MEASURING SOUND

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30477, 26 June 1964, Page 12

MEASURING SOUND

Instruments On Display

Instruments for the measurement of noise formed the main part of a display of electronic equipment in Christchurch on Wednesday. The instruments, manufactured by Dawe Instruments, Ltd., of London, were displayed and demonstrated by an Auckland company, Elekon (Overseas) Ltd, at a basement room at 153 Hereford street. “The instruments are used to isolate the source of noise and reduce it to a level at which it can be tolerated,” said the manager of the company. Mr L. Carter. Different types of noise level meters were shown. These ranged from a small transistor indicator designed for taking quick checks on noises where people were working, to more complex instruments used for dealing with noise problems from traffic and aircraft. “It will be a little while before people get used to taking protective measures against noise,” he said, referring to specially designed ear muffs on display. The muffs, which resemble a pair of headphones in appearance, will be manufactured in New Zealand by his company. Noise Fatigue

People who worked where there was a high level of noise suffered fatigue and mental depression, he said. Though they often felt to have become immune to the noise, this resulted from damage to hearing, which could be irreparable. Among the equipment was • statistical analyser, which recorded noise peaks over a period of time for analysis. From the results obtained, recommendations could be made for fitting acoustic tiles in rooms, the wearing of ear muffs, and other means of protection.