Drone decibel ratings.

[joe schena]

I’ve done some searching on the subject and found some discussion, both here and on YouTube.

however, I’m looking for official noise ratings, particularly for DJIdrones. I fly mostly in urban areas and want to be the best neighbor possible.

DJI drone specs don’t list decibels. I contacted them via chat on their site and got a none answer brush off.

i would think these numbers exist somewhere because aren’t there EU requirements regarding noise?

 

[BigAl07]

I’ve done some searching on the subject and found some discussion, both here and on YouTube.

however, I’m looking for official noise ratings, particularly for DJIdrones. I fly mostly in urban areas and want to be the best neighbor possible.

DJI drone specs don’t list decibels. I contacted them via chat on their site and got a none answer brush off.

i would think these numbers exist somewhere because aren’t there EU requirements regarding noise?

WELCOME to the forum

I've not seen a comprehensive DB Reading list anywhere. The newer aircraft tend to be a little more "ear friendly" until you get into the FPV segment. Due to their higher RPM etc they tend to be more "aggravating" to the average Joe/Karen.

With that being said, there's not a ton of noticeable improvement between the sound of Phantoms of yesterday and today's newer Mavics etc. The term "Low Noise" is very subjective and often more of a Marketing Ploy than any real "sound improvement". Some people will report a significant "sound improvement" with some aftermarket "Low Noise" props etc but, IMHO, the difference is miniscule to say the least.

Maybe someone will find/have an actual DB chart and be able to share actual data here.

IIRC, one of our members, @51 Drones has done "some" DB testing, at least on a recent drone or two. Do you have that data to share with us Russ?

 

[Cafguy]

I saw a chart for Brands of drones somewhere. But as far as drone noise goes DJI drones (excluding the screeching AVATA or the semi-noisy but hugely fun DJI-FPV) are very quiet. Sure they make some noise but nothing that sounds "threatening" to anyone.
The TONE is what disturbs most people. An AVATA flying around you sounds "scarier" than say a mini. On some models of DJI drones- The Master Airscrew props ( while not any less quite really) will give your drone a more Pleasing "TONE".

 

[jimlips]

This is the label on the bottom of my DJI Air-3. 81 dB LWA means "A-weighted sound pressure level measured at the 1-meter bystander position". While the noise level is subjective, the Air-3 seems to have less high-frequency noise than most other similar-sized drones. It is more of a low-hum than a whine like the Mavic Pros have. The DJI Avata is really loud and "buzzy", as most FPV drones are. My Mini-4 Pro is somewhere in between the Air-3 and quieter than the Mavic Pro. I've got a sound-level app on my Android phone, I'll try to come up with some measurements of the drones I use.

 

[WanderLost]

I’ve done some searching on the subject and found some discussion, both here and on YouTube.

however, I’m looking for official noise ratings, particularly for DJIdrones. I fly mostly in urban areas and want to be the best neighbor possible.

DJI drone specs don’t list decibels. I contacted them via chat on their site and got a none answer brush off.

i would think these numbers exist somewhere because aren’t there EU requirements regarding noise?

Noise specs are usually done in anechoic chambers at a distance of 1 meter (audiophile stuff). I think you'd want to know what the minimum distance was where the drone would be inaudible to people. You could test this yourself and be satisfied with the result I think.

I know I can hear my Matrice M30 at least 600 feet away, my Mavic 3 around 500 feet and my Mini 3 Pro around 150 feet away. If I want to be a good neighbor, I could only fly my Mini around the neighborhood at a height of at least 200' and not lingering anywhere.
YMMV.

I see jimlips shows a dB level label on his drone - that's pretty cool.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

Sometimes it's more about the frequency and pitch of the noise generated than the DB measurement, as mentioned above.

 

[joe schena]

Thanks for all your replies. I’m about to push the button on the Air 3.