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published: 2015-07-28 23:32:24 (60621) Author: Willy Wuyts

Noise test EC 1/8 Ic Off Road Sacile

1/8th IC Buggy Noise Tests at Sacile

Learning from experiences

At our past XXXV EC A at Sacile Italy, the EFRA Section carried out continuous noise tests while action was going at the track during 4 days with thousands of readings and tons of information.
We are also learning how to set it up properly and thanks to the program developer and other Section Chairmen in EFRA we were able to run it quite successfully, improving our knowledge every day.

The system includes a formula conversion to find out track side the equivalent to our 83 db measured as per the book (1 meter high, 10 meters distance), but it does not include our lovely loudspeakers (way noisier than our cars) and does not contemplate if a car passes by the center of the track or closer to the db meter or way apart from it. The system is working with an AMB Lap counting and drops readings where more than one car is near the db meter.

Findings? Quite a lot, for example that the brand of the car and the quality of the work done by the mechanics might have influence as well over the measured noise, so that, for instance the center diff. Mounts in aluminum may bring some additional noise in event of some “play” at certain brands of cars.

Some combinations on muffler & engine are more frequent than others at the Noise records, but to see the calm side of the list may make the picture much more interesting.

We have learned as well for future years that to record the noisy ones helps us, but probably it will help even more if we record as well the calm ones, so the records in the future will show also the quiet side of the readings.

Obviously a single unique reading is not taken into account, we took out all those as it can not be representative in any way, and suggestions in order to automatically discard the highest & lowest readings are on its process towards program developers.

Please, do not consider the figures find out at the track as per our book, the distance to driving line at Sacile was something like 4 meters and not 10, and at high side we do have a similar difference so any valid reading under 90,5 db should be considered 100 % safe, with the rest over such mark considered as suitable for improvement.

We are yet far from penalty decisions over the subject track side, but probably we are going to start to encourage improvements soon in order to be more environmental friendly.

We are not saying “who” was in the lead or ”what” was in the lead, it is only a first trial and we are yet learning, so do not take the results as engraved on stone, but nevertheless only 2 of the semifinals drivers (top24) were as well among the top24 on the noise measurements.

We will keep you informed

Yours in the Sport

Carlos & Alex