How high is the 68 dB noise level
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Noise
Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arises when the brain receives and perceives a sound.
Acoustic noise is any sound in the acoustic domain, either deliberate (e.g., music or speech) or unintended. In contrast, noise in electronics may not be audible to the human ear and may require instruments for detection.
In audio engineering, noise can refer to the unwanted residual electronic noise signal that gives rise to acoustic noise heard as a hiss. This signal noise is commonly measured using A-weighting or ITU-R 468 weighting.
In experimental sciences, noise can refer to any random fluctuations of data that hinders perception of a signal.
How to measure noise level?
Noise is anything which is unbearable to our ears. Around 170,000 people in Britain suffer deafness, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or other ear conditions from harmful levels of noise at work. Noise can also be a contributory factor to other health conditions such as psychological problems, trauma, depression, irritation, high blood pressure and even a cardiac arrest.
So, it is important to be able to measure noise levels and there are various ways to do this.
What is a decibel rating?
The decibel (abbreviated dB) is a unit used to measure the intensity of a sound. On the decibel scale, silence is 0 dB. A sound 10 times more powerful is 10 dB. A sound 100 times more powerful is 20 dB. A sound 1,000 times more powerful is 30 dB and so on. A scale such as this is known as a logarithmic scale.
Some common sounds and their decibel ratings include:
- A whisper – 15 dB
- Normal conversation – 60 dB
- Pneumatic drill – 125 dB
The human ear distorts its sensitivity to lower and higher frequency sounds. Sound meters try to mimic this process by weighting the readings. This scale is known as the A scale and readings taken using this scale will be denoted as dB(A).
There are three other scales, B,C and D. B is rarely used, C is used for very high levels and D scales is mainly used to measure aircraft engine noise.
What is sones noise level rating?
This is another noise or sound rating scale. It is not directly proportional to a decibel rating and is mainly used by ventilation fan manufacturers to rate the sound levels of their products.
A sone is a measurement of sound in terms of a comfortable hearing level. The lower the sone value, the more comfortable the listening environment will be. A 4-sone rating is four times as loud as a 1-sone rating (a linear scale not logarithmic like the decibel scale.)
Sones are not decibels or volume, but rather how sound is sensed. Sones are a linear measurement, so doubling the sone value is equivalent to doubling the loudness.
One sone is equivalent to the sound of a quiet refrigerator in a quiet kitchen.
How to measure noise level with iPhone?
It is important to be able to measure noise levels as being exposed to noise or loud sounds can lead to the condition of noise induced hearing loss. Loud noise and high sound levels are actually covered in health and safety regulations. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.
So, how do you measure noise level with an iPhone or Android phone? There is an app for an iPhone “Decibel X” it has pre-calibrated measurements and supports dBA, dBC. For Android phones “Decibel X” can still be used but there are some other apps worth considering to measure sound levels on an Android phone. So, now we can measure a noise or sound level.
A normal conversation is 60 – 70 db. So 68 db is a normal conversation level. A safe or acceptable noise level for constant exposure is 68 db or below.
125 db
Hearing damage can occur when exposed to a constant background noise of 80 – 90 db. City traffic is typically 85 db.
Sound levels above 125 db will cause pain in the ear and you must wear hearing protection to prevent hearing loss. A jet engine at 100 feet is 140 db.
Powered tools have different noise ratings, but a safe workplace noise level is always below 68 db.
The HSE have produced a useful noise calculation tool.
How Loud is 68dB Generator?
Generators are extensively used these days in homes, offices and other commercial places as well. They are also widely used at camping sites to arrange for the electricity needs in those remote areas. However, a big concern of people with generators is their excessive noise.
It could be a fun-spoiler especially at camping sites and when you want to have a peaceful sleep there. It is for this reason, people are very concerned about the noise levels of generators, well ahead of the purchase they make. This is a good practice so you can make up your mind that with what level of noise you will be dealing with once the purchase is done.
Understanding Noise Measurements:
You will hear a lot of people saying that they will need to sleep with those “earmuffs” on after buying and using a 68dB generator. This cannot be said right away about the noise levels of such generators until we evaluate some other factors involved that drive the sound. Sound is measured in the unit of decibels, which is 1/10th of one ‘bel’. The noise levels are determined when you hear from a certain object while at a specific distance.
A passenger car would produce a noise of 77 dB at a speed of 65 MPH when heard from a distance of 25 feet. Music played in the living room of your house would produce a noise of approximately 76 dB. A vacuum cleaner would give a noise level of 70 dB.
In the same way, central air conditioners would generate noise of 68 dB, when you are at a distance of 20 feet. Understanding these everyday noise sound levels would allow us to make our case regarding the generator producing 68 dB.
One more critical thing to understand here is that doubling a certain dB level wouldn’t mean that the noise would be doubled with precision. For example, a generator of 70 dB could be twice as loud as a generator with a 60 dB sound level. 60 dB generator, by the way, is considered quite low in sound.
Is 68 dB generator too loud?
A 68 dB generator is just about right and it makes a good deal in terms of the noise production when you are purchasing a generator. It can be safely stated that a 68 dB generator produces a medium level of noise. If you apply some good soundproofing and noise reduction techniques, then its noise level could be kept at the bare minimum or negligible level.
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People are having the misconception that 68 dB is too loud and could also damage hearing. This, however, is not correct. Sound levels can lead to dangerous levels when they are at any level on or above 80 dB. The damage at this high sound intensity level, however, could be experienced when exposed to that high level of sound for some 8 continuous hours.
Another great and satisfying thing in this regard is that the quality manufacturers are offering modern generators that comply with the noise levels of residential areas. This compliance also makes them suitable for your camping sites no matter, wherever you are in the wilderness. Moreover, such 68 dB generators are quite common to have these days from multiple brands.
20 feet
The best residential and camping sites generators are offered with noise levels of 62 dB, 64 dB, 68 dB, and 69 dB sound levels. The lowest among these (62 dB) offers noise level, which would be just like the noise of having a normal conversation in a reasonably crowded restaurant.
As mentioned in the above section, the noise level of 68 dB generator precisely would be as loud or as quiet as a central air conditioner, when you try to hear it from a distance of 20 feet. This isn’t that much loud from such a distance.
If you are considering such a generator with such a noise level then it is a good decision, which will offer a good power generator for your domestic or portable use.
More noise in a way means more powerful generator as well, but this is not always true. You need to shop well and wisely to get the right generator with the desired efficiency. And then the sound production level.
Why Measure Noise Levels?
Measuring the noise levels you are exposed to is a good way to prevent hearing damage and protect your hearing. Noise-induced hearing loss is not reversible. Therefore, prevention is the best option.
You should regularly measure noise levels in the environments you are constantly exposed to such as your home and your workplace. It is especially important to measure noise levels when you know they may be exceeding recommended limits, such as at concerts or sporting events.
Thank you for staying with this post “How high is the 68 dB noise level” until the end.
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