Posted 2010-04-20 12:58 PM (#119070 - in reply to #119067) Subject: RE: generator dba
Expert
Posts: 2954 Location: North Carolina
Too Loud... The standard for quiet generators is the Honda 3000 inverter. 58DbA at full load. I can still hear it outside the trailer... Every 3 Db increase is double the sound level.
I figure 67 Db is 8 times as loud and annoying as the Honda inverter. 58 x 2 x 2 x 2 = bad neighbor
Posted 2010-04-20 1:09 PM (#119071 - in reply to #119067) Subject: RE: generator dba
Veteran
Posts: 198 Location: Iowa
That's kinda loud for a campground. The Honda's and Yamaha's run at about 54 to 59 db depending on load...and 67 db is quite a bit louder than that. It's not screaming loud, but it's not really "campground friendly" either.
Although the actual formula is somewhat complex, as a rough rule of thumb, an increase of 10db is usually perceived to be approximately twice as loud. So going from 57 db with a Honda to a 67 db generator would most likely sound about twice as loud. I'm sure others will chime in...but personally I would not use a generator that produced 67db for camping.
Posted 2010-04-20 3:16 PM (#119078 - in reply to #119067) Subject: RE: generator dba
Veteran
Posts: 197 Location: MT
Well according to all the decibel charts you look at 67 is about as loud as piano practice or TV on a low setting. And I have a 4000 watt Honda that I run w/ my trailer that is not a quiet run one either and if I put it at the back of my trailer I can't barely hear it inside the lq compartment. I say get that generator I've never had anyone complain next to me at rodeo and we park closer than you do at a camp ground.
Only thing I would look into is if camp grounds maybe have a noise ordinance than you might want to find out what that is because I know a lot of towns now are starting to get them, for instance no Jake brakes when you go through town due to noise.
The National Park Service (NPS) noise limit is 60 db at 50' from the source. This restriction is not well published, and not easy to find on the internet. I think it applies to off-road vehicles (snow mobiles, ATVs, etc.) as well as generators.
Park next to me with a 67db genset and it will soon become very quiet.....
Posted 2010-04-20 4:47 PM (#119082 - in reply to #119067) Subject: RE: generator dba
Veteran
Posts: 198 Location: Iowa
Well, I'm not a sound expert. But I camp all the time. And I can tell you that anything louder than the Honda, Yamaha or Kipor quiet generators irritates the hell out of other campers. Piano music is a lot easier on the ears than a generator...so they might both be at 67 db, but the generator is a lot more obnoxious. When camping, people want peace and quiet and want to hear the birds, leaves rustling, and have some nice quiet time around the campfire, etc. So campers tend to be a LOT pickier about noise level than at the rodeos and horse shows I've been to. We spend most of our time outside...so what if it's quiet in the LQ but noisy outside, that's the real problem and what tend to bug people.
Posted 2010-04-21 9:40 AM (#119113 - in reply to #119067) Subject: RE: generator dba
Veteran
Posts: 144 Location: Hickory Hills, IL
I believe for camping 67dB is too loud, but fine for horse shows and rodeo-Our generator is about that loud, but we do not camp and hardly ever use the generator except to charge the batteries for the inverter (we do not have AC in our trailer...).We also have not been camping, we go to CMSA shoots, horse shows and the occasional barrel race. Most of the time we are too busy to even bother with the generator. ~K
generator dba
