Power lines turned my car radio on

[gmerkt]

Today, I was out along Hwy 530 west of Darrington, WA. My car radio was off. The selector was last set on FM. I drove under the big power lines that cross over the road, the radio came on the AM band by itself and the digital clock had zeroed back to 1200 as the default setting.

This happened in another (similar but not the same) car about a week or two ago, same exact scenario. I don't remember the circumstances or surroundings when that happened.

Previously, I've never had this happen before, in any car.

In the case of what happened today, I imagine this has something to do with the magnetic field created by the power lines. I wonder why I've never experienced this before, then twice lately.

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[CamoDeafie]

Radio frequency interference. Usually corona discharge from high voltage equipment. This happens more to AM receivers than to FM but it does affect both bands because the high voltage lines and equipment discharges similar noise in the same frequencies

Edit. It could be a combination of newer higher voltage stuff and less shielding in your radio

 

[CLT65]

 

[Flopsweat]

Radio frequency interference. Usually corona discharge from high voltage equipment. This happens more to AM receivers than to FM but it does affect both bands because the high voltage lines and equipment discharges similar noise in the same frequencies

Edit. It could be a combination of newer higher voltage stuff and less shielding in your radio

I used to suffer from Corona discharge but then I cut back on my drinking.

 

[titsonritz]

It was the Russians.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Be thankful your steering wheel isn't possessed.. somewhere in this 3 min video..

 

[JustShoot]

Radio frequency interference. Usually corona discharge from high voltage equipment. This happens more to AM receivers than to FM but it does affect both bands because the high voltage lines and equipment discharges similar noise in the same frequencies

Edit. It could be a combination of newer higher voltage stuff and less shielding in your radio

You got some poor insulation on your circuitry, But the field of flux/static electricity is pretty big on some of the bigger towers and high voltage. In right conditions you can light florescent light tubes standing below in the right spot .
It real fun If you get up on one of the bigger multi arm/Line power towers, and stand on the middle armature, in between the upper and lower Arms between the insulators in that huge static field. You can stand there and just feel it in your whole body . It gets pretty 'Snappy' with static ....LOL . Humid. and Temp. make changes. It REAL bad on cold dry weather with static field up there in the Armatures and insulators, you let go of the tower structure for 10-15 sec. when moving around, and then touch back to tower, and then you get a pretty good POP with your hand.
.

 

[Provincial]

My hearing aids have multiple settings that can be selected by pushing a button on the aid. They will change settings without pushing the button at random, apparently from RFI. I have not been able to determine why, since it happens at random times and at random places.

 

[CamoDeafie]

My hearing aids have multiple settings that can be selected by pushing a button on the aid. They will change settings without pushing the button at random, apparently from RFI. I have not been able to determine why, since it happens at random times and at random places.

My 30+ year old analog hearing aids... when it had a functional T-coil setting; I could hear the buzzing of the power lines from a farther distance than most people when I have them on T setting... which is awesome with induction loops for music in a quiet setting.. AKA FM loop. It was also very annoying if I was next to a wall that had all the electricity going through it for 4 apartments (2 lower, 2 upper, shared wall) ... because sometimes I wanted to use headphones but the interference from the electrical wires in the walls were too much.

 

[SrMachoSolo]

the digital clock had zeroed back to 1200 as the default setting.

To me, this result sounds like an interruption of the power circuit to the radio. (Think when you disconnect the battery) My hypothesis is that the power lines very briefly shut off power... or... you've got a failing/weak alternator and this was a big coincidence.

I used to suffer from Corona discharge but then I cut back on my drinking.

I hear they have a jab for that... FDA approved!

-Robert

 

[arakboss]

Today, I was out along Hwy 530 west of Darrington, WA. My car radio was off. The selector was last set on FM. I drove under the big power lines that cross over the road, the radio came on the AM band by itself and the digital clock had zeroed back to 1200 as the default setting.

This happened in another (similar but not the same) car about a week or two ago, same exact scenario. I don't remember the circumstances or surroundings when that happened.

Previously, I've never had this happen before, in any car.

In the case of what happened today, I imagine this has something to do with the magnetic field created by the power lines. I wonder why I've never experienced this before, then twice lately.

I got news for you my friend, it wasn't the powerlines:

 

[gmerkt]

To me, this result sounds like an interruption of the power circuit to the radio. (Think when you disconnect the battery) My hypothesis is that the power lines very briefly shut off power... or... you've got a failing/weak alternator and this was a big coincidence.

Remember, the radio was off in each instance. Whatever occurred turn the radio on. But this could be another manifestion of a power interruption.

