Advice - Which Noise Meter?
Discussion
I am looking to buy a noise meter to test the R400 before I attempt to get on track again, following the fitting of a new silencer.
Does anyone have any recommendations? I see they cost from £20 to a few hundred.
I know that environment will make a difference - we have space for both static tests, and driveby - our offices are on a private road.
Would either of these suffice...
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=46362
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=22647...
Cheers, Mark
Does anyone have any recommendations? I see they cost from £20 to a few hundred.
I know that environment will make a difference - we have space for both static tests, and driveby - our offices are on a private road.
Would either of these suffice...
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=46362
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=22647...
Cheers, Mark
Edited by bradders on Monday 24th May 11:58
Interested in this too as I have a feeling my caterham blade is pretty noisy, and I'd like to know just how noisy before i stump up some hard earned for a trackday.
edited to add that one of the maplin ones has an accuracy of + or - 3.5db, every 3db is a doubling of the sound level. Also worth checking what scale or range you'll need as sound level is measured against A B or C db's.
edited to add that one of the maplin ones has an accuracy of + or - 3.5db, every 3db is a doubling of the sound level. Also worth checking what scale or range you'll need as sound level is measured against A B or C db's.
Edited by pikeyboy on Monday 24th May 14:17
So, paying attention to the A or C reading, then the more expensive of the two from Maplin then. At £35 it's not too expensive, as long as you can trust the readings it gives. The error margin is somewhat worrying mind you. Even this one is +/- 1.5dB.
Has anyone used it before I spend? How accurate are the ones used on track for static and drive by readings? Do they give the same margin of error?
Not sure I would trust an iPhone dB tester, to be honest. They are great devices, and I use mine a lot, but can't imagine the mic is designed for this kind of use??
Has anyone used it before I spend? How accurate are the ones used on track for static and drive by readings? Do they give the same margin of error?
Not sure I would trust an iPhone dB tester, to be honest. They are great devices, and I use mine a lot, but can't imagine the mic is designed for this kind of use??
Edited by bradders on Monday 24th May 14:39
fast eddys said:
The better Maplin one is great value.
I use one to test exhausts before and after work with a rig like the tracks use.
My track car comes out exactly the same on my meter as MSV.
Eddy
in order to get the same reading as MSV get how close do u have to hold the noise meter to the exhaust ?I use one to test exhausts before and after work with a rig like the tracks use.
My track car comes out exactly the same on my meter as MSV.
Eddy
Picked up the more accurate one from Maplin today. Not had chance to test the car yet though - hopefully later today.
Thanks for confirming the static test details Melindi. Out of interest, roughly how far away are the meters sited on drive by tests? I know they will all be different, but hoping to get an approx. average.
Cheers, Mark
Thanks for confirming the static test details Melindi. Out of interest, roughly how far away are the meters sited on drive by tests? I know they will all be different, but hoping to get an approx. average.
Cheers, Mark
One thing to bear in mind - unless they are calibrated regularly, there is no saying that any meter you come across is giving the correct reading.
An un-calibrated, expensive sound meter can be more inaccurate than a calibrated, cheap one. That goes for any instrument used to measure things.
Take 5 noise meters at random and you'll probably find they all give a slightly different reading for a given sound level unless they've all just been calibrated against the same test signal.
Some tracks and TDOs do use expensive meters, some I've seen use the same one you could pick up at Maplin.
Some noise tests are conducted near buildings and other cars, some are conducted on a wide open space.
Some testers hold the meter somewhere near the exhaust, give or take, some have a stick and hold the meter at exactly the right distance and angle from the exhaust.
Some testers have an assistant to check you're holding the engine at the correct rpm and some just trust you to do it.
All these factors will have a bearing on the number they say is your noise level. Doesn't mean that number is the correct one. Unless you are marginal in the first place, however, it doesn't matter too much whether one day you are measured at 88db and the next day at a different track it's 91db as long as the trackdays you attend are 95db ones.
My advice is to avoid buying the absolute cheapest, but whichever meter you get, take it with you to every track day you attend and hold it next to the 'official' meter when they conduct a few noise tests, so you can get a feeling for how the two compare.
An un-calibrated, expensive sound meter can be more inaccurate than a calibrated, cheap one. That goes for any instrument used to measure things.
Take 5 noise meters at random and you'll probably find they all give a slightly different reading for a given sound level unless they've all just been calibrated against the same test signal.
Some tracks and TDOs do use expensive meters, some I've seen use the same one you could pick up at Maplin.
Some noise tests are conducted near buildings and other cars, some are conducted on a wide open space.
Some testers hold the meter somewhere near the exhaust, give or take, some have a stick and hold the meter at exactly the right distance and angle from the exhaust.
Some testers have an assistant to check you're holding the engine at the correct rpm and some just trust you to do it.
All these factors will have a bearing on the number they say is your noise level. Doesn't mean that number is the correct one. Unless you are marginal in the first place, however, it doesn't matter too much whether one day you are measured at 88db and the next day at a different track it's 91db as long as the trackdays you attend are 95db ones.
My advice is to avoid buying the absolute cheapest, but whichever meter you get, take it with you to every track day you attend and hold it next to the 'official' meter when they conduct a few noise tests, so you can get a feeling for how the two compare.
gtdc said:
There's an Iphone app. Not sure how good it is.
Melindi
To within 1dB of a TDOs test, I read here (someones experience).Melindi
The poster who mentioned 3dB doubling - sort of: 3dB equally a doubling of the sound pressure, although not usually the heard sound. Even so, its still a pretty poor performance.
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