SIREN TEST 1, 2  …

SIREN TEST 1, 2 …

The world is no longer “a tabula rasa”.  It is full of a busy life — a life that, among other things, produces a new life but also carbon dioxide, heat, light, colours, and various stimuli for our senses,  like pictures and sounds. We do not live in a sterile environment where things are unchangeable, but on the contrary, in a dynamic environment where one component or layer affects the other ones.

Telegrafia knows that sound is just one of the constituent elements of the environment. However, since this is the most critical element for the company, its employees must know how to adjust the acoustic properties of Telegrafia’s products to achieve their top quality in any environment. For this reason, sound tests and measurements are not done only in artificially created conditions in acoustic chambers but also in real settings and situations under various external influences such as the installation height, building intensity, or background noise.

siren test
electronic siren test

Electronic sirens in a simulated environment

The primary function of electronic sirens as the core of mass warning systems is to inform. Whether it is a sound signal or an announcement, both the strength and clarity of the sound are essential for any siren to fulfil its purpose. This is why these two acoustic properties provide the basis for the measurements that Telegrafia company performs. A test team travels away from the company’s premises to the fields near the village of Trhovište. The height into which a siren needs to be installed on a building is reached/simulated by lifting its horns on a moving platform or by hanging the horns to the required height by crane. In this way, the required siren configurations and ultra-powerful settings are tested. The siren horns are lifted to the necessary height, and several tests are performed. The audibility of the acoustic signal and the intelligibility of the spoken word are measured. The team measures these parameters ​​at a certain distance from the signal source. The measurements are repeated at several distances. Based on the measured values ​​and subsequent analysis, the team can detect possible deviations or undesirable effects and work on their elimination/improvement.

Adjustment of the environmental conditions

Frequently, the calculated values ​​of the basic parameters of sirens do not truly reflect the values ​​measured in different/real settings or environments. As mentioned above, the power of the sound, as well as its intelligibility, is influenced by external factors, primarily by the background noise in the environment and the building intensity or development in the siren installation area. Objects that stand in the way of sound transmission reflect or absorb the sound. The Telegrafia company makes every effort to take such factors into account in its tests and measurements. Although, given the situation, it is always only the simulation of real conditions. During testing, the team gradually inserts obstacles into the path of the sound, which may represent a less or more developed area. For example, it is a car placed between the signal source and a microphone during the measurement of the acoustic properties of a siren.

Everyone can say “we are the best” in what we do. But such a statement must be substantiated with verified results and values, which might be a problem sometimes. Therefore, Telegrafia always carries out siren tests in the conditions that correspond to the real ones. All the results are recorded and well-documented to provide information to potential customers or partners.

The article was written by

Róbert Jakab

Robert is like moving photography – because he is a video. He is able to capture 60 frames per second, so when something happens, he records it. He is also works on smaller videos to make an evening movie…and then continuing the second part. Telegrafia 2: Monkey power

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