Dosimetroderuido706rlarsondavis PDF

Spark Noise Dosimeters
and Blaze Software

Technical Reference Manual
FOR NOISE DOSIMETERS

703, 703+, 705, 705+, 706, and 706RC
Larson Davis
Spark Noise Dosimeters and
Blaze Software
Technical Reference Manual
I706.01 Rev F
Copyright
Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 by PCB Piezotronics, Inc. This manual is copyrighted, with all
rights reserved. The manual may not be copied in whole or in part for any use without prior written
consent of PCB Piezotronics, Inc.
Disclaimer
The following paragraph does not apply in any state or country where such statements are not
agreeable with local law:
Even though PCB Piezotronics, Inc. has reviewed its documentation, PCB Piezotronics Inc. makes no
warranty or representation, either expressed or implied, with respect to this instrument and
documentation, its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose. This
documentation is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment or
representation by PCB Piezotronics, Inc.
This publication may contain inaccuracies or typographical errors. PCB Piezotronics, Inc. will
periodically update the material for inclusion in new editions. Changes and improvements to the
information described in this manual may be made at any time.
Recycling
PCB Piezotronics, Inc. is an environmentally friendly organization and encourages our customers to
be environmentally conscious. When this product reaches its end of life, please recycle the product
through a local recycling center or return the product to:
PCB Piezotronics, Inc.
Attn: Recycling Coordinator
1681 West 820 North
Provo, Utah, USA 84601-1341
where it will be accepted for disposal
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction 1-1
About This Manual .................................................................................................1-1
About This Chapter.................................................................................................1-2
Formatting Conventions .........................................................................................1-2
Spark Family Features .........................................................................................1-3
Spark 706 RC Features ...................................................................................1-3
Spark 706 Features..........................................................................................1-4
Spark 703+/705+ Features ..............................................................................1-6
Spark 703/705 Features...................................................................................1-7
Spark 704 Features..........................................................................................1-8
Spark Instruments ................................................................................................1-9
Getting Started ........................................................................................................1-9
Unpacking and Inspection................................................................................1-10
Spark Dosimeter Standard and Optional Accessories...................................1-11
Standard Accessories...................................................................................1-11
Optional Accessories...................................................................................1-11
Assembling the Spark Dosimeter..................................................................1-12
Installing Batteries in the 706RC, 706, 704, 703+, and 703 ............................1-14
Installing Batteries in the 705/705+......................................................................1-17
Using Rechargeable Batteries ..........................................................................1-18
Connecting the dosimeter to a PC....................................................................1-19
Data Retention..................................................................................................1-20
Installing the Blaze Software ........................................................................1-21
703/703+/705/705+ Front Panel Indicators ..........................................................1-28
Chapter 2 Using Larson Davis Blaze Software 2-1

Blaze Main Window .......................................................................................2-1
Operating System....................................................................................................2-5
Selecting the Communication Method ...................................................................2-5
Selecting the Spark Instrument .....................................................................2-5
Select the IR Connection Type......................................................................2-5
Setting the Spark instrument clock ......................................................................2-8
Synchronize Date and Time with Computer .................................................2-8
Set Date and Time Manually.........................................................................2-9
Calibrating the Spark instrument .......................................................................2-11
Calibration Information....................................................................................2-12
i-i
Calibration Offset........................................................................................2-13
Calibration History......................................................................................2-13
Printing Calibration Data ............................................................................2-14
Setting the Spark instrument to Collect Data.....................................................2-16
General Settings ...............................................................................................2-16
Modifying the General Settings .......................................................................2-17
RMS Weighting...........................................................................................2-24
Peak Weighting ...........................................................................................2-24
Detector Setting...........................................................................................2-24
Sample Interval ...........................................................................................2-24
Gain .............................................................................................................2-25
Battery Type................................................................................................2-25
Dose.............................................................................................................2-25
Dose Default Values....................................................................................2-25
Exchange Rate.............................................................................................2-25
Threshold Level (dB) ..................................................................................2-26
Criterion Level (dB) ....................................................................................2-26
Criterion Duration (hrs.)..............................................................................2-26
S.E.A. Metric ...................................................................................................2-26
User Defined Configurations ...........................................................................2-28
Saving the Instrument Settings ........................................................................2-30
Setting the Auto-Timer .........................................................................................2-30
Timer Off .........................................................................................................2-31
Block Timer .....................................................................................................2-31
Repeat Once Daily ...........................................................................................2-33
Repeat Twice Daily.........................................................................................2-33
Set Timer..........................................................................................................2-34
Instrument Settings ..........................................................................................2-34
Default Settings................................................................................................2-34
Save as Default.................................................................................................2-35
Manual Control of the Spark instrument ...........................................................2-35
Setting the Lock Using Blaze........................................................................2-39
Unlocking the Spark Instrument Using Blaze ...........................................2-40
Downloading Data from the Spark Iinstrument to the PC.................................2-42
Adding General Information During Download ..............................................2-43
Setting a Reference Line .............................................................................2-44
Measurement Summary ........................................................................................2-45
Selecting Display of Dose Data .......................................................................2-46
i-ii
Viewing Other Data Records ...........................................................................2-48
General Information .........................................................................................2-49
Recalculating the Results .................................................................................2-50
Modifying The Dose Parameters.................................................................2-51
Setting a Reference Line in a Time History Graph.....................................2-53
Merging Records..............................................................................................2-54
Modifying the Time History Interval...............................................................2-56
Averaging Time Histories between Different Files .........................................2-58
Time History Graph .........................................................................................2-59
Zooming ...........................................................................................................2-62
Zoom Out .........................................................................................................2-64
Editing the Time History..................................................................................2-65
Setting a Reference Line .............................................................................2-66
Excluding Sections from the Record's Time History ..................................2-67
Adding/Subtracting dB Values from Selected Sections..............................2-70
Add Note .....................................................................................................2-75
Graph Records from Different Files ................................................................2-77
Adding Notes...............................................................................................2-80
Show Graph in Actual Time........................................................................2-80
The Statistics Graph .........................................................................................2-81
Ln Data.............................................................................................................2-87
Time History Display ..................................................................................2-87
Summary Report Display ............................................................................2-88
Ln Data Export ............................................................................................2-89
Printing Reports ...............................................................................................2-89
Advanced Print Options. .............................................................................2-92
Exporting Record Data.....................................................................................2-94
Searching the Blaze Database............................................................................2-99
Troubleshooting Download Problems ...........................................................2-103
Temporary Workaround............................................................................2-103
Chapter 3 Manual Operation of the Spark 706/706RC 3-1

Overview.................................................................................................................3-1
User Interface..........................................................................................................3-2
Keypad Functions ..............................................................................................3-2
706/706RC Icon Descriptions............................................................................3-3
Battery ...........................................................................................................3-3
Mail Icon .......................................................................................................3-3
Communication .............................................................................................3-3
i-iii
Run Indicator.................................................................................................3-4
Overload ........................................................................................................3-4
Run-Time Clock............................................................................................3-4
Powering up the 706/706RC...................................................................................3-4
Navigating through the 706/706RC Displays .........................................................3-5
Tools .......................................................................................................................3-9
Remote Control of Remote unit............................................................................3-10
(706RC ONLY)..........................................................................................3-10
Calibration of the 706/706RC...............................................................................3-11
Using the Lock Feature.........................................................................................3-14
Activating the Lock..........................................................................................3-14
Deactivating the Lock ......................................................................................3-15
Setting up the 706/706RC.....................................................................................3-16
Setting the 706 Date and Time.........................................................................3-16
Tour Tools Menu .............................................................................................3-18
Changing the Gain ...........................................................................................3-19
Changing the Frequency Weighting ................................................................3-20
Changing the Peak Weighting..........................................................................3-21
Changing the Detector .....................................................................................3-22
Changing the Time History Period ..................................................................3-23
Changing the Dose Measurement Settings ......................................................3-23
Changing the Threshold Level ....................................................................3-24
Changing the Exchange Rate ......................................................................3-24
Changing the Criterion Time.......................................................................3-25
Changing the Criterion Level......................................................................3-26
Memory Settings ..............................................................................................3-26
Memory Time..............................................................................................3-27
Memory Used..............................................................................................3-27
Memory Free ...............................................................................................3-27
Number of Records Stored..........................................................................3-27
Installed Bytes of Memory..........................................................................3-28
Upload (706RC only) ..................................................................................3-28
Clear All ......................................................................................................3-28
About................................................................................................................3-29
The Power Menu ..............................................................................................3-30
Auto-Off ......................................................................................................3-31
Timers ..............................................................................................................3-32
Display .............................................................................................................3-33
i-iv
Chapter 4 706RC Operation 4-1
Menu Structure .......................................................................................................4-1
Controlling a Remote Device .................................................................................4-2
Inversion Mode .......................................................................................................4-3
Record Transfer ......................................................................................................4-5
Appendix A Spark 706RC/706/705+/705/703+/703 Specifications A-1

General Characteristics ..........................................................................................A-1
Type Precision..............................................................................................A-1
Reference Direction......................................................................................A-1
Typical Measurement Ranges ......................................................................A-1
Calibration Reference Level.........................................................................A-2
Frequency Weightings..................................................................................A-2
Detector Time Weightings ...........................................................................A-3
Operating Temperature Range .....................................................................A-3
Effects of Humidity......................................................................................A-3
Storage Temperature ....................................................................................A-3
Effects of Magnetic Fields ...........................................................................A-3
Effects of Strong Acoustic Fields.................................................................A-4
Compliance with Electromagnetic Compatibility Standards .......................A-4
Effects of Mechanical Vibration ..................................................................A-5
Microphone Extension Cables .....................................................................A-6
Calibration Procedure...................................................................................A-6
Reference Frequency....................................................................................A-6
Stabilization Time ........................................................................................A-6
Microphone Electrical Impedance ...............................................................A-6
Functions Measured .....................................................................................A-6
Data Storage .................................................................................................A-7
Data Communications ..................................................................................A-8
Digital Display .............................................................................................A-8
Digital Display Resolution ...........................................................................A-8
Real-time Clock/Calendar ............................................................................A-8
Run-time Clock ............................................................................................A-8
Standards Met...............................................................................................A-8
Power Supply ...............................................................................................A-8
Dimensions/Weight (with Microphone, Preamplifier, and Battery, and Case)
......................................................................................................................A-9
Approved Battery Types ..............................................................................A-9
i-v
Larson Davis Spark Dosimeters Run-time Specifications ........................A-9
Microphone Pinout.....................................................................................A-11
Appendix B Frequently Asked Questions B-1

Measurements and Interfaces................................................................................. B-1
Metrics Measured......................................................................................... B-1
Operation...................................................................................................... B-1
Reporting...................................................................................................... B-2
Connecting the IR Interface ................................................................................... B-2
Identifying the COM Port ................................................................................. B-3
Connecting to a Spark Dosimeter in Blaze ................................................. B-4
Appendix C Glossary C-1