As to a "weak" alternator, this occurred with two different vehicles. The current to the radio comes from the battery, not directly from the alternator. An alternator either works or it doesn't, and when it doesn't, the charge in the battery diminishes. Over time, not suddenly. Once the alternator goes electronically, it's gone until it's repaired, it doesn't resume its function after an interruption. At least that's my experience of it.

The cars involved, their design is similar, one has a 135 amp alternator, the other has a 195 amp unit. Both have the regulator that attaches to the body of the alternator. Here is something else to consider, the alternators in these cars are controlled by the powertrain control module (computer). The PCM doesn't control constant output of the battery, but it makes you wonder if various computer modules on the car are subject to EMI/RFI episodes and downstream components are affected.

 

[Flopsweat]

Remember, the radio was off in each instance. Whatever occurred turn the radio on. But this could be another manifestion of a power interruption.

As to a "weak" alternator, this occurred with two different vehicles. The current to the radio comes from the battery, not directly from the alternator. An alternator either works or it doesn't, and when it doesn't, the charge in the battery diminishes. Over time, not suddenly. Once the alternator goes electronically, it's gone until it's repaired, it doesn't resume its function after an interruption. At least that's my experience of it.

The cars involved, their design is similar, one has a 135 amp alternator, the other has a 195 amp unit. Both have the regulator that attaches to the body of the alternator. Here is something else to consider, the alternators in these cars are controlled by the powertrain control module (computer). The PCM doesn't control constant output of the battery, but it makes you wonder if various computer modules on the car are subject to EMI/RFI episodes and downstream components are affected.

Unlikely that they would short out for a millisecond or two either. A voltage spike might be more of a possibility but wouldn't that be likely to some damage? So maybe one of the how many dozen computers in the car got some indigestion from all that wayward RF.

Or did they like it?

 

[SrMachoSolo]

Remember, the radio was off in each instance. Whatever occurred turn the radio on. But this could be another manifestion of a power interruption.

As to a "weak" alternator, this occurred with two different vehicles. The current to the radio comes from the battery, not directly from the alternator. An alternator either works or it doesn't, and when it doesn't, the charge in the battery diminishes. Over time, not suddenly. Once the alternator goes electronically, it's gone until it's repaired, it doesn't resume its function after an interruption. At least that's my experience of it.

The cars involved, their design is similar, one has a 135 amp alternator, the other has a 195 amp unit. Both have the regulator that attaches to the body of the alternator. Here is something else to consider, the alternators in these cars are controlled by the powertrain control module (computer). The PCM doesn't control constant output of the battery, but it makes you wonder if various computer modules on the car are subject to EMI/RFI episodes and downstream components are affected.

*pushes glasses up on nose*

The default state for many car radios is to turn on after a power disconnect/failure, clock reset to 12:00 and tuned to AM, even if they are "off" when they lose power. (They're not actually off, they are still using power to keep the clock and presets functioning).

I used the term alternator, rather than specifying the voltage regulator, as it's more colloquially known... but that was merely a jest that was lost in internet translation.

Your PCM is definitely better shielded than your radio, especially since it doesn't have an antenna sucking up EMF bouncing around in the atmosphere.

-Robert

 

[Provincial]

Lots of things in modern cars are controlled by relays, which use a magnetic coil to operate. RFI, if strong enough, might energize, then de-energize the relays. Or, it might send a phantom signal to a computer chip that controls electrical components.

 

[gmerkt]

Unlikely that they would short out for a millisecond or two either. A voltage spike might be more of a possibility but wouldn't that be likely to some damage? So maybe one of the how many dozen computers in the car got some indigestion from all that wayward RF.

Yes, a short would stay a short, wouldn't resume operation. This is the part I like, nothing was damaged. Which is what fuses are for, but whatever occurred wasn't enough to invoke the need of a fuse.

I still wonder at the fact that I'd never experienced this before. I've been driving the one car for years, the other one is a fairly recent arrival. Then it happens twice in the same number of weeks. Aliens closing in? (said in jest, in case anyone gets the wrong idea!)

 

[Flopsweat]

Yes, a short would stay a short, wouldn't resume operation. This is the part I like, nothing was damaged. Which is what fuses are for, but whatever occurred wasn't enough to invoke the need of a fuse.

I still wonder at the fact that I'd never experienced this before. I've been driving the one car for years, the other one is a fairly recent arrival. Then it happens twice in the same number of weeks. Aliens closing in? (said in jest, in case anyone gets the wrong idea!)

Don't call them aliens, that's racist. Call them Space Migrants.

 

[arakboss]

Don't call them aliens, that's racist. Call them Space Migrants.

Or undocumented space travelers if you want to be ultra pc.

 

[Mike_M57]

Do you get the urge to face north after taking Viagra?

 

[Cavedweller]

Same thing happened to Epstein before he didn't kill himself.