12/13-12-2015: a clear conclusion that the source of the interference is outside the apartment

tracks worked on in this vlog:
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/inriclaimed

suspected interference problem

jessica
hi.

i'm just wondering how i go about the process of investigating a possible interference problem, and possibly having it fixed.

i'm an electronic musician, so i spend a lot of time listening to unusual effects collages and i consequently have very sensitive ears. i've been noticing strange audio behaviour out of my system since july, and it has taken me a very long time to go through the process of checking various causes and ruling various things out.

after checking driver conflicts, os settings, ground issues, cords and everything else you could imagine, i've finally settled on interference as the root cause because it seems to be unpredictable. it will be fine for a few hours, then distort for a few days. the interference seems to fade in the early morning, and especially on saturday mornings.

the interference i'm getting is relatively high frequency. it's in the radio spectrum. it's a distortion roughly between 5000-10000 hz, maybe a little higher, and often a functional low pass somewhere around 10,000 hz.

i get this interference from multiple pairs of headphones out of multiple systems on multiple circuits. in fact, i even get it from a standalone pocket-mp3 player. but, i've been assuming for the last few weeks that the source was indoors and trying to locate it.

today, i took that pocket mp3 player for a walk around the neighbourhood and noticed that the interference was actually even worse outside, in the immediate vicinity of my dwelling. if i walk a few blocks in any direction, it seems to mostly dissipate.

there was some intense jackhammering in my neighbourhood over the summer, as the sewers were replaced. i'm slowly coming to an understanding that something may have been damaged at that time and it's been feeding out signal ever since, in a way that is proportional to how much electricity is being pulled into the neighbourhood.

do you have a process to deal with this sort of thing? how do i get it started?

hydro one
Thank you for contacting us to bring this issue to our attention.

Please provide your property address, meter number and/or Hydro One account number in a reply email and we will be happy to investigate further.

For more information on Hydro One, visit: www.hydroone.com. 

jessica
hi.

i'm a renter, so i don't have the account information. but, i'm located at

805 marion ave,
windsor ontario,
n9a 2h8

i also have some more information to provide you with.

i went for a long walk with my mp3 player and headphones around the city yesterday. i've determined that there is no interference south of erie or east of ouellette.

i believe i'm actually picking up radio frequencies in the phones, but that there must be some environmental factor - likely related to the power lines or the streetlights - that is amplifying it when i walk through the affected area, which is north of erie and west of ouellette, at least as far as where i live (i haven't determined exact boundaries to the north or west of the affected area).

what i think is that some kind of maintenance in the area has disrupted the lines, which has created a large magnetic field that is proportional to the amount of current running through the lines. this magnetic field is then messing with my phones, turning them into a receiver for the normal radio frequencies running through the area.

i may be able to get some readings on a gaussmeter over the next few days and will forward them to you if i do.

hydro one
Dear Ms. Murray,

Thank you for your reply.

Unfortunately, Hydro One Networks does not service this area. Please contact Windsor Utilities at 519-255-2727.

so...

i took a walk around the neighbourhood and the source of interference appears to be the power lines. it fades if i walk in any direction.

the city did some sewer replacements over the summer. much jackhammering. possible cause.

i *think* i can contact the utility company about this...

yeah. i may have wasted six months due to broken fucking power lines.