Is this really necessary....

So today has been a loooooong day....mainly spent in traffic jams

anyway, I had the radio on so I could get the traffic news updates ( fat lot of good that did)

everytime there was a traffic report or local news on there was a very very low frequency humming noise in the background

Rising  slightly in frequency by a few Hz over 5 seconds and then dropping again. Lasts for the full,length of the bulletin

it was driving me nuts!!

anybody any idea why they do this and is it necessary to improve the viewers listening experience?

just annoyed

google maps on your phone is quite good for avoiding traffic events, in sat nav mode it will suggest an alternative route in the event of an accident - it seems to take live data from people logged in, so is quite responsive to events.

binky said:

google maps on your phone is quite good for avoiding traffic events, in sat nav mode it will suggest an alternative route in the event of an accident - it seems to take live data from people logged in, so is quite responsive to events.

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For some strange reason on every iPhone I have owned, when I have finished using Google maps, it carries on in the background and flattens my battery.   Even when swiped up to remove it. I end up having to switch phone off and try to remember to switch it on again.

kerching said:

anybody any idea why they do this and is it necessary to improve the viewers listening experience?

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Is it something they add to the output  then .  ?     One of  the local stations here used to put this thumping noise  in the background to give the report some kind of psuedo importance  .  

Local radio seems to attach some kind of mega importance  to the news on the half hour , I'm sure it puts pressure on presenters  to gabble through everything  because the they see the clock ticking .....so they have  , say the Queen , Prime Minister , US President   in the studio and they 'll suddenly cut them  short for a local half hour news report  that Mrs Smith's cat has gone missing again .    

just a barely audible droning in the background BUT it's enough to be really annoying

kerching said:

For some strange reason on every iPhone I have owned, when I have finished using Google maps, it carries on in the background and flattens my battery.   Even when swiped up to remove it. I end up having to switch phone off and try to remember to switch it on again.

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it can be a tit like that! 

kerching said:

For some strange reason on every iPhone I have owned, when I have finished using Google maps, it carries on in the background and flattens my battery.   Even when swiped up to remove it. I end up having to switch phone off and try to remember to switch it on again.

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I turn off the GPS in my phone unless I am specifically using it (which is usually on the boat)

Hmm. I found that my car stereo was giving off a whistle whose tone related to engine speed, once Id heard it I couldn't un-hear it, did my head in. Then I discovered that it only happened when I had my ipod on charge from the other jack socket thingy, created some sort of odd induction loop. Are you charging owt whilst in the car?

Engine speed related interference usually comes from the alternator, which is actually a 3 phase machine with six rectifiers in bridge format. A failed or failing diode can greatly increase interference superimposed on the dc output. 

sprocketflup said:

Hmm. I found that my car stereo was giving off a whistle whose tone related to engine speed, once Id heard it I couldn't un-hear it, did my head in. Then I discovered that it only happened when I had my ipod on charge from the other jack socket thingy, created some sort of odd induction loop. Are you charging owt whilst in the car?

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Nope

only occurs on news and travel reports generated by the BBC.....only have R4 on in the car

One of the commercial station, I think it might have been Abs Classic Rock used to do this, a low level drum beat in the background during news bulletins.

I suspect it is exacerbated by your car speakers.  Car audio is a long way from being "hifi" but there seems to be a trend that in order to try and make it sound "better" they boost the bass, which can have the effect of certain frequencies booming. It is probably just the beat they choose is not one your car audio likes.

Solution?  Turn the bass down, or choose a different radio station.

ProDave said:

One of the commercial station, I think it might have been Abs Classic Rock used to do this, a low level drum beat in the background during news bulletins.

I suspect it is exacerbated by your car speakers.  Car audio is a long way from being "hifi" but there seems to be a trend that in order to try and make it sound "better" they boost the bass, which can have the effect of certain frequencies booming. It is probably just the beat they choose is not one your car audio likes.

Solution?  Turn the bass down, or choose a different radio station.

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Or set fire to the car

No expert, but could it be that the traffic bulletins emit some sort of noise whilst they're on for your radio to pick up and therefore cut to the station in question only for the duration of the bulletin?

Dunno, but it's bloody annoying

i feel a letter to the Beeb is in order....I will have to be in the right mood though

I noticed recently that if I listen to my local station on dab, they scroll local news across the touchscreen in the van....

Which I think some people will find distracting