Acoustic insulation for generators

[didjeridude]

Hi all,

I'm actually a birgin and planning to attend BM 2018, but I live in a desert location and we do parties out in the sand dunes using a 5kva generator to power the sound system and lights. I've been reading about the ever present generator hum at BM on various websites. A simple solution we use to vastly decrease the volume is to glue 1 inch fire retardant acoustic insulation to a plywood backing. Use brackets or hinges to connect the sides of the box and allow an opening for exhaust and ventilation. Obviously this is relevant to personal generators as opposed to the large industrial scale ones.

You will have less noise in your camp AND your sleepy head neighbours will love you!

[Token]

Generator hush box is a much discussed item in these boards. Lots of good info if you search.

The problem with most designs is that you have to have an open face on the box for venting, and unless that is straight up with allot of engineering thought invested in how sound reflects, you end up redirecting noise pollution on your neighbors.

It is better than nothing but most of the time it just serves the generator owner and not the public at large.

The solution is to get a quiet generator to begin with, then redirect the sound straight up.

[Captain Goddammit]

The large scale industrial generators at Burning Man are always the MQ type (“Movie Quiet”, used on movie sets).
The general favorite is the Honda EU super quiet series and the various equivalents.

Generator boxes as you describe have been out there for decades. They don’t work very well.
The standard BRC version is sides all the way around and open on top, to direct noise up but not out at the neighbors.
It’s better than nothing but it’s always annoying as fuck when someone brings one of the loud-ass cheap generators to BRC.

Whenever someone says the quiet ones are too expensive, I call BS for two reasons.
I bought two EU2000s and used them for twelve years. They still worked perfectly and never had anything but spark plugs and carb cleaning (because of the crap they put in gasoline these days).
I sold them for $1400, then ordered myself a new pair for $1800. I didn’t need to I just wanted to.
I only lost $400 over twelve years to own two Honda EU2000s. That’s REAL CHEAP.

The other reason is the loud cheap ones produce exactly zero watts when you can’t stand to run them. Even if you get it for a hundred bucks, the watts-per-dollar is a negative number.

[Natrick011]

A great way to insulate the rest of the playa from your camp's generator is to place it *within* your camp/impenetrable wall of RVs. That way you have to listen to it instead of your neighbors! The farther it is from your camp the closer it is to someone else's.

[Ratty]

we do parties out in the sand dunes

I bet there isn't a neighbors tent next to your genny. Please put it in the middle of your camp. NOT behind your motor home next to our shade structure. Thank you.