Sound Level Meter

[Lion Tamer]

Hi All

 

I have had a reply from Rapid about their unit which I have pasted in below.

 

This is a brand new CEM DT-8852 CE certified digital sound / noise level meter. This meter has a built-in USB port which connects to a laptop PC for recording the sound level over a period of time. This is an ideal instrument for noise monitoring in factory, school, business and traffic areas. This meter conforms to the IEC61672-1 Class 2 and ANSI S1.4 Type 2 standards.

 

With its internal memory, this unit can record sound level over a period of time without connecting to a computer. This device operates on a 9V battery (about 30 hours) or an AC adaptor (included). It is very accurate (+/- 1.4 dB) and durable, an ideal companion for your field projects. A heavy duty carrying case is also included for the protection of the device and your convenience.

 

Features

 

Conforms to the IEC61672-1 Class 2 and ANSI S1.4 Type 2 standard for sound level measurement

MIN and MAX sound level hold

Over range / under range display

A & C frequency weighting

Fast (125ms) and slow (1s) time weighting

Analog AC/DC output for connection to frequency analyser or X-Y shaft recorder

Built-in memory for stand-alone field recording

USB interface for computerised digital sound level recording

 

And here are some links to some pictures of it:-

 

http://3cvillage.com/productimages/000442_2.jpg

http://3cvillage.com/productimages/000442_3.jpg

http://3cvillage.com/productimages/000442_4.jpg

http://3cvillage.com/productimages/000442_5.jpg

http://3cvillage.com/productimages/000442_6.jpg

http://3cvillage.com/productimages/000442_7.jpg

 

I can see the rationale for logging, but I would suggest that taking the Leq during the noisy part of the service will show what maximum levels you are generating.

I might have a slight problem doing that as I find myself flying solo during the services which can get fairly busy so I am not sure that I would be able to set it to take a Leq reading for the "noisy parts" as it would be several feet from me at best due to space constraints.

A word of caution though - an officer from your local noise team has only to judge that your activity is a nuisance, not that you are exceeding a given level for him to ask you to lower the level. It would be prudent to work with your neighbour and demonstrate that you are accommodating her complaint. When the baby is born, you will probably have a mix of you interrupting her sleep, and her bay interrupting the quiet parts of your services!

Yes I understand that - as far as I know, at the moment it is a completely informal complaint (more like a polite request). What I would like to do is to use the noise meter to get an idea of the levels inside and outside of the building so I have some idea of how much attenuation we really need to achieve.

 

Jem

[Bryson]

Moderation: I've merged in another topic that was started but was actually meant as a reply to this thread. Hopefully it makes sense now!

[tech-freak]

My dad and I use different types of sound level meters by PCE Instruments in his company:

 

http://www.industrial-needs.com/measuring-instruments/sound-level-meters.htm

 

Nice quality and I'm sure you'll find the best meter for you as well!

 

T-F

 

 

[Simon Lewis]

Hi, Tech-freak,

 

Welcome to the Blue Room! You might just notice that the thread you posted in was last updated in July 2008... I suspect that a solution may have been reasched now.

 

However, for reference, many of the sound level meters shown on that site do not meet current measurement standards, and whilst have some use as an indication of sound pressure level. they would not be considered suitable for critical use.

The CEL models are fully compliant though.

 

Simon Lewis