A-weight....................................................................................................... C-1
Calibration.................................................................................................... C-1
Calibration Check......................................................................................... C-1
Criterion Duration ........................................................................................ C-1
Criterion Level ............................................................................................. C-1
C-weight ....................................................................................................... C-1
Daily Personal Noise Exposure (LEP,d) ...................................................... C-1
Detector Rate................................................................................................ C-2
Dose.............................................................................................................. C-2
Exchange Rate.............................................................................................. C-2
Equivalent-Continuous Sound Level or Leq................................................ C-2
Equivalent Time Weighted Average or TWA(x) ......................................... C-3
Frequency & Exponential-Time Weighted Sound Level or Lwt ................. C-4
Frequency Weighting ................................................................................... C-5
LEP,d............................................................................................................ C-5
Lmax............................................................................................................. C-5
Lmin ............................................................................................................. C-5
Ln ................................................................................................................. C-6
Noise Dose ................................................................................................... C-6
Peak .............................................................................................................. C-7
Peak Frequency Weighting .......................................................................... C-7
Projected Noise Dose ................................................................................... C-8
Projected Sound Exposure ........................................................................... C-8
Sound Exposure (SE) ................................................................................... C-9
Threshold Level............................................................................................ C-9
Time Weighted Average (TWA).................................................................. C-9
i-vi
.................................................................................................................... C-10
Appendix D 706RC/706/705+/705/703+/703 IR Communications Trouble-

shooting D-1
The First Step ....................................................................................................D-1
Still Having Problems?.................................................................................D-1
Additional IR Connection Solutions .................................................................D-2
General Information .....................................................................................D-2
Direct Serial Connection ..............................................................................D-2
USB Connection...........................................................................................D-3
Blaze Check for COM Port.................................................................................D-4
Blaze Connection Wizard for IR Communications ............................................D-4
Appendix E Sample Reports E-1

Summary Report .......................................................................................... E-1
Time History Report..................................................................................... E-2
Statistics Report............................................................................................ E-3
Measurement Record Summary Report ....................................................... E-4
Time History Graph Printout........................................................................ E-5
Statistics Graph Printout............................................................................... E-6
Appendix F Intrinsic Safety Approvals F-1

Back Panel Labels............................................................................................. F-3
703, 703+, 704, 706, 706RC ........................................................................ F-3
705................................................................................................................ F-4
705+.............................................................................................................. F-5
i-vii
i-viii
CHAPTER
1 Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the Spark/Blaze noise dosime-

try system. The Spark family instruments are among the
smallest, most powerful noise dosimeters available for work
place noise measurement. Sparks rugged construction will
provide you with years of trouble-free operation.
The 706 and 706RC are full-featured dosimeters and sound

level meters that can operate independently under manual
control (via keypad). The 703, 703+, 705 and 705+ are
similar in operation except that they have no keypad or
display, making them virtually tamper proof. Spark 706RC,
706, 705+, 705, 703+ and 703 work integrally with the
Blaze software.
Blaze provides a simple way to setup the Spark

instruments, download and analyze the measured data.
Blaze software runs on Windows NT SP4, Windows XP
and Windows Vista.
We invite you to read this manual to achieve the best results

from your Spark instrument and Blaze software.
About This Manual
This manual has 4 chapters and 6 appendices covering the

following topics:
Chapter 1 - Introduction: user manual overview and an
introduction to the functionality and measurement
capabilities of the dosimeter.
Chapter 2 - Using Blaze: instructions for using the
Blaze software, connecting to the dosimeter, setting up
the dosimeter to take measurements, downloading data
from the dosimeter to a file, and printing reports.
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Introduction 1-1

Chapter 3 - Using the Spark 706RC and 706 without
Blaze. This chapter reviews manual operation on the
706RC and 706 via its built in keypad and on-board user
interface.
Chapter 4 - Using the 706RC to control and upload other
Spark family instruments.
Appendix A Dosimeter specifications
Appendix B Frequently Asked Questions
Appendix C Glossary
Appendix D IR Communications Troubleshooting
Appendix E Sample Reports
Appendix F Intrinsic Safety Approvals
About This Chapter
Specifically, this introductory chapter covers the following

topics:
Formatting Conventions: explanation of the fonts and
other formatting conventions used in this manual
Getting Started: instructions for unpacking, inspecting,
and initially assembling the dosimeter.
Formatting Conventions
This manual uses the following formatting conventions:
In step-by-step directions, the process (what you do) is

shown in the right column, and the rationale (why you do it)
with other cautions and comments shown in the left column.
Especially important information is shown in italics. Where
it is necessary to distinguish the operation of the different
Spark family instruments, it will be noted on the left
column and described on the right.
1-2 About This Chapter SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Spark Family Features
The Larson Davis Spark family of products meet all

national and international requirements for dosimeter
standards. The family is segmented into 7 instruments. The
703, 703+, 704, 705, 705+, 706, and 706RC. Each
instrument has unique features that will fit the needs of a
wide variety of users.
Spark 706 RC Features
The 706RC has the ability to connect to the 703+, 705+,

706 and other 706RC units. The Remote Control
functionality allows manual setup and control of the
remote instrument. The 706RC can also download and
store data from several other Spark units.
Stand Alone capability. In addition to the Remote
Control functions, the 706RC is a fully functional Noise
Dosimeter, having all the functionality of a standard 706
instrument.
Measurement range of 40 dB to 143 dB (rms), in four
ranges.
Peak detector range of 80 to 146 in four ranges.
Leq, Max, and Peak levels stored at 1, 5, 15, 30, or 60
second time intervals. 4 user defined time weighted
average levels or calculations are also stored, as well as
Lmin.
Ln statistics (1 99 in 0.5 dB resolution) stored at 5
minute intervals
Automatic detection of Microphone Failure. Spark
instruments will detect and display a warning message if
the microphone is disconnected. (Microphone failure is
also recorded in the status byte of each time history
record)
4 Megabytes of nonvolatile memory.
Infrared interface providing transfer rates to the PC at up
to 115,000 bits per second.
User-programmed daily start/stop times.

PC-based setup, dose calculation, report generation, and
graphics.
Manual setup of instrument functions. (Timers can only
be set from the Blaze software.)
Slow or Fast rms detection using A or C weighting.
Calculation of noise exposure in percentage dose,
projected dose, SE (Pa2 hours), and Pasques (Pa2
seconds) units using a variety of exchange rates,
threshold, and criteria values.
Continuous display of SPL level. The instrument will
continue to display the current SPL level, even when the
instrument is not running. During this time the
instrument will not be logging data, the value is only
being displayed on the screen.
Noise Floor typical of 35 dBA (A-weighted) Slow/Fast
(using 30 dB gain).
Frequency Response of A and C weighting meets ANSI
and IEC Standards.
Detector accuracy: True RMS; less than 0.7 dB error
from 40 to 143 dB.
Two standard AA internal alkaline batteries provide
greater than 100 hours of continuous battery life.
Spark 706 Features
The 706 is a fully functional Noise Dosimeter.

ranges.
Lmin.
minute intervals.
1-4 Spark Family Features SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

record).
4 Megabyte of nonvolatile memory.
graphics.
Manual setup of instrument functions. (Timers can only
be set from the Blaze software.)
Continuous display of SPL level. The instrument will
continue to display the current SPL level, even when the
instrument is not running. During this time the
instrument will not be logging data, the value is only
being displayed on the screen.
Noise Floor (typical) of 35 dBA (A-weighted) Slow/Fast
(using 30 dB gain).
and IEC Standards.
from 40 to 143 dB.

Spark 703+/705+ Features
NOTE: The 703+ and 705+ are identical Maximum security with full functionality in an
in operation and features. The 705+ extremely durable case. Faceless instrument provides
offers an extruded metal housing and indicators on face for Run Status and Battery life.
runs on a single AA battery. The 703+
offers a tough but lightweight housing Measurement range of 40 dB to 143 dB (rms), in four
and runs on two AA batteries. ranges.
Lmin.
minute intervals.
record).
graphics.
Manual setup possible with the 706RC.
(using 30 dB gain).
and IEC standards.

from 40 to 143 dB.
(703+ only) Two standard AA internal alkaline batteries
provide greater than 100 hours of continuous battery life.
(705+ only) One standard AA internal alkaline battery
provides greater than 35 hours of continuous battery life.
Spark 703/705 Features
NOTE: The 703 and 705 are identical in Maximum security with full functionality in an
operation and features. The 705 offers extremely durable case. Faceless instrument provides
an extruded metal housing and runs on a indicators on face for Run Status and Battery life.
single AA battery. The 703 offers a
tough but lightweight housing and runs Measurement range of 40 dB to 143 dB (rms), in four
on two AA batteries. ranges.
Lmin.
minute intervals.
record).
graphics.

(using 30 dB gain).
and IEC standards.
from 40 to 143 dB.
(705 only) One standard AA internal alkaline battery
provides greater than 35 hours of continuous battery life.
(703 only) Two standard AA internal alkaline batteries
provide greater than 100 hours of continuous battery life.
Limited to Summary Report from the Blaze software.
Spark 704 Features

ranges.
Leq, Max, Min, and Peak levels.
Manual Start and Stop functions.
Manual setup from the instrument front panel, with
control of weighting, dose parameters and start and stop
functions.
record).
(using 30 dB gain).
and IEC standards.

from 40 to 143 dB.
Spark Instruments
NOTE: The 706, 705+ and 703+ can The 706RC and 706 are fully functional dosimeters that are
also be controlled by the 706RC. controlled either independently (via their own keypads and
display) or by the Blaze software. The 705+, 705, 703+ and
703 are programmed using the Blaze software only, since
they maintain a tamperproof configuration with no keypad
or display.
Figure 1-1 706, 705+, and 703+
The Spark family instruments include a 3/8 in. (10.6mm)

diameter microphone.
Getting Started
This section outlines the steps to follow after unpacking the

dosimeter. The following topics are covered:
Unpacking and Inspection
Assembling the dosimeter

Standard and Optional Accessories
Installing the Batteries
Connecting the dosimeter to a PC
Environmental Considerations
Data Retention
You will then be ready to use the dosimeter for actual

measurements (as described later in Chapter 2 of this
manual).
Unpacking and Inspection
Your Spark dosimeter has been shipped in protective

packaging. Please verify the package contents with the list
Accessories and Optional Equipment later in this chapter,
and retain the product packaging for safe shipment at a
future date. Report any damage or shortage immediately to
Larson Davis, Inc. at (888)-258-3222. If you have not
already done so, please record your instruments serial
number (located on the label on the back of the dosimeter)
and the purchase date at the beginning of this manual (see
the copyright page). You may be asked to give this
information in any future communications with Larson
Davis.
The following system diagram (Figure 1-2) illustrates the

standard configuration of the Spark 706/706RC. The
Spark 704 is identical except that it has no IR Port. The
1-10 Getting Started SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Spark 703 and 703+ are identical except they have no
keypad or screen.
Figure 1-2 Spark 706
Spark Dosimeter Standard and Optional Accessories
Your Spark dosimeter was delivered with a number of

additional items. Please make sure that you have received
the following equipment with your dosimeter:
Spark dosimeter
Standard Accessories Detachable 3/8 in. (10.6 mm) microphone/preamp/and

integrated 3 ft. (1 m) cable (MPR001)
AA alkaline batteries
Windscreen
CCS018 nylon pouch (706RC, 706, 704, 703+, and 703
only.)
Microphone clip
Optional Accessories Blaze software

