09. abril 2025

Experiencing persistent noise nuisance is common for many people particularly in cities and towns with high population densities. Such unreasonable noise can affect well-being, the ability to get restful sleep and is generally disruptive or emotionally irritating.

Documenting and collecting evidence of noise nuisance can encourage the local authority to use its legal powers to minimise or even remove the noise issues.

Gathering evidence for noise nuisance investigation traditionally involves installing precision grade noise measurement and recording equipment in the complainant’s property for a week or so with instructions for the resident to activate a sound recording using a hand-switch whenever disturbed by noise. The noise officer then retrieves the equipment and reviews the measurements and recordings to determine if there is indeed a statutory noise nuisance.

The NNR system offers a step-change improvement to this traditional approach of evidence gathering, by offering web-based connectivity with the equipment while it is present in the complainant’s property.   This remote access offers a number of notable benefits for the investigating officer including,

• Reassurance anytime, day or night, that the NNR system is operating correctly
• Ability to correct instrument setup errors remotely
• Verifying that the complainant has successfully made a number of recordings
• Download and review noise measurements and recordings while the equipment is still installed at the complainant’s property
• Smart decision making on when the equipment can be retrieved and thereby optimising equipment deployment.   

The system can of course also be operated in the traditional way without remote web-based connectivity with the installed equipment.

The discrete ‘case-within-a-case’ deployment of the equipment in the property is included for both the online and offline versions of the system. 

Review and reporting of measurements and recordings is a key task in the investigation and the Data Explorer PC software offers a quick and easy assessment of the noise levels during the replay of recordings or for comparison of nuisance levels with the normal background levels in the absence of noise events.

The Data Explorer software can be installed on as many PC’s as required without restriction as the software license is installed in the measurement system and integrated into the resultant data files.  

Finally the measurement device at the heart of the NNR system is the XL3 Sound Level Meter which offers precision grade Class 1 measurement in accordance with the IEC 61672:2013 sound level meter standard. This highly competent sound level meter can also be removed from the NNR system and used as a hand-held meter for entertainment licensing surveys, investigating industrial noise issues, planning application tasks and construction site noise compliance measurements.

For further information on the NNR system or to arrange a short demonstration of the use of the equipment and software, please visit the NNR page on the NTi Audio website, click here.