got a score! a decibels sound level meter, need help with the reading...

[Anko]

Hi to all

I been off the forum for a while now... I been working and studying at the same time, even I freeze my little steam engine project... but I will be back on the road soon!

I adquire a nice MINT condition (the seller don't know what he was selling, so I buy it ultra cheap ) sound level meter, a general radio company type 1565A, is nice and working, but I dont know how to read or calibrate, I understand the range thing (C slow or fast... Bf..As...) more or less, but the selector in the right (the one that goes from 50 to 130) I don't know how to interpret it in the scale ???, the 50 range is the most sensitive

Thanks for any incoming! I will appreciate it :bow:

Saludos

 

[flatbelter]

Using the SWAG method

The dial set at 50 would indicate 50 decibels at the 0 mark on the scale . Note that the scale ranges from -10db to +10db.

So you would adjust the range on the dial to get the sound meter to point somewhere on the scale then add or subtract the meter reading from the range dial to find the noise level. Note that the range setings are spaced every 10 db so this should be correct.
So you should have a meter range of 40-140 db.

You're on your own for the other dial.

Nice find

 

[Troutsqueezer]

The ear is very sensitive to changes or differences in frequency but not so sensitive to changes in amplitude. You may or may not hear the difference of 3dB change in sound level but that is around the level most people can start to detect. A bit of trivial there. No charge.

 

[Ken I]

What are the "units" on the other dial ? I suspect it will have things like A, B, C - which are different scale weightings.

B scale approximates (IIRC) to human ear response (we have non-linear ears).

Ken