PCE Instruments PCE-353N User manual

© PCE Instruments
PCE-353N LEQ Sound Level Meter
User Manual
User manuals in various languages (français,
italiano, español, português, nederlands, türk, polski,
русский, 中文) can be found by using our
product search on: www.pce-instruments.com
Last change: 24 October 2019
v1.0
English

© PCE Instruments
Contents
1Safety notes........................................................................................... 1
2Delivery contents ..................................................................................1
3Specifications........................................................................................2
4Display description............................................................................... 3
5Device description ................................................................................4
6Turning the meter on/off ...................................................................... 5
6.1 Automatic Power Off ........................................................................................................ 5
7Backlight................................................................................................5
8Maximum value .....................................................................................5
9Setting the measurement range .......................................................... 5
10 Setting the frequency weighting and measuring function ...............5
10.1 LEQ setting...................................................................................................................... 5
11 Time weighting...................................................................................... 5
12 Saving the reading................................................................................ 6
13 Viewing the readings ............................................................................6
14 Clearing the memory ............................................................................ 6
15 Setting date and time............................................................................ 6
16 Inserting/replacing the battery ............................................................ 6
17 DC output interface...............................................................................6
18 Calibration ............................................................................................. 7
19 Further measurement errors................................................................7
20 Warranty.................................................................................................8
21 Disposal ................................................................................................. 8

© PCE Instruments
1
1 Safety notes
Please read this manual carefully and completely before you usethe device for the first time. The
device may only be used by qualified personnel and repaired by PCE Instruments personnel.
Damage or injuries caused by non-observance of the manual are excluded from our liability and
not covered by our warranty.
•The device must only be used as described in this instructionmanual. If usedotherwise,
this can cause dangerous situations for the user and damage to the meter.
•The instrument may only be used if the environmental conditions (temperature, relative
humidity, …) are within the ranges stated in thetechnical specifications. Do not expose
the device to extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, extreme humidity or moisture.
•Do not expose the device to shocks or strong vibrations.
•The case should only be opened by qualified PCE Instruments personnel.
•Never use the instrument when your hands are wet.
•You must not make any technical changes to the device.
•The appliance should only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Use only pH-neutral cleaner,
no abrasives or solvents.
•The device must only be used with accessories from PCE Instruments or equivalent.
•Before each use, inspect the case for visible damage. If any damage is visible, do not
use the device.
•Do not use the instrument in explosive atmospheres.
•The measurement range as stated in the specifications must not be exceeded under
any circumstances.
•Non-observance of the safety notes can cause damage to the device and injuries to
the user.
We do not assume liability for printing errors or any other mistakes in this manual.
We expressly point to our general guarantee terms which can be found in our general terms of
business.
If you have any questions please contact PCE Instruments. The contact details can be found at
the end of this manual.
2 Delivery contents
1 x LEQ sound level meter PCE-353N
1 x Connection cable for DC output
1 x Windbreak
1 x 9V block battery
1 x Transport bag
1 x Operating Instructions

© PCE Instruments
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3 Specifications
Measuring range
30 ... 130 dBA
35 ... 130 dBC
Accuracy
± 1.5 dB (at 1 KHz and 94 dB), Class 2
Resolution digital display
0.1 dB
Resolution bar graph
1 dB
Frequency
A and C
Manual measuring range
30 ... 80 dB
50 ... 100 dB
60 ... 110 dB
80 ... 130 dB
Dynamic display area
50 dB
Display outside the measuring range
"Over" at overrange
"Under" at measuring range undershoot
Measurement functions
Lp, LAeq, LAe, LCpeak
Data storage
10 readings
DC output
0 ... 2.5V, 25mV / dB
Output resistance
600 Ω
Term review
Fast (125 ms)
Slow (1 s)
Frequency range
31.5 Hz ... 8 kHz
Power supply battery
9V block battery
Power supply power supply
9VDC, 100-mA
Sound sensor
1/2" polarized condenser microphone
Display
LCD display, 4 digits
Operating conditions
0 ... 40°C / 32 ... 104°F, < 80% rh
working height
< 2000 m / 6561.7 ft
Dimensions
200 x 72 x 35 mm / 7.9 x 2.8 x 1.4 in
Weight
About 290 g / < 1 lb
Standard
IEC 61672-1: 2002 (Class II),
JJG 188-2002

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4 Display description
No.
Description
1
Set measurement range
2
Date
3
Record
4
Frequency weighting and measuring function
5
Battery level indicator
6
Memory full
7
Reading
8
Unit of measurement
9
Bar graph
10
Above measurement range
11
Below measurement range
12
Reading held
13
Maximum reading
14
Time weighting: fast
15
Time weighting: slow

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5 Device description
No.
Description
1
Mikrophone
2
Display
3
For turning on/off the meter
4
- Backlight
- Maximum reading
5
Increasing measurement range
6
Setting measuring function and frequency weighting
7
- Manual recording
- Settig time weighting
8
Decreasing measurement range
9
Connection for 9 V voltage supply
10
DC output interface
11
Adjustment screw
12
Tripod
13
Tripod holder
14
Battery compartment
15
Case
16
Windbreak

