# Cheap Sound level meter



## Tin Falcon (Apr 11, 2009)

Hey guys in the interest of Hearing protection and shop safety I just picked up a cheap sound level meter from wally world.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4694329
I usually use hearing protection for most noisy operations but figured some sort of real reading would not hurt. 
FYI if anyone out there is looking for a new chap shop toy LOL. 
Tin


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## fdew (Apr 11, 2009)

I don't know anything about that meter but you have hit on a very important subject. If we cut our self or blam our thumb we get instant feedback, and we are carfull not to do it again. Hearing damage sneaks up on you and can take years.

To loud is a function of dB and time but a general rule, If it is over 85 dB Put on some ear protection.

A couple of examples, Your vacuum cleaner is close to to loud, your lawn mower is to loud

Frank


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## deere_x475guy (Apr 11, 2009)

Tin I have been looking for a cheap one thanks for the tip.


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## fdew (Apr 11, 2009)

A SPL meter is like any other piece of measuring equipment. It needs to be calibrated, and it needs to measure what you want to measure, A thread mic is a good tool but not to handy for measuring sheet stock.

A SPL meter for hearing protection should be A weighted, slow. The A weighted means it hears a bit like you do. It is more sensitive to high frequency then to low. Without this you can see very high readings that don't mean much to you.  The inside of a good quality car running down the road with the windows up may rear 80 0r 90 dB but A weighted it may be around 30dB

The 80 or 90 would be bad for you on a trip, but it isn't real. The slow setting does some averaging so you aren't fooled by peaks.

The second issue is accuracy. You either buy it or you calibrate it. Sadely, no inexpensive dB meter lends itself to calibration but the Radio Shack meter claims a accuracy of +/- 2dB and many have been tested and found to be close to that. BTW you can easily here a 3dB difference in sound level.

The RadioShack meter runs about $50

The Wall Mart meter may be good, but it doesn't say.

Frank


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## BobWarfield (Apr 11, 2009)

Radio Schlock used to carry them, don't know if they still do.

Ironically, the one linked to is for kids to use to measure how loud their car stereos will go, and they're just getting started at levels that will destroy your hearing quickly.

These are useful to properly set up a home theater system's speaker levels too.

Cheers,

BW


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## black85vette (Apr 11, 2009)

My wife has worked for ear surgeons for over 20 years and here is what I have picked up from them:

1. If you have to yell to be heard you need to be wearing protection.
2. Hearing loss occurs several ways: a. Traumatic injury. A shotgun blast or explosion too close. b. Gradual. Constant source of loud noise over time. A jet engine, chain saw, lawn mower, rock music, machine tools etc. c. Disease. A tumor on the nerve or other process inside the ear. d. Drug abuse. Some drugs are ototoxic (just ask Rush Limbaugh). e. Old age. Not true for everyone but normal for others.

Of these the most common is B, a gradual damage to the ear that may go unnoticed for a very long time. The damage is cumulative so each time you are exposed you don't notice any difference and figure it is OK. But over many exposures the damage occurs and cannot be reversed. Good news is that this one can be prevented.

Even rock and roll musicians have figured this out. For years they have been wearing in-ear monitors that are fitted like hearing aids. They can hear the music and other vocals at a comfortable level while exposing fans to a near painful level of sound. It is a practical matter for them. If you can't hear you can't play anymore!

Keep some soft disposable ear plugs in your shop for visitors. They are available at most shooting sport stores. Get some good ear muffs, they work much better than plugs. For extreme noise like a jackhammer, use both.

Good topic Thm:  Thanks for the reminder and the tip on the sound meter!


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## Tin Falcon (Apr 11, 2009)

Good stuff guys:
Frank: For 20 bucks at the local wally world in the clearance aisle I am not expecting a professional grade NIST traceable sound meter. Thanks for the caravats. 
DG : You are welcome hope it works for you. 

BobW:





> Ironically, the one linked to is for kids to use to measure how loud their car stereos will go, and they're just getting started at levels that will destroy your hearing quickly.


Yea isn't that crazy. They do actually package a set of foam ear plugs in with the meter and caution not to sit in the car taking readings over 100 db duhh.
BV et al 
Hearing protection is important I have and use a good set of muffs. I also stock foamys in my shop. I have been exposed to the gammit of loud noise over the years. From the ordinary home power tools, industrial tools to jet engine noise small arms fire ,muzzle loader fire and and a couple explosions involving pounds of C-4.
I almost always use hearing protection even when at home running the mower. My hearing is still excellent. My brother is almost completely deaf in one ear. He has spent close to 30 years as a jet mechanic. I met one kid at the tender age of 18 who could not get into any Air Force career involving loud noise because of existing hearing loss. (too much loud music).
Like I said before I want to hear the grand kids tell me how much they love the steam engine I build them. ;D
Tin


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## itowbig (Apr 11, 2009)

ya boy i know about this one. when i was working in a muffler repair shop(i learned many good talents there) i was gas welding a 2" pipe about 4 feet long onto a auto. well when welding on the auto sometimes you weld blind(meaning you weld where you cant see the flame or weld(like i said many talents learned there) any way the flame went out and it filled the whole exhuast full of gas , well i did not even think when i relit that torch. BLAM the whole dam thing blew up and me under the car. well for three hours i could see people talking but could not here any of them at all. after that you had to yell o i could here what you were saying. now i can here ok 15 years later but my hearing is bad. think of a bomb a big one going off 1 foot from your ears. i was lucky i did not loose my life with that one. i imagen that one day ill loose all my hearing but i hope not to soon.  

This is another good topic. :bow:

hey i wonder how many dbs that one was ??? ???


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## Stan (Apr 11, 2009)

I have a system not recommended for others. I remove my hearing aids when I am working in the shop. Too little - too late.


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