unfortunately not necessarily, the equipment required to record such a low volume of sound would not be available outside a specialist lab. That’s the problem with human hearing, it is so sensitive at quiet times it’s almost beyond belief.

If the sound is really there you will be able to record it with a microphone.

I’d love to hear the recording.

There are definitely power boxes in the suburbs that make this sound. I’ve seen them in lane-ways in between houses. When the hum is at its worse, have you gone for a walk around to see if it gets stronger in certain areas? Inside and outside the house.

Dear Cabin12,
After lurking on RIOTACT for ages, I’ve finally joined up after seeing your post.

What you are experiencing is very real and you are not alone in hearing these ultra-low frequency sounds.
I do not hear these sounds but have worked with several people like yourself, who have heard these noises enough to cause sleep disturbance, fatigue and emotional stress.
A lot of research has been carried out in New Zealand and in Europe to determine the cause of this noise. I have also carried out noise assessments at various locations in Canberra with no conclusive outcomes.
I have no doubt that this noise is occuring and can be heard by some people and not others – even in the same location.

ConanOfCooma3:01 pm 22 Jun 11

So… Only you and your partner can hear it, it only happens in your home, and it follows you to whichever house you live in?

Sounds like the attitude my Missus has.

Cabin12 said :

PBO said :

Have you tried learning or reciting the words? That usually makes humming stop.

But seriously, when this event occurs it is usually at night, in the dead of night. This could be explained by the lack of audible noise pollution (very common in the day) and the amount of cold/moist air in the night.

In conjunction with the fact that noise travels extremely well at night and even better through water, if the water was in small particles it could affect the way sound bounces off and through it.

With enough moisture particles in the air, the noise of the wind could create a semi reverberation effect which would be amplified and warped by the amount of precipitation in the area, this could travel great distances and have the illusion of a hum.

Interesting. You can kind of also “feel” the hum when it’s at its worst. Would moisture particles do this as well?

Definitly would, sound is effectively a pressure wave. And at night time it would have less impedence.

On high voltage overhead transmission lines which i think would be near your area, any inclement weather conditions can usually result in audible crackling and hissing noises which when reverberated can create a pulsing wall of noise, Add surrounding hills and valleys for the sound to bounce off and layer, the sound could travel for many kilometres and sound quite different from what it originally sounded like.

Rusalka said :

Interested in the resonance idea, what’s your thoughts?

Actually, sorry, that’s not the technically correct term. I think it’s called Constructive Interference. That is to say two or more sound (the hum) superimposes in your neighbourhood. The assumption is that one source is inaudible, but two or more superimposed is.

I’m just throwing up ideas here. Bottom line is that there is a sound source that causes it.

Call ActewAGL, They love this type of work.

I live in Calwell and both my husband and I are aware of a sort of intermitent oscillating hum that is audible seemingly only at night. I only really noticed it when I was up in the night with a newborn baby. It certainly doesn’t stop anyone in my house from sleeping though.

Can’t seem to pin point it. Imagine if you tried to follow it, you would be tramping the streets for hours without any luck. I have thought it could be the phone tower that’s quite near us. At other times I have thought it might be something to do with the Tuggeranong Homestead across the road.

Would like to find out though.

Rawhide Kid Part32:17 pm 22 Jun 11

Its all them there Mobile Phone tower things…….

Cabin12 said :

Rusalka said :

We’re in Weston Creek too but under Mt Taylor, not Mt Stromlo. I’d love to know what it is.

We’re actually quite close to you, then. How long have you been hearing it for?

I’ve only heard it in the last 9 months or so. We’ve been in this house for 5 years now, and I grew up in the Creek, but I don’t remember ever hearing it before this time.

Cabin12 said :

Interesting. You can kind of also “feel” the hum when it’s at its worst. Would moisture particles do this as well?

And I agree with this, you can sort of feel it resonating through your body, as most loud bassy noises do. It actually makes me feel a little ill when I wake up to it.

Jivrashia said :

Wow, this is starting to sound as good as an X-Files episode!
*grabs popcorns*

I’ll have a stab at this – it could be resonance, which means you may have multiple sources converging at some point (your neighbourhood).

