How old are your ears?

jamoo · Post by **jamoo** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 4:52 pm

Anyone ever hear of the Mosquito tone from the U.K.? It's a surveillance/security tactic based on the fact that adults can't hear.

They broadcast a modulated freq around 17k and above that supposively makes teenages batty (thus drives them away), while adults go unphased.

Enterprising kids have turned it to their advantage, making an adult-proof ringtone (so they can text message in class, etc.).

(see if you can) hear the mosquito tone here

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:24 pm

Oh yeah. Even on my crappy mac speakers.

Glad i'm not a teacher, that'd drive me batshit.

ubertar · Post by **ubertar** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:21 pm

I hear it no problem and my ears are shitty. I've done an FFT on this before and it's only at about 16k.

Spark · Post by **Spark** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:38 pm

At first I was kinda annoyed by that tone, then i was happy I was still able to hear it. heh.

Ivon · Post by **Ivon** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:35 pm

I can hear it. It hurts my ears. And I have some significant hearing loss, mind you. I have tinnitus. If it's totally quiet, I always hear ringing. So, I sleep with a fan on to create white noise that drowns out the ringing. I should have worn earplugs when I was younger.

thunderboy · Post by **thunderboy** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:08 pm

Local news just did a story about this yesterday. I was disturbed by the fact that none of the adults they interviewed could hear it, but very surprised that I COULD, given that I've spent the last ten years above 110 dbA.

jt

jamoo · Post by **jamoo** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:47 pm

I can envision being annoyed, but I was mostly happy to (be able to) hear it.

Knights Who Say Neve · Post by **Knights Who Say Neve** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:04 pm

It sounds like the sound a old tv makes whenever its on. Annoying.

mhughes · Post by **mhughes** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 2:31 am

Ouch! But glad I can hear it. I played it through computer speakers for my highschool homeroom and another teacher. Kids hated it but he couldn't hear it...

darjama · Post by **darjama** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:40 am

Knights Who Say Neve wrote:It sounds like the sound a old tv makes whenever its on. Annoying.

heh, I couldn't hear it over the tv when I saw a segment on the news, but I could hear it with headphones on just now. Maybe I should blame my TV.

Still, It wasn't very loud to me.

Rob Tavaglione · Post by **Rob Tavaglione** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:08 am

If it bothers me that much, then what happens to all the poor dogs in the area? Maybe Etymotic Research should make some canine musician's earlpugs ... now featuring high end attenuation above 12k.

; )

JohnDavisNYC · Post by **JohnDavisNYC** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:25 am

ow. loud and clear here. yeah, it's definately 16k. sounds like an MRL... or the oscillator in my 2 track

good to know it's blazing at 16k in both ears even through my ibook speakers.

j

YOUR KONG · Post by **YOUR KONG** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:36 am

Knights Who Say Neve wrote:It sounds like the sound a old tv makes whenever its on. Annoying.

I was just going to say, it sounds a lot like the noise my in-law's TV makes. Unbearable, and I'm the only one who can hear it - which is odd, considering how long I've been setting up next to the drummer for shows...

So clearly the "adults can't hear it" thing is bunk. Maybe people can't hear it more than 6' away in a large room with lots of shuffling papers and other background noise?

MT · Post by MT » Wed Jun 14, 2006 11:19 am

Can't hear it at all, but that's interesting as hell.

Wait - there it is through the PC speakers. Crap Sony headphones are top-end dead. That is wild.

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:07 pm

MT wrote:Can't hear it at all, but that's interesting as hell.

Wait - there it is through the PC speakers. Crap Sony headphones are top-end dead. That is wild.

I heard it clearly with my 7506' though my co-worker could not hear it at all. He's younger than me by six years or so.

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