NOISE NUISANCE RECORDER

SHORT-FORM INSTRUCTIONS

JUNE 2004

Quick Start Guide for the Rion NL-32 Noise Nuisance Recorder

June 2004

QUICK START GUIDE FOR THE NOISE NUISANCE RECORDER The NL-32 Will Need to be Set Up to Log Audio & Data Files Prior to Installation:1. Ensure that a compact flash memory card (128MB) has been inserted into the memory card slot located on the rear of the instrument and that 4 x AA pen cell batteries type LR6 (new ones!!) are located in the battery compartment observing correct polarity. 2. Switch on the instrument by pressing the ‘Power’ key for at least 3 seconds until the Rion logo appears on the screen. 3. Check that frequency weighting A ‘LA’, time constant ‘Fast’ and range 20 – 110 has been selected to give a measurement range of 20 – 120dB (Dynamic range = 100dB). 4. Press the ‘Menu’ key once and page 1 of 6 will appear on the screen. Ensure that a datalogging time period has been selected from a choice of: 10sec, 1min, 5min, 10min, 15min, 30min, 1hour, 8hour or 24hour. Please note that a time period MUST be selected for long term audio and datalogging to function correctly. (To make changes to the menu options: press the up ‘▲’ or down ‘▼’ arrow key to move the highlight through the menu options and press the left ‘◄’ or right ‘►’ arrow key to make the desired selection). 5. Ensure that ‘Back Erase’ is Off and ‘Cal Mode’ in set to External. 6. Press the ‘Page Up’ key once to display page 2 of 6 and ensure that ‘Store Mode’ is set to Auto2 (Leq). 7. A ‘File name’ can be chosen but only the last four numerical digits can be changed: 01 - 99 (e.g. AU2_2206). 8. Press the ‘Page Up’ key once more to display page 3 of 6 and check that the ‘Baud rate’ is set to 19200 and the ‘Index’ is set to 1. Leave all other options as default. 9. Press the ‘Page Up’ key to display page 4 of 6. All 9 measurement indices will be stored to the compact flash memory card regardless of whether they are turned on or off (Please note that LCpK will not be available whilst the audio recording option is enabled). 10. Press the ‘Page Up’ key to display page 5 of 6. If this is the first time that the memory card has been used, it will need formatting prior to use. Press the right arrow key ‘►’ to select ‘On’ and a flashing warning message will appear: “All data clear?” Press the ‘Start/Stop’ button to proceed with memory card format. A flashing message: “Formatting card…” will appear for a short while (Otherwise press ‘Pause/Cont’ to cancel). 11. Ensure that the correct date and time is displayed in the option. The format will be: Year/Month/Day and a 24hr clock.

ANY PROBLEMS: CALL 01908 642846 AND ASK FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Quick Start Guide for the Rion NL-32 Noise Nuisance Recorder

