Car audio ban affects home audio too

Hillbilly61

Sounds like the loud boom box bans that occured during the mid to late 80s.

On the other hand, today when going to fetch lunch, a vehicle approaching behnd me at observed 300 ft or so caught my attention from where they were sitting at a traffic light. The bass was simply that strong. It invaded my vehicle and caused me to look around in a "driver's alert" WTF is happening mode.

The "boom box" vehicle behind me then passed because I was sitting at a left turn signal and the thought occured, "How can the **** bag driver hear, traffic wise, is going on or might be about to happen to him/her?" because of their presence in traffic.

LanceThruster

I got a resolution of sorts on the noise disturbance issue with the neighbor. I'll go into more detail later when I'm able. Pretty much learned all the ins and out of CA law in this regard, not only on boom stereo noise but CA vehicle code on loud exhausts. It's not completely hopeless but on the whole the laws are pretty much ineffective.

What turned the tide was using a micro video camera with voice activation audio (about$100+ from the online espymall site - ask me how to get full discount - or jut ask their online tech for a discount code) followed by a threat to take him to court. If I had done this at the very beginning (instead of asking nicely), I could have won some damages even after he stopped because it was insanely disruptive. Instead, I was documenting his continued disregard for others, though it was nowhere near as bad as in the beginning. Thanks to you all for your input.

I like amplified music just fine, I just don't think I should be forced to listen to the bass beat of anyone else's at any hour of the day or night if I don't want too.

WilliamM2

I used to have an issue with a neighbor that would crank country music from his pick-up all day in the summer. I solved it in about 1 week. Every time he would start to play it, I would move one of the SDA's to the window facing his house, and let it go full tilt. He got the message real quick. Apparently he wasn't too fond of live Hendrix.:)

Toxis

^Epic.

LanceThruster

One other thing I'd like to know if anyone has any suggstions. The disturbance is not only from that one kid. Sometimes during the day I hear the bass beat coming through my walls from a distance. I go outside to check but because the low frequency comes across as omni-directional, it's next to impossible to pinpoint direction (or even distance) of the source in order to make the call to the police to report it. Even when I get on my bike to try to track it, it's not a lot of help. Can't even tell if it's coming from within a house, or from a vehicle in driveway or garage. This is especially a problem because I live right at the junction of 3 separate police jurisdictions and it determines which one I make the report with.

A previous poster was correct in that if the noise is bothering you, it doesn't have to be a particular decibel level, just "plainly audible" at 75ft in the day, and 50ft at night. As long as your complaint is reasonable in regards to that standard (as opposed to "I can hear their grass growing! Make them stop!!!"), they can take action. Problem is that they have to witnss it. Easy for home stereos, but not as practical for car audio heard coming and going (though applicable when he was washing his truck or working on it with the sound too loud).

dorokusai

Parabolic microphone.

ryanjoachim

I'm all for cracking down on overzealous car stereos.

But trying to put a damper on what I do in my own house? Apparently it doesn't matter that I've lost over 50% of my total hearing capacity (childhood illness) does it? Nope.

LanceThruster

Any accessories (meters? base unit? headphones?) or do I just listen to guestimate/triangulate by what direction makes it louder and what doesn't? I'm going to invest in a sound meter (RadioShack does have a $60 one that will measure the C band as well as the A band though my audiophile friend says that you would still need to add 15-30 dbs to weight it accurately as opposed to the reading of a $1000+ spectrum analyzer).

WilliamM2

You are trying to find out sources of noise that aren't even in your neighborhood? And cars driving by?

Maybe it would be better if you invested in some double pane windows, and added more insulation to your home. Unless my windows are open, I really can't hear any noise outside my home. Another benefit, if I'm cranking my stereo loud, as long as the windows are shut, I can go outside and I hear nothing from 30 feet away (still on my property), that way my noise doesn't bother others either.

LanceThruster

ryanjoachim wrote: »

I'm all for cracking down on overzealous car stereos.

But trying to put a damper on what I do in my own house? Apparently it doesn't matter that I've lost over 50% of my total hearing capacity (childhood illness) does it? Nope.