Interested in the resonance idea, what’s your thoughts?

And yes, sorry the story didn’t end up with me being beamed up and probed. I’ll try harder next time.
But I decided to stick to details as I wanted to let Cabin12 know that at least another 2 people have heard it too, while everyone else was being dismissive.

troll-sniffer1:57 pm 22 Jun 11

If it not be an electrical item in your house, nor a street electrical transformer close by, it be almost certain a form of tinnitus if my experience be anything to be adjudged by.

I did for many years visit a friend’s farm far from any noise. I used to wake up in the middle of the night with a distinct hum invading my hearing, as though there was a low frequency motor or device at an indeterminate distance (low volume nearby or louder at a distance). The sound was as real as the office noise around me is today, yet, it didn’t exist.

It was quite difficult to accept, but over a couple of years I trained my consciousness to ignore it, and once it had gone it didn’t come back. In a similar vein, I am sometimes aware of a high frequency ringing in my ears which the more I concentrate on becomes seemingly more fixed in my head, leading to the horrible thought that it might not go away. I used to notice it quite a lot when we had CRT monitors and TVs, lately it has become less pronounced. I use various tricks to make it disappear, reading, going for a walk, putting on another overriding source of noise etc, and mostly it struggles to rear its ugly head again. The worst thing is to dwell on it.

Best of luck dealing with whatever is causing your hum.

That, or someone has put the hum in humans.

We had a power sub-station in the laneway near our house when I was growing up. You could often hear a low electrical hum in the quiet of night and especially on rainy nights. Old clock radios can made a similar sound.

Try turning your power off at the mains to see if it’s something in your house or not.

chewy14 said :

Reptoid drilling.
Now you’re on to them, watch out.

Anyone even slightly versed in repto-anthology would know that the hum comes from reptoid portals to different vibrational states of reality.

To quote John Rhodes:

[i]”[Reptoids] appear to be currently living in three areas:

1) Under Earth’s Surface, in Cavern-Cities (and villages) in remote (and sometimes local) geological locations (such as state parks and wilderness areas) – Both U.S. and Foreign.

2) Off World

3) In alternate vibrational states of reality (other dimensions).[/i]

Your alien implants are obviously malfunctioning, expect to be abducted shortly.

PBO said :

Have you tried learning or reciting the words? That usually makes humming stop.

But seriously, when this event occurs it is usually at night, in the dead of night. This could be explained by the lack of audible noise pollution (very common in the day) and the amount of cold/moist air in the night.

In conjunction with the fact that noise travels extremely well at night and even better through water, if the water was in small particles it could affect the way sound bounces off and through it.

With enough moisture particles in the air, the noise of the wind could create a semi reverberation effect which would be amplified and warped by the amount of precipitation in the area, this could travel great distances and have the illusion of a hum.

Interesting. You can kind of also “feel” the hum when it’s at its worst. Would moisture particles do this as well?

Peptis said :

Time to break out the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_foil_hat

I wear one at all times, both inside and outside my home. (-;

Innovation said :

Simultaneous tinnitus? Seriously though, it must be incredibly annoying for you.

Yep, it is.

Keijidosha said :

Tinnitus?

Nope.

Shift to a wind farm location.

Rusalka said :

Thank god someone else has heard it too!

The first time I heard it I got up and turned off all the electrical appliances. I could still hear it so I went outside and it was even louder, but I couldn’t really pin point a direction, it seemed like it was every where. I thought I was going crazy.

But I have since woken up to it a few times, as has my partner. It’s quite loud and every time between 1-3am.

We’re in Weston Creek too but under Mt Taylor, not Mt Stromlo. I’d love to know what it is.

We’re actually quite close to you, then. How long have you been hearing it for?

fgzk said :

Plant and machinery from the Cotter Dam or the sewerage plant.

bitzermaloney said :

Stay where you are. They no where you live and will be around shortly with the paddy wagon.

They’ve known where we live for years …

Jivrashia said :

Rusalka said :

Thank god someone else has heard it too! so I went outside and it was even louder,

Wow, this is starting to sound as good as an X-Files episode!
*grabs popcorns*

Rusalka said :

but I couldn’t really pin point a direction

I’ll have a stab at this – it could be resonance, which means you may have multiple sources converging at some point (your neighbourhood).