June 2004

12. Press the ‘Page Up’ key to display page 6 of 6. Press the right arrow key ‘►’ to switch on the audio recording function. Ensure that the ‘Event rec’ has been set to 130dB and that ‘Interval rec’ is Off. 13. Press the ‘Menu’ key once to return to the main instantaneous sound pressure level display (LA, Fast) and ‘Rec. On’ will now appear to the left of ‘Card’. 14. The number of audio recording events will appear at the bottom left hand corner of the screen as: E0001, E0002, E0003, etc. (Default is E0000 i.e. no recordings stored). 15. Once the NL-32 has been installed into the carrying case and a calibration check has been carried out, datalogging and audio recording can now commence. To start datalogging and enable the handset to start & stop recording audio, the ‘Store’ button needs to be pressed. It is vitally important that the icon ‘►’ and the word ‘Store’ are flashing simultaneously on the display and the elapsed time clock: 00:00:00 is counting up!! IF BOTH ‘►’ & ‘Store’ ICONS ARE NOT FLASHING THE METER IS NOT LOGGING!! 16. When the green ‘Start’ button is pressed on the handset a green LED will flash very quickly to indicate that audio recording is currently in progress. 17. To stop audio recording the red ‘Stop’ button needs to be pressed and a red LED will illuminate for approximately 3 seconds and then extinguish. The green LED will also extinguish at this time. 18. When both green and red button LED’s are extinguished audio recording is not in progress. If the green ‘Start’ button has been accidentally pressed whilst the NL-32 is not logging data or recording audio, press the red ‘Stop’ button to extinguish the flashing green LED. 19. If the green or red LED flashes slowly for about 2 seconds when either button is pressed, then the batteries are flat or not connected, or the NL-32 has not been switched on. Downloading Stored Audio and Data Files from the Memory Card to a PC:20. To stop audio and datalogging in the NL-32 press the ‘Start/Stop’ key. ‘Stop’ momentarily appears on the screen beneath ‘Rec. On’. The ‘►’ & ‘Store’ icons will have stopped flashing and the elapsed time clock stops counting up. 21. To the left of Auto2 at the top right hand side of the screen, the number of data files stored will be shown: XXXAuto2 (X = 01 – 99) and at the bottom left hand side of the screen the number of audio recordings made will be displayed: EXXXX (X = 01 – 99). 22. Prior to removing the compact flash memory card from the NL-32, ensure the sound level meter has been switched off by pressing the ‘Power’ key for at least 3 seconds until the screen goes blank. Carefully remove the memory card from its slot by gently pushing the release lever. ANY PROBLEMS: CALL 01908 642846 AND ASK FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Quick Start Guide for the Rion NL-32 Noise Nuisance Recorder

June 2004

23. Insert the memory card into either a PCMCIA compact flash memory card holder for use in a laptop PC, or into a memory card reader connected to the USB port of desktop PC. 24. Ensure that the PC operating system has seen the memory card by either listening for a confirmation bleep when inserting the memory card, or by running ‘Windows Explorer’. Usually the memory card will be identified by the PC as a ‘Removable disk’ and drive letter ‘E:\’ will have been allocated to it, e.g.: Removable Disk (E:). 25. Double click on the NL-22PB1 icon on your desktop to start the Rion Noise and Audio Data Management Software program running. 26. A pop up box appears titled: ‘NL-22PB1’ with four possible choices: click on ‘Read – in’. 27. Click on the ‘Open File’ icon: and browse to the location where the folder containing the noise & audio data files is saved i.e.: ‘E:\ Removable disk’. The folder will be identified as: AU2_XXXX (X = 01 – 99) on the compact flash memory card. 28. Click on the desired folder (click once only!!) to select it and then click ‘OK’. 29. Select the same folder that appears in the ‘List box’ by clicking on it (click once only!!). A blue bar highlight appears to confirm selection made and then click ‘OK’. 30. Click in the text box to input any relevant project information concerning the client, address, location, instrumentation used, etc. This information will appear at the top of the main display and edit screen. Click ‘Start reading’ when finished. A progress bar appears whilst the logged audio and noise data is being processed. 31. Both audio and logged data will now have to be saved to file and subsequently, to a location of you’re choice usually the ‘C:\ drive’. A pop up box now appears requiring you to select a file name and a location for the file. Click in the text box next to ‘File name’ and type in an appropriate name. When done click ‘OK’. This file will contain the logged data in txt file format and all the audio files in wav file format. (A folder is also written with the same name as the data file and the actual data file is stored in this folder). 32. A progress bar appears whilst data is being saved to disk and a confirmation box appears to confirm that the file has been saved and to a hard drive. The saved file will have a ‘*.rp1’ file extension allocated to it:

ANY PROBLEMS: CALL 01908 642846 AND ASK FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Quick Start Guide for the Rion NL-32 Noise Nuisance Recorder

