hum from nearby high-tension wires?

Update: it may be due to poor grounding of the house. I found the ground spike, connections to it are corroded. Plus I found a degenerate cable connection that was not in use. Oddly, disconnecting this hidden cable connection actually made the hum louder. I need to get an expert in here to asses the house grounding.

Steverw...Please do the portable radio check. This would probably set some people's minds at ease about radiated EMF.

Just as I figured. You'd be amazed how many houses have bad grounds. Keep us posted on the repair.

I agree with Aball. If you have a metallic main incoming water line that should be your main earth grounding electrode. Call an electrical contractor and have him check all the earth ground connections, both ends.

Be careful messing with the earth ground connections. Sometimes a difference of potential, voltage, can exist between the ground wire/s, (grounding electrode conductor/s), and the earth ground/s, (grounding electrode/s).
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01-31-06: Steverw
>>"Jea48: maybe 80 feet high. Insulator about the height of a large owl or hawk (maybe a foot?) (I often see them sitting on the line)."<<
>>>>>>>>

Sure sounds like 69KV. No Kite flying near those lines.
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plastic water pipe. Sigh.