High pitched noise? Is it just me?

[dumdum]

In my neighbourhood, I can hear high pitched noise, especially when it is quite. Coming home last night at 11pm, I heard a high pitched noise. Then Mrs dumdum heard it too, but could not figure out where it was coming from, but it louder when outside (perhaps different)

I am wondering if this is down the to the neighbouring building replacing their exterior light to LED ones.

The noise is more towards the inaudible range. I don't know if I should go see a doctor may be it is just me? Could it be tinnitus? I notice when it is quiet during daytime.

I tried to put my finger over my eyes, but I still hear it.

Is there a tool to measure such noise or help track it down. Not sure if there are multiple things going on?

 

[davelx]

"I tried to put my finger over my eyes, but I still hear it." I'm not surprised

Obvious question - does the noise travel with you? You seem to be saying that you only hear it hear you are in your local neighbourhood, so it's not tinnitus. Also the fact that your Missus hears it suggests that it's a real sound!

(I'm a 30+ years tinnitus sufferer but have learned to live with it).

 

[FrodoOne]

In my neighbourhood, I can hear high pitched noise, especially when it is quite. Coming home last night at 11pm, I heard a high pitched noise. Then Mrs dumdum heard it too, but could not figure out where it was coming from, but it louder when outside (perhaps different)

I am wondering if this is down the to the neighbouring building replacing their exterior light to LED ones.

The noise is more towards the inaudible range. I don't know if I should go see a doctor may be it is just me? Could it be tinnitus? I notice when it is quiet during daytime.

I tried to put my finger over my eyes, but I still hear it.

Is there a tool to measure such noise or help track it down. Not sure if there are multiple things going on?

Perhaps you meant to say "I tried to put my finger over my ears, but I still hear it."

However, how old are you?

If you are young, you may be hearing something that older persons may not be able to hear.

In my younger days, when Television receivers were new in this country (after 1956), I could sometimes hear the 15,625 Hz "whistle" from a EHT/horizontal deflection transformer.
When my Son was in his teens and complained of this sound from his TV (about 35 years ago), I commiserated with him and told him that, while I did believe him, I could not hear it and I could see no way of eliminating the problem - except by replacing the transformer concerned or the (old, cheap, B/W) TV that he was then using.

Such problems should not occur with the LED TVs of today.

 

[winston1]

Perhaps you meant to say

In my younger days, when Television receivers were new in this country (after 1956), I could sometimes hear the 15,625 Hz "whistle" from a EHT/horizontal deflection transformer.

In those (405 line) days it was 10,125 Hz. Much worse than later 15,625 Hz.

 

[plugwash]

One thing to look for is switched mode power supplies, especially ones operating with low or no load (e.g. a phone charger left plugged in with no phone connected).

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

My hearing is still pretty acute and good up to over 18k, I hear and feel the rumble of trains 150 metres away in a deep cutting. I easily can hear the scream of tortured vehicle bearings from a motorway 2 miles away, also in a cutting, when it is quiet.

 

[Gasguru]

Have you got an ipad or iphone? I have an spectrum analyser app (from black cat systems) that can show 100Hz from light bulbs several feet away. The microphones are even sufficient to pick up 80Hz from air con motors a mile away. The Android version of the app doesn't work properly though.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Have you got an ipad or iphone? I have an spectrum analyser app (from black cat systems) that can show 100Hz from light bulbs several feet away. The microphones are even sufficient to pick up 80Hz from air con motors a mile away. The Android version of the app doesn't work properly though.

100Hz - that will probably be the electromagnetic field from the mains wiring around you, not audio radiating. Rather than a whistle, that would be a very low frequency hum.

 

[Gasguru]

Trust me..I'm electronics background...it's audio generated. Putting a paper bag over the light fitting would not attenuate RF if that was the source. I've checked the performance with my TTI signal generators and Tektronix scopes ie. it's very accurate. I was going to purchase a low frequency weighted microphone for the ipad but the built in one has sufficient sensitivity.

Back to the OP...if you can get an Ipad and the app it will pick up the noise, it has no problem showing higher audio frequencies generated by modern electronics with switched mode designs. Black cat produce studio standard apps for the pro market.

 

[bernardgreen]

High pitched audio can be produced by leaks in pipes, not common but a possible source of the sounds the OP can hear

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Trust me..I'm electronics background...it's audio generated. Putting a paper bag over the light fitting would not attenuate RF if that was the source. I've checked the performance with my TTI signal generators and Tektronix scopes ie. it's very accurate. I was going to purchase a low frequency weighted microphone for the ipad but the built in one has sufficient sensitivity.

As is my background too, but 100Hz is 100Hz - very low frequency, don't know where, or why you have mentioned RF (radio frequency).

 

[Gasguru]

FFS stop being a pita, I'm keeping it simple for those not familiar with the electromagnetic spectrum. I'm offering a solution to the OP and you jump in derailing it. I can produce barely audible low frequency audio the other side of the house and quite clearly pick up the fundamental and harmonics with the ipad app. It is not picking up mains radiated emissions...

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

FFS stop being a pita, I'm keeping it simple for those not familiar with the electromagnetic spectrum. I'm offering a solution to the OP and you jump in derailing it. I can produce barely audible low frequency audio the other side of the house and quite clearly pick up the fundamental and harmonics with the ipad app. It is not picking up mains radiated emissions...

If you are out of your depth, just quote what ever comes into your mind with technobabble.

I doubt the OP is sensitive to RF. Your 'scope will pick up mains hum without any connection to the mains, just from the air. The human ear is sensitive to frequencies from around 20Hz to 20KHz.

 

[JBR]

100Hz - that will probably be the electromagnetic field from the mains wiring around you, not audio radiating. Rather than a whistle, that would be a very low frequency hum.

Yes, nearly an octave below middle C!

 

[Munroast]

Has a neighbour put up one of those sonic cat/rabbit scarers that humans are not supposed to hear?

A few years back I started hearing such a noise, and I tracked it down to a neighbours garden, when I asked her what it was she said I couldn't possibly hear it, after she experimented for a little while switching it on and off she finally believed and took the dam thing back for a refund.

Really pleased she was a good neighbour cause the noise was just horrible.