June 2004

33. Click ‘OK’ to continue (Please note that some corporate networks may cause problems when trying to write data to network drives). 34. To instantly display logged data and playback all audio files click on: ‘Display & edit’. 35. Click on the file that has just been saved (click once only!!) which is located in the ‘List box’ and a blue bar highlight appears to confirm selection. Click ‘OK’ to accept. 36. The main Display & Edit screen now appears. The default time axis for the noise level and audio display is 1 day:

37. To change the time axis to fit the actual data recorded, click in the text box containing 1 and whilst still holding down the left mouse key, scroll down to the desired number and let go of the mouse key on your selection. The same needs to be done for d. 38. To accept the changes made click on the ‘Level-time settings’ button to ‘enter’ changes:

39. To expand the recorded noise and audio data file to fit the graph time axis precisely, click on the ‘Move range button’:

then move the cursor to anywhere on the graph and click

again. To return to cursor mode click on the ‘Cursor return’ icon: . Cursor 1 should be located at the start of recorded data & Cursor 2 should be located at the end of the recorded data:

Cursor 1 Cursor 2

ANY PROBLEMS: CALL 01908 642846 AND ASK FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Quick Start Guide for the Rion NL-32 Noise Nuisance Recorder

June 2004

40. All audio files recorded will be identified by a blue marker appearing below the level/time graph and are proportional in length to the time actually recorded. To play these recordings back instantly just click on the marker of your choice. The marker will turn red to show which audio file has been selected and the selected audio file will be played back through the sound card & speakers of the PC:

Audio recording currently selected (Red)

Audio recording (Blue)

41. Information about the audio recording made, for example when the start button was pressed, how long the audio recording lasted for, etc., is shown in the ‘Playback settings’ area of the main display: Time when start button was pressed

Recording time: Hr/min/sec

42. To automatically play back the audio recordings sequentially select ‘Continuous’ and click the ‘Play’ button. To play back each audio recording individually, click the ‘Forward’ button and the next audio recording will be automatically selected and played back. As each audio recording is selected, the blue marker associated with the audio recording will change to a red colour:

ANY PROBLEMS: CALL 01908 642846 AND ASK FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Quick Start Guide for the Rion NL-32 Noise Nuisance Recorder

June 2004

Forward button Play button Continuous playback mode

43. Further analysis can be performed on the displayed noise level data. For example the cumulative LAeq, LA90 etc. for the total measurement period or between any 2 points chosen by the user can be calculated instantly. To obtain the cumulative values of LAeq, LA90, etc, for the total measurement time period, ensure that cursor 1 is located on the first measurement period location and cursor 2 is located on the last measurement period location:

Cursor 1 at start of measurement period

Cursor 2 at end of measurement period

44. Click in the text box containing the word ‘Cursor 1’ in the ‘Results box’ of the main display, press and hold the left mouse button and drag downwards to ‘Section’ and then let go of the mouse button. To calculate the cumulative indices click on the ‘Operation’ button:

The calculated cumulative values are displayed in the ‘Results area’ of the main display:

ANY PROBLEMS: CALL 01908 642846 AND ASK FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Quick Start Guide for the Rion NL-32 Noise Nuisance Recorder

June 2004

45. Specific areas of the time history profile can be analysed by moving both cursors to an area of interest. This is achieved by clicking on the base of the cursor, holding down the left mouse button and dragging the cursor along the base line to the desired position:

Cursor 1

Cursor 2

46. Click on the ‘Operation’ button to recalculate the LAeq, LA90, etc. over the specific time period between cursor position 1 and cursor position 2:

47. To look at a specific area in more detail there is a Zoom function available for ‘Area’ and for both ‘X’ and ‘Y’ directions. Click on the ‘Zoom’ menu’ button: and click on either the ‘Area zoom’ button: ‘X axis zoom’ button: or the ‘Y axis zoom’ button:

48. Events can be eliminated from the calculations by using the cursor

ANY PROBLEMS: CALL 01908 642846 AND ASK FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Quick Start Guide for the Rion NL-32 Noise Nuisance Recorder

June 2004