[lordkenyon]

I was browsing through HarborFreight (cheap tools) and found this analogue SPL:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=92282


Any real difference b/t that one and Radio Smack's? It's half the cost and if it does the same thing, it's got my name all over it. Any chance both are made in the same components in China or something like that?


Radio Smacks:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=family


Thanks!

 

[swwg]

I would recommend the Radio Shack SPL meter. The reason is that there is a large user base in this forum and others, and it is easier to get support from other users regarding usage and correction factors. Also if you will be using spectrum analyzers, calibration files are readily available to download.

 

[WilliamZX11]

The Harbor Freight meter is the old Radio Shack meter. It is sold under many different names:
http://www.audio-discounters.com/asm-2.html
http://www.aperionaudio.com/product/...43,48,146.aspx
http://www.ultimateavmag.com/testtools/706atitest/


I would save your money, and buy that one.

 

[whoaru99]

Someone at RS really made a stupid decision, IMO.


Maybe not though, perhaps it's more profitable to sell only the digital...

 

[lordkenyon]



Quote:
Originally Posted by WilliamZX11 /forum/post/0


The Harbor Freight meter is the old Radio Shack meter. It is sold under many different names:
http://www.audio-discounters.com/asm-2.html
http://www.aperionaudio.com/product/...43,48,146.aspx
http://www.ultimateavmag.com/testtools/706atitest/


I would save your money, and buy that one.

Thanks. That's kind of what I was thinking. I've found this situation to be the case with a lot of products. Since it is an old RS design, the calibration files should work no prob. then too, I assume.

 

[trekguy]

It looks like one of the old RS designs, but how would you determine that it is identical and to which model? Wouldn't you want to that rather than assume that one of the correction tables will be correct?


I know that some favor the analog model, claiming, and perhaps achieving greater precision by eyeball. I question that because the analog models lacked the mirrored scale that is normally required to avoid errors from head position, relative to the perpendicular, and it assumes that the analog model is accurately resolving differences of a fraction of a dB. That is to say that if the pointer is about 1/3 of the way between two values, we are actually measuring a plus .33 increment. Not likely, especially on a meter with a claimed error of +/- 2 dB full scale (at some unkown frequency).


I can only speak to the two receiver's that I have owned, but both had speaker trim increments of less one dB. If you had analog readings of 74.3 and 74.7 what would you do? Set trim of +1 for 75.3 and leave the other at 74.7 or raise both +1 for 75.3 and 75.7?


If you had the digital meter you would not know the point at which it registered the next higher, but you might assume that it would be > .5dB. So in our example 74.3 would show as 74 and 74.7 would show as 75. You would add +1 db of trim to the 74.3 dB channel and 0 dB to the 75 dB channel, thus ending up with 75.3 and 74.7.


True you can save 25 bucks or so buy buying the discounted meters, but you could never know if it was as good as , better, or worse than the RS 50 buck model.

 

[whoaru99]

If the meter was going to be used in conjunction with frequency response mapping, I would agree to stay with a known standard.


However, I'd guess the vast majority of the SPL meters used in HT are mostly used for relative level adjustment/calibration. In that regard, absolute accuracy isn't that big of a deal although repeatability is. The most important is to set, or at least start with, all channels at equal playback level.


Calibrating to "reference level" is fine and dandy; I did. But, in the end, what does it really matter unless one is trying for some type of certification status? We all play our systems within the constraints we are afforded or the constraints that we choose.

 

[trekguy]

You make an excellent point, and one that should get more attention. Relative level is the primary objective for most of us. I used mine to double check the auto setup and with REQ Wiz to set up my subwoofer. Of the two only the latter requires a meter of known characteristics.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

That looks like the RS meter to me. That's what I have used for a long time, and it works fine. No reason I really see in terms of spending more money.

 

[lordkenyon]

Thanks everyone for the input. Looks like the $25 one will serve me well for quite some time.

 

[dknightd]

HarborFreight can be hit or miss. Some their stuff is fine. some not. Don't know about their SPL meter. Might be the same as the RS model, might be even worse, might actually be better - sorry I can't tell which is the case for this item. All I'm saying is tread carefully - it may look the same, it may even be the same, or it might just be made to look the same and sell. it is a crap shoot and unless you, or somebody else, has compared one to the other you will never know.


BTW the little yellow DVM they have on sale occasionally for $3.98 are surprisingly good. They are accurate to within the specs, they seem fairly robust, they are cheap. After buying one I bought a few more for spares and gifts. At home I use a fluke, in my truck I keep two of the $3.98 models (usual price is around $8, but they go on sale 3-4 times a year). They work, and people love it when you use one to solve their problem, then you give the meter to them

Of course, the ones they sold a year ago may, or may not, be the same as what they sell today.