CAL150 Type 2 microphone calibrator

DVX008 external IR (infrared) interface module
DVX008A USB-to-DBM9 serial adapter
DVX009 USB-to-IR interface module
MPR002 3" cylindrical mast type preamp for use as
SLM
If any of these items are missing, please contact your Larson

Davis sales representative, or contact Larson Davis directly.
Assembling the Spark Dosimeter
Remove the microphone and preamplifier from its protective

packaging. The windscreen and microphone clip should
already be attached.
Figure 1-3 Integrated microphone and preamplifier (MPR001)

shown on left. 3" cylindrical mast type preamp for use as SLM
(MPR002) shown on right

Step 1 Align the red dots of the microphone connector
plug (on cable) and the microphone connector
receptacle (on the dosimeter).
Figure 1-4 Aligning the microphone connectors
Step 2 Carefully push the microphone connector plug

into the connector receptacle on the dosimeter.
Figure 1-5 Connecting the microphone

Step 3 If you wish to use the protective carrying case
(recommended), slide the dosimeter into the con-
forming pouch and secure the Velcro strap.
Figure 1-6 The CCS018 protective case
Important: When removing the

dosimeter from the pouch, do not
pull microphone connector. This can
cause damage. Instead, push the
dosimeter at the bottom of the pouch
while firmly holding the sides.
Installing Batteries in the 706RC, 706, 704, 703+, and 703
NOTE: Only AA type batteries can be To insert the two AA batteries in the dosimeter, remove the
used in the Spark instruments. battery cover on the back of the instrument.
WARNING! Do not replace the batteries in an explosive environment.

Step 1 Move the sliding tab towards the bottom (away
from the microphone end) of the dosimeter.
Figure 1-7 Moving the battery door sliding tab
Step 2 Grasp the sides of the battery door (towards the

top of the dosimeter) and pull outward to remove.
Figure 1-8 Opening the battery door

NOTE: When installing batteries into a
703 or 703+, 705, or 705+, both indica-
tor LEDs should illuminate when the bat-
teries are first installed for
approximately 5 seconds. This time can
be extended by up to 60 seconds if there
is data in the units memory.See section
titled "703/703+/705/705+ Front Panel
Indicators" for further details on the
703,703+, 705, and 705+ indicators.
When installing batteries into the Step 3 If there are batteries in the unit, carefully remove
706 or 706RC, the instrument and replace them with new AA batteries. Replace
startup screen will be displayed. the door by first inserting the bottom side of the
During this time the instrument is battery cover in the dosimeter case.
checking previously stored data in
memory. Depending on how much
data is already in memory, this
startup screen may be displayed
from 3 to 90 seconds."
Figure 1-9 Re-inserting the battery door
Step 4 Move the top side of the battery cover flush

against the dosimeter case. Then move the sliding
tab to its original up position.
Figure 1-10 Locking the battery door
Internal battery life varies, depending on the operating

mode. Operating continuously, the dosimeter will last
beyond 100 hours. Using the backlight, or communicating
via the IR port will reduce the battery life.

Installing Batteries in the 705/705+
NOTE: Only AA type batteries can be To insert the AA battery in the 705 dosimeter, remove the
used in the Spark instruments. battery cover on the bottom of the instrument.
WARNING! Do not replace the batteries in an explosive environment.
Step 1 To remove the battery door, unscrew the two

screws at the bottom of the 705 using a flat-bladed
screwdriver.
Figure 1-11 Removing the battery door
Step 2 Remove the battery door to expose the battery

compartment.
Figure 1-12 Battery compartment

Step 3 If there is a battery in the unit, carefully remove
and replace with a new AA battery.
Figure 1-13 Replacing the battery
Step 4 Replace the door by aligning the battery door with

the bottom of the 705. Re-tighten the screws to
secure the battery door in place using a screw-
driver.
Figure 1-14 Replacing the battery door
Using Rechargeable Batteries
NOTE: Only AA type batteries can be

used in the Spark instruments.
Note: The instrument should not be The 706RC, 706, 704, 703+, 703 dosimeters can provide
operated in an explosive over 40 hours (15 hours for 705 and 705+) continuous
environment if using any batteries operation with NiCD and NiMH rechargeable batteries. If
other than those approved and listed you wish to use rechargeable batteries rather than alkaline
in Intrinsic Safety Approvals on page cells, we recommend the following batteries and battery
F-1. chargers.
1-18 Installing Batteries in the 705/705+ SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
Radio Shack Rechargeable Batteries:
Catalog Number Description
23-149A NiCd 1000mAH AA, 2-pack
23-525 NiMH 1200mAH AA, 2-pack
Table 1-1 Rechargeable battery recommendation
Radio Shack Battery Chargers:
Catalog Number Description
23-405 NiCd/NiMH 1 Hour Charge
23-406 NiCd/NiMH 5 Hour Charge
Table 1-2 Battery charger recommendation
Connecting the dosimeter to a PC
Communication between the dosimeter and a PC is made via

an IR (infrared) interface module. Not only does this provide
a cable free way to connect to the computer, but it also yields
a very fast transfer rate of 115,000 bits per second. The
following Larson Davis IR interface modules are available
for this purpose.
DVX008 (for direction serial port connections)
DVX008A with DVX008 (for USB port connections)
DVX009 (for USB port connections)
These modules are all shown in Figure 1-15

.
Figure 1-15 External IR Interface Modules
External IR interfaces connect to the computers serial or

USB port. If you need assistance in installing or configuring
the DVX008, DVX008A, or DVX009 see 706RC/706/
705+/705/703+/703 IR Communications Troubleshooting
on page D-1
The dosimeter can be used and stored in a wide range of

temperature and non-condensing humidity conditions.
However, some precautions should be taken. For example,
allow the dosimeter ample time to adjust to abrupt
temperature changes. Condensation may form inside a cold
dosimeter if it is brought into a warm room or vehicle, and
may persist long after the outside case has adjusted to the
ambient temperature.
Also, temperatures inside closed vehicles can reach

excessive levels. Therefore, do not leave the instrument in
direct sunlight inside a vehicle. A simple safeguard is to
keep the instrument inside a sealed foam insulated case or
bag with desiccant silica gel, available at photographic
equipment stores or from Larson Davis (LD part number
DSC001).
See pages A-3 for further information regarding

environmental considerations.
Data Retention
The measurement data gathered by the dosimeter is stored in

non-volatile memory. Therefore, the data will not be lost if
the batteries expire. However, the dosimeter will halt data
gathering, and the built in clock will lose time and date
information should the batteries run out. In this case, the
clock settings will need to be re-entered using the Blaze
software. In order to avoid losing the clock settings and
having the dosimeter stop during a measurement, data
should be downloaded and the batteries changed at the end
of every 100 hours of continuous usage (35 hours of
continuous usage for the 705+ and 705). Good measurement
practice is to download data after every shift, and replace the
batteries when they are running low.
Installing the Blaze Software
To install the Blaze software in Windows:
Step 1 Select Run from the Start menu on the Task bar at
the bottom of the Windows desktop.
Step 2 Type in the Run window:

d:\setup.exe or the drive letter of your CD Rom
and press the OK button.
NOTE: During the installation proce- The install program installs the program files, and prompts

dure, the Blaze software will prompt the for any additional required information. For Windows XP
user to enter a product serial number. and Vista users, a PCB Piezotronics/Blaze menu item is
The serial number is located on the bot- created under the All Programs menu item in the Start menu.

tom of the Blaze CD.
The drivers for both the DVX008A and DVX009 can be

installed during the Blaze install. If you are planning to use
either of these IR interface modules, ensure that they are
not connected during the installation process.
When the driver install screen appears (for the DVX009

driver install only) be sure to check the box labeled "Launch
the CP210x VCP Driver installer" if you are planning on
using the DVX009. Enter the product serial number found

on your Blaze CD in the Serial Number fields.

Blaze now contains the drivers needed to accept the
DVX009 IR-to-USB adaptor. The following screens
illustrate the process of installing the drivers.

When installing Blaze , you will be prompted as follows:
Selecting Yes takes you to the first screen of the install

wizard
Click Next
Click "I accept the terms of the license agreement and then
click Next.

Click Next
Click Next
Wait for install to finish.

Check the "Launch the CP210x VCP Driver Installer" box
and click Finish.
Click Install
Click No.

Note: If you are reinstalling Blaze ,

or installing Blaze on a machine
that already has this driver installed,
the display will look as follows:
Click Yes to obtain the following screen.
Check the "Maintain or update the instance of this
application selected below" and then select the first entry in
the listbox. Click Next and continue the wizard.

Select 'Repair' and click Next.
703/703+/705/705+ Front Panel Indicators
The Spark 703, 703+, 705, and 705+ instruments have two
front panel indications.
Gr een Power Indicator LED. Red Batter y Indicator LED:

Indicat es when the instrument 4 indication modes:
is turned on with 4 indication
modes:
1. When powering up, both 1. Blinks once every 3

LED's turn on steady. The seconds: 8 hours of battery
inst rument is checking st ored life remaining.
data in memory. This time is
2. Blinks twice every 3
from 3 to 90 sec onds.
seconds: Only 4 hours of
2. Blinks onc e every 5 seconds: low power sleep battery life remain
mode. Place in front of the IR port to initiate
3. (NEW) Quickly blinks
communication.
three times: IR connection is
failing - low battery.
3. Blinks twice every 3 seconds: Awake mode,
ready to communicate and be programmed.
4. (NEW) Blinks onc e every
10 seconds: The battery
4. Blinking constantly: Spark is running and
taking data MUST be replaced; or no
further operation can occ ur.
Figure 1-16 Indicators on Front Panel of 703, 703+, 705, 705+

instruments
1-28 703/703+/705/705+ Front Panel Indicators SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
CHAPTER
2 Using Larson Davis Blaze

Software
Starting Blaze Software
To start the Blaze software in Windows:

Step 1 Click on the Start menu on the Task bar at the
bottom of the Windows desktop.
Step 2 Go to the All Programs submenu.
Step 3 From the PCB Piezotronics submenu (or

wherever the program was installed), select
Blaze.
Blaze Main Window
When the Blaze software is fully loaded, the Blaze Main

window is displayed.
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Using Larson Davis Blaze Software 2-1
Just below the menu bar is the tool bar.
The tool bar provides quick access to commonly used

software functions. The following table describes each
toolbar function in detail.
The connect button will make the connection to the

Spark instrument currently in range of the IR port.
The Disconnect button will terminate the connection

between Blaze and the Spark instrument in range.
The Open File button will bring up a standard

Windows browse window that will allow the user to
open an existing database record.
The Save file button will bring up a standard

Windows Save File dialog box, that will allow the
user to save the current Blaze file. The dialog
window will also allow the user to select a file name
and location.
The Instrument Manager button will bring up the

