Where have all the SPL's gone

[mooky]

Ok,

So i was about to order a analog SPL from cornwall electronics only to find that Radio Shack have discontinued the analog one and won't have a replacement until some time early 2004. So Cornwall don't have any, Arghhh !

Anybody know of a replacement or another supplier, should I spend more money and buy the £39 digital one from Cornwall. I confess that £39 was more than I was hoping to pay.

Mark.

 

[Pollywoggle]

If you do a search there is info about this, apparently new model coming in everywhere in March or something and the supply of the old ones is exhausted...like me!

 

[mooky]

Originally posted by Pollywoggle
If you do a search there is info about this, apparently new model coming in everywhere in March or something and the supply of the old ones is exhausted...like me!

A search where? On the internet or on these forums?

 

[RobDickinson]

Here, been plenty of threads about it.

hang in there and wait to march or buy a digital one. Or look for a 2nd hand one...u cant have mine btw.

 

[mudan]

Look on www.radioshack.com and you can see the new analogue one. This should be availabe in the UK soon.

I have the digital one which suits me fine.

 

[mooky]

Originally posted by mudan
Look on www.radioshack.com and you can see the new analogue one. This should be availabe in the UK soon.

I have the digital one which suits me fine.

Nope. Looked on there. Under

Catalog Home ->Audio->Audio Accessories->Sound Meters

They only have the digital one at the moment. I see no Analogue ones.

 

[Zone]

Try Nexnix

 

[rscott4563]

I'm also after a SPL meter and wanted to know which one to get, I've read somewhere that some of them don't go down to the low end frequencies and stop around 300Hz, so not very good for calibrating a sub.

Which is the best SPL meter to get??

Cheers

Ryan

 

[cosmic023]

Mooky:

Try Keene Electronics

Part No.: SLM2050 Analogue Meter
SLM2055 Digital Meter

Good Luck.

Cheers

Cosmic023

 

[witters]

I'd say the digital one is far more accurate and well worth the extra bit.

 

[cosmic023]

Witters:

Thanks for the tip, as i'm looking in to getting an SPL meter sometime soon.

Cheers

Cosmic023

 

[amackie]

rscott4563:

I've read somewhere that some of them don't go down to the low end frequencies and stop around 300Hz, so not very good for calibrating a sub.

The digital one from Maplins says in it's spec that it only goes down to 300Hz (accuracy +/- 2dB) , but in practice I've found it does produce readings down to 30-40Hz. The question is how accurate it is at those frequencies though.

If it's for calibrating a sub, then it's probably best getting a meter that is spec'd down to those low frequencies, to avoid any lingering doubts.

Andy.

 

[witters]

Surely the point is that, even if it is inaccurate, it will set each channel level to the same degree?

 

[antz]

SVS have a chart with compensation vaues for this very issue. Follow this link and go to page 10:

http://www.svsubwoofers.com/manuals/PCUltaonline1.pdf

Interstingly they recommend the analogue model over the digital SPL.

BTW, can anybody tell me where to get a test disk such as AVIA or Digital Video Essentials?

Regards
Antz

 

[witters]

I got mine from Play.com

 

[rscott4563]

Originally posted by witters
Surely the point is that, even if it is inaccurate, it will set each channel level to the same degree?

That applies but only if the error is linear throughout its range, however if the error is increased towards the lower frequencies then that rule doesn't apply.
This would seem particularily applicable if the meter actually states it only goes down to 300Hz, but in reality measures down to 30Hz, this may mean that it hasn't been calibrated to measure down this far and so thats why they don't state it as part of the meters range.

 

[amackie]

Witters:

Surely the point is that, even if it is inaccurate, it will set each channel level to the same degree?

We don't know - at least not for a subwoofer.

For the five main channels all getting the same frequencies of band-limited pink noise (I used the Digital Video Essentials disk), then we can accurately measure them and know that they are outputting the same level. For the LFE channel, different frequencies outside the specified range of the meter were used (40-80Hz noise), but as we have no idea of the accuracy of the meter at those frequencies, we have no idea of what the actual sound level is. In practice, I found the meter was reporting a similar level, so it's "probably" the same, but I can't be sure.

antz:

You can get the Digital Video Essentials from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00009WW03. Definitely worth getting. For contents, see http://www.videoessentials.com/PALindex.htm. Here's a review http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=7502, which also compares it with Avia.

 

[antz]

Thanks All!
Not my thread but I've found it very useful and have ordered a SPL from Keene Electronics and Digital Video Essentials from play.com
Regards
Antz

 

[engaged]

Just rang Keene; they don't have stock of the digital meter by RadioShack - and they aren't expecting the new analog one until April now! Looks like there's nowhere in the UK that has current stock of the analog RadioShack meter...

 

[Zoidy]

buy a real time analyser.. the ONLY way to measure spl's accuratly (pricey though :/)

 

[jimcarney]

Mooky,Try Electronics Centre 16 College Square ,Belfast
02890327357 fax 02890239108. Hope this helps Jim