My new golf attire… for total hearing and errant ball protection
Live Science has a sports columnist. Which surprised me but it turns out science and sports intertwine quite a bit.
The human ear is damaged after exposure to 110 db of impulse noise (a gunshot, clap, explosion). It turns out that modern titanium-faced drivers, like the King Cobra and Ping G10 – generate an impulse noise of about 130 db – enough to damage your hearing.
All six titanium drivers produced sounds greater than the safe limit with the Ping G10 topping out at 130 decibels or similar to a gunshot or firecracker. These new generation thin-faced clubs were also louder than all but one of the thicker-faced stainless steel models.
Yet another reason to leave the driver IN the bag…. and to not take mulligans.
I couldn’t find any research on how many decibels I reach when I foolishly play golf the day after a testosterone shot.
January 7th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
1. Those drivers are illegal, i.e. at 100 mph swing speed the ball leaves the face at more than 83.3 mph.
2. 130 db is below the 140 db impulse noise (shock) level for instant permanent damage. Long exposure above 85 db causes permanent damage.
3. The potential damage below 140 db is reversible if the continuous exposure time is less than one minute. [14 drives in four hours is 17+ minutes between "hits."]
4. Any damage starts at 4 kHz and spreads downward from there to the human 200 Hz to 3 kHz range.
5. Firecrackers, guns, and jet takeoffs are between 140 db and 150 db.
6. Rock concerts and several musical instruments have long exposure times at 120 db. Most orchestra and electric guitar players have damage.
January 7th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
How about 105mm and 155mm howitzers for two years?
January 7th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
105mm w/muzzle brake is 183 db at one meter. Noise decays 6 db for every distance doubling. That’s 177db at the breech! Strangely any permanent loss is above 3 kHz from the lower frequency blast noise. 20 years with the tubes will
save money on fancy speakers as no music will sound other than BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.2 years w/o good protection will usually drop the music by 5 db, easily adjusted.
NASCAR race is 110 db. Jet engine is 140 db.
Ear plugs drop most noise by 30-33 db, some still gets in ia the back of the head.
January 7th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
I went temporarily deaf from a 155 tube blast (where the round goes off in the tube).
January 8th, 2009 at 8:25 am
Lucky you! Low detonations have as little as 1,500 psi(?). Hypervelocity guns may try for 100,000 psi chamber pressure.