I think it would be fun to measure the decibel level at the muzzle for each of my air rifles. I would appreciate a recommendation of the meters you have had success in using.
Thanks:
DZ
Thanks:
DZ
Decibel meter recommendations
- Thread starter bdzjlz
- Start date
I'm sticking around for this one. I was literally just shopping for one too and all I could find were cheap ones on Amazon. $30 just seems awfully cheap for what it is....
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Thus the reason for my thread. I bought the Amazon $30 and it wouldn’t record the shots and hold them.
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I've tried the phone app ones....uselessI had a cheap one and it worked, sort of. If I recorded three shots, one might be recorded as 10 db louder than the others. They all sounded the same. So it never worked right. But if you ignored the out of line readings you got an idea how loud the gun was.
I next tried several phone apps. I found one, it's name is "Sound Meter" but there are several with that name. The one that works for me has a white face on the dial. It will give you a peak sound reading. Seems to work fine. No silly 10db jumping around. Price is right, it's free. The measurements are limited by the microphone of the phone but I think it gives a pretty good idea which setup is quieter and by about how much.
I next tried several phone apps. I found one, it's name is "Sound Meter" but there are several with that name. The one that works for me has a white face on the dial. It will give you a peak sound reading. Seems to work fine. No silly 10db jumping around. Price is right, it's free. The measurements are limited by the microphone of the phone but I think it gives a pretty good idea which setup is quieter and by about how much.
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I bought this one, work, agrees with my iPhone so it's close enough, holds the reading also. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NYVLCM5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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If you have an iPhone, the apps are very very good. You can ask Steve Scialli from AEAC what he uses, which seem to be working nicely where he is.
Patrick
Patrick
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Decibels are cool, but NONE of these devices can measure tone, which is pretty important for how we perceive loudness.
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Environment is huge too. Sound levels in an open field are much different than they are in my wooded back yard.
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I agree too that environment plays' a big part in determining what the "perceived" sound level could be, or, is. Choose your Muzzle device and adjust your airgun accordingly. "Backyard Friendly" is relative to the many factors that could/will influence your particular situation.
Patrick
Patrick
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I bought a cheap sound meter from Amazon, and it's a cheap sound meter! If I take an average, it's kind of useful for making comparisons between rifles, but it's probably not extremely accurate. As with most measuring devices, I expect a good one is more expensive than most of us want to pay for the occasional toy. If you take measurements, I suggest that you include measurement at the head location as well as the muzzle. I'm more concerned about my ears (what little is left), not so much with bothering the neighbors. It might also give you a different opinion on bull pups.
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I've measured my bullpups both at various distances in front of the muzzle and near my ears. They are at 85db or less according to my measurement devices. The only thing different about the bullpup is the muzzle is closer to your ear than it would be with an equivalent length barrel that starts well in front of your head. With a good moderator, the noise is still quite manageable.
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I've tried a $30 one and an $80 one off Amazon. Neither were consistent in measuring the shots. Both would record maybe 1 shot out of 5, and the readings that did record were not consistent. I've tried all the settings, various distances and angles from the muzzle, shooting inside and outside, and nothing made them more consistent.
Following...
Following...
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Since you will be performing relative testing for fun, I would not be too concerned with getting the best or most accurate meter. Even with precise measurements, what will these measurements mean compared to lesser accurate measurements in terms of usefulness? If I understand your desire, you just want to compare your guns to each other; a low cost meter will do just that. Just ensure you measure in the same environment and conditions, then you can compare apples with apples.
Important to note is that even if you performed measurements with a higher end meter, your measuring environment will very likely not compare to other's environments, therefore your data will be skewed and so not accurately comparable with other shooters, in a useful way.
If you get a cheap meter that reads inconsistently, you may want to change the distance from the muzzle to allow for the shortcomings of the meter to work within its design limits. This is assuming the meter has no weighting options.
Important to note is that even if you performed measurements with a higher end meter, your measuring environment will very likely not compare to other's environments, therefore your data will be skewed and so not accurately comparable with other shooters, in a useful way.
If you get a cheap meter that reads inconsistently, you may want to change the distance from the muzzle to allow for the shortcomings of the meter to work within its design limits. This is assuming the meter has no weighting options.
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