Sper scientific 850013 User manual

Advanced Datalogging
Sound Meter
850013
Instruction Manual

2 3
Advanced Datalogging Sound Meter - 850013
Copyright ©2015 by Sper Scientic
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Printed in the USA
The contents of this manual may not be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or other means that do not
yet exist or may be developed, including photocopying, recording, or any
information storage and retrieval system without the express permission
from Sper Scientic.
INTRODUCTION ..........................................3
FEATURES ..............................................3
MATERIALS SUPPLIED ....................................3
POWER SUPPLY ..........................................4
LCD & PANEL DESCRIPTION................................5
CALIBRATION ............................................6
MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES.............................6
BATTERY REPLACEMENT ..................................8
MAINTENANCE ...........................................9
TROUBLESHOOTING ......................................9
PC CONNECTION ........................................10
SPECIFICATIONS ........................................15
WARRANTY.............................................16
TABLE OF CONTENTS

3
INTRODUCTION
The Sper Scientic Advanced Datalogging Sound Meter (Model 850013)
uses a single range of 30 to 130 dB. This dynamic range eliminates the
need to manually select and change ranges, alleviating the problem of
lost data associated with range changes in auto-ranging models. All test
parameters are simultaneously displayed on a large, bright backlit display
that features 0.1 dB resolution and a bar graph. Data can be stored in the
meter or directly saved on a computer through the PC interface.
This meter measures sound in decibels (dB). Although it is used for a wide
variety of other measurements in science and engineering, the decibel is
most commonly recognized as a measure of the intensity of a sound wave.
The decibel is a unit of power ratio with the number of units equal to a
constant times the logarithm to the base 10 of two sources of intensity.
FEATURES
• ANSI S1.4 Type 2 and IEC-61672-1 Class 2 standard compliant
• Large, backlit LCD with bar graph
• Datalogger capacity of 31,000 records
• Manual reading recording memory (99 data points)
• LCD recording readout (99 memories capacity)
• PC connection
• A/C frequency rating scale
• Fast/slow time weighting scale
• Minimum/maximum
• Over/under alarms
• AC/DC recorder output
• Auto power o󰀨
MATERIALS SUPPLIED
• Meter
• USB cable
• Software
• Windscreen
• Calibration tool
• Recorder output plug
• 4 AA batteries
• Instruction manual
• Hard carrying case

4 5
1
POWER SUPPLY
The meter is powered by 4 AA 1.5V batteries or an AC adapter. When
using the AC adapter, insert the adapter plug into the DC9V connector
on the bottom of the meter.
Note…
When the AC adapter is connected, the meter will supply power from
the adapter rather than the batteries.
When using batteries as the power source, periodically check the battery
indicator on the top left of the screen to determine the battery capacity.
When the battery power is almost empty, the empty battery symbol will
disappear from the LCD. Press MEM or REC. “Lo Bat” appears on the
LCD. If the meter is in recording mode, it will stop recording.
For battery replacement, see page XX.
LCD DISPLAY
1. Battery Capacity Indicator
2. Auto Power O󰀨 Indicator
3. Minimum/Maximum Indicator
4. Time Weighting Indicator
5. Level Range Indicator
6. Manual Store Indicator
7. Memory Address
8. Recall Indicator
9. Frequency Weighting Indicator
10. Over-Range Signal Indicator
11. Memory Full
12. Recording Datalogger Indicator
13. Under-range Signal Indicator
14. Level Reading
15. Date
16. Time
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5
6
7
8
9
16
15
14
10
1112
13

5
PANEL DESCRIPTION
1. Recall Button
2. Record Button
3. Clock Button
4. Backlight Button
5. Microphone - ½ inch Electret
Condenser microphone
6. Power Button
7. Press to increase or decrease
the value
8. Tripod Mounting Thread
(on back)
9. Memory Button
10. Min/Max Button
11. Interval Button
12. Fast/Slow Button
13. Battery compartment (on back)
14. A/C - Sets frequency rating to A
or C scale.
15. CAL potentiometer
Calibration control for level
calibration adjustment.
16. External DC 9V power supply
jack Connect the AC adapter.
17. AC/DC signal output jack
Connect the AC/DC output.
18. PC connection - The PC jack
signal output is a 9600 bps
N 8 1 serial interface. Use
the accessory RS232/USB
interface cable to connect to
the PC.
(15-18 located on bottom of meter)
3
4
6
7
1
2
9
11
10
14
12
8
13
15 16 17 18
5

