Electrical hum

I did some checks with my crappy old unit yesterday and it goes like this:

if you can hear something through the wall, even faintly, the machine will help you locate where it is and in my case got very loud when i was on it.

The downside of using this was, and this was big, it WILL pick up air borne noise and when you are trying to locate a sound, the air borne noise muddles it all and will override the noise you are listening for. it could be a car in the road or someone talking in your own house.

i hope you ordered one that has a flat reciever and not that pointed metal one, needle like. that thing is useless on a masonry wall. my set has one and i tried it.

and lastly, if you have to turn the sensitivity on the device up very high, your own breathing will interfere with it.

i wanted to share that with you before you open the package.

stevecym

in General Discussion 4 years and 7 months ago

47

Please log in, in order to post replies!

47 replies

Newest Oldest

Guest User | 4 years and 7 months ago

string(1) "3"
string(6) "202891"

Very useful post

stevecym | 4 years and 7 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5156 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5159 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(5) "21525"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(24) "stevecymbalsky@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(30) "/forums/users/thetinkerswagon/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:05:31"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(20) "xLyD4JX1CSeJzFu7zs4j"
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(21525)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

We certainly have a lot of thinkers on here.

stevecym | 4 years and 7 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5160 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5161 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(5) "21525"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(24) "stevecymbalsky@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(30) "/forums/users/thetinkerswagon/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:05:31"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(20) "xLyD4JX1CSeJzFu7zs4j"
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(21525)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

i can clarify the point i make above with this:

the day before yesterday my neighbor shows up at my house upset that the overflow in his tub leaked. he spent yesterday texting questions about this and i was straight up with him and told him i have never installed a tub and do not know if you can access the overflow return from below but you might want to find access and maybe you can fix this yourself. well, more texts rolled in yesterday while i was at work and even more rolled in when i was at home sitting on the couch and then the phone starts ringing.- all this after i told him i do not know jack s*** about this situation. so i walked over to his house and he staring at a wet spot on a drywall ceiling in his kitchen. I asked him, :”what are you doing?” it was obvious what he was doing, NOTHING. i told him, “you have a tiled wall above and wet drywall down below, where is your first move?”. so he goes to get a jig saw to cut the already soaked drywall open (really?) and while he was gone i took a hammer he had laying there and busted the drywall open a nd told him see if he can get in there before calling a plumber and i walked out of his house.

the person i mention above has more education than half of us on here and has the intelligence to match. but he thought about the problem at hand for over 24 hours and with every thought he came up with five reasons why it might not work or might be hard to do. the problem still has to be fixed. at some point it is time to stop thinking and make a move. in his case, the wet drywall is easy to fix and has to be dealt with anyway, so that was the obvious move. and he might not realize it yet, but by breaking that sheetrock open, i did him the biggest favor anyone had done for him since his mommy taught him to tie his shoes.

if the op came back on here and said he/she was out of good ideas and wanted to find the source of the noise and was considering taking the step i suggest, i would see what i can tell through masonry walls at my own house. it will not identify what it is (or maybe it will, bubbling in a fish tank pump?), but i bet it can identify WHERE it is – probably within inches. these devices are between 60 and 100 dollars on amazon (yes, i just looked) and i bet a lot better than the 1970’s device i have. my thought is it is something in the apt next door and the tenant is not going to cooperate (and op probably thinks that as well and is wondering “why spend the money on something i will not use again” – i get that too).

Guest User | 4 years and 7 months ago

string(1) "3"
string(6) "198904"

Hi Steve – can you link to the kind of listening device you’re referring to?

Thanks!

stevecym | 4 years and 7 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5138 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5135 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(5) "21525"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(24) "stevecymbalsky@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(30) "/forums/users/thetinkerswagon/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:05:31"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(20) "xLyD4JX1CSeJzFu7zs4j"
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(21525)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

https://www.amazon.com/8MILELAKE-Electronic-Stethoscope-diagnosis-mechanics/dp/B01GFKIKN2/ref=sr_1_11?crid=3W4TPRW05H22W&dchild=1&keywords=electronic+stethoscope&qid=1609516222&sprefix=electronic+ste%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-11

so that’s one of them. there are others. there is a $58 unit on there but the listening probe is very fine, almost needle like, and i wonder how that would work on masonry or drywall. its probably made more for the metal of an engine.

i don’t have time today, but maybe sunday i can get what i have out and have my son move a running drill and sander around behind a masonry wall and i will have him set them on the ground and hold them in the air while i listen with the device i have and i will let you know if i can differentiate between them and where their placement is. i want to be sure its not making just a big whirring noise but actually becomes clearer and less clear based on location, etc. you know how this kind of technology is: if my old one works, you know the modern stuff will be 10 time better.

Guest User | 4 years and 7 months ago

string(1) "3"
string(6) "198904"

Thank you – ordered.

stevecym | 4 years and 7 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5163 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5133 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(5) "21525"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(24) "stevecymbalsky@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(30) "/forums/users/thetinkerswagon/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:05:31"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(20) "xLyD4JX1CSeJzFu7zs4j"
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(8) "stevecym"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(21525)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Well good luck with it but before you open it, let me experiment with mine and report back. I cannot do that until sunday though. If you are like most people, you dont want all these tools around. I have them because i work on my cars and have a shop.