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Ear protection.

C

critch

New member
During a recent motorway drive, I happened to have a sound level meter with me and noticed that from speeds of around 70 mph, the noise level with the top down is around 85 dBA. At 100 mph this is around 90 dBA and at 140 mph (the fastest I've dared to go with the top down), it's about 95 dBA.

If you use the car to travel this way for business for more than two hours a day, this will mean that the car should probably be a 'hearing protection zone'.

Does anyone routinely use ear protection when driving with the top down? And do Porsche advise drivers of the potential for hearing damage?

Critch
 
85 db? My car is noisier than that standing still without the key in the ignition...

Try 110db at 4000rpm with no sound proofing and then ask the question again....

[:D]
 
It can get a bit wearing if you are on a long motorway drive with the top down - the lack of variation in noise probably being part of it!

We drove to the South of France top-down all the way. We did put ear plugs in for some of the journey...

Wind deflector will not pop out unless you've put it in wrong! The wind hits it from behind as it rolls over the car (take it out and see which way your hair is being blown!) So the deflector is being pushed into the retaining "sockets", not towards the fittings themselves.
 
ORIGINAL: critch

During a recent motorway drive, I happened to have a sound level meter with me and noticed that from speeds of around 70 mph, the noise level with the top down is around 85 dBA. At 100 mph this is around 90 dBA and at 140 mph (the fastest I've dared to go with the top down), it's about 95 dBA.

If you use the car to travel this way for business for more than two hours a day, this will mean that the car should probably be a 'hearing protection zone'.

Does anyone routinely use ear protection when driving with the top down? And do Porsche advise drivers of the potential for hearing damage?

Critch
Click to expand...

Now why is it that I don't have this problem with my Cayman? Do you think that Daro911 has an answer?
 
ORIGINAL: critch

During a recent motorway drive, I happened to have a sound level meter with me and noticed that from speeds of around 70 mph, the noise level with the top down is around 85 dBA. At 100 mph this is around 90 dBA and at 140 mph (the fastest I've dared to go with the top down), it's about 95 dBA.

If you use the car to travel this way for business for more than two hours a day, this will mean that the car should probably be a 'hearing protection zone'.

Does anyone routinely use ear protection when driving with the top down? And do Porsche advise drivers of the potential for hearing damage?

Critch
Click to expand...

So that is why I am going deaf!
 
ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett

It can get a bit wearing if you are on a long motorway drive with the top down - the lack of variation in noise probably being part of it!

We drove to the South of France top-down all the way. We did put ear plugs in for some of the journey...

Wind deflector will not pop out unless you've put it in wrong! The wind hits it from behind as it rolls over the car (take it out and see which way your hair is being blown!) So the deflector is being pushed into the retaining "sockets", not towards the fittings themselves.
Click to expand...

Wow - I will happily admit that I never knew that! I was more worried about the head rest 'tennis rackets' which are only lightly clipped into the roll over hoops. I guess they also stay in for the same reason. [8|]

BTW no need for ear plugs IMO because going too fast with the top down means you miss too many of the sounds and smells that make top down motoring what it is. And I certainly wouldn't want to mute that lovely sound you get during short bursts of acceleration [:)]
 
ORIGINAL: Alex Postan

ORIGINAL: critch

During a recent motorway drive, I happened to have a sound level meter with me and noticed that from speeds of around 70 mph, the noise level with the top down is around 85 dBA. At 100 mph this is around 90 dBA and at 140 mph (the fastest I've dared to go with the top down), it's about 95 dBA.

If you use the car to travel this way for business for more than two hours a day, this will mean that the car should probably be a 'hearing protection zone'.

Does anyone routinely use ear protection when driving with the top down? And do Porsche advise drivers of the potential for hearing damage?

Critch
Click to expand...

Now why is it that I don't have this problem with my Cayman? Do you think that Daro911 has an answer?
Click to expand...

Alex

I'll say it for him cut the roof off! [;)]

JCB..
 
ORIGINAL: brksy16


BTW no need for ear plugs IMO because going too fast with the top down means you miss too many of the sounds and smells that make top down motoring what it is. And I certainly wouldn't want to mute that lovely sound you get during short bursts of acceleration [:)]
Click to expand...

It's more the wind going past your ear that I find is an issue - not the noise.
If you suffer from ear infections then the wind will exacerbate the tendancy [:'(]
I found the same problem in a Caterham, where a plug in the ear facing the outside of the car was needed! (right if driving, left if passenger)
 
Good to see some carefully considered and factually informative answers to Critch's serious concern[8|]
 
Ear plugs don't stop all sounds so you're not going to miss much. Many bikers, myself included, wear ear plugs to reduce wind noise, engine noise, etc. but you can still hear things in a muted fashion.
Cant say anything about wearing the big ear defenders though, they don't fit under the helmet so well.[:)]
 
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