- Generator
Noise -
Honda EU-3000 vs
Onan Microquiet Series
The reason for this dissertation
is to
point out that when comparing generator noise levels, you need to also
look at what distance the measurement is made.
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.
Visit
www.mcsquared.com/dbframe.htm
for a discussion and an on-line calculator for calculating noise levels
at different distances. As a rule of thumb, the noise level drops
6 db every time the distance from the source is doubled.
|
A generator cannot exceed the
following
noise levels in accordance wtih the (36CFR2.12):
60 db @ 50' (NPS limit)
67 db @ 23' (Honda specs are
at 23')
74 db @ 10' (Onan specs are at
10')
Note that the following noise levels for the Honda EU-3000 are
published specs with the generator free-standing in open space.
The specs for the Onan 3600LP are measured levels using a Radio Shack Digital-Display
Sound-Level Meter
Model
33-2055
with the unit installed in a
sound-proofed
generator compartment.
The measured noise levels were consistant with the Onan published
specifications.
|
Honda EU-3000 vs. Onan Microquiet
Noise
Levels
(Published specifications
are in bold)
Distance |
10 feet
|
23 feet
|
50 feet
|
Generator
Load
|
0
%
|
100
%
|
0
%
|
100
%
|
0
%
|
100
%
|
National
Park Noise Limit |
74 db
|
74
db
|
67 db
|
67
db
|
60 db
|
60
db
|
Honda
EU-3000
|
56 db
|
66
db
|
49 db
|
59
db
|
42 db
|
52
db
|
Onan
MicroQuiet
|
62 db
|
70
db
|
55
db
|
63
db
|
48 db
|
56
db
|
Generator
Noise Level
at 50'
Equivalent
Noise
|
db
|
Honda
EU-3000
Watts
|
Onan
3600LP
Watts
|
Vacuum
cleaner |
70 db |
|
|
|
69 db |
|
|
|
68 db |
|
|
|
67 db |
|
|
|
66 db |
|
|
|
65 db |
|
|
|
64 db |
|
|
|
63 db |
|
|
|
62 db |
|
|
|
61 db |
|
|
NPS Limit
(Normal Speech) |
60 db |
|
|
|
59 db |
|
|
|
58 db |
|
|
|
57 db |
|
|
|
56 db |
|
3600
|
|
55 db |
|
|
|
54 db |
|
2700
|
|
53 db |
|
|
|
52 db |
2800
|
1800
|
|
51 db |
|
|
Private
Office |
50 db |
|
900
|
|
49 db |
|
|
|
48 db |
|
0 |
|
47 db |
|
|
Living
room, suburban area |
46 db |
|
|
|
45 db |
|
|
|
44 db |
|
|
|
43 db |
|
|
|
42 db |
0
|
|
|
41 db |
|
|
|
40 db |
|
|
|
39 db |
|
|
|
38 db |
|
|
|
37 db |
|
|
|
36 db |
|
|
|
35 db |
|
|
Soft
Whisper |
34 db |
|
|
|
33 db |
|
|
|
32 db |
|
|
|
31 db |
|
|
|
30 db |
|
|
You know
that you are
an RV junkie if the sight of these pictures gets you all excited.
|