Castle group GA213 User manual

Notes:

Thank you for buying a Castle product, I am sure you will find both the
goods and the service to be of the highest quality but if not, then please
feel free to write to me personally and I will ensure that your needs are
dealt with immediately.
This manual is designed to show you the operation of the goods you
have purchased and a very brief insight into acoustics itself. If you would
like to become a competent person in the eyes of the law, then you may
like to know more about our Competent persons training course for the
Noise at Work Regulations.
It is my intention for Castle Group Ltd to provide a complete range of
Noise and Vibration products and Services of the highest standard. If
you would like to know more about any of our other products and
services then please complete the reply paid card and return it to us for
prompt action or telephone on +44(0)1723 584250.
Simon Bull
Sales and Marketing Director
19
Warranty and After Sales Service
Castle Group Ltd design and manufacture precision instruments, which if treated
with reasonable care and attention should provide many years of trouble free
service.
In the event of a fault occurring, during the warranty period, the instrument should
be returned to Castle Group Ltd, in its original packaging, or to an authorised
agent. Please enclose a clear description of the fault or symptom.
Details of the warranty cover are available from Castle Group Ltd or an authorised
agent.
All instruments are designed to meet rigid British and International
Standards. An annual calibration is recommended to ensure that these high
standards are maintained. This is particularly important for cases in which
instrument readings are to be used in litigation or compliance work.
For warranty and service return to:
The Service Department
Castle Group Ltd
Salter Road
Cayton Low Road Industrial Estate
Scarborough
North Yorkshire
YO11 3UZ
Telephone +44 (0)1723 584250
Fax +44 (0)1723 583728
web www.castlegroup.co.uk
Any misuse or unauthorised repairs will invalidate the warranty.
Damage caused by faulty or leaking batteries is not covered by the warranty.

Case Reflections of the popular range using the Aco 7052 microphone:
Stalk length 75mm from front of microphone grid to top of case body.
18
Frequency (Hz) Case Effect (dB) Frequency (Hz) Case Effect (dB)
31.5 0.0 800 0.2
40 0.0 1000 0.0
50 0.0 1250 -0.3
63 0.0 1600 -0.2
80 0.0 2000 -0.5
100 0.0 2500 0.4
125 0.0 3150 -0.2
160 0.0 4000 -0.1
200 0.0 5000 0.1
250 0.1 6300 0.1
315 0.1 8000 0.0
400 0.1 10000 0.0
500 0.1 12500 -0.2
630 0.1 16000 0.0
PRECAUTIONS
•Only operate the instruments as described in this manual.
•These are precision instruments, protect from shocks and vibrations.
•Take special care with the microphone. The diaphragm is made from a very thin
metal and is easily damaged.
•Ambient conditions for the operation of the unit are as follows:-
Temperature -10°C to +50°C
Relative Humidity 30 to 90%
•Protect the unit from dust, water, extremes of temperature and humidity, direct
sunlight and air with a high salt or sulphur content.
•Always turn the unit off after use. Remove the battery from the instrument if it is
not to be used for an extended period (several days).
•Do not use any solvents or cleaning agents on the instrument. Use only a soft dry
cloth or a soft cloth lightly moistened with water when necessary.
•Do not let any conductive objects, such as wire of metal scraps get into the unit.
•Do not try to disassemble the instrument or attempt any repairs as this may
invalidate your warranty. Take a note of the condition of the instrument and
contact your authorised Castle service station.
•To ensure continued precision performance of your instrument have it checked
and serviced at regular intervals.

CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE NO
KEYPAD LAYOUT 1
INTRODUCTION 2
USING THE MANUAL 2
BATTERY INSTALLATION 3
THE MICROPHONE 3
SWITCHING ON AND OFF 4
ACTIVATING BUTTONS 4
CALIBRATION 5
DISPLAYING PARAMETERS 6
LOCKING THE INSTRUMENT 8
CONTRAST CONTROL 8
PAUSING/ PLAYING 8
RESETTING PARAMETERS 9
CHANGING RANGE 10
FREQUENCY/ TIME WEIGHTING 10
CRITERION/ EXCHANGE 11
INSTRUMENT STATUS 12
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 13
WARRANTY AND AFTER SALES SERVICE 19
Effect of Temperature:
Accuracy better than ± 0.5 dB over the range -10 to +50°C when corrected as indi-
cated here:
The temperature correction to be applied for GA601 / GA607 and microphone:
Corrected level = Actual level –0.05(t-20)
Where t is the temperature in °C
Effects of Humidity:
Less than 0.5 dB over the range 25 to 90% relative humidity (provided there is no
Condensation), relative to the value at 50% relative humidity and 40°C.
Storage range: 0 to 90% relative humidity in the absence of condensation
Vibration:
Effect From 20Hz to 1kHz at 1ms-2 no noticeable effect
Humidity:
Effect < 0.5 dB from 30% RH to 90% RH
Magnetic Field:
Effect No noticeable effect
Body in Free Field:
Effect No noticeable effect
Windshield:
Attenuation < 0.2 dB
Battery: 1x MN1604 (size PP3) alkaline cell
Life: 20 hours continuous use (approx) based upon bench tests with procell
MN1604 batteries
Overall Dimensions:
Dimensions 210mm x 60mm x 35mm (approx.)
Weight 220g including batteries
17

