I can't say I understand the connection, but I do believe EJ3 really reads less during droughts. Perhaps further study of this issue would be informative.
-
Welcome to ASR. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
Taking and Interpreting Measurements with REW (FREE eBook)
- Thread starter Keith_W
- Start date
A book can always be used as an emergency umbrella!
EJ3
Master Contributor
When it is NOT raining, I do not have time to read.
It's very simple: too many things to do that involve being places other than at home.
If it rains, then I generally do not have so many things to do.
I guess some people have the luxury of time to do whatever they want, rain or shine, day or night.
Not everyone is that fortunate.
EJ3
Master Contributor
I would have to be a pretty bad book for me to do that.A book can always be used as an emergency umbrella!
I like reading (novels, sci fi, history, tech manuals, [most things]{no romance novels, though}) very, very much.
EJ3
Master Contributor
I believe that is what comes out of:
If it is NOT raining, then I do NOT have time to read.
Which, I believe, would indicate that:
when it IS raining, I DO have time to read.
Maybe it's different in different places but this is what I meant to say.
EJ3
Master Contributor
Another issue with smoke detectors:@Keith_W
I just had to comment this: "Most smoke alarms are calibrated to produce a minimum of 75dB at 1m" - really? Will you even wake up?
Our smoke alarms (Norway) are typically rated at 85dB@3m. They're so loud it's almost painful to go up to one to reset it if it is set off by accident.
The State of Smoke Detectors
Regulations vary depending on where you live. Some places require that smoke detector alarms go off at a minimum of 75 dB, but there are no regulations for which frequency they should sound at. Most alarms sound off at 3100 Hz, much higher than standard speech, which is around 1000 Hz.This means that people with high-frequency hearing loss will have trouble hearing most smoke detectors. So why do alarms have such high frequencies? Most smoke detectors are small, so they have small speakers, and smaller speakers can’t put out low-frequency sounds at a high enough volume.
This affects millions of people with hearing loss, including those who have hearing aids that they do not wear at night or cochlear implants.
A study tested how well individuals with high-frequency hearing loss could hear smoke alarms.[1] It found that when a standard smoke alarm went off, participants would wake up only 56% of the time. Increasing this volume meant that participants would wake up about 92% of the time. That means 8% of participants still didn’t wake up even when a louder-than-normal alarm went off.
The best solution is a smoke detector that plays a low, 520 Hz sound. When loud enough, this frequency can wake up 100% of participants and often does so within 10 seconds. That means even people with high-frequency hearing loss can hear the alarm.
There’s one downside to low-frequency alarms: the size. 520 Hz alarms tend to be larger than their higher-frequency counterparts. But saving more lives is definitely worth making a little more room for a larger smoke detector.
If you want to buy an alarm yourself, two available options are Lifetone and FireAngel.
References
- [1]
Bruck, D., & Thomas, I. R. (2008). Smoke Alarms for Sleeping Adults Who are Hard-of-Hearing: Comparison of Auditory, Visual, and Tactile Signals. Ear And Hearing, 30(1), 73–80. https://doi.org/10.1097/aud.0b013e3181906f89
EJ3
Master Contributor
I'll suggest that you may need more than one type of alarm:
MAYBE that will work for some. It MIGHT be a good option for those some
What if you fell asleep at the TV or on the couch while reading a book or sprawled out in the living room, with a pillow and watching TV?
But then, What about when there is a fire but no one is in any bed in the house?
Oh damn, I need 100 of them around the house. So that I'll think that there is an earthquake and ...
Useless unless the ONLY place that you EVER and everyone else in your household sleep is in the bed, it should not the only thing to have.
The same study I referenced earlier said:
There are some other smoke detector options that don’t use sound, but most of them aren’t very effective. The aforementioned study found that bed shakers or pillow-shaking alarms woke up only about 80% of people with high-frequency hearing loss. The same study found that strobe lights could wake up only about 27% of these individuals.
If a prescription drug was only that effective, it would not be allowed on the market.
Again IF YOU HAVE HIGH FREQUENCY HEARING LOSS (and maybe are a heavy sleeper [I know that someone shaking me will not wake me up, I'll just turn and snore in a different direction]).
You have to know what the variables for YOU are and which ones affect YOU and YOUR family and prepare accordingly.
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2025
- Messages
- 275
- Likes
- 375
Whether you're ready or not will make no difference.
EJ3
Master Contributor
Maybe after my 92 year old mother passes. But, as of now, she seems to think the speed limit is 92 MPH, as she recently got a ticket for speeding.
And also just recently stopped doing open ocean kayaking.
Since no one lives within .5 miles of me (.7 KW, maybe?).
I do not worry too much about human life. But I do enjoy the natural life.
Like getting off the lawnmower to take pictures of the neighbors to see what is going on:
Last edited:
TheLastGerman
Active Member
Now we’re talking about the old lady who was speeding, lawn mowers, subjective reflections on the value of human existence, ...
Guys, are you serious?
In some cases, not.
OK, is this back on topic?
If I know my filter engine can handle infinite taps
Should I just do all my crossovers from scratch as linear phase? No advantages to doing IIR or other lesser phase-aware filter types, other than resource-constrained convolvers?
It's the "Butterfly Effect":
Don't try to fight it, just roll with it and you won't get hurt!
EJ3
Master Contributor
Infinite taps? What is this filter? And how long does it take to get to infinety?
EJ3
Master Contributor
It takes a while to come full circle & get back on track (ever since the second time that I had COVID-19).
Similar threads
