Donington Park noise limits over reading?!
Discussion
So I had a total nightmare yesterday at Donington with their 98db noise limit. Admittedly if any car looks like it's going to get pulled for noise, it's mine - a Nissan 180SX with a jap-can style exhaust. So i'm not asking for a 'there there' or a sympathy pat.
My problem is the inconsistency of the testing equipment. I got flagged in the morning for hitting 100db on a 98db day, when in the exact same car i passed 92db fly-bys at both Snetteron and Oulton!
I went home at the lunch time break and fitted a centre silencer, got black flagged again at 99db! Fitted my exhaust bung, felt the restriction, removed it again and coasted past the start line and then my turbo to downpipe gasket blew out. Day ruined.
I know the 911 boys have trouble with Donington, but it just seems too inaccurate. Hopefully with MSV taking over soon things can improve a little...
My problem is the inconsistency of the testing equipment. I got flagged in the morning for hitting 100db on a 98db day, when in the exact same car i passed 92db fly-bys at both Snetteron and Oulton!
I went home at the lunch time break and fitted a centre silencer, got black flagged again at 99db! Fitted my exhaust bung, felt the restriction, removed it again and coasted past the start line and then my turbo to downpipe gasket blew out. Day ruined.
I know the 911 boys have trouble with Donington, but it just seems too inaccurate. Hopefully with MSV taking over soon things can improve a little...
I have a feeling that it's as much the type of noise, combined with your proximity to the microphone, that may be giving you the issue.
I used to have constant issues with static tests, failing the static at Bedford at 103dB (thankfully I wasn't alone, and they decided to let me and PetrolTed's GT3 through with a dire warning about the drive by), but have never failed a drive by, even Bedford's at 87.5.
But I made it my business to know where the drive by meters were and change up a gear prior to passing them, and keeping as far away as the track permitted. And my car is a V8, so more of a low rumble than a high revving scream.
Every sympathy though - it can be very frustrating. I have passed Combe's static test one week (100 dB as far as i remember, I was 99) and failed Cadwell Park the next week (105dB, I was 107).
I suggest you get a turbo - my car has dropped from an average 102 to below 95 dB since i turboed it! Only downside is i was genuinely accused of driving a hybrid on a sprint day - a dire insult to a TVR owner.
I used to have constant issues with static tests, failing the static at Bedford at 103dB (thankfully I wasn't alone, and they decided to let me and PetrolTed's GT3 through with a dire warning about the drive by), but have never failed a drive by, even Bedford's at 87.5.
But I made it my business to know where the drive by meters were and change up a gear prior to passing them, and keeping as far away as the track permitted. And my car is a V8, so more of a low rumble than a high revving scream.
Every sympathy though - it can be very frustrating. I have passed Combe's static test one week (100 dB as far as i remember, I was 99) and failed Cadwell Park the next week (105dB, I was 107).
I suggest you get a turbo - my car has dropped from an average 102 to below 95 dB since i turboed it! Only downside is i was genuinely accused of driving a hybrid on a sprint day - a dire insult to a TVR owner.
I've witnessed some disgruntled friends with R53 Mini Cooper S track cars getting black flagged for noise at Donington earlier in the year on a Javelin day, even when a large plane was taking off overhead! - admittedly this was before MSV took over though I believe the Local Council have someone on site at times maybe which doesn't help. My advice to my friend was not to follow the car in front so closely past the noise recording equipment. The same cars had no problems at Oulton Park or Bedford btw.
We had 991 GT3s and full spec track based M3s on a BMW Car Club day on another occasion & no one got told off for excessive noise
We had 991 GT3s and full spec track based M3s on a BMW Car Club day on another occasion & no one got told off for excessive noise
There's no point in comparing driveby results from different circuits, they will always be different.
The 92 driveby at Oulton and Snett is taken as the equivalent of a 105 static but the monitor is some distance from the track, most cars doing 105 static would easily fail the 98 driveby at Donny even if they would pass 92 at Oulton/Snett..
Ultimately the rules at Donny are well known and regularly enforced, they were one of the first circuits to run driveby testing and are pretty consistent with how they monitor it. I seem to recall that the noise-lady described the limit as "road silenced" yesterday which gives an indication of what's going to pass and what isn't.
It's a tough one but we have to work within the rules that the tracks are given and it's not their accuracy that is generally the issue
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The 92 driveby at Oulton and Snett is taken as the equivalent of a 105 static but the monitor is some distance from the track, most cars doing 105 static would easily fail the 98 driveby at Donny even if they would pass 92 at Oulton/Snett..
Ultimately the rules at Donny are well known and regularly enforced, they were one of the first circuits to run driveby testing and are pretty consistent with how they monitor it. I seem to recall that the noise-lady described the limit as "road silenced" yesterday which gives an indication of what's going to pass and what isn't.
It's a tough one but we have to work within the rules that the tracks are given and it's not their accuracy that is generally the issue
.andrew_baran said:
My problem is the inconsistency of the testing equipment. I got flagged in the morning for hitting 100db on a 98db day, when in the exact same car i passed 92db fly-bys at both Snetteron and Oulton!
I don`t know the exact distances but I am pretty sure the meter at Donington is far closer to the track than at other circuits, hence the higher 98db limit compared to a lower driveby elsewhere.Doesn`t really help in your case. Although to be fair, if you were borderline then a gasket blew, you`d probably fail anyway.
If you want to see how close to the limit you are I find speaking to the circuit staff helps. At least you know if you need to look at adding an extra silencer or replacing with an uprated one. I had a good chat with them at Donington on Sunday and asked them to let me know what my driveby was. They explained I needed to do several laps, keeping away from other traffic where possible. My reading was 88db.
Doningtons noise testing was so different to a day I attended at Spa back in late July....the noise main walked down the pit lane & looked at the cars/exhaust tips & stuck his approval sticker on most cars & the few be didn't had to have a static test done! There were some serious bits of kit there including a flame throwing classic TVR that sounded like Thor was driving it.
The policing of the Donington noise restrictions is unfortunate as the majority who fall foul of it will never return. It's ironic that the circuit is under an active flight path to the adjacent airport and that they can pick the noise of a car out from a plane thundering overhead.
The policing of the Donington noise restrictions is unfortunate as the majority who fall foul of it will never return. It's ironic that the circuit is under an active flight path to the adjacent airport and that they can pick the noise of a car out from a plane thundering overhead.
Edited by MrC986 on Wednesday 1st November 08:40
It's difficult - especially if you are used to, say MSV other circuits at 105/92 then see Donny at 98 drive by with no static alongside to compare. How do you know in advance if you stand a chance of passing/failing? Unless they start adding explanatory factors, that will no doubt end up being confusing and ambiguous, in the blurb for the Trackday - which will no doubt just put people off booking. Seeing a 98db drive by would make me think I will pass easy compared to 92db - but it won't.
4.7 said:
It's difficult - especially if you are used to, say MSV other circuits at 105/92 then see Donny at 98 drive by with no static alongside to compare.
This was the disappointment I felt on the day. I was so confident i was clear of the limit I left my emergency centre silencer at home - i'd never had to use it before!And my turbo gasket only blew because I had to resort to using one of those horrendous conical bungs - never again!!!
I'm dead keen to return to Donington - i'd only driven it during car show track time before so I hadn't had much chance to run back to back fast laps (Same car!) And i still haven't now, one open pit lane later...
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