I don't want to notch my hearing!
April 3, 2008 10:42 AM Subscribe
How do I make a piece of test equipment quieter?
The person at the workbench next to me just got a new piece of test equipment (Aeroflex IFR 2975). It is placed on top of a shelf that sits between our two benches. The fan on this thing if very loud.
Is there a way, without modifying the equipment, to deaden the noise from this fan? I think the majority of the noise is air noise, with only a little bit of the noise coming from the actual workings of the fan itself.
The person at the workbench next to me just got a new piece of test equipment (Aeroflex IFR 2975). It is placed on top of a shelf that sits between our two benches. The fan on this thing if very loud.
Is there a way, without modifying the equipment, to deaden the noise from this fan? I think the majority of the noise is air noise, with only a little bit of the noise coming from the actual workings of the fan itself.
Best answer: This seems like a good chance to experiment with active noise suppression in an ambient environment.
If you can get a small mike, sample the noise, invert it and amplifiy it and apply it to a speaker, you can negate some or much of it. It may take some tinkering.
Since you've got test equipment nearby, it sounds like you've got technical skills, and if earplugs/isolation pads and baffles don't do the trick, electronics might help?
posted by FauxScot at 12:40 PM on April 3, 2008
If you can get a small mike, sample the noise, invert it and amplifiy it and apply it to a speaker, you can negate some or much of it. It may take some tinkering.
Since you've got test equipment nearby, it sounds like you've got technical skills, and if earplugs/isolation pads and baffles don't do the trick, electronics might help?
posted by FauxScot at 12:40 PM on April 3, 2008
I've found that the white noise from data center servers tends to be surprisingly directional. Can you try re-orienting the equipment and seeing if that helps?
posted by jenkinsEar at 1:00 PM on April 3, 2008
posted by jenkinsEar at 1:00 PM on April 3, 2008
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If it is air noise, you could install an acoustic baffle between equipment and yourself. Just set up a barrier like this next to the device and maybe below the shelf. Be careful not to interrupt the air flow itself though; you don't want to compromise the cooling.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:01 AM on April 3, 2008