There's always wireless headphones. I have hearing loss too (in the high end of the frequency - for instance, deaf to an alarm watch chirp), which was most likely caused by concert amps (even though I used ear plugs almost always). There is a difference between just "hearing" the sounds from your residence, and the more disruptive and invasive bass beat that overshadows any audio source I might be trying to listen to.

Also, the bass beat feels like a migraine. I can actually feel the veins throb in my head.

Imagine if every time I farted, you smelt it. You would not be too particular in regards to how strong it was, how bad it smelled, and how long it lasted. That your nose was assaulted at all by butt gas not your own would surely be an issue. One friend recommended a cheap ham radio setup to disrupt any of his home tv/audio output. I considered this and would certainly keep the idea in reserve. If I must be continually disrupted by his audio spillover, they can't say squat about a taste of their own medicine. I wanted to loop a CD with audio of the more annoying **** soundtracks and play it out the door loud and long, but that would be easily countered by a call to the cop themselves.

Whatever I did to counter it had to be guerilla war tactics, either stealthy or hit and run. Firecrackers and bottle rockets late at night on any day he was a problem worked until one neighbor threatened violence (though he still would settle down after the confrontations, so I considered it a victory). Since they were illegal anyway I had to back off. Instead, I run a chainsaw at night up to 8pm (legal) and do it in manner that has plausible deniability (doing it in short durations to get the tree trimmings ready for the trash pick-up). I also never fail to use the horn feature on the remote door locks (multiple times even) no matter what time of day or night (legal product usd in legal manner). I feel bad for the neighbors who are not jerks who become caught in the crossfire, but they'll benefit by me winning this battle in the long run.

LanceThruster

WilliamM2 wrote: »

You are trying to find out sources of noise that aren't even in your neighborhood? And cars driving by?

Maybe it would be better if you invested in some double pane windows, and added more insulation to your home. Unless my windows are open, I really can't hear any noise outside my home. Another benefit, if I'm cranking my stereo loud, as long as the windows are shut, I can go outside and I hear nothing from 30 feet away (still on my property), that way my noise doesn't bother others either.

It's in the neighborhood, jut not right next door. $ on double pane and sound insulation not practical right now but maybe later. Bass carries FAR beyond source at level that disrupts. That *should* have legal remedy. I also don't have central AC. Why should I button up in summer?

Face

Walk around the hood with a SPL meter in hand.

wz2p7j

Me? I kinda like this bill. It will take all the old Caddies, Hummers, etc that had the multiple amp Bose systems off the road. :):)

This bill is ridiculous and a lot of OEM systems would probably qualify for the vehicle to be seized. I wouldn't get too excited. 300 watts defined how and by whom? 8 ohm, 4 ohm, all channels driven, RMS ??????????? Even if passed, this law is probably un-enforceable.

Chris

hearingimpared

WilliamM2 wrote: »

I used to have an issue with a neighbor that would crank country music from his pick-up all day in the summer. I solved it in about 1 week. Every time he would start to play it, I would move one of the SDA's to the window facing his house, and let it go full tilt. He got the message real quick. Apparently he wasn't too fond of live Hendrix.:)

That right there is reason enough to do what you did and I would like to add was a very good solution.

superjunior

Face wrote: »

Walk around the hood with a SPL meter in hand.

lol!

tonyb

cfrizz wrote: »

When each of us lives on our own idividual planets, then you can do whatever the hell you want! I won't care, because I won't see it, hear it & it will have zero impact on my life.

Until then, if you are in public, have some manners & show some respect to others around you!

Problem is Cathy, you can't mandate manners. But with a baseball bat in hand and brass knuckles on the other, you can sure quiet things down pretty quick.

markmarc

LanceThruster wrote: »

I like amplified music just fine, I just don't think I should be forced to listen to the bass beat of anyone else's at any hour of the day or night if I don't want too.

