Mike McKnight
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2005
- Messages
- 1,550
Guys the NAMBA rule is 92db and we in District 9 even have one pond that we are limited to 90db. Lucky for us that pond has really high banks and levees that a good portion of the sound is absorbed or deflected by the ground and vegetation.
I have never personally witnessed anyone DQ'd for noice violations although there very well could have been a candidate or two including myself at one point or another. It seems though that monitoring and enforcement seems to go in cycles. Usually when there is one very obvious violator then monitoring becomes more intensive and there are a few people that get warned and everything is fine for a while so monitoring gets more relaxed.
As one who has some experience with professional PA systems and db, spl and a number of other instruments for measuring and generating sound levels. I know several manufacturers that make units in the $79-$250 range that assure me that they are all within +/- less than 1db accurate in the 90 to 100db range. These are the units that are most commonly used by OSHA and are the ideal units for our application for needing a "Spot Check" or "Snapshot" reading.
May I offer one simple piece of advise? Do not use a Radio Shack meter. It is junk for lack of better word. RS is good for some things but not for that. We had two of those RS meters in this District and luckily one has been lost and the other analog one is not working right anyway. I have used one that I borrowed from a friend of mine that still works as a sound engineer. Now his has a few more bells and whistles than the one I have since his has to be NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) certified, but his and my $200 one were pretty darn even. Both are different manufacturers and had been calibrated within 3 months of each other. By the way calibration is need only once a year and should only be done by the manufacturer or a NIST certified lab. They will give you the documentation you need and will place tamper tape on the unit to certify it. It's not that much costwise....you should make it an annual budget item.
Unless you are an engineer or someone NIST certified do NOT try to calibrate this equipment yourself. Most manufacturers are certified especially if they are making or selling equipment used by OSHA or law enforcement. Whatever you do, document everything epecially calibration records.
I have never personally witnessed anyone DQ'd for noice violations although there very well could have been a candidate or two including myself at one point or another. It seems though that monitoring and enforcement seems to go in cycles. Usually when there is one very obvious violator then monitoring becomes more intensive and there are a few people that get warned and everything is fine for a while so monitoring gets more relaxed.
As one who has some experience with professional PA systems and db, spl and a number of other instruments for measuring and generating sound levels. I know several manufacturers that make units in the $79-$250 range that assure me that they are all within +/- less than 1db accurate in the 90 to 100db range. These are the units that are most commonly used by OSHA and are the ideal units for our application for needing a "Spot Check" or "Snapshot" reading.
May I offer one simple piece of advise? Do not use a Radio Shack meter. It is junk for lack of better word. RS is good for some things but not for that. We had two of those RS meters in this District and luckily one has been lost and the other analog one is not working right anyway. I have used one that I borrowed from a friend of mine that still works as a sound engineer. Now his has a few more bells and whistles than the one I have since his has to be NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) certified, but his and my $200 one were pretty darn even. Both are different manufacturers and had been calibrated within 3 months of each other. By the way calibration is need only once a year and should only be done by the manufacturer or a NIST certified lab. They will give you the documentation you need and will place tamper tape on the unit to certify it. It's not that much costwise....you should make it an annual budget item.
Unless you are an engineer or someone NIST certified do NOT try to calibrate this equipment yourself. Most manufacturers are certified especially if they are making or selling equipment used by OSHA or law enforcement. Whatever you do, document everything epecially calibration records.