Wallpaper illustrating volumes of various noises

[Slinger]

You Missed One

The one that is about the size of a bowling ball...The decible level of my wife's voice when she sees the Amex statement with last months ammo purchases on it

 

[hrb02]

Oleg, very cool. You should source it so there is a reference point for those who just HAVE to verify the data for themselves...

 

[Johnny_Yuma]

Nice balls

Nice balls, Oleg.

I like the poster. Maybe set off the silenced firearm ball with a shadow or halo to emphasize it or very lightly superimpose "Save Your Ears" over the whole graphic to drive the point home.

Johnny

 

[The_Antibubba]

So, what hearing protection is recommended for the inside of a tornado?

 

[Barbara]

Can you one in the opposite direction to show the loonies at Island Lake they're not going to go deaf because someone fires a shotgun from a mile away?

 

[benEzra]

Nice, Oleg, but are you sure about that muffled car value?

What jumps out at me is that a vacuum cleaner is listed at 70, and a muffled car at 90?

I don't know about everybody else, but I think that my cars are quieter than any of my vacuums...

That measurement could be taken outside the car with the car running at highway speeds and the engine at normal highway revs. An idling car isn't very loud at all, even one with no muffler (well, it isn't if the car is a 4-cylinder Toyota!), but they are exponentially louder at highway speeds. Also, much of the noise you hear from a car passing by is tire noise and wind noise, not just engine noise.

I think if you compare the sound of a stationary vacuum cleaner at 30 feet (outdoors) to the sound of a car passing by you 30 feet away at 70 mph, the car is much louder, even though it's much quieter when stationary.

So, what hearing protection is recommended for the inside of a tornado?

M1A2 tank with the hatches firmly shut and the safety harnesses cinched tight.

 

[wally]

I don't really believe the high numbers. No ear muffs I've ever seen in a gun shop are rated for more then 30db attenuation, 23-26 being the most common.

Shooting centerfire rifles without is clearly painful, with is not. Your numbers suggest even muffs+plugs could still exceed the threshold of pain which clearly contradicts my experience using only muffs (my best clain 28db).

As to the vacuum vs. car, sound pressure level doesn't reflect frequency content of the sound. The sound of a car has a frequency content nowhere near as annoying as a vacuum cleaner which makes the vacuum seem "louder".

Prolonged exposure to sounds above 90-95db is generally considerd damaging to hearing.

--wally.

 

[Oleg Volk]

Stand 1m to the side of a centerfire rifle with only muffs, you will feel pain. Behind them isn't so bad. THis is an approximate guide. I will do propagation and attenuation guide, need info on how sounds of different frequencies carry (fog horn, gunfire, railroad, truck, voice, etc.)