Reducing sound of Concept 2 fixed head ergo?

[JK]

Hi,

In deference to my semi-detached neighbours and my own sleeping family, has anyone on RSR every constructed a sound-reducing box to go round a Concept 2 fixed head ergo?

This might allow me to erg before work and later in the evening than the normally narrow window of opportunity so easily missed with demands of 1 wife and 3 kids and not upsetting next door!!

I was thinking simple plywood box lined with sound-deadening material ("cranulated" foam?)... a more complex design could vent the air back over the rower like a C-Breeze sleeve does?....

Would this work or would it act like a violin/guitar and actually amplify the sound?

Obviously would need to allow for the chain to move in and out and presumably some allowance for air movement is needed to maintain similar to normal drag factors? Not worried about monitor as use Ergdata on my fruit-based mobile.

All comments welcomed... including "get a life"/"ergs don't float" etc.!!

cheers

James

[JK]

and "you seem to be suffering short-term memory loss".... I had forgotten I had posted an almost word for word post back in 2009!!.... still, any new comments, or any new RSR peeps caring to comment etc, very welcome as I have not done anything about it yet!!

[thomas....@googlemail.com]

On Friday, November 22, 2013 1:00:31 PM UTC, JK wrote:
> and "you seem to be suffering short-term memory loss".... I had forgotten I had posted an almost word for word post back in 2009!!.... still, any new comments, or any new RSR peeps caring to comment etc, very welcome as I have not done anything about it yet!!

Which model erg do you have? Concept 2 have been good at making the C2 progressivly quieter as the generations have gone on, upgrading to a model D/E would markedly reduce the sound from a model C for example

Or you could switch to a Waterrower which I Understand to be a lot quieter, again second hand they can be comparable to C2 on prices

http://www.waterrower.co.uk/

[Sarah Harbour]

Hmm don't know that I can help, but thought I'd post some musings. I don't have a C2, I have a RP3 which are even louder! When I first got it, I wondered if I could get noise-cancelling speakers so that I could have music on without deafening everyone around me. Apparently you can't buy them, so I ended up getting noise cancelling earphones instead, which seem to work well enough that I don't have to have the volume of the iPod so loud to deafen me - but they clearly don't stop the rest of the house or next door from hearing the hum of the flywheel...

The only thing I can suggest is to properly soundproof the room that the erg is in. If you mess about boxing in the flywheel, similar to the C-Breeze then you're going to disrupt the air flow and change the drag factor...

Sarah

[stew...@gmail.com]

Firstly, the newer models are much better for noise. Due to a restructure of Concept2 UK and Oarsport, which are now separate, Model Ds are now much cheaper than before, and are deadly silent compared to the knackered old C's we just replaced.

As for fixing your current problem: anything which restricts airflow around the fan unit will decrease your drag factor. Hang a hoody over a fan sometime and see what I mean. That puts out wrapping it in open-cell foam or similar.

Have you tried simply opening up the fan and hoovering out the fan blades and surround? That might make an improvement if you've never done it before.

Stewie

[Phil]

On Friday, November 22, 2013 12:55:32 PM UTC, JK wrote:

AT least some of the noise is due to the chain/sprocket action - investigate better bike bits?
Cheers,
Phil.