Not sure what this was!

Okay, so this is weird. It was around 4:30 am or so, and I heard a coyote (several actually) outside. So I grabbed some night vision stuff and decided to go outside and see if I could spot one of these stealthy bastages. All of a sudden I heard this sound, a very crazy sound. It first I thought it might have been the coyotes making some noise I'd never heard them make, but the coyotes had gone silent. This was different, way different!

The sound was like a really loud bird chirp. When I say loud, I mean LOUD, so loud it was echoing off some of our buildings. No bird could ever be that loud, and the nature of the sound was not animal like, too mechanical sounding. It sounded like it was starting very far away like several miles, then it would get near, and then far away again. Each "chirp" was very fast. It sounded like "PEW" and then a delay, and then "PEW" again. It was very symmetrical, about one 'chirp' per second.

It's dark out (and very cold) so I couldn't see anything, but I walked out into the open to see if I could figure out what direction the sound was coming from. It was coming from the south. It was a really eerie sound, almost scary, and I've never heard anything like this before. It was pretty startling. The sound went on for about 10 minutes, one "PEW" per second. I walked out a few minutes later and the sound was gone.

Now, off to our south we have a high voltage power transmission line (345 kV), and though I couldn't see anything it sounded like these noises were coming from the general direction and elevation of the transmission lines. It was a very pronounced sound, different from anything else around. Was it...ALIENS??? Or, could they have been megger (sp?) testing the power lines before energizing them?

I know from talking with the power company that these lines are not always energized, but wow, this was sure a weird sound. It was not like anything of this world. Even if the sound does have an terrestrial explanation, it was still pretty fascinating because if it was testing then you could actually "hear" the speed of light traveling through the cables! That, or it was...ALIENS. Aliens using the power lines to communicate way out here in the far reaches of the country where no one but us and the coyotes were around to hear.

What do you think?

I don't know if megging power lines like those is a different process, but I've megged lines through to motors and back at the facility i work at, and it's not something that would make any noises.

Of course things on a 345kv scale are way more intense.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
What do you think?

I think, that due to your previous posts, you know your territory. Sounds, flora, fauna, everything. And if this is not explained by your knowledge of your own surroundings, and you can't find sources of some electric testing or stuff like that well.. Then it goes to the "Unexplained events" sector.

Cool thread!

a reply to: caterpillage

Well, it was definitely some sort of an impulse coming from far away, passing by and then traveling off into the distance. It was coming from the east as far as I could tell and heading west, and the sound was emminating from the vicinity of the power lines.

I've meggered stuff too on 480 V systems, and all you really hear is a click, but this was definitely not a 'click'. It was a very definite sound at rhythmic intervals.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I did a little reading, looks like on high voltage lines they test with an "acoustic thumper" a high voltage impulse generator. I couldnt find anything about what acoustic noise it causes, mainly cause i dozed off while reading it lol, but maybe something like that.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I've meggered stuff too on 480 V systems, and all you really hear is a click, but this was definitely not a 'click'. It was a very definite sound at rhythmic intervals.

What does "meggered" mean?

I've never seen or heard of the word before...

Thanks.

I've never heard of meggered either. What you describe does sound mechanical/automatic.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: caterpillage

it was coming from the east as far as I could tell and heading west, and the sound was emminating from the vicinity of the power lines.

I'm confused, did it come from the south as per the original post, or from the east? Or did I misread?

a reply to: Riffrafter

A "megger" is a device called a megohmmeter which is used to test for insulation faults in electrical systems. Typically they are used to test the integrity of insulation surrounding wire. However, power transmission lines don't have insulation around the cables, but they do have insulation between the cables and the towers. These are the ceramic insulators you see on power poles which keep the conductors from shorting out to earth ground.

a reply to: Thorsen

The direction of the sound was to the south, but the sound was moving. So the sound was traveling from the east to the west (south of where I was).

Make more sense now?

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: Thorsen

The direction of the sound was to the south, but the sound was moving. So the sound was traveling from the east to the west (south of where I was).

Make more sense now?

Not really.

a reply to: KansasGirl

Let's try this...

You're facing south and you hear a sound in front of you to your left. The sound move quickly from left to right in front of you.

We had something similar and it was described the same a few months back. Seems it was an alarm on a ranch auto gate telling that it was out of power. You may check that out. The gate in question does have a solar panel so I have no idea what the alarm was about, been there for many years and never happened before. Sure had the whole neighborhood freaking out!
Everyone thought it was moving because it was louder and quieter at times went on a whole night without anyone figuring out what it was or where.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Ah, thanks for clearing that up, I was having some trouble picturing it.

Honestly, I have no idea what it might have been. Just wish you could have recorded it so we could hear it as well.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

What you could be hearing is the tensioning of the power lines or guide wires caused by a change in temperature which can make metal expand or contract. Go out to one of the guide wires and tap on it with a metal object, you will hear what sounds like a laser blaster from Star Wars, hit enough and it sounds like pew pew pew. If you have ever used a winch with wire rope you will get the pew pew sound when the cable is getting close to its load limit.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Have you ever heard a bobcat or a cougar 'chirping' or 'pewpew-ing' for their friends/mates?

It's a freaky bizarre sound... Almost, as you said 'mechanical' sounding.

It would explain the coyotes shutting up also.

I talked to some IREA "linemen" today about this. (IREA is ...our power provider).

They knew the line and the sounds...BUT could NOT explain what I heard. More interesting, they said they'd heard similar sounds, and the dispatch had received numerous calls about the same. They've "measured" the lines and they can see the current spikes and drops.

It's a weird thing...nobody seems to know what the sounds are. The power company shuts down the lines when it starts happening. They keep the lines "charged" but they don't send amperage when the sounds start.

I think it's...ALIENS!!!

Imagine the sound of a bullet ricochet. That's what it sounds like, but it's LOUD. "PEWewwwwwwwww." Every second.

It's a crazy sound, and it's spooky.

At first my dogs were all over this sound, like it was coyotes on their property. Then it started scaring everyone (me too).

Very strange sound...in the darkness...all alone.

From what others say you arent the type to be fooled by migrating locusts or wise little grasshoppers moving for winter are you? Sounds just like your desxrip watxh the video

originally posted by: AlexandrosTheGreat
From what others say you arent the type to be fooled by migrating locusts or wise little grasshoppers moving for winter are you? Sounds just like your desxrip watxh the video

In fact according to rhe video they only chirp by the secade or something. So if you heard uour local ones cjirp it has been over ten yesrs since they last did