Help me oppo, you're my only hope

"Mattbob" (mattbob) 01/07/2015 at 14:30 • Filed to: None

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Help me calm my rage. I was reading the lifehacker daily deals, and this piece of bullshit was one of the deals:

http://www.scaleblaster.com/scaleblaster.h…

Just on that page the amount of bullshit is incredible. First it says that it blasts a 1,000-20,000Hz signal, then says it's inaudible. WHAT? That is almost the entire audible range! No part of the described signal is outside the audible range. And that doesn't even BEGIN to get into the amount of bullshit the thing claims to do. I hate these fake gadgets that get people to waste their money.

TheOnelectronic > Mattbob 01/07/2015 at 14:33

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I agree with the bullshit, but does it say it's a physical wave? It could be EM which is indeed inaudible. (although those aren't common EM freqs)

RyanFrew > Mattbob 01/07/2015 at 14:33

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Saw Scaleblaster, immediately assumed it was for weight loss.

PS9 > Mattbob 01/07/2015 at 14:36

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This innovative product produces an oscillating electronic field using a unique and complex modulating frequency wave form that changes the physical shape, size and charge of the calcium molecules and causes them to lose their adhesive properties.

No way would I install this on the side of my house. This sounds like something capable of giving someone superpowers if exposed to a human, and me and my family don't want anything to do with that. It happened to the Richards family in new york and everyone knows how that turned out...

I mean, going into space with your whole family was a dumb idea anyway, but still.

crowmolly > TheOnelectronic 01/07/2015 at 14:41

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Yup.

You don't hear your electricity, do you? It's 60Hz.

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/Le…

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > crowmolly 01/07/2015 at 14:42

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To be fair sometimes you can, but yeah, it's not using sound waves as far as I can tell.

JGrabowMSt > Mattbob 01/07/2015 at 14:44

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Well, technically 18k-20k is outside the audible range for most people, and depending on the force of the resonance, it may not be loud enough to be perceptible over distances of more than say 3-4 feet. Now, that doesn't mean I agree with the product in any capacity, but I did a lot of Sound Design work in the past and half of it is knowing what your ears can take, and what you can actually recognize.

As far as the product goes, I think you should request Giz or LifeHacker do a full review on it, so it can collect dust on the bullshit shelf next to the Fuel Shark.

Mattbob > JGrabowMSt 01/07/2015 at 14:46

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but the generally used range of frequencies to avoid is 20-20,000Hz, right? I did a bit of audio circuit design in school, so that's all the experience I have in that area. All I know is that if you put something even close to that range in an audio circuit, you will hear it. I would be super interested in a real study of how this thing supposedly works.

Tekamul > Mattbob 01/07/2015 at 14:48

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Watershark

Mattbob > crowmolly 01/07/2015 at 14:48

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yeah, you do in most applications where there is a field being generated. Granted, it is pretty quiet. But if you take an FFT of ambient audio in most settings with any kind of motors or machinery around, there is a HUGE spike at 60HZ.

Mattbob > TheOnelectronic 01/07/2015 at 14:50

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coils tend to make noise when you hit them with lots of current. Especially if they were say coupled to a rigid pipe.

TheOnelectronic > Mattbob 01/07/2015 at 14:51

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Doesn't have to be a lot of current. This thing is the equivalent of the "fuel saver" devices that are basically just plug-in LEDs

JGrabowMSt > Mattbob 01/07/2015 at 14:56

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I mean, it can't really work. It says it operates at "10 times per second" which is exactly 10Hz. Yeah, you're not hearing it at all.

Not only that, but I have no idea how it's even "supposed to work." As a radio engineer, it's beyond me, and if it were a real product that actually worked, it would be explained much better and realistically.

Mattbob > TheOnelectronic 01/07/2015 at 14:58

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I'm thinking that is what is happening here. Its inaudible because it doesn't do anything. Also, a point I didn't make in my main post, if I consult my handy Electromagnetic Compatibility Handbook (Kaiser Bible if you went to my school) (Page 23-64 of the good book in fact) we see that in short, a copper pipe would be a hell of a good shield against a magnetic field. This thing would have to crank out a shit load of current to do much to the water. Technically speaking.

Mattbob > JGrabowMSt 01/07/2015 at 15:02

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As an electrical engineer, there is no way this thing could act on water if the water is inside a copper pipe. The copper acts as a great shield. I would post a picture of the page in my EMC book with info on it if you were interested.

JGrabowMSt > Mattbob 01/07/2015 at 15:05

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I totally understand copper sheilding (been zapped by a cable that came out of a shield before, was quite the experience).

Just the idea of however this thing would work doesn't make sense. The sheilding on the product would have to be incredible sub-par and downright dangerous to have a chance at doing anything to begin with.

I kind of feel in danger just knowing that product exists.

Mattbob > JGrabowMSt 01/07/2015 at 15:09

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yeah, come to think of it, wouldn't field strong enough to induce physical changes in water be plenty strong enough to induce unwanted signal in all the electronics in your house? I wonder if this thing is FCC compliant.

JGrabowMSt > Mattbob 01/07/2015 at 15:15

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Depending on the strength of it (or frequency broadcast of a transmitter for example), it can fall under an "unlicensed" category, where it's compliant, but still capable of broadcasting without causing the FCC to come knocking.

Many microwave link transmitters are unlicensed, and point to point wireless ethernet bridges are also unlicensed (equipment from companies like Redline or Dragonwave).

jariten1781 > JGrabowMSt 01/07/2015 at 15:58

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Well, technically 18k-20k is outside the audible range for most people

Kinda off topic, but stuff that operates up there and beyond and makes sounds are super annoying to those of us stuck with a wider range. The absolute worst are the electronic ultrasonic pest deterrent things. I literally cannot stand to be in a building that's using them, but even worse was when my parent's neighbor bought a really high powered one for his yard. I had to stay in a hotel last time I visited because of that stupid thing.