Relative noise levels?

[carmy53]

I've been out on my boat many times when I have heard the starter cannons that the sailing guys use to start their races. These seem very loud. I assume they are using 10 ga. salute cannons.
How big a thunder mug would it take to approximate the same "boom"?

[subdjoe]

My ballpark guess would be something with about a 3/4 inch bore, maybe 6 inches long, use maybe 100 gr of FFg. 

BUT...

Noise levels can vary greatly.  I've heard little jackass howitzers using 6 oz. that are louder than a Napoleon using one pound. 

[GGaskill]

And it would also depend on the surroundings and how close you were.

[Cannoneer]

carmy53,

Open this past thread and then take a look at the YouTube vid found on Reply #6.
The British ship HMS Belfast fires a couple of salutes for the Swedish tall ship Gotheborg, from what I'd guess to be a salute/signal gun. Compare the sounds made by the Gotheborg's black powder cannon (which are probably firing light loads) with the two pops from the Belfast's gun.

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php?topic=154462.0

[Cat Whisperer]

How loud?

Sound, or the perception of loudness, is like trying to catch a weasle.  (You will understand if you've ever tried).  The recording is a good start.

We (where I work) build DC brushless motors.  Not cheap.  VERY flexible in performance characteristics.  SOME have to be VERY quiet.  So we measure the sound on some models of every one we make.  BUT it takes getting together to agree on a given level - and then using a sound meter to measure it. 

Take 10 motors and 10 individuals and you will get wide variation of reports as to which ones are 'noisy' and which ones are OK.  The meter doesn't lie.

Cannons, mortars, thundermugs all sound different - length, bore diameter, how loaded and surrounding conditions are all good variables.

Each one, or each type, has it's own 'voice'. 

Listen to several and see what you LIKE.  Build one for yourself!   

[dominick]

From my experience a larger bore thunder mug will give a lower pitch boom and generally [but not always] be louder.  Bore length is important. Too short a bore for the diameter and no matter how much powder used, it won't work well.  Also, If you build a large bore thundermug be prepared to use a lot of powder.  The soda can thunder mugs I made in the past did not start to make real noise until they had about six ounces of powder in it.  That's 2-1/2 shots per can of powder and get get a bit expensive.  In contrast, a 3/4" or 1" bore thunder mug with a finer grade powder can make a good report that is noticebly louder than a 12 gauge or high powered rifle shot and still rattle some windows.    Dom

[keith44]

Sound is a pressure wave that presses on the ear drum, and that in turn transfers movement to the parts of the inner ear where the movement is picked up by nerves and interpreted by the brain.  All sounds cause this movement.  Higher pitched sounds move the ear drum quicker and there for have a shorter waveform.  Lower pitched sounds have a longer waveform.  Smaller diameter bore cannons, and guns in general have a higher pitched sound when compared to larger diameter bored guns.  Actual loudness is a matter of operating pressure, the higher the pressure the greater the amplitude of the sound wave.  The sound wave that sounds like the loudest is from in front of the bore.  As the sound wave traveles it loses energy and therefore amplitude (gets quieter).   Since actual percieved loudness is a matter of what sound frequency you hear the best it would be best to hear a few of different sizes to determine what you like.
 

[Spuddy]

Would we expect a GB Dom Dictator to have the same volume as a GB Dom Thunder Mug?

[keith44]

of course not, the pressure wave impulse on the surrounding atmosphere is much lower from the Dictator than from the thundermug. (assuming the Dictator is the mini version)  If both are the same size and loaded the same then yes they should be nearly equally loud