Crest factor capability:
13 dB at full scale deflection
Signal to Noise ratio:
> 5 dB at bottom of scale
EMC Performance:
Radiated emissions to EN 50 081-2 No significant emissions from the instrument
Calibration Reference Conditions:
23°C air temperature
50% relative humidity
101.325 kPa atmospheric pressure
94.0 dB at 1kHz nominal reference level
55 –120dB reference range
Reference direction of incidence for all microphones perpendicular to the front face
(diaphragm surface) of the microphone.
Detector Characteristics:
RMS and Peak
Warm up time
< 10 minutes
Operating range -10°C to +50°C
Warning: DO NOT subject the instrument to temperatures greater than 70°C or less
than -20°C for any length of time.
16
KEYPAD LAYOUT
1
POWER ON/ OFF
PAUSE/
PLAY
STATUS
MENU
OK
UP ARROW
CLEAR
SCROLLING
DISPLAY
DOWN ARROW

INTRODUCTION
The GA213, GA215 and GA256 are part of Castle’s “Pocket Range” of
meters and have been designed to surpass the requirements of the new
international Class 2 sound level meter standards. They may be used in
industry or for general purpose measurement to ascertain noise levels
accurately yet economically.
This manual contains complete operating instructions for the above named
instruments, read it carefully and you will quickly become familiar with your
instrument. If you have problems with the operation of the instrument please
call Castle Group Ltd on +44 (0)1723 584250 or fax +44 (0)1723 583728.
USING THE MANUAL
In the course of this manual a named button written in BOLD means press that
button. E.g. OK means press the OK button.
Since this manual covers the operating instructions for three instruments the
shaded areas of the title serves to inform the user which functions are present
on your instrument.
E.g. The following title informs you that this function is only applicable to the
GA213/215
2
CHANGING RANGE GA213/215
Linear Operating Range:
GA213/GA215 65dB
GA256 67dB
Reference Level:
GA208, GA214 94dB
Reference Range:
GA213/GA215 55 –120
Reference Frequency:
GA213/GA215 1kHz
Display:
Digital 1 x 8 alphanumeric, digit size 7mm x 5mm Liquid Crystal Display
Microphone:
Aco ½ “ Electret Condenser Microphone Cartridge Type 7052
Type Specification
Diameter (inch) 0.5
Response Type Free-Field
Polarisation (V) 0
Frequency Range (Hz) 20 -8000
Sensitivity (mV/Pa) 25
Sensitivity (dB re 1V/Pa) -32
Capacitance (pF) 18
Max. Sound Pressure Level (dB) 146
Temperature Coefficient (dB/°C) -0.01
15

14
RMS Frequency Weighting:
GA213 A and C weightings according to IEC 61672-1 Class 2,
IEC60651 Type 2
GA215 A and C weightings according to IEC 61672-1 Class 2,
IEC60651 Type 2
GA256 A weighting according to IEC 61672-1 Class 2
Time Weightings:
GA213 S and F according to IEC 61672-1Class 2,
IEC 60651 Type 2
GA215 S and F according to IEC 61672-1Class 2,
IEC 60651 Type 2
Level Ranges (dB)
Linear Operating Primary Indicator
Range (IEC 61672-1 Range (IEC 60651
:2002 1kHz) : 2001 1kHz)
GA213/GA215 35 –100 35 -93
55 –120 55 -113
75 –140 75 -133
GA256 70 –137 70 -130
Peak Hold Display
Display Range Range
GA213/GA215 63 -103 34 –101
83 -123 54 –121
103 -143 74 –141
GA256 100 -140 69 –141
(Primary Indicator Range allows for a crest factor of 10dB)
To prepare the equipment for use a heavy duty alkaline battery type 6LR61
should be fitted, such as a Procell/Duracell MN1604, Ever Ready 6LF22 Gold
Seal, or equivalent.
The battery door is located on the bottom left hand side of the instrument.
Open the battery door cover by sliding the cover downward towards the bottom
of the instrument. The cover will now swing open exposing the battery
compartment. Insert the battery observing the correct polarity as marked on
the case wall.
Close the battery compartment door by reversing the procedure above. The
instrument is now ready for calibration and use.
The microphone capsule fitted to your instrument is a class 2 instrumentation
grade 1/2 inch capsule.
The microphone assembly is not removable. The GA256 is fitted with a DOSE
meter microphone assembly in order that it can be attached to the collar of a
noise exposed worker.
WARNING: DO NOT TWIST THE
MICROPHONE ASSEMBLY
BATTERY INSTALLATION All
THE MICROPHONE All
3