We have a neighbor who rents a house about 175ft away. His garage door points straight at the front of our house at the end of a short cul-de-sac. In the beginning I talked to him about the boom of the bass and he kindly turned it down. But he has short term memory. That first summer we let him know several times after he let it rumble for about an hour. In the meantime an old lady who's house backed up to ours would yell at me over the fence, blaming us for the noise since we were new. I'd tell her each time what house it was. I suspect she started calling the sheriff as a patrol car would come by. A couple of times the guy was told to turn it down.

Since then we replaced our windows which has helped a great deal the past two summers with noise overall. Since then about once a month he'd go and boom for about 45min, then turn it down. Part of his conversion I believe is that he lost his job a year ago and now does auto and boat detail in his driveway to make a living, which is illegal. In order to keep the $$ flowing in, he's being wise to not piss anyone off.

LanceThruster

markmarc wrote: »

We have a neighbor who rents a house about 175ft away. His garage door points straight at the front of our house at the end of a short cul-de-sac. In the beginning I talked to him about the boom of the bass and he kindly turned it down. But he has short term memory. --snip--

That short term memory is a pisser. I got my neighbor (and his buddies) to observe a sort of "no fly" zone where their boom systems were involved (not flipping that switch till they were out of earshot - a couple of blocks). That same neighbor also had a loud modified exhaust (above the legal db limit) that I complained about before for some time. The dad came over to say they repaired a hole in the pipe and now it should be better (a resonator hole they probably had drilled themselves and had to correct because of a fix-it ticket or whatnot).

Problem is that that little peice of excrement thinks that having quieted his muffler a bit, he (and his pals) are now entitled to resume the boom system noise (as if they had a set noise allowance like unused cell phone minutes).

It came to a head last night interestingly enough where his friend pulled up "thumping" and I was still in the vanpool van (they didn't know). I gave a panic alarm burst to signal that he needed to turn it down (he turned it up instead) and then gave another short burst and he ignored it, so when I climbed out of the van looking p*ssed, he looked surprised, and when I yelled, "Turn it DOWN you F*UCKING moron!", he looked scared. "I DON'T NEED TO HEAR YOUR F*CKING 'THUMP' EVERY GODDAMN TIME YOU PULL UP! WHAT KIND OF GODDAMNED IDIOT CAN'T GO FIVE F*CKING MINUTES WITHOUT A F*CKING PERSONAL SOUNDTRACK PLAYING?!?!. I'm sure my face looked as if I was ready to gouge his eyes out (the spittle flying probably added to the effect - the crazy train has pulled into the station). Momma bear heard the ruckus and came out on the porch but didn't say boo. Their grace period is over. They've had 7mos of asking nice, 7mos of police calls, and I'm ready for 7mos worth of screaming if that's what it takes. I bought a spy cam (voice activated) to document the disturbances for a possible lawsuit (as per the suggestion of the Sheriffs Dept) and am done worrying about coming across as reasonable or "neighborly".

I'm now like the contract killer in "No Country for Old Men"

nguyendot

Just go ground out his system to the chassis of his car. He'll keep blowing fuses and never know what's going on.

nguyendot

Lasareath wrote: »

I guess manufactures will have to start building really big and powerfull amps in one large chassis and make a label that states that the amp puts out 30 watts!

The first rockfords were 'only' 60 watts.....and those were capable of well over 130-140db.

POIDOG

MacLeod wrote: »

Thats how insane this bill is!! Theyre going to make it illegal to have a subwoofer in a car!!!!!! And if you had one they would SEIZE YOUR CAR!!! There is no logic to this but its still a bill in a major city government! Thats scary.

And make you replace it with an Obamaflintstone mobile :eek::D

LanceThruster

Quick update - "crazy" works.

After all this time using a rational and measured approach; intense, unmistakable, and primal rage worked where nothing prior had. There were no threats; just an extreme outburst that signaled an unpredictability that required due caution from that moment on. It has been wonderfully peaceful and quiet for over a week (an unmatched record in the year+ this has been going on)!

There's no telling just how long their reluctance to flick matches at a short fuse will last, but "diplomatic options" on my part are no longer being considered.

devani

yet, they do nothing about those harley's

BlueFox

LanceThruster wrote: »

Quick update - "crazy" works.