Instrument manager screen. The user can then setup
the instrument, set the clock, download data files,
etc.
The Query Files button brings up a dialog window

that will allow the user to search through the
existing Spark database records for records
containing specific items.
The Set Result Parameters button will bring up a

dialog box that will allow the user to select from
different dose settings, change Ln Values, and place
general information onto the current record.
The Merge Records button will allow the user to

combine 2 or more downloaded records into a single
record.
2-2 SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

The Average File Records button permits the user to
select different files and then select a record from
each of these files to average together.
The Modify Time History Interval button will allow

the user to change the time history period for the
current record.
The Time History Graph will bring up a time history

graph for the current database record.
The Statistics Graph Button will produce statistics

graphs for the current database record.
The Spectrum Graph Button is not used with Spark.
The Graph Multiple File Button permits the user to

select different files and then select records from
each to be plotted on a single graph. This function
can also be accessed from the Main Menu by
clicking on Window and then on Multi-File Graph
in the drop-down menu.
The Measurement Log Button is not used with

Spark.
The Print button will print the currently displayed

record. It will print the current selection, whether it
is a Time History Graph, a Statistics Graph, or the
text data as displayed on the screen.
The Print Reports button will give you access to the

predefined reports that Blaze can print.
The Export Data button will export the currently

displayed record as a Comma-Delimited File that
can be opened in a spreadsheet application. It will
also allow the user to select the output location and
file name, and whether or not to automatically
launch the viewer application.
The About button will bring up the Blaze splash
screen with the current revision number.
On the left side of the screen youll find the Session Log.
This useful area provides information with respect to the
status of an active (connected) Spark instrument. This
indicates if the PC is currently connected to a Spark
instrument, if the connected Spark instrument is running or
stopped; the serial number of the Spark instrument, and if
data has been downloaded from the Spark instrument. It
also indicates if the unit has been calibrated. The Session
Log will be automatically updated when any of these
operations has occurred.
2-4 SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Operating System

Blaze software is compatible with Windows NT SP4,
Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Selecting the Communication Method

After loading the software, which will bring the Blaze main window to the computer screen, it is
necessary to set up the connection to work with the Spark instrument. To do this, use the left mouse
key to select Options/Connections which will display the Connection Setting dialog box.
Selecting the Spark Instrument

The Blaze software can be used If the data field associated with "Select Inst. Type:" already
with either the Spark instruments or indicates "Spark", move on to the next section to select the
the IHVM100 Human Vibration type of IR connection. If not, click on the down arrow to the
Meter. This manual is concerned right of the item in the "Select Inst. Type:" field to open the
only with its use with Spark units. pull-down menu, select Spark and then left click, or press
Enter, to close the menu.
Select the IR Connection Type
Note: Once these parameters have If using a DVX008, select which COM port it is attached to,
been set, you need only to click the or select the DVX008A or DVX009 if one of these is being
Connect icon on the toolbar to used instead. These all will appear in the Select COM Port
initiate a connection. pull down menu as the following:
DVX008 appears as "COMn <Communications Port>"

DVX008A with DVX008 appears as "COMn
<DVX008A ATEN Serial to USB Bridge with
DVX008>""
DVX009 appears as "COMn <DVX009 Infrared (IR)
interface with USB>"
Step 1 If connecting to a 706/706RC, press the ON key,
v to power the unit up. The 703/703+/705/705+
will automatically turn on when it is placed in
front of an active IR port.
Step 2 Aim the IR window on the top of the instrument

toward the Larson Davis IR interface module.

Blaze can only communicate with For the first time setup of the computers IR port, the user can
one Spark instrument at a time. use the Blaze Connection Wizard. The wizard can be started
by clicking on Options in the main menu and Connection
Wizard. For additional information regarding first time setup
of the IR interface module, please refer to Appendix B of
this manual.
Although distance and angle tolerance may very from PC to
PC, for optimal data transfer performance it is recommended
that the instrument be placed a distance between one and
three feet from the IR interface module.
When using the IR port, the Blaze

Step 3 Click the Connect button on the Blaze toolbar.
software will automatically select the
Baud rate and Port.
During the connect process, Once a connection has been made, the Session Log will be
information is read from the Spark updated to show that a Spark instrument is connected,
instrument, which then updates the along with its serial number. The data and time of the
Session Log with the serial number connection is also shown.
of the Spark instrument. Run/stop
status is updated whenever initiated
by the software.
2-6 Selecting the Communication Method SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
To view the instrument manager The Instrument Manager window also appears on the screen.
window the Spark instrument The Instrument Manager contains tabbed pages for
must be connected. performing various Spark instrument functions. The page
that appears initially is the Instrument Status page.
Important! You must disconnect It contains information about the currently connected Spark

from the Blaze software before instrument; the instruments serial number; the firmware
physically moving the Spark version; the remaining battery voltage (note that full voltage
instrument away from the IR device. is approximately 3.00V for the 703/703+ if using alkaline
This is accomplished by closing the batteries or approximately 1.5V for 705/705+ if using
Instrument Manager dialog box, and alkaline batteries); the remaining run time, the available free
clicking on the Disconnect button. memory in the Spark instrument, the number of records
used (up to 50) and the remaining run time based on the free
memory and current data storage selections; the date/time of
the Spark instruments built in clock; and the date/time from
your computer.
Before connecting another Spark instrument you must first
disconnect the currently connected Spark instrument by
clicking on the Disconnect button before re-establishing a
new connection.

Setting the Spark instrument clock
To set the date and time of the built-in clock of the Spark
instrument do the following:
Step 1 Press Set Time.
This will open the Instrument Date and Time Window.
There are two methods of setting the data and time:

Synchronize data and time with computer
Set date and time
Synchronize Date and Time

with Computer
Synchronize to computer time", Left click the check box to the left of the text "Synch. date/
forces the active Spark instruments time with PC" and left click Set. This will bring up the
internal clock to match that of the
connected computer.
2-8 Setting the Spark instrument clock SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
message shown below to indicate that this action has been
completed.
Set Date and Time Manually Do not left click the check box, but use the down arrows for
the two data fields, "Instrument Date" and "Instrument
Time" to set these values.
To change the date, click on the down arrow in the date pull-
down menu. A calendar will appear
.
Click on the appropriate date to change the date of the

Spark instrument. To change months, click on the left or
right arrow at the top of the calendar.
To adjust the time, click in the Time Field on the hour/
minute/second that you would like to change.
Use the up and down arrows in the time field to adjust the
clock.
Step 2 Press Set to send the selected date and time to the
Spark instruments built in clock.
If you inadvertently close the This will bring up the message shown below to indicate that
Instrument Manager window, you this action has been completed.
can re-open it by pressing the
Instrument Manager button on the
toolbar. The Instrument Manager
window will then reappear.
The remaining tabbed pages in the Instrument Manager will

be discussed in the sections that follow.
2-10 Setting the Spark instrument clock SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Calibrating the Spark instrument
It is always good practice to calibrate your Spark instrument before each measurement. To calibrate,
select the Calibrate tab from the Instrument Manger window to show the Calibrate page.
Step 1 First, verify that the Calibrator Level field

contains the appropriate output level of your
calibrator.
If you are using a Larson Davis Step 2 Remove microphone windscreen and insert the
Model CAL250, this should be set to Spark instrument microphone fully into the
114.0. If you are using a Larson calibrator microphone opening. Activate the
Davis CAL150 or CAL200, the value calibrator.
could be set to either 94.0 or 114.0
depending on the setting of the
adjustable level switch. (The
instrument will verify that the signal
from the calibrator is within the
proper range, if the signal is out of
range, the calibration will not be
changed.)
Figure 2-1 Calibrating the SparkTM

Step 3 Press Calibrate on the Blaze calibrate menu to
initiate the calibration process.
You will see that a bar appears on the screen showing the
calibration in progress. When the bar is at 100%, the
calibration is complete. The following message appears.
Step 4 Click Yes to accept this calibration or click

Cancel to abort the calibration process.
If you click Yes, your Spark instrument is now calibrated.
Notice that the Last Calibration field has been updated to
reflect this most recent calibration.
Calibration Information
The Calibration Information area is located on the left side

of the screen, within the Calibration window. The Last
2-12 Calibrating the Spark instrument SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
Calibration field contains the date and time a calibration was
performed on the connected Spark instrument. The serial
number of the connected Spark instrument is shown in the
Serial Number field.
Calibration Offset The offset field displays an "Offset number" each time a
calibration is performed. The Offset number generated
before leaving the factory is entered into a log for the service
technicians to be able to track how the dosimeter has
adjusted or corrected itself over time to deal with varying
microphone sensitivities. This offset naturally changes from
instrument to instrument, depending on those varied
microphone sensitivities.
The Deviation Field is very important as it can alert you to
problems with your Spark instrument, preamp,
microphone, and/or calibrator. A calibration compares the
NOTE: The dosimeter only dB level being read by the Spark instrument with a known
"remembers" the last time it was dB level coming from the calibrator. The difference between
calibrated. When connected to the two dB levels becomes the calibration deviation for the

Blaze software this date is Spark instrument which is added to the relative output of
recorded as the "pre-calibration" the Spark instrument. This is how the instrument "corrects"
date. By calibrating with the itself to compensate for the "drift" that the instrument may

CAL150 and the Blaze software, experience during its lifetime, making adjustments internally
the software recognizes the earlier, to compensate for varying microphone sensitivities due to
or most recent calibration, and adds environmental considerations like heat, cold, humidity,
it along with the post calibration accidental abuse or neglect of the microphone
that you just performed using the
A significant change (over +/- 1.5 dB) in deviation after
CAL150 and the Blaze software.
If you calibrate every time with the calibration may indicate an instrument error or drift. It can
also indicate an error in the calibration process, like having
Blaze software you will always
get pre and post calibration the calibrator switched to an incorrect output level, or a
information. To get the pre and post problem with the microphone as described above. If you
calibrations to show up on the happen to change the microphone, you could see a larger
difference in your offset and deviation as different
summary report, use the Blaze
software at least every other time microphones have different sensitivities. Under this
you do a calibration. circumstance do not be alarmed by this large change in
offset and deviation, as the instrument will correct itself for
the new microphone sensitivity, and will function normally.
Calibration History Each time a Spark instrument is calibrated, an entry is

logged in the calibration history database. The calibration
history can be reviewed by pressing the View Calibration
History Button. This opens the Calibration History window
.
A deviation of greater than a few In this window, the history of a single Spark instrument can
dB between calibrations should be studied by making a selection from the pull down menu
alert you to a potential problem (when the Display selected serial number" radio button is
with your Spark instrument, used). Alternatively, you can view all the calibration
microphone, or calibrator. This histories from each of the Spark instruments that have
alert can also indicate to the user been connected to your PC by choosing the "Display all
that the microphone has been serial numbers" radio button. The calibration history
replaced with a different one since displays a table. Each row of the table presents information
last calibrating the instrument. for one calibration. Each row lists the serial number of the
Different microphones will usually calibrated Spark instrument, the dB level of the calibrator
require different calibration offset used, the Spark instrument offset after calibration, and the
values. date and time of calibration.
The data from the last or most recent calibration done in the
Spark instrument is saved and added to the selected
calibration log. This allows you to pre-calibrate the
instrument either in the office using Blaze 3.0 software, or in
the field using a Larson Davis 706RC.
Printing Calibration Data A calibration history can be included in the printed

Summary Report. The option to print calibration
information on the Summary Report can be found on the
toolbar as a drop down menu after clicking on the Options
tab, and can be turned on or off by selecting the appropriate
"Print Cal History Info" checkbox.
If there is a merged record with intervening calibrations
between the pre and post calibration, the report will indicate
the number of calibrations performed between the pre and
post calibration. You can refer to the calibration log to view
the intervening calibrations if desired. Again, the printing of
the pre and post calibration information on the Summary
Report can be turned on or off by selecting the appropriate
2-14 Calibrating the Spark instrument SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
"Print Cal History Info" checkbox in the Options/Settings
menu option.
Press Close to exit the Calibration History window.

