Comparative Sound Readings
The following readings were taken with a Radio Scack Digital Sound Meter (uncalibrated). The first 4 readings were taken with the meter on a tripod approximately 30″ in front of the muzzle and approximately 30″ to the left of the muzzle. All numbers are 3 shot averages.
TSS with no mods except vented front bushing–
2400 psi fill, JSB exact jumbo heavy 18.1gr–
Power wheel 2–
no endcap >> 113.00 dB, extreme spread 2 dB
with endcap >> 109.33 dB, extreme spread 4 dB
with Subssonic Gen2 Insert >> 102.00 dB, extreme spread 0 dB
with gtbj short shroud >> 101.33 dB, extreme spread 1 dB
microphone 2″ from cheek weld >> 98.33 dB, extreme spread 1 dB
microphone 2″ from hammer strike >> 103.33 dB, extreme spread 2 dB
These numbers are offed as comparisons only. The meter is not calibrated, and I was shooting out of the back of a horse trailer. Could be some sound magnification off the hard surfaces.
What do these numbers mean? WtFK. What I can say is if you stand to the side about 30 feet away, all you hear is pellet impact with the Subssonic insert and the gtbj short shroud.
If you like the stock looking TSS, the Subssonic insert is what you’re looking for. If you like the Talon look, with a few inches sticking out of the frame, get the gtbj short shroud. Both make the gun QUIET. Me, I like both looks, so I got both devices so I can change the look of the gun from time to time.
Both the Subssonic insert and the gtbj short shroud are well made. The fit and finish on both is great. They both do their jobs extremely well. I’ve shot lots of pellets with both, with no problems. Tighten the set screw on the end of the frame and these things stay put. You can’t go wrong with either of these products.
The bonus, Subssonic and gtby are nice guys. They both responded to my questions promptly and shipped the goods fast. Packaging was good (maybe better than the Edgun 😕 😕 😕 😀 😀 )
Cheers!
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Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)
I have used TruRTA to take measurements of my SS. It is quite nice, because it’s a full spectrum analyzer, and SPL meter. The nice thing was it will read the full range you ask it to in 1 octave increments. So for SPL readings you can actually see where in the spectrum you are, the ambient noise level, and it will hold the peaks for you, so you can save them out. Had quite a bit of fun with it, and it’s a free download, if you need more precise octave readings, then they ask you buy the upgrade, but for SPL work, 1 seems to work just fine.
Good data here.
Casey
I wanted to thank you for the purchase of the Silent Hunter Shroud. It is so much quieter than the AirHog one, plus it’s >$50 dollars less expensive (this includes shipping).
– Build quality is excellent
– It registered 62 db on my sound meter (and it was only 4 inches away from the barrel – Power Wheel at 6 and 2800 psi)
Thanks again for making a great product,
John
Where is more info on this shroud ?
Thanks
I wanted to thank you for the purchase of the Silent Hunter Shroud. It is so much quieter than the AirHog one, plus it’s >$50 dollars less expensive (this includes shipping).
– Build quality is excellent
– It registered 62 db on my sound meter (and it was only 4 inches away from the barrel – Power Wheel at 6 and 2800 psi)
Thanks again for making a great product,
John
That is a great post and I agree with Jerry it’s about time there’s some numbers to go along with the perceptions of these devices.
Been thinking about getting one of those Radio Shack meters for a while and now there’s numbers to compare my own inserts and shrouds against. Not selling anything so it’s just for my own inquiring mind.
pissed myself…
😆 😆
I’d thoroughly enjoy seeing a mouse let go of a 30db fart at 1000fps tearing through a tin can. Wonder if that’s already on YouTube?
HEY fronzdan,
Fronzdan wrote:
I think you need to take more measurements for an accurate analysis. You need to measure several rodents with a flatulence problem so we can really compare them all to “mouse fart quiet”.