After all this time using a rational and measured approach; intense, unmistakable, and primal rage worked where nothing prior had. There were no threats; just an extreme outburst that signaled an unpredictability that required due caution from that moment on. It has been wonderfully peaceful and quiet for over a week (an unmatched record in the year+ this has been going on)!

There's no telling just how long their reluctance to flick matches at a short fuse will last, but "diplomatic options" on my part are no longer being considered.

It really is a shame some people are so dense they cannot act rational. I sort of had the same problem with my 'rental' neighbors across the street. They would play their boom boom car loud as hell while parked in the driveway or street. I asked them a few times to turn it down, but it always came back. One day, while drinking wine and watching hockey , they were at it again. For whatever reason, I just went off, and flew out of the house screaming, ranting, and raving at them. After that it has been pretty quiet.

nguyendot

BlueFox wrote: »

It really is a shame some people are so dense they cannot act rational. I sort of had the same problem with my 'rental' neighbors across the street. They would play their boom boom car loud as hell while parked in the driveway or street. I asked them a few times to turn it down, but it always came back. One day, while drinking wine and watching hockey , they were at it again. For whatever reason, I just went off, and flew out of the house screaming, ranting, and raving at them. After that it has been pretty quiet.

That's liable to get you shot out here.

hearingimpared

BlueFox wrote: »

It really is a shame some people are so dense they cannot act rational. I sort of had the same problem with my 'rental' neighbors across the street. They would play their boom boom car loud as hell while parked in the driveway or street. I asked them a few times to turn it down, but it always came back. One day, while drinking wine and watching hockey , they were at it again. For whatever reason, I just went off, and flew out of the house screaming, ranting, and raving at them. After that it has been pretty quiet.

That right there will get the blood hot!:D

LanceThruster

In my neighborhood, it's more the trucks (mostly) and cars with the "**** tubes", Flowmasters, and other modified exhaust systems that create the engine noise problem (and these are the same ones that generaly boost their bass output too).

The CA vehicle code limit is 95db but many seem louder, or are effectively louder as the low frequency sound has greater penetration and is generally weighted from 15 to 30db higher than what a standard meter would read (whether using the A or C band I'm told).

It's actually harder to deal with than the sound systems are because of what the law says the upper db limit is for exhaust and muffler noise.

concealer404

nguyendot wrote: »

The first rockfords were 'only' 60 watts.....and those were capable of well over 130-140db.

Heh heh heh... I have a Punch 160 that was "rated" at like 20 watts.

The birth sheet shows more like 100 watts.

Cheater amps, they were.

concealer404

LanceThruster wrote: »

In my neighborhood, it's more the trucks (mostly) and cars with the "**** tubes", Flowmasters, and other modified exhaust systems that create the engine noise problem (and these are the same ones that generaly boost their bass output too).

The CA vehicle code limit is 95db but many seem louder, or are effectively louder as the low frequency sound has greater penetration and is generally weighted from 15 to 30db higher than what a standard meter would read (whether using the A or C band I'm told).

It's actually harder to deal with than the sound systems are because of what the law says the upper db limit is for exhaust and muffler noise.

I don't understand how some of those cars get so damn loud either...

The exhaust on my MX6 consists of a 2.5' long 3" pipe. No muffler, no resonator, no nothing. I haven't had a single complaint about the noise. It has everything to do with how you drive.

hearingimpared

LanceThruster wrote: »

In my neighborhood, it's more the trucks (mostly) and cars with the "**** tubes", Flowmasters, and other modified exhaust systems that create the engine noise problem (and these are the same ones that generaly boost their bass output too).

The CA vehicle code limit is 95db but many seem louder, or are effectively louder as the low frequency sound has greater penetration and is generally weighted from 15 to 30db higher than what a standard meter would read (whether using the A or C band I'm told).

It's actually harder to deal with than the sound systems are because of what the law says the upper db limit is for exhaust and muffler noise.

WOW 95 db is loud!