Noise MonitoringStations

January, 2011Canada Environmental Noise Seminar

Dalimar Instruments

Installation Checklist

• Portable, Semi-Permanent or Permanent• Power – AC or battery w/solar• Meteorological Sensors• Communication• Ease of service• Security

Portable Installations• Watertight case with batteries

– (1-2) 21Ahr batteries– (1) 100Ahr battery

• Tripod• Microphone protection shroud• Extension cable• Software• Security Chain / Padlocks

1 Week Unattended Monitoring

Permanent Installations

• Outdoor microphone/preamplifier• Automated calibration via actuator• Heavy duty mount• Weather sensor integration• Solar charging option• GPS time sync• Remote communication• Security

Outdoor Microphone

• Designed for reliable long-term operation

• Free Field or Random Response• Remote calibration via

electrostatic actuator• Bird spikes, rain hat and UV

treated windscreen• Internal temperature and

humidity sensors**• Window to view desiccant

condition

Electrostatic Actuator• Daily check on NMS operation• Voltage applied to diaphragm

of microphone (simulates SPL)• Output of microphone

compared against reference value

• Automated at quietest time of day

• Calibration history stored

Mounting – Semi Permanent

• Heavy Duty Steel Tripod• Up to 20’ Microphone Height• Adapts to un-even ground• Guy wires to secure against

high winds• Feet staked to ground• Adapters for weather sensors

and solar panel

Mounting – Permanent• 17’ Tilt-Down Pole• Mounted to concrete pad• 20’ Microphone Height• Adapters for weather sensors

and solar panel

Ease of Service

• One man operation• Tilt-down pole for

calibration and service of outdoor microphone

• Desiccant condition viewing window

Inside the Enclosure

• Sound Level Meter can be easily swapped for service

• 831-INT – acts as a docking station

• Ease of access to cables and connections

831-INT Docking Station• Inputs for wind speed and

direction• Logic I/O• Powered USB hub• AC power input• Solar charging input• -ET Version (LAN)

NEMA Enclosure

• Protects against environmental elements

• Fiberglass construction – allows passage of wireless comm

• Allows viewing of SPL and data AT SITE

Security

Lock on tilting mechanism on TRP019 Pole

EPS033 Security Lock on EPS031 or EPS032 enclosure

Specially licensed security screw for EPS031 and EPS032

Weather Sensor Integration• Temperature / Humidity• Wind Speed & Direction• Rainfall

Why Measure Wind Speed & Direction?• Wind speed increases with altitude• Sound is “focused” on downwind side and “shadowed” on

upwind side of source• Distances < 50m, influence is negligible• Measure downwind for least deviation

Courtesy of B&K

Combined Weather Sensors

• Ultrasonic Wind Sensor

• Temperature and humidity

• Rainfall and Hail

• Barometric pressure

• USB connection to 831

• Data integrated in 831 logging data

Why Measure Temperature?• Temperature gradients create effects similar to wind

gradients.• Uniform in ALL directions• Temperature inversions “focus” sound on ground surface

Courtesy of B&K

Logging Meteorological Data• Parameters “logged” in Time History• Min/Max/Average values stored in each Interval

Solar Charging• Ideal for remote locations – no need to run power• Solar panel charges large battery (typically stored

underground)• Multiple size solar panels depending on climate

Battery and Panel SizingBattery• Compute power consumption• Verify max cloudiness - # of days without charging• Check low temperature

Solar Panel• Determine Low-Insolation worst case• Choose solar panel size• How fast will panel charge battery if depleted

Communication Options• Direct – USB, USB extender + intranet, RS-232• Analog Modem• Wireless Model (EDGE)• ADSL

USB Extenders / Intranet• USB Extender

60m / 150 ft– IOgear GUCE51– CablesToGo Super

Booster100m / 328ft

– ICRON USB Ranger 110• USB Intranet Hub

– Digi AnywhereUSB

Alternatives• Long microphone extension

cable and keep 831 close to PC

• Long extension cable from outdoor preamplifier to Sound Level Meter (up to 500’)

• Power microphone and preamp with external supply, long direct voltage input into Sound Level Meter

RS232 Serial port• CBL117 Null modem to PC• DVX008A to 831 Host port• Speed

– 4.5 Kbytes/s at 115200– 3.5 Kbytes/s at 57600

• Wireless RS232– 2 modems– RF Modem– CDMA

Analog Modem• Analog Modem (MDMUSB-A)• POTS line (plain copper end

to end)– No VOIP compression

• Speed– 1.5 to 4.5 Kbytes/s

• Call from modem in PC– Same “sound” as fax

• Software– SLM Utility-G3– DNA / DNA Remote

Wireless Communication

Wireless Modem• MDMUSB-E

– GSM SIM Card– GPRS / EDGE technology– Data plan

• Email program with MAPI– Eg MSOutlook or MS

Outlook Express• TCP/IP port number

– Robust, error checking• Speed

– 2 Kbytes/s

• No calling from analog or other wireless modem

• SMS via wireless when provider does not support SMS, but MMS via mail

• SMS manually – test at installation

(A)DSL / (W)LAN / 3G Ethernet• 831 Docking Station with Ethernet port

– (A)DSL connection– 3G Modem– LAN or WLAN

Leverage standard technology• Speed

– 50-70 Kbytes/s• Applications

– Faster transfer speeds (large files)– Live streaming

Automated Downloading• DNA Remote module supports multiple connections –

analog/wireless/direct• Can connect to multiple stations simultaneously• User selectable download time• Each file tagged with S/N of instrument

Software Options• Download Utility – G3

– Manual connection– Excel export utility– ScreenGrabber

• Advanced - DNA– Real time graphing software– Post processing of data– Automated downloading of data from NMS (remote)

• Airport – ITT / ERA AirScene– Remote hosting of data– Ability to sync noise data with radar tracks– Complaint module

• SDK (Software Developer Kit)

Conclusions

• Environmental protection / security• Critical Questions

– Battery Life– Power Supply

• Multiple Communication Options leverage current technologies

• Software – manual to fully automated operation

Thank YouQuestions?

Dennis PramasAcoustics HellasTel: 210 6630333eMail: dpramas@acoustics.gr