I was going to do as you suggested, but saw an episode of Myth Busters that dealt with “can the human ear detect a ouse fart” question. They determined that a mouse would have to fart at 30 dB to be heard by the human ear at 6′. Further, if the average 20 gram mouse (308.64 gr) released enough gas to achieve 30 dB, it would be propelled at a velocity of 1,000 fps or 688.93 fpe. The consclision was, if a mouse farted at 30 dB, he’d only do it once! 😉 😉 😉 😀 😀
I think you need to take more measurements for an accurate analysis. You need to measure several rodents with a flatulence problem so we can really compare them all to “mouse fart quiet”.
It makes complete sense and is what I expected you to post.
If the gun was “silent” the meter would have continued to display “low” vice recording a “max” event.
BTW, I’m not suggesting the tested mods are less than awesome (they are) but I would like to see these moderator discussions move away from hyperboly and in the direction of your well executed test.
Jerry,
My meter requires you to set a sound range to get a MAX reading. Ranges are in increments of 10, starting at 60 and ending with 120. The meter records sounds 10 dB either side of the selected range. Example: If you set the meter to 80 decibels, it will record sounds between 70 and 90 dB’s. If you don’t get a reading, you must select a higher or lower setting, until sound is recorded. I had to use the 120 dB setting to measure the “no encap” shots. Used the 110 dB setting to measure the “wth endcap” shots, and used the 100 dB setting to measure the rest. At the 100 dB setting, the meter will only register sound between 90 dB and 110 dB. The ambient noise was in the 60 – 80 dB range, so the meter reads only “LO” at the 100 dB setting. Hope this makes sense.
NTD,
Great post. It’s fine to use the meter uncalibrated so long as the test doesn’t stretch out over a long time (where the meter could change) or the data get reported without the uncalibrated disclaimer.
The only thing I would ask is “what was the meter registering before the shots?”
One thing this post should do for us here is to help get rid of the over-the-top claims of silence. Obviously, the gun isn’t silent or the meter would not register anything other than the ambient noise.
:thumb:
I remember when I was taking Physics II the instructor had a problem up on the board, something like: there are 2 fire crackers that when they explode simultaneously they produce 113dBs. If only one goes off it is half as loud, what is the dB level? I said, “Well, since every 3 dbs of decrease, the sound is half, it would be half as loud, the dB level would be 110dBs”…he was a little miffed and said…”yeah, but let me show everyone WHY”…so he proceeded to write all the formulas on the board and showed the math behind it all, to which I couldn’t do that crap now if my life depended on it 😉
He asked me how I knew that, and I told him I have a degree in electronics and work in telecommunications and we use the 3dB down points in the bell curves of the devices we test, he said…oic…
I had to correct him a couple of times when it came to ohm’s & watt’s law too when we got to that part…it was kinda funny…
HeyAirgunner,
Thanks for chiming in. I know the dB scale is logrythmic, not linear, but I knew I’d fuck it up if I tried to explain it. Good job!
with endcap >> 109.33 dB, extreme spread 4 dB
OK, keep in mind that dBs are logarithmic in nature, for every 3dB decrease, the sound is half of what it was…so with just the endcap on, you decreased the dB level by 3.67 dBs, so that would be just over half as loud as the original shot.
So from 109.33dB to 102dB is another 6.67dB decrease, so it is almost 1/4 as loud of the second shot, with the Gen2 insert…
so with the GTBJ short shroud, it went down another .67dB…
So…basically with just puting the endcap on, the sound level is reduced enough that the BATF could consider the endcap a ‘silencer’ 😛
ha haa haaa…not trying to open up a can of worms guys…just throwing that comment in there for the fun of it!! 😛
Sounds (pun intended) like we have some GR8 machinists on here!! Good job guys!
I have a GTBJ shroud and it works GR8! I have something in the works for inserts that should trap the air and slowly release it to allow very quiet operation, without extending the OAL…more to follow in another thread 😀
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Casey,
Nice find. Are you using TrueRTA on a computer or cell phone? Do you use an external speacker or the built-in? I’d like to give it a try and compare the results to my Radio Shack meter. Can you post the results for your TSS? 😎