Setting the Spark instrument to Collect Data
To collect data, you should establish the type of data and

time periods for which data will be collected. These options
are set in the General Settings and Auto-Timer pages.
General Settings
Click the General Settings tab to view the Spark

instrument settings.
.
Within this page, the properties for RMS weighting (A or

C); Peak Weighting (C or unweighted); Detector rate (fast or
slow); Time history sample interval (1, 5, 15, 30, or 60
seconds); and Gain (0, 10, 20, or 30 dB) can be set. You can
also establish settings for four separate, simultaneous dose
measurements. For each of the four doses, you can establish
the Exchange Rate, Threshold Level, Criterion Level, and
Criterion Duration. Each of these terms is defined in the
glossary located in Appendix B of this manual.
The settings used for your particular dose measurement are
dictated by the applicable government body that regulates
these issues within your country. In the United States,
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
2-16 Setting the Spark instrument to Collect Data SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
defines these parameters. If you are measuring to OSHA
regulations, the following is a list of the appropriate settings
RMS Weighting A
Peak Weighting Unweighted
Detector Rate Slow
Exchange Rate 5 dB
Threshold Level 80 dB
Criterion Level 90 dB
Criterion Time 8 hours
Modifying the General Settings
The Spark instrument settings can be modified in the

General Settings window. Changing settings is
accomplished by selecting a choice from the pull-down
menu next to each field, or by typing directly into the field.
Step 1 To change the setting of an item with a pull-down
menu, click on the down arrow on the right side of
the field
.
Step 2 Use the up or down arrow on your computer

keyboard to cycle through the options and
highlight your choice.
Step 3 Press the carriage return or click the left mouse
button to select your choice
.
This technique is used to change the following settings in the

General Settings tab
RMS Weighting (A or C)
Peak Weighting (Unweighted or C)
Detector Setting (Slow or Fast)
Sample Interval (1, 5, 10, 30, or 60 seconds)
Gain (0, 10, 20, or 30 dB)
Battery Type (Alkaline, NiCd, NiMH)
Dose (Dose 1, Dose 2, Dose 3, and Dose 4)
Changing the dose settings is accomplished by first choosing
the Dose you wish to modify.
Step 1 Click on the down arrow on the right side of the
Dose field pull-down menu
.
Step 2 Use the up or down arrows on your computer

keyboard to choose a Dose number.
.
Step 3 Press the carriage return to select your choice, or
click the left mouse button for your desired setting
.
Step 4 Click the left mouse button inside a field (such as
Exchange Rate)
.
Step 5 Type in the new value
.
RMS Weighting The choices are A or C. The instrument detector converts the
sound signal into a useful form by first squaring the signal,
then taking the mean value, and finally taking the square
root (Root-Mean-Square). During this process, certain
frequencies can be selectively attenuated (weighted), such as
A-weighting and C-weighting, so the resultant level better
corresponds to human hearing.
Peak Weighting The Peak is the maximum sound level during a given time
interval when the normal frequency and time weighting is
NOT used. The Spark instrument has a Peak detector that
responds rapidly to changing sound levels, unlike the normal
time weighting (RMS) of the instrument. Peak weighting is
the weighting (attenuation) of the peak detector. Possible
selections are C weighted or Unweighted. Peak weighting is
independent of the RMS weighting.
Detector Setting The RMS (Root-Mean-Square) detector is used to collect

data and is typically set to SLOW for dosimetry
measurements. The Spark instrument supports either a
SLOW or FAST detector.
Sample Interval The Sample Interval of the Time History determines how
often a sample is stored in the Spark instrument. Time
Histories are very helpful if you wish to see how the sound
varies during the measurement period. A short Sample
Interval (1-second) will provide excellent resolution, but
requires more Spark instrument memory. A longer Sample
Interval (1-minute) is normally sufficient for work noise
exposure surveys.
Gain For general dosimetry measurements, the gain should be set

to 0 dB. Adding gain (using 10, 20, or 30 dB) will allow you
to measure lower sound pressure levels. While this feature is
very useful for general sound level meter measurements, it is
not necessary or advisable for dose measurements.
Battery Type The battery type selection allows the user to select the type
of battery they wish to use. The three selections are,
Alkaline, NiCD, and NiMH. The Alkaline battery selection
is the default selection, and alkalines are the factory
supplied batteries. The NiCD and NiMH batteries must be
user provided. It is important that this selection be accurate
so that the remaining battery time indicator is accurate.
WARNING! In explosive environments, only approved alkaline batteries

can be used in this instrument. (See page A-9 for approved
batteries.)
Dose The Spark instrument is capable of measuring 4

simultaneous noise dose measurements (Dose 1, Dose 2,
Dose 3, and Dose 4). Each dose can have independently set
dose parameters (exchange rates, threshold levels, criterion
levels, and criterion times). Blaze software allows you to
setup each of the dose parameters for each of the dose
calculations. Furthermore, Blaze is capable of partially
recomputing dose combinations after the acquired data has
been downloaded into the software. The criterion level and
criterion time can be changed after the data is downloaded.
Dose Default Values Although the dose default values can be changes as
described below, the user can reset them all to the default
values by pressing the Defaults Button.
Exchange Rate Exchange rate is defined in ANSI S1.25 as the change in

sound level corresponding to a doubling or halving of the
duration of sound level while a constant percentage of
criterion exposure is maintained. Possible values for this
field are 3, 4, 5, or 6. The current OSHA exchange rate is 5.
A value of 3 will produce Leq-like levels.
Threshold Level (dB) ANSI S1.25 defines threshold as a sound level below
which the dosimeter produces little or no dose accumulation
as specified in this standard. Noise levels below the
threshold will not be included in the Spark instrument dose
computation. The current OSHA threshold is 80 dB. Outside
of the U.S., the threshold level is typically set to 0 dB.
Criterion Level (dB) Criterion Level is the level of sound that will produce a dose
of 100% if continually applied for the criterion time. The
current OSHA criterion level is 90 dB.
Criterion Duration (hrs.) Criterion duration is the time required for a continually
applied sound of the selected criterion level to produce a
dose of 100%. Criterion duration is typically 8 hours.
S.E.A. Metric
This metric is the summation of the acoustical energy of
impact measured in dB (Peak, unweighted) greater or equal

to 120 dB. The formula used by Blaze is:
SEA = 10 log10[10lw/10 ] where lw is the unweighted Peak
value exceeding or equal to 120 dB.
Because the metric is for impact peak data, the Spark must
take 1 second data even if the desired sample interval is
greater than one second. It also must set the Peak weighting
to "Unweighted". When the "Store SEA data" check box is
checked, only the Unweighted option will be available in the
Peak Weighting combo box. In order to satisfy both
requirements of required 1 second data and the user's desire

for larger sample intervals, Blaze will download the 1
second Peak data from the Spark and calculate the SEA.

Blaze will then compress the 1 second data into the desired
time intervals. The SEA data will be displayed in the
Summary section of all reports if it is selected. Otherwise, it
will not be calculated and will not be displayed. Once a file
has been saved, SEA cannot be calculated if it was not done
at download time. To calculate and store the SEA data,
connect to the spark, select the General Settings tab, and
then click on the "Advanced" button.
This will display the "Advanced Settings" dialog box
(shown below) with the Store SEA check box. It also
displays warnings about using the SEA metric.
The first warning message indicates that if you have files

stored in the Spark that were generated before selecting the
"Store SEA metric", the sample interval for the stored files
may change when downloaded. This will happen if the
stored file(s) was taken with 1 second time interval and then
the user does the following steps:
Selects Show SEA
Sets the Sample Interval to other than 1 second
Configures the instrument
Downloads.

Blaze will compress the file into the new sample interval

and the 1 second data will be lost if you tell Blaze to delete
the files after download.
The second warning is the result of forcing the Spark to take
1 second data even though the user desires a higher sample
interval. If the user desires 60 second data, the actual run
time will decrease by a factor of about 60 because it will use
up almost 60 times more memory.
User Defined Configurations
Once you have selected the instrument settings for your

particular measurement you can save them as the default or
as a custom setup. This allows you to set up a library of
alternate instrument setting configurations as needed or
required by the applicable governing body. This makes it
possible to set up the instrument configurations once, and
save them for quick and easy instrument configuration at
any time in the future.
Step 1 To save the current parameters as a setup click on
"Save". A window will appear to allow you to
name the setup.
Step 2 Type in the name of the configuration and click
"OK". This will save the new setup and the new
name will now show up in the configuration field.
NOTE: You can save as many setups as Step 3 Click on the configuration pulldown menu to
you would like. select a setup. You will notice all of the new
setups that have been saved.
Step 4 To select a setup simply highlight your setup of
choice and click on it. It will now appear in the
configuration field.
Step 5 To delete a setup, click on the configuration

pulldown menu and select the setup you would
like to delete. Click on the "Delete" button.
Saving the Instrument Settings
Once you have developed the settings you wish to use, press
Configure to upload these parameters into the Spark
instrument. The following message will appear. Press Yes to
continue
.
Setting the Auto-Timer
NOTE: Setting a timer mode, or other The Auto-Timer is used to establish the date and time when

settings will have no affect on the Spark you wish to have the Spark instrument automatically turn
instrument until the Set Timer Button is on and gather data. You also set the amount of time you
pushed. require the Spark instrument to measure before it
automatically stops and turns itself off. The Auto-Timer can
be programmed at any time prior to the required date/time.
Press the Auto-Timer tab to enter the Auto-Timer page.
2-30 Setting the Auto-Timer SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

.
Use the Timer Mode popup field to select one of the

following timer modes: Timer Off, Block Timer, Repeat
Once Daily, Repeat Twice Daily.
.
Timer Off
This is used to turn off the automatic timer and must be done
if you need to start and stop the Spark instrument manually
(this is done in the Manual Control tab).
Block Timer
You can establish both a start date and start time and an end
date and end time of a measurement by selecting Block
Timer from the pull down menu.
Once the Block Timer is selected, the appropriate Start/Stop
dates and times can be selected using the Date and Time
pull-down menus. Select the Dates by clicking in the
calendar.
Times are chosen by using the Start/Stop Time fields. Click

on the hour and use the up and down arrows to increment to

the desired hour. The same process is used for the minute
and seconds selection.
The Spark instrument will run continuously from the Start

