Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Air Models / June 2004

Don't enact one unless the local area forces you to, then go as high as they'll
let you get away with.

One trick we played with our mousse can mufflers was: instead of using one
large outlet, we drilled a lot of small holes around the rim of the can.  It
wasn't any quieter, possibly louder, but that drove the noise frequency above
what the dB meter was tuned for, so it didn't register.  Sound levels are Micky
Mouse, there are ways around anything.
Dr.1 Driver
"There's a Hun in the sun!"

And how do they actually measure that? I doubt many clubs have a dbA meter
handy. In any case 88dbA @ 7m is very loud.

85dbA for 8 hours (based on a local standard) is considered above maximum
dosage. Of course, the likelihood of a 8 hours of constant flying is rare.

I think our club (which I'm about to join) simply requires mufflers. Of
course, anything deemed exceptionally noisy would be questioned.

Hi Richard,

80dB(A) @ 7m over grass, 8 point measurement in a circle, at 45 degrees
each, 1 meter high.
Maximum of 5 IC planes in the air:
http://www.rmvc-cumulus.tk

Met vriendelijke groet ;-) Ron van Sommeren
near Nijmegen, the Netherlands

--
Anti-Spam: my address must be modified.

UK governing body (BMFA) requirements are 82dba at 7 metres.

Quite easy to pass up to a 0.46 cu inch size engine at sport rpm
of 10-11,000 ish  (eg APC 11x6  or 11x7 prop). OS and Irvine have
good silencers.

But we do have Zenoah 46 cc gasoline engine as well that has
passed .....

Colin

Luckily, our flying site is out far enough so noise isn't really a problem.
Yet. We took special pains to note on the sign at the entrance to our field
that R.C. Airplane activity had been going on continuously since 1969. With
all of the new housing development going on, we thought this was necessary.
(What do you mean, you didn't know there were model airplanes flying there,
the sign on the road say they have been there since 1969) We do  require
mufflers, but we don't enforce noise standards. Yet. When the time comes, we
will be good neighbors.
There was another group of guys who talked the city into letting them fly at
a local public park. Most of them wouldn't belong to an organized club due
to varying reasons. (Didn't want to pay dues, Rules, insurance, frequency
control, mufflers, flying over houses restrictions, etc.)  Shortly, the
complaints from people who lived around there started coming in. The city
attorney, doing due diligence, researched this activity. There appeared;
frequency board,  proof of insurance and muffler requirement, (AMA, home
owners,) then you had to get a permit from the city. The end came when one
of the guys flew his 1/3 scale extra, 5.8, no muffler over some houses. The
PD warned him, he waited until they left, then did the same thing again. One
of the heavy hitter citizen$ who lived close to the park raised holy hell.
The city then banned all RC activity at that park. Most of the guys joined
us with the understanding that they abide by our rules.

We have to be less than 98dbA @ 3Metres over grass, with the model at ground
level.