So.. first off OP, can you distinguish whether the source of the hum is inside or outside your home?

We’ve only ever heard it inside.

niceplacetolive1:15 pm 22 Jun 11

It is the sound of silence.

Rusalka said :

Thank god someone else has heard it too! so I went outside and it was even louder,

Wow, this is starting to sound as good as an X-Files episode!
*grabs popcorns*

Rusalka said :

but I couldn’t really pin point a direction

I’ll have a stab at this – it could be resonance, which means you may have multiple sources converging at some point (your neighbourhood).

So.. first off OP, can you distinguish whether the source of the hum is inside or outside your home?

Reptoid drilling.
Now you’re on to them, watch out.

I’m not sure my experience is relevent to you, given that you have been bothered by this noise in two distinct locations, however I too have puzzled over a similar noise, and it turned out to have a simple explanation, and nothing nearly so exciting as picking up microwave vibes or whatever 🙂
Sometime ago, I was regularly woken by a noise almost exactly as you described. I began to wonder if I was developing Tinnitus or similar, especially as noone else ever heard it, although workplace hearing tests have indicated I have unusually acute hearing. Anyhow, this noise drove me crazy for a while, until I finally walked slowly along my street at 2am one morning to try and locate the source. It was clearly comng from my immediate neighbours house, seemingly from the windows. Noting that the noise was appeared sinchronised to distinctive flashes of tv light, I realised my neighbour had a subwoofer and the low notes were reverberating on the window glass. Subsequent discussions with the neighbour revealed he often watched action movies late into the night. He was being considerate by not doing it loudly, but even at low level, the sub was making this strange vibration. I’m no expert on noise, but I am pretty savvy at neighbourly relations, so a gift of a good pair of wireless headphones has solved the problem, and he was kind enough to accept (and use) them. It’s not definitive proof, however I have never been bothered by the noise since. Could anything similar be happening around your place ?

Have you tried learning or reciting the words? That usually makes humming stop.

But seriously, when this event occurs it is usually at night, in the dead of night. This could be explained by the lack of audible noise pollution (very common in the day) and the amount of cold/moist air in the night.

In conjunction with the fact that noise travels extremely well at night and even better through water, if the water was in small particles it could affect the way sound bounces off and through it.

With enough moisture particles in the air, the noise of the wind could create a semi reverberation effect which would be amplified and warped by the amount of precipitation in the area, this could travel great distances and have the illusion of a hum.

Thank god someone else has heard it too!

The first time I heard it I got up and turned off all the electrical appliances. I could still hear it so I went outside and it was even louder, but I couldn’t really pin point a direction, it seemed like it was every where. I thought I was going crazy.

But I have since woken up to it a few times, as has my partner. It’s quite loud and every time between 1-3am.

We’re in Weston Creek too but under Mt Taylor, not Mt Stromlo. I’d love to know what it is.

bitzermaloney12:44 pm 22 Jun 11

Stay where you are. They no where you live and will be around shortly with the paddy wagon.

No.
Its probably your partner, making the noise to make you freak out.
Clearly its working.

What you’re hearing is the Lefty Anger Ray Gun. Although aimed directly at the inner north, it is located out your way.

Any High Voltage power transmission lines near by? Corona discharge, particularly in damp conditions, can cause an audible noise.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona_discharge#Problems_caused_by_corona_discharges)

Very very unlikely that it is from normal, modern world microwave radiation – or any electromagnetic radiation for that matter. How could it cause audible compression waves in the air?

Hmmm, considering it travelled with you, perhaps it could be something electrical of yours?

An old clock radio in our bedroom used to give off a hum from it’s transformer. I got rid of it as it was driving me nuts at night. Of course, you could only hear it in the dead of night when there was no background noise.

Simultaneous tinnitus? Seriously though, it must be incredibly annoying for you.

Tinnitus?

No, you’re a nutter, so is your husband.

Now that I have that out of the way. I have nothing else to add.

Plant and machinery from the Cotter Dam or the sewerage plant.

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