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6 Turning the meter on/off
To turn the meter on/off, short-press the key. After powering on the meter, the measurement
will start automatically with the following standard settings:
Measurement range: 30 … 80 dB
Time weighting: fast
Measurement mode: Lp
Frequency weighting: A
6.1 Automatic Power Off
If the meter is notused for more than 10 minutes, it will turn off automatically. This function cannot
be disabled.
7 Backlight
To turn on the backlight, short-press the key. Press the same key again to turn off the
backlight.
8 Maximum value
To view the maximum value, press and hold the “MAX“ key for two seconds.
On the measuring display, the maximum value of the current measurement is displayed. The bar
graph shows the current reading. To continue with the normal measurement, short-press the
“MAX“ key.
9 Setting the measurement range
To set the measurement range, use the keys. The following measurement ranges can be
set:
30 ... 80 dB
50 ... 100 dB
60 ... 110 dB
80 ... 130 dB
If the measurement range is exceeded, “OVER“ will be displayed. If it is fallen below, “UNDER“
will be displayed.
10 Setting the frequency weighting and measuring function
To set the frequency weighting and the measuring function, repeatedly press the “A/C“ key until
the desired settings have been selected.
Possible settings:
LAp, LCp, LAeq, LAe and LCpeak
10.1 LEQ setting
After selecting the measuring function LAeq, set the measurement time. Use the arrow keys to
set the displayed time. With the “MAX“ key, you can go from hours to minutes and from minutes
to seconds. When the settings have been made, press the “MAX“ key again. The LEQ
measurement will start directly.
To leave this measuring mode, press the “A/C“ key.
11 Time weighting
To select “FAST“ or “SLOW“, repeatedly press the “FAST/SLOW“ key until the desired time
weighting is displayed.

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12 Saving the reading
To save a reading, you first have to activate the memory function. To do so, press and hold the
“REC“key until “RECORD“appears in the display. To save the currently displayed value now,
press the “REC“key again. When the memory is full, “FULL“will be displayed.
The reading will be saved along with the time and the measuring function with time weighting.
13 Viewing the readings
To view the saved readings, press the “REC“key until “CAL“is displayed. The oldest reading will
then be displayed. You can now navigate through the saved values with the arrow keys. If “- - -
‘‘ is displayed, this means that no further data are available. To return to measurement mode,
press the “REC“key again.
14 Clearing the memory
To delete all readings, go to normal measurement mode. Now press and hold the “A/C“ key. “CL”
will flash on the display. Press the “A/C“key again to confirm the deletion. To cancel the
procedure, turn off the meter.
15 Setting date and time
To set the current time, first turn off the meter. Now press and hold the “MAX“key and power on
the meter. With the arrow keys, you can now change the parameters. Press the “MAX“key to go
to the next parameter. After setting the date and time, press the “MAX“key again to enter
measurement mode.
16 Inserting/replacing the battery
When the battery is flat, the battery level indicator will be displayed. Turn off the meter and
open the battery compartment at the rear side of the meter. Now replace the battery and close
the battery compartment. The meter can now be used again.
17 DC output interface
The meter has a 3.5 mm jack connection that outputs the measuring signal linearly converted
between 0 and 2.5 V. The 3.5 mm jack connection is polarised as follows:

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18 Calibration
To make a calibration, use a 94 dB, 1 KHz noise calibrator.
Set the meter as follows:
Frequency weighting: A
Time weighting: FAST
Measurement range: 50 … 100 dB
Turn on the calibrator and choose the 94 dB option. Now remove the
windbreak from the microphone and place the noise calibrator on the
microphone. Compare the readingthat is displayed on the device with
the value set in the calibrator. If there is a deviation between the
values, you can change the displayed value with the adjustment
screw.
Note: it is recommended to calibrate the meter on an annual basis.
19 Further measurement errors
There are two possible sources of error causing incorrect readings. It
is possible that the human body as well as the case of the meter
absorb and reflect sound waves. The difference can be up to 6 dB at
a distance of 1 m and a frequency of 400 Hz.
The absolute ambient pressure is the second source of error. The
absolute ambient pressure can change depending on the altitude of
the meter. The displayed reading must then be compensated using
the following chart.
Altitude (m)
Pressure (mbar)
Compensation (dB)
0 …250
1013 …984
0.0
>250 …850
983 …915
-0.1
>850 …1450
914 …853
-0.2
>1450 …2000
852 …795
-0.3
Alternatively, you can calibrate the meter before each measurement made at a different ambient
pressure.

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20 Warranty
You can read our warranty terms in our General Business Terms which you can find here:
https://www.pce-instruments.com/english/terms.
21 Disposal
For the disposal of batteries in the EU, the 2006/66/EC directive of the European Parliament
applies. Due to the contained pollutants, batteries must not be disposed of as household waste.
They must be given to collection points designed for that purpose.
In order to comply with the EU directive 2012/19/EU we take our devices back. We either re-use
them or give them to a recycling company which disposes of the devices in line with law.
For countries outside the EU, batteries and devices should be disposed of in accordance with
your local waste regulations.
If you have any questions, please contact PCE Instruments.