Date/Time to the Stop Date/Time. Setting the Repeat Once
Daily and Repeat Twice Daily Auto-Timers are handled in
the same way as the Block Timer.
Repeat Once Daily
Repeat Once Daily mode allows you to select a Start Time/

Date and a Stop Time/Date that spans several days. This
mode is selected if you wish to turn on and off the Spark
instrument automatically for a daily work shift such as 8:00
A.M. to 5:00 P.M. every day between the start and stop date
the meter will turn on and off for this work shift.
While you can set the Spark instruments timer mode for an
extended period of time, be certain there is enough battery
life to complete the test. You may need to change batteries in
the Spark instrument between shifts.
Repeat Twice Daily
Repeat Twice Daily provides a means for entering two start

and stop times for each day. This typically is used when you
wish to disable the Spark instrument during the lunch hour.
In this case, the start/stop time 1 might be 8:00 A.M. and
12:00 P.M. Start/stop time 2 could then be 1:00 P.M. to 5:00
P.M. The instrument would then stop gathering data between
the lunch hour (12 to 1 P.M.).
Set Timer
The Set Timer button enables the connected Spark

instruments automatic timer. This button sends all the
settings found in the Automatic Timer window to the
connected Spark instrument including the timer start and
stop dates/times, and turns the timer on. At this point, you
may exit the Blaze software as the Spark instrument will

be ready to collect data.
Instrument Settings
Pressing Instrument Settings interrogates the connected

Spark instrument and downloads its Timer settings into the
Auto-Timer page.
Default Settings
Default Settings recalls the previously saved Timer defaults

and brings them into the Auto-Timer page.

Save as Default
If you would like to establish these Auto-Timer settings to

be the default values, press Save as Default. These will
now be the Timer values shown when the "Default Settings"
button is pressed.

Manual Control of the Spark instrument
Manual Control provides a means to operate the Spark

instrument remotely from the Blaze software.
Step 1 Press the Manual Control tab in the Instrument
Manager window.
From the Manual Control page, the following operations can

be performed:
Run the Spark instrument
Stop the Spark instrument
Reset the data to clear the Spark instrument memory
View live data (SPL, Leq, Peak, Max) in the live display
Lock the Spark instrument
Unlock the Spark instrument
Refresh the Manual Control screen
Step 2 Press the Run button to start a measurement

Notice that the Instrument Status area in the Manual Control
page has changed to RUNNING to indicate that the
Spark instrument is in the run mode. Also note that the
Session Log has been updated to reflect the running status of
the Spark instrument.
Step 3 Press Live Display to see a 50-second window of

the running SPL (Sound Pressure Level) time
history.
Not only can the graphical representation of the SPL be

viewed, but the current SPL value in the lower left field of
the Live Display window can also be seen.
Step 4 Click on the pull-down menu at the lower left

corner of the Live Display.
2-36 Manual Control of the Spark instrument SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
Other parameters can also be viewed. Leq, Lmax, and Lpeak
can all be viewed instead of the current SPL.
Step 5 Select Leq. Now the Live Display window is

showing the current Leq level.
Step 6 Press OK to close the Live Display window.
Step 7 Press Stop to halt the Spark instrument.
The Instrument Status area in the Manual Control page has
changed to STOPPED to indicate that the Spark
instrument is no longer running. Also note that the Session
Log has been updated to reflect the Stop status of the Spark
instrument.
To clear the memory in the connected Spark instrument,
click on the Clear All Data Button. This deletes the
measurement data residing in the on-board memory of the
Spark instrument.
WARNING! Caution should be exercised when using this function, as

deleted data cannot be recovered. Data that you wish to save
should be downloaded prior to using the Reset Data func-
tion.

Setting the Lock Using Blaze
Spark instruments have a very useful keypad Lock feature.

When the Lock is activated, the Sparks display and keypad
are disabled. This renders the Spark virtually tamperproof
during operation. The Lock is activated, and deactivated by
way of a 4-digit user defined password. To set the lock via

Blaze :
Step 1 Press Lock
Step 2 The Set Password dialog box appears
Step 3 Type in your desired password (4 digits

maximum).
Step 4 The Spark instrument is now locked as indicated

in the Lock Status field.

Unlocking the Spark Instrument Using Blaze

Step 1 From within the Blaze Instrument Manager
screen, on the Manual Control Tab, select Unlock.
The unit is automatically unlocked
when connected to the software.
The Spark Lock has now been disabled as indicated in the Lock Status field.

Downloading Data from the Spark instrument to the PC
If download fails, see Step 1 Press the Download tab to enter the Download
Troubleshooting Download page.
Problems on page -2-103
Each data record stored in the Spark instrument contains an

Ln Table (statistics table), and a Time History table.
A data record is a measurement segment that has a distinct
run and stop segment. This will typically be the work shift
you are measuring (8 hours for example). The total number
of data records (with its own Ln Table and Time History) is
listed in the Download page. In this example, the number is
1.
2-42 Downloading Data from the Spark Iinstrument to the PC SPARK and BLAZE User
Adding General Information During Download
The Download dialog box has a check box entitled Add

General Records Info as shown below.
By selecting the Add General Records Info. box before

downloading, you will be able to add general information to
each of the downloaded records during the download
process. As soon as the download is initiated, the following
dialog box is displayed into which information can be
entered using the computer keyboard. Pressing OK will
continue the download process.
If the Use for all Downloaded records box is selected prior

to download, this information will be stored with all
downloaded records and there will be no further
interruptions during the remainder of the download process.
Note: The general information If the Use for all Downloaded records box is not selected,
stored during download can be the same dialog box will be opened as each record is
modified later or, if it had not been downloaded, permitting the user to modify the general
added during download, it can be information to be stored with that particular record before
added later as well the next record is downloaded.
Setting a Reference Line The check box and data field associated with the text
"Display Limit Line on Graphs" permits the addition of a
reference line to a time history graph as described in the
section. Setting a Reference Line on page 2-66
Step 2 Press the Download button to download the data

from the Spark instrument to the PC.
A Data Transfer in Progress window will appear on the

screen. A horizontal bar will show the progress of the
download for each data record. When the download is
complete, the following message will appear
This will indicate a successful transfer of the data records

from the Spark instrument to the PC via the Blaze
software. Notice that the Session Log indicates that one
download has occurred (along with the date and time of the
download).
2-44 Downloading Data from the Spark Iinstrument to the PC SPARK and BLAZE User
If the Spark instrument is running If you wish to clear the Spark instrument internal memory
when Download is pressed, the unit at this point, press Yes. Otherwise, select No to view the
will stop running and the download Blaze measurement summary window
will occur.
You can view the summary

regardless of whether or not memory
has been cleared.
.
Measurement Summary
This window presents a summary of complete information

from the first measurement record. This General Information
section lists User, Job description, location and measurement
results. This field is blank until information is entered in
these fields as described in the Set Parameters section on
page 2-49. Other information listed in this General
Information section includes the Spark instrument serial
and model numbers, the start and stop times for the
measurement, total run time, and sample interval of the time
history that was gathered.
The Results section contains the Dose, Projected Dose, Leq,
TWA (Time Weighted Average), SE, Peak, Lmax, Lmin,
and overload status for the active measurement. See
Appendix B for a more detailed explanation of these
metrics.
Selecting Display of Dose Data

The measurement summary window can display data for all
four dose setups simultaneously as shown below.
The display of these dose data is controlled by the Dose

Display toolbar at the upper left of the measurement
summary window, shown larger below.
The measurement summary will display data for those doses

whose corresponding buttons in this toolbar are highlighted.
Each time a button is clicked, its status will change from
highlighted to not-highlighted. If no buttons are selected, it
will display the dose selected in the Set Parameter dialog
box.
2-46 Measurement Summary SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

The Modified Results section of the summary contains the
Modified Leq and Modified Peak information. This section
of the report will only be visible if the Results of the
measurements are modified. If no parameters are modified,
then this section will not be visible. These values are derived
from editing the Time History.
The Statistics section contains five Ln values including L10,

L30, L50, L70, and L90. These values can be modified so
that other Ln values can be computed.
The Settings section show the dose settings that were

established in the General Settings of the Spark instrument.
These include the Exchange Rate, Threshold, Criterion
Level, and Criterion Duration. In addition, the RMS
Weighting, the Peak Weighting, the Detector rate settings are
shown.
Viewing Other Data Records
The remaining tool bar buttons are now active and used in
the reporting functions of the Blaze software
.
This pull-down menu at the top of the Data Record window,

lists the downloaded data records, along with their
associated start and stop dates and times.
Step 1 Click on the arrow next to the pull-down menu to
view all data records.
Step 2 A different data record can be selected by using

the mouse pointer to highlight the desired
measurement.
Step 3 Click the left mouse button to activate and display

the selected data record.

NOTE: The set parameters button will Step 4 Press the Set Results Parameters button to
only change parameters for the currently view the Set Parameters window.
displayed record.
The Set Parameters window appears
General Information
The General Information area is located on the right side of

the window. This contains fields for editing or entering
information such as: User, Location, Job Description, and
any note you may wish to attach to the current measurement
record. Click each field and type in an entry.
Notice that the General Information area has been updated

with the information that was entered in the General
Information fields.
Recalculating the Results
The dose, projected dose, and TWA can be from among the
4 Dose calculations originally programmed into the Spark
family instrument. In addition, the Criterion Level, the

Criterion Duration can be modified, and the selected Dose
will be recalculated using those new values.
NOTE: Only one Dose calculation may Step 1 To select the Dose Parameters, go to the Dose
be displayed on a Data Record at a time. Parameters section, select the pull down list next
To show multiple Dose calculations, the to the current Dose selection and select from Dose
reports must be printed each time indi- 1, 2, 3, or 4.
vidually for each new Dose Calculation.
Step 2 Click OK to incorporate the new dose selection on

the Data Record.
Results: These values change, based on the selected dose

criterion.
Modifying The Dose The selected Dose parameter may be modified for a different
Parameters Criterion Level and a different Criterion Time.
Step 1 Open the Set Parameters window.
Step 2 Select the parameter you wish to change.

Step 3 Enter a new value and press OK.
This will return you to the data record window.
Setting a Reference Line in a Blaze will allow you to define a limit line that will appear
Time History Graph on the Time History Graph, the Summary Report time
history graph, the Modified Data Report time history graph,
and the Time History Detail Report graph. The limit must be
set for each record.
Step 1 Left click to put a check in the check box to the

left of the text "Display Limit Line on Graph",
which will make accessible a data field for the
entry of the value for the amplitude of the limit
line.
Step 2 Enter a value in the User defined Limit box (in

dB).
Step 3 Click OK.
A horizontal line will now appear when a Time History
graph is created, and will also appear on the previously
mentioned reports.
Merging Records
NOTE: Only records with matching set- Blaze will allow you to merge multiple data records into
tings can be merged. (i.e. Interval one data record. This would allow you to take two
Period, Dose Settings, Gain Settings, measurements, one before lunch and one after lunch and
etc.) have the results as one continuous record.
Step 1 Click on the Merge Records Button.
Step 2 The Merge Records dialog box will appear.
Step 3 Select the records you wish to merge. More than

two records can be selected. Use the Left Mouse
button to select the first record.

