1. Calibration Check

Most regulations state that the meter's calibration should be checked before making measurements, and that you should keep records of these calibration checks.

Fit the Calibrator over the microphone as shown on the right and switch it on. The meter automatically detects the presence and correct fitting of the Calibrator and then starts the calibration process, which only takes a few seconds.

Calibration details are stored in the meter so that you can either make note or download them to a computer.

Manual Measurements

To start a measurement, simply press the Run/Stop key, shown on the right.

This starts the measurement and storing process for all parameters, the most important being LAeq, Lmax and Ln (L10, L90, etc). It also stores the time history of the noise, which provides a graph of the sound level over time.

If the meter has Octave or 1/3 Octave Band Filters fitted then these measurements start too.

When you are happy that you have measured for long enough simply press the Stop key.

Colour Coded Display

The current state of the sound level meter can be seen at a glance.

When not running the meter shows the current sound level and the border is red.

When running the meter shows the measurement parameters such as Leq and the border is green.

For many environmental noise surveys, you need periodic (usually 5 minute, 15 minute or 1 hour) measurements showing values such as the Leq and the L90.

To make this type of measurement, set the meter to make repeating measurements of the required duration. The meter will now run for the specified period. It will then stop, store the results and start again automatically. Advanced timers even allow different measurement times for different days.

It is better to mount the meter on a tripod for this type of measurement. A tripod mount is included on the back of the meter. It can be fitted to a standard camera tripod, or we can provide you with a suitable one.