OFFICIAL THREAD*** Solo in the Park (Chilhowee)

[thrdeye]

Swap muffler for event, just to be safe.

[steverife]

I think my car is a lot quieter and I was 92 or 93 last event. I wasn't approached, but I asked.

[Josh_McCRX]

Swap muffler is easier said than done especially when I don't own another muffler. I'm looking into an auger muffler insert to quiet down more anyway it's $20 shipped from summit. I'd rather do a bolt on trap but I hear they only lower 2 db? No experience with them.

[MikeKelly]

My car reads lower than Marcus's Miata according to two events ago.

At the risk of being indiscreet...

As of close of business July 20th, there are specific cars that are not supposed to come back to Pellissippi until they are quieter.

And specifically warned not to show up loud at Chilhowee.


My apologies that the second run group didn't get as much attention as it may have needed.


Rife is Ok for sure.

[thrdeye]

If you get in a pinch, some metal zip ties/hose clamp, some mesh, and some steel wool can work. Just have to cinch the zip ties real good and obviously plastic ones will not work.

[MikeKelly]

And for those who don't know - There are specific organizations (everybody?) that are no longer allowed to run at Chilhowee, mostly, apparently, because they were too loud.

We had to have a board member meet with the neighborhood organization in order to be able to use the site this time. For charity.


If we keep it reasonable, we might get to use it again. Once or twice a year.



This will continue to become more of an issue at Pellissippi due to the condos they're building on the hill.

They're currently adding a row closer yet.




It's what we're going to have to do if we want to autocross.

Especially on borrowed real estate.



Of course Lime Rock owns their own property and they've been running sound under a court ordered plan for 20 + years now...

I think it's 85db, most of the time. The court order allows them a few loud weekends a year. (noon to 6PM? Who knows, it's not my court order)

[thrdeye]

Like I've said before, our sport is endangered.

Atlanta lost a great site years ago due to sound issues. And they were very very strict on their policy.

[Buck05Sti]

as far as sound goes, is there really that much to be gained from being excessively loud? i understand opening up the exhaust will provide some gains, but seems to me like theres got to be a threshold of diminishing returns when it comes to this. on an N/a car is there an appreciable advantage to running a straight pipe as opposed to at least a cat and muffler?

[steverife]

It's kind of a big deal.

[John Brown]

LOUDER = FASTER.
ax anybody.

[dewittpayne]

Only Lyonel Kent in the BMW was over 97.5dB in the first run group on Saturday at Smokies. He was, however, way over, averaging 100dB. I didn't have anyone for the second group. Considering the location of the meter at Smokies on Saturday where everyone really was at full throttle, I doubt anyone, except possibly Lyonel, will have a problem at Chilhowee.

Although the regulation says slow setting, I've been using peak hold. The slow setting requires very close monitoring of the meter, and it's not clear that it updates fast enough to be meaningful. Slow setting with a digital meter is great for monitoring reasonably steady noise levels. It's not so great for transient noise like at an autocross. It's much better for an analog meter. But analog meters don't have the precision and accuracy of a digital meter. If you pass at peak hold setting, though, you're definitely safe at slow setting. I wouldn't want to disqualify someone for a peak hold reading that was a little too high without a check at slow setting on the next run.

[MikeKelly]

Although the regulation says slow setting, I've been using peak hold. The slow setting requires very close monitoring of the meter, and it's not clear that it updates fast enough to be meaningful. <snip> If you pass at peak hold setting, though, you're definitely safe at slow setting. I wouldn't want to disqualify someone for a peak hold reading that was a little too high without a check at slow setting on the next run.

Sound chief says:

Perfect.

[MikeKelly]

I've had a resonator the past two events. I didn't have one the first event with the new engine. My car reads lower than Marcus's Miata according to two events ago. The muffler turns down... so that helps, but I am just concerned about this event. Before the resonator I think I hit 102 but I have not been told a number since I have had a resonator.

Checking my notes:

Important note - neither of these dates are especially "good numbers" as I was placing the meter in non-standard positions. I was trying to evaluate the whole club for "noise out the back". It's hard to capture accurately because you end up "too close" to the back.

That said,

For June 08: 93.7, 99.4, 92.4, 95.6, 102.7 - Interesting to note here, that, of a field of 17 STM cars (that I have notes for, we often "skip" known quiet cars), you were the loudest. Only 3 other STM cars exceeded 90db, but none of those exceeded 94db.

For June 22: 89.7, 92.1, 89.3 94.2, 91.4 - Again, of a field of 27 (that I have notes for) you were the second (or third) loudest (one car, two drivers). I could name names, but Sean McDonald does not appear to be among them (not to say he's safe, just that he hasn't made it to the "officially warned" list).


That's all I've got for tonight.

Sound Nazi

[Josh_McCRX]

For the question of how much is there to gain from my exhaust... Quiet a bit actually. The Honda K series engine likes to breath. I have seen several dyno tuned cars gain 10+hp going from a restrictive 2.5" exhaust to a free flowing 3". I've taken precautions to keep mine as quiet as I can.

So, at least I got some good news out of this but I will pack some wire mesh, steel wool, and a metal clamp as back up sound deadening.

[thrdeye]

ZOMG 10HP?!?!

I think JY's rearview mirror makes that much.