What is the industry standard for measurement of the loudness of an audible alarm?
The loudness of an alarm is also known as sound pressure. Sound pressure is expressed in terms of decibels (dB). In shopping for an alarm, the customer will of course want to know the loudness of the alarm. However, loudness will vary depending upon the listener’s distance from the alarm. The industry standard measures the dB level from a distance of 2 feet (0.61 M) from the alarm. Thus when you see in a product description that an alarm produces 102 dB, that should mean 102 dB at a distance of 2 feet from the alarm. CAUTION: Some alarm vendors will express the decibel level of their alarms at a distance of only 1 foot from the alarm in order to exaggerate the sound performance of their alarms. It is imperative to read the fine print. A 102 dB alarm at 1 foot translates into a dB level of only 96 at 2 feet (see the sound degradation formula in answer to the next question). Other vendors will measure their sound output at 10 centimeters (4 inches). A 102 dB alarm at 10 centimeters is th
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