Bassett Decible Levels??

[Wet Dream]

Rumor has it that the Boat Commission want to put a meter on my boat to see if I am too loud.
Yesterday while launching, I noticed 4 officers doing their checks. To test their attitude, I fired the boat on the trailer before putting it in the water. They never said anything. I know one of them real well, he never gives me any problems. When I took off down the river, appearently one of them stated that my headers are too loud. When I came back later that night the guy I know was there and said that they want to check the noise level sometime. He said that the acceptable level is 82db. Sounds pretty low to me, but I started to get defensive and told him that they can try, but don't get upset because the boat doesn't have neutral and it might pull away. I proceeded to tell him that I have mufflers (not installed) and water capabilities, but am running them dry now. How close am I going to get to the 82db level? If I remember correctly, the engine has to be warmed up and 1 meter away. I have a 455, relatively mild, idles at 900rpm.

[Cole Sanger]

I am not sure, but you can find out real quick. Go to your local Radio Shack and pick up a dB meter. They are under 20 bucks. Then call up your states fish and game, or who ever regulates your states noise law, and ask them to tell you what the law states. For good measure, ask them where that law is stated (what book and publication), then find that on the web or at your local library. Make a copy of that law and keep it and your dB meter on your boat. If you know that you are quieter on the trailer, then when you get stopped on the lake and pull out your meter, they will know you know what you are talking about. I would bet that most of the cops that stop you just think you are loud. Just my opinion though.

[Jungle Boy]

Dry Bassetts are no where near making a 82db reading, not even from 100 ft. When we raced in New Zealand a few years back, there was a noise limit of 86db from 100'(drive by) and everyone was running baffles/mufflers. I heard rumors that even then very few could have passed the test. You're probably in the 100/110 range close by. Good luck trying to please the H20 cops. Now a days it's getting tougher and tougher to please the anti-noise folks that live around the lakes and pay high taxes to be there. They have a lot more stroke than some visiting boaters that want to go for a rip on a nice day. In Alberta, I don't think there is any lake that allows open headers anymore. I've been running mine on a few local rivers for the past 2 months and am just waiting for something to be said about it. argue

[Rexone]

Open headers, even wet with mufflers will probably not even be close to passing 82db at one meter. That 82 figure is pretty low.

[Snorider]

82? I always thought the rule for PA was 89 = ok, 90 = bad...
Hmm, maybe they changed it the bastids! burningm

[Snorider]

Here is what you were looking for: It is VERY VERY open-ended. All depends on the interpretation.
http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/boatcrs/02boathandbook/legal14.htm

[burbanite]

Get a copy of the local ordinance, it will over-ride whatever the state law is.
I have a dB meter just to find out who is and who isn't in the ball park, the Radio Shack variety are not good to use as a defence, they are "fun" and it states this in the accompanying literature.
You will be way over with no mufflers, I am and I have inserts. Where I am the limit is 90 dB at idle, I checked a 47' Fountain yesterday, triple 500 EFI's, he was at 88dB at idle. A 42' with twins and exhausts that exited above the water line was way over even with the Silent Choice (which are illegal here as they are in many places).
Graham Barkey off GBB Exhaust Technologies tells me he can get me a 15 dB reduction at idle and 20+ dB WFO, I'm looking into it.
Good luck and I feel your pain.

[Wet Dream]

The "deputy" mentioned 82, which immediately clicked off as LOW. 89 is still tough, but not as bad as 82. Does anyone know the distance required for measurement?

[Moneypitt]

Don't know about PA> , but here in CA. the limits are tied to the year of the vessel, although rumor has it that there are some changes in the future...........Monrypitt

[Heatseeker]

Jungle Boy, what kind of baffles were the guys in New Zealand running?

[Jungle Boy]

Heatseeker:
Jungle Boy, what kind of baffles were the guys in New Zealand running? Most were running Eagle "powerhouse" mufflers through Lightnings. Some others were running "Borla" exhaust. I didn't look to see what the others were running. The New Zealanders have come up with all sorts of one off systems for their own boats. The Powerhouse is a 6" x 24" aluminum canister muffler that exhaust enters on the outer ends and exits into the middle and then through the transom. They work real and sound good.
Here's a photo that kind of explains the entry and exit angles on the exhuast.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/521/259F1010023-med.jpg
[ July 06, 2003, 11:22 AM: Message edited by: Jungle Boy ]

[oldphart]

If your going to use A DB meter or have one used on you, make sure that the weighting is set correctly. We had one track that was a real bear to pas noise. I got my own meter and found that A weighting setting includes noise not in the range of human hearing. C weighting is the range of humans. the moron tech man didn't know this and was reading total noise which is about 20% higher than C weighting. By the way, I think nothing above a trolling motor would make 82 DB at 3 Ft!

[Heatseeker]

Thanks for the reply Jungle Boy. It sounds like all those systems are through the transom. I'm looking for something I can stuff in my headers to pass this damn test!
Supertrapps?

[HighRoller]

I think these eco-cops are trying unrealistically to make every boat as quiet as grandpa's Bayliner with a six-banger and thru-prop exhaust.They might start doing these tests at places like Havasewer,but pretty soon they're going to realize that 90% of the boats won't pass.All this because of the guys who run blower engines with reduced water headers and dry 6" tailpipes or guys who run around with dry bassets or even zoomies on the river and blow out grandpa's hearing aid when they romp on it!!!You may laugh but I've had offshore boats go by while sitting in Topock that were so loud I almost had to plug my ears.And I was over 100 feet away!!!

[FlatRat]

Here in NW Montana the db law is 89 3 meters from end of pipe,82 db 200' from shore.I'm sure that the Game Warden fudges a little for me.Everybody else bitches but he leaves me alone,so far.

[burbanite]

Some things I have learned....
"A" Weighting: Typically used in both industrial and community noise applications. "A" weighted measurements are reported in dBA. This scale corresponds to the way the human ear hears across the speech frequencies.
"C" Weighting: Provides a flat frequency response with slight attenuation of the very high and very low frequencies. "C" weighted measurements are reported in dBC. The "C" scale is practically linear over several octaves and is thus suitable for subjective measurements only for very high sound levels.
Most dB meters can be switched between the "A" and "C" scales, the "A" scale is most commonly used to determine real life sound levels.
One of the things to remember about sound is that frequency is important, higher frequency noise can cause more damage to the hair cells in the inner ear than low-frequency noise. So, even though a high-frequency noise may only have a loudness of 85 dBA, it can cause more damage than a low-frequency noise that has a loudness of 95 dBA. So, I am saying my rumbling V8 at 90+ dB is safer on your ears than the higher pitch Police boat at 85 dB.....