Step 4 Hold the Shift key to select the record or records
adjacent to the first selected record. To select a
record further down the list without selecting all of
the records in-between, use the Control key
instead of the Shift Key. See examples below.
Left Mouse
button plus the
shift key to
select adja-
cent records.
Left Mouse button plus the

Control key to select two
separate records.
Step 5 After selecting the desired records, Press the

Merge button.
Step 6 The new merged record will now appear in the
record list. Press the Done key.
New record created
from multiple records.
Step 7 To select the merged record for display, go to the

records pull down list at the top of the Data
Record window. You will now see the new merged
record in the list.
Modifying the Time History Interval
Blaze will allow you to modify the time history interval

that was originally selected on the Spark instrument. The
Spark setup allows you to choose from Sample Intervals of
1, 5, 15, 30, and 60 Seconds. You can now combine the
selected interval to create a longer Time History record.
Step 1 Press the Modify Time History Interval Button.

Step 2 The Modify Time History Interval dialog box will
appear.
Step 3 The Current Interval will be listed in the first field.
NOTE: The new sample interval must be Step 4 Enter the new interval desired. In this example the
larger than the original sample interval. Current Interval, listed in seconds, is 1 second. I
want the new interval to be 10 seconds. I enter a
value of 10 seconds in the box.
NOTE: The Time History Interval cannot Step 5 Press the OK button.
be changed if the Time History has
already been modified.
Step 6 Notice that the Sample Interval Time has now
been changed in the General Information section
of the Data record.
Averaging Time Histories between Different Files

The user can select different files and then select a record
from each of the selected files to average together. Left click
the Average File Records button to open the Select Blaze
Files dialog box.
This can also be achieved from the Main Menu by left

clicking Records and then left clicking Average Records
from Files. Files must be within the same directory.
After the files have been selected, clicking the Open button
will display a series of dialog boxes displaying the records
saved in each selected file as shown below. The user can
select only one record from each file.
Beginning with the first file selected, once a record has been
selected, a dialog box for the next file will automatically be
displayed when the Next button is clicked or the entry is
double clicked. The Finish button will be grayed out until
the last file is opened, at which time it will appear and the
Next button will be grayed out. The Back button is grayed
out when the dialog box for the first file is open, but it will
appear subsequently for the later files in case the user wishes
to change the record selected for one of the files earlier in
the selection sequence. The serial number of the instrument
from which the file was downloaded will be displayed.

Each selected record must have the same sample interval,
weighting, detector, gain, peak weighting, and the same
parameters for each dose. They must also have the same
beginning and ending times. There are two methods which
will ensure that these last criteria are satisfied:
G. Set the timers for all Spark units to start and end at
the same time.
H. Modify existing records by cropping the non-overlap-

ping data from each desired record, save it in a new
file and then perform the averaging of records from
different files.
The averaged record will be an average of all the Leq and
TWA values for the selected records for the time interval as
described above with the Lmin, Lmax and peak values, if
present, set appropriately). The new record can be saved in a
new blaze (.blz) download file.
Time History Graph
Step 1 Click the Time History button to view a time

history of the current measurement record.
The Time History graph of the Leq, Max, and Peak Data can
now be viewed.
If the microphone is disconnected,

the instrument will place a note in
the status byte of each time history
record until the problem is corrected.
This will let the user know that the New tools are associated with the Time History graph.
measurement was corrupted.
The Time History toolbar includes a number of useful

functions including:
The Zoom In button allows the user to draw a box around

a specific part of the data, and Blaze will zoom in on the
specific data.

The zoom out button reverses the action of the Zoom In
button, and takes you all the way out to 1:1.
The Copy To Clipboard button copies the graph to the

clipboard to make it available for pasting to another docu-
ment.
The Edit Time History data section allows the user to add
or subtract an amount from a region selected by the cur-
sors. It will bring up the following dialog box, where the
amount can be entered as a positive or negative value.
After entering a value, press OK. The value will then be

added to the area defined by the Left and Right cursors.
The Included Selected data button will include the data

selected by the Left and Right Cursors.
The Exclude Selected data button will exclude the data

selected by the Left and Right Cursors.
The Restore all data button will restore all excluded and
edited data back into the Time History graph.
Creates a new record from the selected data.
This button will allow you to add a note to the Time His-
tory graph.
The Leq button will display the Leq trace on the Time
History Graph. It will have a dark blue trace.
The Max button will display the Max trace on the Time
History Graph. It will have a red trace.
The Peak button will display the Peak trace on the Time
History Graph. It will have a dark green trace.
The TWA button will display the TWA trace on the Time
History Graph for the currently selected Dose Calculation.
It will have a light blue trace.
The Ln Data button displays a dialog box used to set the

Ln value, and its interval, to display on a time history
graph
The Set Ln button toggles the display of the selected Ln

value on the graph with the selected interval
Zooming
The Zoom In function allows you to investigate details of

the Time History by magnifying selected sections of the
measurement.
Step 1 Click on the + magnifying glass on the Time
History toolbar to select the zoom tool.

Step 2 At a desirable place within the Time History
graph, click and hold down the left mouse button
and draw a box around the desired zoom location.
Step 3 Release the left mouse button to execute the zoom.
Further zooming can be achieved by repeating the above

procedure.
Zoom Out
Zoom out returns a zoomed Time History to its original

unexpanded scale.
Step 1 Click on the - magnifying glass on the Time
History toolbar to select the Zoom Out tool.

Step 2 You will be automatically zoomed out to the
original Time History graph.
Editing the Time History
NOTE: The Cursor placement can be The Time History can be edited, and the overall Dose,
fine tuned by using the Left and Right Projected Dose, Leq, TWA, SE, Lmax, Max, Lpeak, and
arrow keys instead of the mouse. Lmin recomputed. You can select areas to be removed from
the time history using the cursors. You can also add or
subtract a dB offset from within a selected section to
understand the effects of noise reduction measures, hearing
protection, increased noise sources, etc. Time History
Editing is a powerful tool for understanding the cause and
effect of such changes.

The following editing functions are available in Blaze :
Exclude a section(s) in the Time History recomputation
Include a previously excluded section(s) into the Time
History recomputation
Restore the Time History to its original unedited state
Define the Amount (in dB) to add/subtract from a
selected Time History section
When excluding data from a record, you may choose to
include the time span for the excluded data in the Leq and
TWA calculations or you may choose to compress the time
by excluding the time as well as the data for the excluded
range(s) in the record. This is done by selecting the
appropriate radio button under the "Include/Excluded Time"
heading as shown.
Modifications made to the time history remain separate from
the original time history data. After making changes to the
time history, each measurement record will then contain two
time histories: the original time history and the modified
time history. As changes are made to the time history, a new
Dose, Projected Dose, Leq, TWA, SE, Lmax, Max, Lpeak,
and Lmin will be calculated for the modified data. The
results of modifications to the time history are displayed
both in the Time History graph window and the Modified
Results section of the Measurement Summary window.
Setting a Reference Line Blaze will allow you to define a limit line that will appear
on the Time History Graph, the Summary Report time
history graph, the Modified Data time history graph and the
Time History Detail Report graph. The limit must be set for
each record.
Step 1 Click on the Set Preferences button.

Step 2 Enter a value in the User defined Limit box (in
dB) in the Set Preferences dialog box.
Step 3 Click on OK.

A horizontal line will now appear when a Time History
graph is created, and will also appear on the previously
mentioned reports.
Excluding Sections from the This powerful analysis feature provides the ability to
Record's Time History exclude a section(s) from the overall Leq and dose
calculations. It allows you to exclude anomalous data (like a
slamming door) that skews the overall Calculations.
Time History can be edited, and the overall Dose, Projected
Dose, Leq, TWA, SE, Lmax, Max, Lpeak, and Lmin will be
recomputed. This is achieved by selecting or highlighting a
section of the time history, then recomputing the Leq
without the highlighted sections contributions. To exclude a
section:
Step 1 Within the time history graphic, click the left
mouse button (above the line graphs) to select the
left most area you wish to remove from the overall
Leq computation.

Step 2 Move the mouse to the right most point you wish
to remove from the Leq calculation, then click the
right mouse button (above the line graphs).
Step 3 Press the Exclude Selected button on the toolbar.
The Exclude dialog box will appear.
Exclude All removes the entire Time Step 4 Click the Selected button.
History from the Dose, Projected The selected section will now be removed from the overall
Dose, Leq, TWA, SE, Lmax, Max, calculations. You can view the effect this had by looking at
Lpeak, and Lmin computation. the Modified Results area of the Measurement Record. You
can do this by closing or resizing the Time History window.
Compare the results with the Modified Results to see the
effect of removing the section from the Time History.
In this case, the dose changed from 25% to 17.4%. The Leq
changed from 82.5 to 81,1. If you wish, additional
modifications can be made to the Time History by repeating
Steps 1-4.
Adding/Subtracting dB Values Closely related to the Exclude option is the Edit Value
from Selected Sections button. With the Edit button you can increase or decrease the
dB level over a section of the Time History graph.
To edit a section:
Step 5 Press the Edit Time History button.
The following Edit dialog box will appear:

Step 6 Enter the dB level you wish to add or subtract
from the interval or interval region in the field.
Enter a minus to enter a negative number.
Step 7 Press OK to execute this operation
The overall Time History is re-displayed with the edited

section altered. This appears as an offset in the Time History.
The overall Dose, Projected Dose, Leq, TWA, SE, Lmax,
Max, Lpeak, and Lmin will also be recomputed based on
this modification. You can view the effect this had by
looking at the Modified Results area of the Measurement
Record. You can do this by closing or resizing the Time
History window. Compare the Results with the modified
results to see the effect of removing the section from the
Time History.
Edit Include
Edit include is used when you wish to restore a previously
excluded section into the overall Leq, dose, Lmax, and
Lpeak calculation. This is useful if you have excluded
multiple sections of the Time History and wish to recover a
single section or two while leaving other exclusions intact.
This is achieved by selecting the excluded section and then
using the Include tool.

Edit Restore
Restore removes all changes to the Time History and brings
it back to its original, unedited state.
Create a New Record

Creates a new record from the selected data. Calculates new
values based on the data selected between the cursors on the
time history graph. Use your left and right mouse buttons
and select the data of interest. This assists in evaluating how
reduced levels would affect the overall dose and time
weighted average.
Step 1 Within the time history graph, click the left mouse
button to select the left most area you wish to
include in the new calculation.
Step 2 Move the mouse to the right most point you wish
to include in the new calculation, then click the
right mouse button.
Step 3 Press the Create New Record button on the

toolbar.
A new record appears showing the new calculated results

highlighted between the cursors.