67
SETUP MODE
Setting the Clock
This meter includes a clock that records the date and time along with
measured data.
1. Press and hold CLOCK for longer than 2 seconds.
2. Press ▲ or ▼ to adjust the number, press CLOCK to adjust the next item.
3. The setting adjustment order is year→ month→ day→ hour→
minute→ second. Press CLOCK to complete adjustment. To cancel a
setup process, press POWER.
Note…
An internal (rechargeable) backup battery runs the clock when the meter
is turned OFF. The backup battery is recharged by the main batteries.
The clock will run for 30 minutes on the backup battery alone. If the
meter will not be in use for an extended period one month or longer),
remove the main batteries to prevent possible damage due to battery
uid leakage. After reinstalling the batteries, set the date and time.
CALIBRATION
The meter has been factory calibrated. Annual calibration is
recommended for best results.
1. Prepare for calibration by setting up the meter as follows:
• Frequency scale: A
• Time weighting: FAST
• Measurement mode: Disable Min/Max function.
• Level range: 30 to 130 dB
2. Fully insert the microphone housing into an acoustical calibrator with a
½ inch insertion hole such as a Sper Scientic 850016.
3. Switch the calibrator to emit 94.0 dB. Turn the calibrator on. Using the
calibration tool, adjust the CAL potentiometer on the meter until the
LCD displays 94.0 dB.
MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES
1. Press POWER to turn the meter on.
2. Select the desired response time and frequency weighting.
Note…
If the sound source consists of short bursts or sudden changes in sound
level, set the response time to FAST. To measure typical sound level,
use the SLOW setting.

7
3. Hold the meter in a comfortable position or attach to a tripod and point
the microphone towards the noise source. The sound pressure level
reading will appear on the LCD.
Maximum and Minimum
1. With the meter turned ON, press MIN/MAX. “MAX” and the maximum
value appear on the LCD. The LCD will continuously update and
display as new maximum values are reached.
2. Press MIN/MAX again. “MIN” and the minimum value appear on the
LCD. The LCD will continuously update and display as new minimum
values are reached.
3. Press MIN/MAX again. The maximum and minimum indicators will
blink simultaneously to indicate that the meter is recording maximum
and minimum values. The current value displays on the LCD. To view
the maximum and minimum values obtained during recording (since
Step 1 in the Maximum/Minimum instructions), press MIN/MAX to
view the maximum and press MIN/MAX again to view the minimum.
4. To exit this mode and clear all maximum and minimum values, press
and hold MIN/MAX until “MAX MIN” disappears from the display.
Note…
Maximum and minimum values cannot be saved when exiting the
Maximum/Minimum Mode or when the meter is turned OFF.
Datalogging
The data storage method can be set to auto or manual.
Auto Datalogging
To set the interval time:
1. Press INTV. “Int” and a seconds display appear on the LCD.
2. Set the recording interval in minutes and seconds by pressing ▲ or ▼
to adjust the number. The maximum setting is 1 minute. The minimum
setting is 1 second (“00:01”).
3. Press INTV to save and return to Normal Mode or press POWER to
cancel.
4. Press REC to start recording the measurements. The values are
stored in the meter’s memory. Press REC again to stop recording.
Note…
While the meter is recording, most of the meter’s buttons (such as
RECALL, MEM, INTV, A/C, FAST/SLOW) will not function. Setting
adjustments should be made before recording. When the maximum of
31,000 records are stored in the memory, “FULL” appears on the LCD.

8 9
Clearing Auto-Stored Data
1. Press and hold POWER to turn the meter OFF.
2. Press and hold REC. While still holding REC, press and release
POWER. “CLr” appears on the LCD. The LCD displays “SURE 5,
4, 3, 2, 1, 0.” (The meter allows 5 seconds to abort the operation
by releasing REC.) Continue holding REC until the meter returns to
Normal Mode. The memory is now cleared.
Manually Storing Data
1. Press MEM to store up to 99 data point using manual storage.
Reading Manually-Stored Data
1. Press RECALL. “READ” appears on the LCD.
2. Press ▲ or ▼ to select the data set. The data will display on the LCD.
If there are no data in a data set, “MEM00” appears on the LCD.
Press RECALL to exit Recall Mode.
Clearing Manually-Stored Data
1. Press and hold RECALL. While still holding RECALL, press and
release POWER. “CLr” appears on the LCD. The LCD displays “SURE
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.” (The meter allows 5 seconds to abort the operation by
releasing RECALL.) Continue holding RECALL until the meter returns
to Normal Mode. The memory is now cleared.
BATTERY REPLACEMENT
1. Remove the screw at the top of the battery cover and lift the cover o󰀨
the meter.
2. Insert 4 AA batteries, ensuring correct polarity.
3. Replace the battery cover and tighten the screw to secure.
Note…
This meter can use AA rechargeable batteries. A separate charger
must be provided for rechargeable batteries because the meter is not
designed to recharge batteries.
MAINTENANCE
The following actions will keep the meter in good working condition and
ensure correct measurement technique:
• Wind blowing across the microphone may cause additional noise and
a󰀨ect the reading. When taking measurements in a windy environment,
the windscreen must be used to prevent interference.

