Operating Instructions; Switch The Meter On/Off; Select A/C Frequency Weighting; Select F/S Mode - PCE Instruments PCE-325 User Manual

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Operating instructions

5.1

Switch the meter on/off

Press and release the
for 3 seconds to turn off the sound level meter.
5.2

Select A/C frequency weighting

Press the A / C key to select the desired frequency weighting. The "A" or "C" indicator will
appear on the LCD.
A weighting is commonly used for measuring general noise levels. It emulates the response of
the human ear.
C weighting is typically used for peak measurements and more accurately characterizes low
frequency noise.
5.3

Select F/S Mode

Press the F/S key to select the desired response time. The "FAST" or "SLOW" indicator will
appear on the LCD.
FAST sampling: once every 125 milliseconds
SLOW sampling: once per second
To measure a short sound burst or record a peak sound level, use the FAST response time. For
general sound level measurements, use the SLOW response time.
5.4

Selecting decibel ranges

This sound level meter has three manual ranges as well as an auto-range mode. It defaults to
auto-ranging on power-up with a range of 30 ... 130 dB. The manual ranges are: 30 ... 90 dB, 50
... 110 dB and 70 ... 130 dB. Use the RANG (only for PCE-325D, for PCE-325 use the arrow
keys) key to select the preferred range. The selected range will display in the top left and right of
the LCD. When in auto-ranging mode, the AUTO indicator will appear at the bottom left. When
selecting your range, observe the indicators UNDER and OVER at the top of the LCD to help
guide you in selecting the best range. UNDER means you should select a lower range. OVER
means you need to select a higher range. Ideally, the analogue bar graph should be reading near
the middle of the range. When in doubt, use auto-range mode.
5.5

Measurement

Hold the instrument away from your body or mount it onto a tripod. Point the microphone at the
sound source. The LCD displays the current sound level reading. It is updated twice per second.
Note:
When using the instrument in windy conditions (greater than 20 mph), use the windshield ball to
avoid inaccurate readings.
key to turn on the sound level meter and press and hold the same key
© PCE Instruments
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