Press the POWER button and the instrument name appears. Allow the
instrument to scroll through its start-up sequence before pressing any other
button, this will take approximately 3 seconds.
When the instrument has completed its start-up sequence the display will
change to LP (or Lex on GA256) in PAUSED mode using the settings that were
last selected.
To switch off, press and release the POWER button once and the display goes
blank.
Castle instruments operate with an intuitive menu and status system. The
menu is selected by using the dedicated buttons on the keypad. A scrolling
menu exists within this function, repeated pressing of the buttons will allow you
to scroll through the menu.
The example below shows the status of the instrument. The displayed
messages may vary due to different instrument functions and configurations.
Press STATUS BAT 80% Battery status
Press STATUS dBA SLOW Frequency & Time
weighting selected
Press STATUS VER 1.0 Firmware version
number
Press STATUS WWW.Cast > website (scrolling)
Press STATUS RUNNING
SWITCHING ON AND OFF All
4
ACTIVATING BUTTONS All
13
The individual characteristic applies to each instrument unless specifically
worded otherwise.
Instrument Standards:
GA213 IEC 61672-1 : 2002 Class 2
IEC 60651 : 2001 Type 2
EN 60651 : 1994 Type 2
GA215 IEC 61672-1 : 2002 Class 2
IEC 60651 : 2001 Type 2
EN 60651 : 1994 Type 2
IEC 60804 : 2000 Type 2
EN 60804 : 2000 Type 2
GA256 IEC 61252 : 2002
EN 61252 : 1997
Measurement Parameters:
GA213 Lp, Lmax, Cpeak, Elapsed time.
GA215 Lp, Leq, Lmax, Cpeak, Lex, Elapsed time, SEL.
GA256 Pa2h, Lex, DOSE, Projected DOSE, DOHR, Cpeak, Projected
Lex, Elapsed time,
Peak Frequency Weighting:
GA213 C weighting 20Hz to 20kHz to the tolerances of
IEC 61672-1 Class 2
GA215 C weighting 20Hz to 20kHz to the tolerances of
IEC 61672-1 Class 2
GA256 C weighting 20Hz to 20kHz
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION ALL

The STATUS button is used to display the status of the instrument.
Press STATUS BAT 80%
Repeatedly pressing the STATUS button will scroll through the parameters listed
below, depending on the instrument type.
INSTRUMENT STATUS All
BAT.80% Percentage battery capacity remaining ALL
dBA SLOW Indicates the current frequency and time weighting GA213/215
VER2.0 Indicates the firmware version number ALL
RUNNING
Indicates the instrument is running ALL
PAUSED Indicates when the instrument is in pause mode (only
displayed if instrument is in pause mode) ALL
90/3 Indicates the current criterion and exchange level GA256
www.
castlegroup.co.
uk
Scrolling web-site address ALL
12
The STATUS menu is therefore circular and can be easily scrolled through by
repeated pressing of the STATUS button. Press the DISPLAY button at any time
to return to normal operation.
This format is repeated for the other functional buttons on your instrument.
The calibrators recommended for use are the Castle GA601/607 calibrators,
which supply 94dB/ 104dB (relative to 20µPa pressure) at a frequency of 1kHz.
Turn the instrument on by pressing the POWER button.
Press STATUS to check the battery condition. Replace the battery if the
indication is low.
Press MENU CAL <OK
Press OK and the instrument will now display the previous calibration level
e.g. >94.0. The calibration will be performed at the selected level
e.g.94.0dB but may be changed in 0.1 dB steps to match the calibrator output
by repeated pressing of the UP/DOWN arrow buttons or in 1dB steps by
repeated pressing of the STATUS/ PLAY keys. Ensure the calibrator is
attached firmly to the microphone. Ensure that the calibrator is set to the
chosen level.
Press OK and the instrument will calibrate to the level of the calibrator. The
display will show SETTLING while calibrating to the chosen level. When calibrated
the display will show COMPLETE. Press OK and the display will return to LP for
the GA213/215 and DOSE for the GA256.
If the input level is not within +/-3dB of the chosen reference level then the
display will show CAL.FAIL. Check to make sure the calibrator is switched on and
emitting the correct level before proceeding as indicated above.
The instrument is now ready to take measurements.
CALIBRATION All
5