9
• Do not store or operate the meter in high temperature or high humidity
environments. See Specications (page 14) for recommended
operating environment ranges.
• Keep the microphone dry and avoid severe vibration.
• Remove the batteries and store the meter in a low humidity
environment when not in use for an extended period of time.
• Repairs or services not covered in this manual should be performed
by qualied personnel only. Please contact Sper Scientic to speak
with a technician.
• Periodically wipe the meter with a dry cloth. Do NOT use abrasives or
solvents on this meter.
TROUBLESHOOTING
1. Meter connected to PC serial port and turned on but still
displays “NO CONNECTION”:
All serial ports may be occupied by other applications. Close other
applications. If the problem is still not resolved, restart the computer
and run the software again.
2. Saving the graph to a le that can be used in Excel:
When saving the graph to a le, the default le format is “*ghf.” Select
the le type as “*csv” (Excel le format) and save. The le is ready to
open in Excel.
3. Uninstalling the SE390 software:
Open the control panel on your PC and launch the Add/Remove
programs application. Highlight SE390 and click the Add/Remove
button. The SE390 folder and les will be removed from the PC.
4. Loading data failure:
Utilizing a notebook PC may cause a slow response.
5. Zooming in on the graph:
Press the left mouse button and drag the cursor to select the new
graph boundaries. Release the mouse button.
6. Meter setup with real time sampling with FAST rate (i.e., 0.1
second), some sampling data may be lost:
This may be caused by slow response time of the PC.

10 11
PC CONNECTION
System Requirements
Windows NT 4.0/ NT2000/ XP/ VISTA
Minimum Hardware Requirements
PC or Notebook with Pentium 90 MHz or higher, 32 MB RAM; At least
50 MB hard disk space available to install the software. Recommended
resolution of 800 x 600.
Installing the Software
Note…
Di󰀨erent computer systems may require slightly di󰀨erent installation steps
than those below.
1. The rst most important step in software installation is to verify that
the target system meets the general hardware requirements of the
application. Beginning the installation in a computer machine which
does not possess the minimum requirements can lead to either an
unsuccessful installation or failure of the program to run after installing it.
2. Since programs in general are written to be Operating System
dependent, make sure that the version of the application you are installing
corresponds to the Operating System platform running on your machine.
3. Aside from the general hardware requirements, some computer programs
also have software requirements prior to installation. Double check if you
need to update or upgrade your Operating System or if there is a need to
download other tools or utilities.
4. Once all the initial requirements have been met, make sure that there
are no unnecessary programs running before beginning the installation
procedure. In some instances, applications may require that the antivirus
programs be disabled. Make sure that you are installing a legitimate
application before disabling your protection software.
5. Software installation can be done either from the Internet (skip to step
8) or from an installation disc provided by the software manufacturer.
To install from the disc, simply open the CD or DVD drive and insert
the installer.
6. A setup wizard window should be launched. In case there is none, open
the Explorer and navigate to the optical drive. Double click on either the
Autorun or Setup le.

11
7. Once the wizard is running, simply follow the prompts until the installation
process is completed. For novice users, accept the default values to
minimize potential problems during the procedure. Jump to step 10.
8. For installation from the Web, launch your browser application, Go to:
www.sperdirect.com/software.htm, nd your meter, and download the
setup le to your hard drive.
9. After completion of the downloading process, run the setup program to
execute the setup wizard that will handle the automatic installation of the
software. Do step 7.
10. After the installation procedure has been completed and the setup
wizard has terminated, reboot your machine before launching the newly
installed software.
Main Menu
File_Open Retrieves les from the disk
File_Save Saves the active window (the caption bar is
highlighted) data to the disk
File_Print Prints the data in the active window (graph or list)
File_Printer setup Selects printer
File_Exit Terminates the software program
View_Control Panel Opens the Panel Window to allow control of
the meter via the button in Panel Window
View_Real Time Graph Opens display to graph the current data
Real Time Data_Run Starts collecting real time data
Real Time Data_Stop Stops collecting real time data
Datalogger Opens the Datalogger Window to allow loading
of recorded data from the meter to the PC
Ouput to Graph Graphing tabular data

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Graph
Tool Bar
- Display or hide Statistic1
- Display or hide Statistic2
- Normal cursor
- When selected, the mouse cursor will become a cross sign
when moving through the graph. Click on the graph to mark a
cross sign on the graph.
- When selected, the mouse cursor will become a “I” sign (text tool)
when moving through the graph. Click on the graph to annotate.
- Color graph
- Monochrome graph

