Noise meter at the raceway formerly known as Eastern Creek

[sydr]

Some of us with smaller, high revving light cars might find it useful to know where the noise meter at Sydney Motorsport Park is situated.  Not for any dubious activity, I might add, but because we just possibly might be able to point the zorst outlet of these smaller, high revving light cars in the opposite direction.  It could be useful not to offend the sensitivity of the sound meter in some way.  Some help will be greatly appreciated.

I'm asking for a friend.

[Richard B]

Ah that sound meter has been such a "pain" to a few race cars I have owned over the last few years.  From memory it is located north of the grandstand before the start/finish line up on the hill

[Raven]

I have race at SMSP for decades ,and was competing on the south circuit today ,,,the rules state 98 DB at 30 meters . My car has a Motorcycle engine and Revs to over 13000 rpm ,never been pinged .

In reference to the position of the DB meter generally it is situated on or around the control tower ,,,but they are portable these days and can be carried by hand around the track by SMSP officels .

In the 20 plus years I have been competing thier I have never been pinged for Noise ,,they are pretty reasonable about it ,your car has to be seriously annoyingly  loud before you get a warning .

Wakefield Park on the other hand is a different Story the DB requirements have been quite strict down there for a few years due to a Council member buying a neighbouring farm and complaining about the noise ,,,Wakefield do conduct on the spot and Circuit DB tests to the letter meter located at Turn 2 end of the main straight  ,if you are over you get one chance to fix it or you must leave the circuit ..

[sydr]

15 hours ago, Richard B said:

Ah that sound meter has been such a "pain" to a few race cars I have owned over the last few years.  From memory it is located north of the grandstand before the start/finish line up on the hill

So from your comment, I assume that it is on the outside of the circuit?

15 hours ago, Raven said:

 

In reference to the position of the DB meter generally it is situated on or around the control tower ,,,but they are portable these days and can be carried by hand around the track by SMSP officels .

In the 20 plus years I have been competing thier I have never been pinged for Noise ,,they are pretty reasonable about it ,your car has to be seriously annoyingly  loud before you get a warning .

Wakefield Park on the other hand is a different Story the DB requirements have been quite strict down there for a few years due to a Council member buying a neighbouring farm and complaining about the noise ,,,Wakefield do conduct on the spot and Circuit DB tests to the letter meter located at Turn 2 end of the main straight  ,if you are over you get one chance to fix it or you must leave the circuit ..

Wakefield's meter is on the Left, just as one goes 'full noise' up the hill.  Which puts it on the opposite side of the track to the suggestion by Richard.  My personal experience is the same as yours, never had a problem at E Creek, but have been 'pinged' at Wakefield.

[JV911]

My bro's 991.2 GT3RS has a sharkwerks muffler by-pass. It sounds like a 90's F1 car and never been pinged 

 

[wilson59]

I always stayed at the hotel across from the track when we raced there and at night when the Top Fuels were racing it would shake the windows in the hotel .

I am not sure how the drag strip will survive with a DB requirements 

[JV911]

6 hours ago, wilson59 said:

I am not sure how the drag strip will survive with a DB requirements 

It never ceases to amaze me that people buy a house near a race track (or pub, or Luna friggen Park) then complain about the noise.

 

 

[firstone]

Surfers Paradise raceway/ dragstrip/ aerodrome ended up surrounded and met it's end. Saw some great racing there in my teens. Wayne Gardner and Mic Doohan swaped paint at 220klmh off the end of the main straight. Brock and the like did too. Top fuel and all.

Lucky to be there att.

Pressure from locals at music festivals has seen the use of independent mobile sound checks.

 

[LeeM]

7 hours ago, JV911 said:

It never ceases to amaze me that people buy a house near a race track (or pub, or Luna friggen Park) then complain about the noise.

 

 Morons

I only read about Lakeside last night, and what the new owner had to go through for approvals etc. Fortunately the track is heritage listed, yet the local council took it to court to have that removed to keep the sooks happy. Thankfully they lost

http://www.theracetorque.com/2020/08/the-red-tape-politics-and-nimbys-of-lakeside-park/

[firstone]

Tweed river at Tumbulgum had boat racing and ski racing for years. It's a stretch of river that is mostly protected from strong southerly and notherly winds so calm conditions. One complaining tool moved in across the river and eventually had them stopped. The road he lived on was the only route to a major quartz metal quarry used all over the tweed for road construction. The envy of all other shires around us. He and his mates complained about the trucks moving the materials and they now have noise and speed limits for the trucks. Terranorra road had the only blue metal quarry in the area and it was closed after years of complaints. Now tweed shire buys blue metal from qld to seal the roads. More freight charges so more expensive. 

Surfers paradise raceway used to host street racers under cops supervision to get racers and burnout kings off the road. Now they battle with the youth.

I'd say if you have a racing park near by respect the noise limits or see it closed. 

 

[sydr]

Thanks for the input, but sorry to say, it took a Lotus guy to find the answer.

lots of guesswork from both the Porsche guys and the Lotus guys about where the noise meter at Eastern Creek is hiding.  Then this, from Dru, one of the (smart) Lotus guys:

" Pretty sure it's on the inside of the circuit.  Just found this in an old supp-reg.  Best bet is to give the ARDC a call as they'll know for sure."

 

So, I did what Dru suggested.  I'm a member, called ARDC, made a couple of calls till I spoke to someone who was helpful - and when I told him the truth, that we are changing our zorst anyways and don't wish to annoy their meter unnecessarily, he was amused that one of their members should even be so considerate.

 

Here's where it is: "on the main straight, on Driver's side left, situated more or less in line with the fuel bay".

Now, that works for all of us as it is on the same side as the meter at Wakefield - so we just need to point our zorst to the driver's side, or have an option to hand to do so if we get pinged.  Anyone have any contacts to find out what the go is at Phillip Island?

[hugh]

What’s the DB limit your not wanting to exceed? Cup Cars run on most Porsche days and don’t get pinged. How loud is your car? 

[sydr]

8 hours ago, hugh said:

What’s the DB limit your not wanting to exceed? Cup Cars run on most Porsche days and don’t get pinged. How loud is your car? 

Loud enough to trouble the meter at Wakefield Park until we redirected the zorst away from it

[Russ]

so you'll just have to do the opposite of the Laguna Seca pipe!

I hate how within the space of 10 years people move in around a race track and kill it. It keeps happening

 

[rego]

15 hours ago, hugh said:

What’s the DB limit your not wanting to exceed? Cup Cars run on most Porsche days and don’t get pinged. How loud is your car? 

I think it depends on the design of the exhaust. Like you I've seen Cup cars run with no issues as well as insanely loud rotary cars.

I got done for noise  at Wakefield in my Evo but to do that I had to have a pretty ridiculous setup which was a GTX3076 turbo, full race long tube manifold, muffler decat and this catback which only had a 'Bullet muffler' in it.

\

I ended up just changing the catback to one with a muffler near the end and never had another issue. If it happened again I don't think I'd try to repoint the exhaust and would just do the same thing by putting an extra muffler in even though you  sacrifice a slight amount of power.

[firstone]

Are there any tracks left where you you can really bang the drums?

Qld raceway.

Any others? 

[sydr]

So, does anyone know where  Phillip Island's meter might be?

[LeeM]

3 hours ago, firstone said:

Are there any tracks left where you you can really bang the drums?

Qld raceway.

Any others? 

Mallala, The Bend