Tag: earplugs

Loudest 3D Printed Whistle – now with 100% more science

Extremely loud and compact emergency whistle v1
Extremely loud and compact emergency whistle v1

I ordered a decibel meter from Amazon the other day so I could drop some science on the claims from various 3D printed whistles on Thingiverse.  There are several that claim to be the loudest.  Well, today, I began my quest to put these claims to rest.

The closer the decibel meter is to a sound source, the higher it registers.  To eliminate some of these variables, I placed the decibel meter on a counter in front of me and a chair 24 inches in front of that.  For each of the whistles I was testing I stood just behind the chair and gave the whistle three hearty puffs.  The decibel meter, which was set to record and display the “max” reading, would then tell me the loudest reading for that set of three whistle toots.

Without further ado, I declare the “Extremely loud and compact emergency whistle” by Whistleblower on Thingiverse the clear winner at 121.1 decibels.  Both whistles by this designer took the top two scientifically determined spots.

NameThingiverse IDMass (grams)PricePrint Time (minutes)DecibelsSubjective Rank
Extremely loud and compact emergency whistle [v1]29330213.9$0.1222121.11
Extremely loud and compact emergency whistle [v2]29330213.7$0.1118111.53
v29 (Over 118 db!)117916013.9$0.4290110.44
2 chamber whistle (LOUD) [w5]26165128.1$0.2449109.52
Emergency Whistle with Solidworks 2014 source4951721.2$0.047101.85
Whistle Ring Modified [v2]20271151.6$0.05990.86

Just how loud is 121.1 decibels? 1  Well, for starters, it’s just above the pain threshold of 120 decibels.  It’s louder than:

  • Your iPod headphones at maximum volume
  • A baby crying, next to your ear
  • A full symphony orchestra
  • The subway
  • A sporting event
  • A chainsaw
  • A jetski
  • A marching band

It’s on par with:

  • Thunder
  • A shotgun
  • An ambulance siren
  • A rock concert

And, if you didn’t have earplugs, you would exceed the daily safe exposure limit for 121 decibels in 7 seconds.

There may be louder whistle on Thingiverse2 and, if so, please let me know.  I’ll print the model and test against the others in my arsenal.

Loudest 3D Printed Whistle
  1. MOAR WHISTLES
  2. Loudest Whistle on Thingiverse… The Answer Might Surprise You!
  3. Loud 3D Printed Whistle Test, Take 2
  4. Loudest 3D Printed Whistle – now with 100% more science
  1. This page has several charts to help explain. [↩]
  2. Or some other online 3D design repository [↩]

Loudest Whistle on Thingiverse… The Answer Might Surprise You!

You'll need a pair of these earplugs
You’ll need a pair of these

Whistles have been a staple on Thingiverse for years, probably because they’re such a small, simple, and impactful way to demonstrate the usefulness of a 3D printer. 1 I don’t know how many there are, but there are a LOT of whistles on Thingiverse.  I’ve been curious about which whistles on Thingiverse are the loudest and conducted a semi-scientific experiment to figure this out.

Six whistles
Six whistles

I say “semi-scientific” because I don’t have a decibel meter.2 My methodology was to have my family at one end of the house while I went to the other side, closed the door, put in my earplugs, and wailed away on six whistles as hard as I could.  In any case, here’s my findings:

NameThingiverse IDMass (grams)PricePrint Time (minutes)RankDecibels
Extremely loud and compact emergency whistle [v1]29330213.9$0.12221TBD
2 chamber whistle (LOUD) [w5]26165128.1$0.24492TBD
Extremely loud and compact emergency whistle [v2]29330213.7$0.11183TBD
v29 (Over 118 db!)117916013.9$0.42904TBD
Emergency Whistle with Solidworks 2014 source4951721.2$0.0475TBD
Whistle Ring Modified [v2]20271151.6$0.0596TBD

I added a few columns that may (or may not) be of interest to you.  I indicated the weight of each whistle, because sometimes I want to know how many whistles I could produce off a single spool of plastic.3  Sometimes I want to produce the loudest whistle for the time I have to produce a whistle.4  I showed the cost per model5 , because it brings me so much joy to know I can make my daughter’s classroom louder than a jet engine for less than the cost of a pack of gum.

I know there are a number of important variables are are simply not addressed in this test.  Different frequencies sound louder or might be easier to hear through the door.  I tried to blow each whistle the same amount, but some whistles are louder with less forceful or more forceful blows.  Once that decibel meter shows up, I’ll be sure to post another update.

Loudest 3D Printed Whistle
  1. MOAR WHISTLES
  2. Loudest Whistle on Thingiverse… The Answer Might Surprise You!
  3. Loud 3D Printed Whistle Test, Take 2
  4. Loudest 3D Printed Whistle – now with 100% more science
  1. Photo by mosambers [↩]
  2. Yet.  At <$20 on Amazon, you can be sure I’ll be adding actual readings soon [↩]
  3. With careful design, approximately 2,500 whistles per kilogram of plastic [↩]
  4. The v2 of this whistle is the clear winner [↩]
  5. Assuming a spool costs about $30, shipped [↩]