My 8 y/o speakers turned to a radio?

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In summary, the high level of EM energy from the local broadcast radio station was picking up the sound from the powered speakers in my home lab, and the sound was being broadcast even when the speakers were turned off.
  • #1
madmisha
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Hello members of this awesome looking science forum! I'm Misha. ...an educated general physics novice!

I came here after running into a very strange phenomenon. ...all off a sudden my good old trustt speajers stopped responding to the information sent to them from the conputer and instead begun playing sobering off a local radio station...it was rather weak, I had to turn them to max volume to hear properly. ... it kept going even when the pc was off. ... even when the speakers were unplugged from the pc...the speakers have no radio receivers in them. ...
What the hell is going on?

I know when you turn most speakers v really high they make a radio like white noise. ... so do speakers actuallt have some kinda frequency of their own and that radio station just hit things right with that of mine?
Thanks for the help
 
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  • #2
madmisha said:
Hello members of this awesome looking science forum! I'm Misha. ...an educated general physics novice!

I came here after running into a very strange phenomenon. ...all off a sudden my good old trustt speajers stopped responding to the information sent to them from the conputer and instead begun playing sobering off a local radio station...it was rather weak, I had to turn them to max volume to hear properly. ... it kept going even when the pc was off. ... even when the speakers were unplugged from the pc...the speakers have no radio receivers in them. ...
What the hell is going on?

I know when you turn most speakers v really high they make a radio like white noise. ... so do speakers actuallt have some kinda frequency of their own and that radio station just hit things right with that of mine?
Thanks for the help

Welcome to the PF.

Are you talking about powered speakers here? If so, does the sound go away when you turn them off?

If you have a strong enough local broadcast radio station, the high level of EM energy can be picked up by parts of the amplifier circuit, and you can hear the audio at a low level. I had a situation in my home EE lab when I was consulting where I was picking up a local AM broadcast station around 1MHz, and it was playing quietly through an amplifier I was working on.

Can you tell what station it is by using a regular radio to match the music? If so, note their callsign letters and frequency, and do a Google search to see how far away their broadcast transmitter is from you, and what power level they are transmitting.
 
  • #3
I did a study on a building that acted as a receiver for the radio station across the street. Yeah, that's right: if you put your ear to the metal window frame, you could hear the radio broadcast (on a particular floor). Needless to say, everything with a speaker on that floor was also tuned to that station. It was a big problem that never got solved.
 

1. How did my speakers turn into a radio?

This is likely due to a phenomenon known as radio frequency interference (RFI). RFI occurs when electromagnetic signals from nearby electronic devices interfere with the signals being sent to your speakers, causing them to pick up radio waves and play them through their speakers.

2. Can this be fixed?

Yes, there are a few things you can try to fix this issue. First, try moving your speakers away from any electronic devices that may be causing interference. You can also try using a shielded audio cable or installing a ferrite choke on your audio cable to reduce RFI. Additionally, adjusting the placement and orientation of your speakers may help reduce interference.

3. Is this harmful to my speakers?

In most cases, no. Your speakers are simply picking up radio signals and playing them, which should not cause any damage. However, if the interference is particularly strong, it may cause distortion or affect the sound quality of your speakers.

4. Can I prevent this from happening in the future?

While it may be difficult to completely prevent RFI, there are steps you can take to minimize the chances of it happening. Keeping your speakers away from other electronic devices and using shielded audio cables can help reduce the likelihood of interference. You can also try using a surge protector or power conditioner to filter out any unwanted signals.

5. Could this be a sign of a larger problem with my speakers?

It is possible that this is a sign of an underlying issue with your speakers, such as a loose wire or damaged component. If the interference persists even after trying the solutions mentioned above, it may be worth having a professional check your speakers for any potential issues.

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