The DISPLAY button displays the parameters that are being measured. Repeated
pressing of the DISPLAY button scrolls round the parameters listed in the table below.
The display will also show the following message when appropriate:
** UR ** when the instrument is Under-range
** OR ** when the instrument is Over-range.
(Except GA256 since no range change facility present.)
The display will flash when the instrument is Under-range, Over-range or when the Crest
factor is being exceeded, indicated by OVERLOAD.
You may leave the display menu by pressing any other button.
The table shown below lists the display parameters available on each of the Popular
Range units as they appear by repeated pressing of the DISPLAY button.
The table on the following page is a breakdown of the display parameters and is
accompanied by an explanation of each one.
DISPLAYING PARAMETERS All
GA213 GA215 GA256
Lp (SPL) Lp (SPL) Lex
Lmx Leq Plx
Pmx Elapsed Time DO %
Elapsed Time Lmx Pr %
Overload (if triggered) Pmx Mr %
Lex Elapsed Time
Le Pmx
Overload (if triggered) Psq
Overload (if triggered)
6
The Criterion and Exchange level can be changed by the use of the MENU button.
Press MENU repeatedly until CRIT/EXC is displayed.
Press OK and the instrument will display the options available for CRIT/EXC
SETUP.
To change the CRIT/EXC use either the up arrow or down arrow button. Pressing
either of these two buttons allows you to scroll through the four available criterion
and exchange choices, 90/3, 85/3, 90/5, or 85/5.
Note: The symbol >indicates the current selection as you move around the
criterion/exchange options.
CRITERION/ EXCHANGE GA256
11

A range change can be performed by the use of the UP/DOWN arrow buttons
while in any of the DISPLAY modes (instrument displaying LP dBA etc).
Press UP ARROW repeatedly until the required range comes into view, then
press OK to select.
The instrument will return to the LP screen.
Note: The symbol >indicates the current selection as you move around the range
options.
A change to the frequency and time weightings can be performed by the use of
the MENU button.
Press MENU repeatedly until WTG < OK is displayed.
Press OK and the instrument will display the options available for WTG SETUP.
To change WTG use either the up arrow or down arrow button. Pressing either
of these two buttons allows you to scroll through the four available weighting
choices, A SLOW, A FAST, C SLOW or C FAST.
Note: The symbol >indicates the current selection as you move around the
weighting options.
CHANGING RANGE GA213/215
10
FREQUENCY/ TIME WEIGHTING GA213/215
DISPLAY DESCRIPTION INSTRUMENT
93.7dBC Level Pressure (Lp) GA213/215
LEQ 93.7 Displays the LEQ GA215
00:01:33 Run time duration All
Lmx 97.3 Maximum Lp GA215
Pmx 98.8 Maximum Peak GA213/256
DO % 67 Dose (dependent on exchange and criterion) GA256
Pr % 0 Displays the projected DOSE assuming an 8 hour
shift GA256
LEX 87.1 Displays the Lex (Lep’d) GA215
Plx 78.6 Displays the projected Lep’d assuming an 8 hour
shift GA256
Le 93.1 Sound Exposure Level (SEL) GA215
Hr% Dose per Hour GA256
Pa2 0.02 Indicates the energy that has been received in Pa2
hours GA256
OVERLOAD Indicates if an OVERLOAD has occurred All
—–.—Indicates when values are at 0 e.g. when instrument
is first powered on or after a reset in PAUSED mode. All
7

The LOCK feature is used to lock the instrument keypad. All functions are
therefore disabled including the POWER button. The function is often used to
avoid inadvertent operation or tampering while the instrument is being used.
To LOCK the instrument, press MENU until the instrument displays LOCK then
press OK. The status of the battery will be displayed while the instrument is
locked. To UNLOCK the instrument press CLEAR, OK then CLEAR respectively.
To change to contrast of the meter press MENU repeatedly until the display
shows CONTRAST. Pressing the UP/DOWN arrow buttons will increase and
decrease the contrast. When the desired contrast is reached, press the
DISPLAY button to return to LP mode.
Press PAUSE/ PLAY once PAUSED
All functions can be held so that they do not update by pressing the PAUSE
button. Once PAUSED, the display may be read as normal allowing the user to
take note of any required readings.
For normal operation of the instrument to continue press the PAUSE/ PLAY
button once more and the instrument will briefly show PAUSED before returning
to the currently displayed parameter.
Please note instrument automatically powers on in PAUSED mode.
LOCKING THE INSTRUMENT ALL
CONTRAST CONTROL ALL
PAUSING/ PLAYING ALL
8
The CLEAR button is used to reset data.
Press CLEAR CLEAR?
To reset simply press the OK button and following message will be displayed:
CONFIRM?
Press OK again to reset the data or any other button to decline the
RESET.
The instrument then returns to the previously displayed parameter.
RESETTING PARAMETERS ALL
9
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2
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