Hearing a radio through computer speakers?

Question

I was listening to music on my computer and then when the music stopped I still had on my headphones for a few minutes after that and then I began to hear through the speakers a radio playing faintly. It is as if the speakers were poicking up a radio signal. But no radio was on in my house at the time. How is it possible to pick up a radio signal through my computer speaker? And what should I do about it?

Answer 1

The way computer speakers work, they are very prone to picking up radio interference.  Including, apparently, AM.  It's possible that you live near an AM radio station transmitter - that would explain why you're picking up a station.

Only thing you can do is turn off the speakers when you're not using them so you don't have that annoying 'muttering' going on in the background.

Answer 2

I too am hearing the raido through my speakers. Below the shelf that houses my monitor, is where both my speakers rest. What seems to work for me, is to place the speakers far from each other and the monitor. Im not sure why this seem to work but i think its just electronic interferance. You chould use higher quality speakers, keep your speakers off when not in use or try to keep them away from electronics, about 2 feet for me. Whether you have a raido playing or not, the stations are always broadcasting. so your speakers must be picking up one of the frequencies of a station.

Answer 3

Pink:

Your computer and computer speakers are acting like a crystal radio set from the early days of radio.  The wires going from the computer to the speakers are the antennas and they deliver radio signals to the electronics circuitry for detection and amplification.  Usually this arrangement will "hear" any strong radio signal that happens to be in the neighborhood.  If you live near an AM broadcast transmitter station you will hear that station coming through the speakers.  In your case you can understand the detected signal because it is AM, but it can also be a signal that comes through as gibberish like a television signal or a CB single side band signal which often sounds like Donald Duck.  

A possible solution is to locate the speakers close to the computer and to coil up any of the unneeded cable including the power cable going to the speaker amplifier.  If that doesn't work then wind the unused cable on a ferrite core available at Radio Shack.  The concept is to make the "antenna" really short so it picks up less signal.  It will pick up some signal but you want it to be as small as possible.

Good luck and have fun - 73 from the Fisherman