13
Graph Functions
•To select a rectangular area on the graph to zoom in for detail:
There are two vertical lines on the graph (CURSOR A and CURSOR B).
Time and value display at the top and right side of each cursor. Move
the mouse cursor over cursor A or B and click to drag the cursor to the
left or right. Directly below cursors A and B is a slider. Alternatively, click
and drag the slider to move cursor A or B. The statistic is located under
the slider. The statistic displays start time, sampling rate, data number,
and maximum and minimum in the graph. The statistic also displays the
maximum, minimum, and average between cursors A and B; these data
will update automatically as cursor A or B is moved.
•To customize the graph style:
Double click on the graph to open the option dialog. Right click the graph
(real time graph is not allowed) to open the popup menu.
•To zoom in on the graph using the mouse:
Click the left mouse button and drag the cursor to select the new graph
boundaries. Release the mouse button. To undo the zoom, right click on
the graph. Select Undo Zoom from the popup menu.
Datalogger
Connect the meter to a PC. Select datalogger from the main menu of
the software or click from the tool bar to load the recorded data
from the meter. A progress indicator will display the loading progress.
If an error occurs, click datalogger again. After the data loads, the
left side of the screen will show the number of data sets with detailed
information for each data set, including start data, start time, recording
rate and record numbers.
After loading the recorded data from the meter, the rst data set will
transfer to the graph and tabulate on the right side. Click any data set to
graph that set. The right side of the screen displays the waveform graph
and statistical information of the selected data set.

14 15
Recording Real Time Data in Waveform
1. Press POWER to turn the meter on.
2. Connect the meter to the PC’s RS232/USB serial port with the USB cable.
3. Start the software program.
4. If the connection is successful, the same value will appear on the
Panel Window and the meter. If the meter fails to connect with the PC,
“No Connection” appears on the Panel Window.
5. When successfully connected to the PC, click the play icon to start
recording real time data. A waveform appears on the Real Time Graph
Window.
6. Click the stop icon to stop recording.
Saving Real Time Data to a File
1. Select the graph window to save to the PC and click on the graph
window to make it active.
2. Select File_Save from the main menu or click the disk icon from the
tool bar.
3. The save dialog window appears on the screen. Select the le name
and le type to save.
Note…
There are three le type options: binary (*.ghf), text (*.txt) and Excel
format (*.csv). Of the three le types, *.ghf les use much less disk
space to save the data but the format can only be used with the SE390
software. Text les can be opened by SE390 and any other word
processing program such as Word, Notepad, etc. Excel les can be
opened by SE390 and Microsoft Excel.
Loading Recorded Data from the Meter’s Memory and
Saving to a File
1. Press POWER to turn the meter on.
2. Press REC to start recording data.
3. When nished recording, press REC to stop recording data.
4. Connect the meter to the PC’s RS232/USB serial port with the
USB cable.
5. Start the software program.
6. Select datalogger from the main menu or click from the tool bar.
7. Refer to the datalogger section of this manual (page 12) for more
information.

15
SPECIFICATIONS
Accuracy ± 1.4 dB (under reference conditions at
94 dB, 1 KHz)
Measurement range 30 to 130 dB
Frequency range 20 Hz to 8 KHz
Dynamic range 100 dB
Digital display 4 digits
Resolution: 0.1 dB
Display update: 0.5 seconds
Analog display 50 segment bar graph
Resolution: 2 dB
Display update: 50 mS
Frequency weighting A/C
Time weighting FAST (124 mS)
SLOW (1 second)
Microphone ½" electret condenser
Alarm function “OVER” indicates that the input is over the
upper range limit “UNDER” indicates that
the input is less than the lower range limit
Datalogging capacity 31,000 records
Operating temperature 0 to 40°C (32 to 104°F)
Operating RH% 10 to 90% RH
Operating Altitude Up to 2,000 meters
Operating Altitude -10 to 60°C (14 to 140°F)
Storage RH% 10 to 75% RH
AC adapter Voltage 9 VDC (8-10 VDC Max)
AC output 1 Vrms at FS (full scale)
DC output 10 mV / dB
Power supply 4 x IEC LR6P (AA) batteries
Battery life Approximately 30 hours (alkaline battery)
Power consumption Approximately 0.3 W
Weight 15 oz (420 g)
Dimensions 10¾" x 3½" x 1½"
(272 x 83 x 42 mm)

16
WARRANTY
Sper Scientic warrants this product against defects in materials
and workmanship for a period of ve (5) years from the date
of purchase, and agrees to repair or replace any defective unit
without charge. If your model has since been discontinued, an
equivalent Sper Scientic product will be substituted if available.
This warranty does not cover probes, batteries, battery leakage, or
damage resulting from accident, tampering, misuse, or abuse of the
product. Opening the meter to expose its electronics will break the
waterproof seal and void the warranty.
To obtain warranty service, ship the unit postage prepaid to:
SPER SCIENTIFIC LTD.
8281 East Evans Road, Suite #103
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
The defective unit must be accompanied by a description of the
problem and your return address. Register your product online at
www.sperwarranty.com within 10 days of purchase.
rev. 1/19/2017