Add Note A note can be added to the time history graph to identify
problem areas or noise sources. As many notes as you want
can be added.
Follow the steps below to add notes to the time history
graph.
Step 1 Press the Add Note button on the toolbar.
Step 2 Within the time history graph, move your mouse

to the area of the graph where you would like to
add a note. Click the left mouse button to activate
the "Annote Graph" window.
The note will appear on the graph Step 3 Type in the text you would like to appear on the
and will only be printed on the graph. You can also select the color and size of
Summary report. the text. Click "OK" button when you are
finished.
To Move or Delete Note

Step 1 Click on the text to be moved or changed. The
"Annotate graph" window will appear.

Step 2 To change the text, enter new text and click OK.
To move text, click the "Move" button and then
click on the graph at the new location. The text
will be moved automatically to the new location
on the graph. To delete text, click on the text to be
deleted, then choose the "Delete" button and the
text will disappear.
Graph Records from Different Files

This is a display-only feature; the file cannot be saved. The
records to be plotted must have the same sample interval,
weighting, detector, gain, peak weighting and the same
parameters for each dose. The records from different files
may have overlapping data. The graph will begin with the
minimum start time of all the records and end with the
maximum end time of all the records. By default, the graph
will display the Leq from each of the records but the user
may select other parameters (Lmax, etc.) to graph. Only one
data type will be graphed at a time.
To select the data to be plotted, click the Graph Multiple
Records button to bring up the Select Blaze Files dialog box.
Highlight the files from which records will be selected for
plotting and press Open. This will present the Select
Records to Graph dialog box listing the records saved
under the first of the selected files.
Highlight the records you wish to plot from this file and
press Next, which will open a similar dialog box listing the
records saved under the next of the files which had been
selected in the Select Blaze Files dialog box. This sequence
will continue until the dialog box listing the records from the
last selected file is displayed, at which time the Next button
will be grayed out and the Finish button displayed. Clicking
on Finish will initiate the initialization of the graph as
indicated by the following display.

When the data has been initialized, the multiple graph will
be displayed as shown below.
The Multi-File Time History Graph has the following

toolbar associated with it.
The first five buttons perform the same functions as

described in the section above.The sixth button performance
is described below.
The Show Actual Time button shifts the origin of

each graph such that they are shown on an absolute
time axis rather than overlaid as they are in the
display which first appears. Repeatedly clicking this
button will toggle the display between overlaid
graphs and graphs using an absolute time axis.
The Displayed Dataset field is used to select which data are

to be graphed. The default value is Leq. Left clicking the
down arrow to the right of the field will open a drop-down
menu listing the possible data sets which can be displayed.
The graphic above does not show all the possible data sets;
left clicking the down arrow to the right will reveal
additional choices. The complete set of choices are:
Leq
Max
Peak
TWA1
TWA2
TWA3
TWA4
Highlight the desired choice with the cursor and left click to
make the selection.
Adding Notes Notes are added using the same procedure as for single file
graphs as described in Add Note on page 2-75
Show Graph in Actual Time The following graph shows overlaid plots of two records
which were measured at different times as they would
appear on the default Multi-File History Graph.

Left clicking the Absolute Time Graph button will produce a
display of the same two time history files using the same
time axis for both
.
Left click the Absolute Time Graph button to return to the

overlaid plot format.
The Statistics Graph
The Statistics graph shows how often each dB level from 60

dB to 150 dB occurred during the measurement. (or
whatever the range is - based on gain.)
Step 1 Click the Statistics Graph icon from the main
toolbar.
The Statistics Graph for the current measurement record will
appear.
On the horizontal axis, each tic mark on the grid represents a

dB level.

Step 2 Click on a grid line using the left mouse button, or
the arrow keys.
This displays the selected dB level, the percentage of time

the dB level occurred during the measurement, and the
cumulative distribution up to that dB level.
Zooming the Statistics Graph

Here the Zoom in function allows you to investigate details
of the Statistics Graph by "magnifying" selected sections of
the measurement.
Step 1 Click on the "+ magnifying glass" in the Statistics
Graph toolbar to select the zoom tool.
Step 2 At a desirable place within the Statistics Graph
graph, click and hold down the left mouse button
to anchor the start zoom selection point. Then drag
the mouse to the end zoom selection point drawing
a box around the data to be examined.

Step 3 Release the left mouse button to execute the zoom.
Further zooming can be achieved by repeating the above

procedure.
The dB levels that are displayed directly under the statistics
graph show which portion of the graph is currently
displayed. The Underflow level displays the percentage of
time all dB levels were under 60 dB. The Over-flow level
displays the percentage of time all dB levels were over 150
dB. As the graph is scrolled, the dB labels change to identify
the low and high dB levels displayed in the graph.
Zooming Out the Statistics Graph

Zoom Out returns a "zoomed" Statistics Graph to its original
unexpanded scale.
Step 1 Click on the "magnifying glass" in the Statistics
Graph toolbar to select the Zoom Out tool.
Step 2 You will be automatically zoomed out to the
original Statistics Graph graph.
Adding a Note
A note can be added to the statistics graph by clicking on the
Add Note button on the toolbar.
Follow the steps as outlined on in the section Add Note on

page 2-75.

Ln Data

The Spark creates an Ln table every five minutes. Blaze
will now store these tables so that a selected Ln value can be
displayed on the Time History graph both on the screen
display and in the Summary report. When displaying the
Time History graph on the screen, there are two new buttons
at the right end of the Time History toolbar as shown below.
:
Time History Display

Pressing the L? button displays the dialog box (shown
below) which is used to set the Ln value to display and the
Ln interval. The choices for the Ln Interval are 5, 10, 15, 30
and 60 minute intervals. For example, if the user desires to
plot values every 15 minutes rather than 5 minutes, he will
select 15 in the "Ln Interval" drop down list.
The L% button toggles the display of the selected Ln value

on the graph with the selected interval (5 minutes by
default). An example of a Time History graph with the L90
trace is shown below.
Summary Report Display
To display the Ln values on the Summary report, first select
the Summary Report icon in the Print dialog box. This will
show the Ln Data specific controls. Checking the Show Ln
Data box will enable the Ln Percent edit box and the Ln
Interval drop down list. The entered and selected values will
be used to display the Ln line on the Time history graph in
the Summary report.

Ln Data Export

Ln data may be exported. Blaze uses the L percentile
values set in the "Set Parameters" dialog box which is
opened by selecting the "Set Parameters" menu item under
the "Records" menu. To export the Ln data, check the "Show
Ln Data" box as shown below and select the desired Ln time
interval from the "Ln Interval" drop list. The export file will
list the date, time and five L values at each selected interval.
Printing Reports

Blaze has a number of excellent canned reports that you
may wish to use for your own record keeping. The reports
include:
Summary Report
The Summary Report is a one-page report that prints
measurement settings, measurement results, and a time
history graph that is condensed to fit the page. A detailed
graph or an averaged graph for the summary report may be
printed by selecting the appropriate radio button in the
"Advanced Print Options" window.
Modified Data Report (Not Available with the 703/

705)
This report is also a one-page report and prints information
about the 706RC, 706, 705+ or 703+ including serial
number, when the measurement was performed, and
measurement type. It also shows the modified and original
Dose, Projected Dose, Leq, TWA, SE, Lmax, Max, Lpeak,
and Lmin. The lower part of the report shows the Edited
Time History Graph with Leq, Max, Peak, and TWA for
each interval.
Time History Detail Report (Not Available with the

703/705)
This report prints information about the Spark instrument
such as serial number, when the measurement was
performed, and measurement type. The detail portion of the
report provides a tabular display of each interval with its
beginning time, Leq, Max, Peak, and TWA values with a bar
graph on the right side. This report can be very long,
depending on the time history interval that was used.
Statistics Report (Not Available with the 703/705)

The statistics window is a tabular report and bar graph that
prints a row for each dB value from 60.0 dB to 150.0 dB (or
whatever the range is) and the percentage of time that each
dB level occurred during the measurement. The Statistics
Report resolution can be increased (by selecting Fractional
Display) from the Print window before printing the report.
The Statistics Report usually spans several pages.
Step 1 First, verify that a measurement record you wish
to print is open.

Step 2 To Print the data, select Print Reports from the File
menu, or press the Print Reports Button on the
toolbar.
The following Print window appears
NOTE: The TWA printed is the TWA for Here you can select the report you wish to Print, add a title
the currently selected Dose. to the printout, edit the date which appears on the report, and
select which data you would like to show on the report.
Step 3 Select the report style that you wish to Print by

clicking on it. You can see report samples in
Appendix D of this manual. Add a Title or change
the Date if desired
.
Advanced Print Options. Step 1 Press the Advanced button on the Print Dialog
Box
.
Step 2 The Advanced Print Options dialog box will

appear.

Step 3 This dialog box will allow you to include a graph
(either an averaged graph, or a detailed graph
showing all exceedances) for the summary report.
You also have the option to include a "Fractional
dB Display (Statistics Report only)" and the
option to include a logo. To choose any of these
adjustments, simply check the appropriate box in
the "Advanced Print Options" window.
Step 4 To select a logo, press the browse button next to

the logo file name field. This will bring up a
standard Windows file tree where a new logo can
be selected.(Logo is in a Windows Metafile
format.)
After all adjustments have been made, and the report is

selected, press the Print button.
The report will be printed to the default printer. To select a
different printer, change the default printer using the Control
Panel found in Microsoft Windows.
Printing Windows

Reports can also be printed from other areas within Blaze .
You can print from within the Measurement Record window,
Time History window, or Statistics window. This action will
print items in the active window.
First ensure that the window or screen you wish to Print is
active.
Then select Print from the File Menu or press the print
button in the tool bar. You can also choose Print Preview to
observe what will be sent to the printer.
Exporting Record Data
You may wish to export a measurement record to a text file,

which can be manipulated in another program such as a
spread-sheet or for use in a report. To export data from an
open measurement record:

Step 1 First, open the measurement record you want to
export:
Step 2 Click on the File menu.
Step 3 Select Export Data or select the export data button

from the toolbar
The following dialog box will appear.
Step 4 Choose the data from the measurement record that

you wish to export by clicking the appropriate
check box. Your choices are:
Results Summary
Time History Data
Statistical Data
Comma-delimited is for spreadsheet Step 5 You can create an easily parsed text file by
programs; others are useful for clicking the "Export as a Comma-Delimited File"
exporting into word processors. check box.
Placing a check in the "Export all downloaded files" check
box will export all downloaded files to separate .csv or .txt
files at the same time. Using the file name assigned below in
Step 6, the program will append _001, _002, etc.
sequentially to each of the exported files.
To choose the name of the text file you wish to create, and
the location where you require to be it stored:

Step 6 Click on the Output Filename selection box.
Step 7 Select a location and filename as you would with

any other Windows application, then click Save.
The text file has been created and resides in the Windows
directory you selected.

Blaze can automatically send the export file to an
application (such as a spreadsheet or word processor) by
enabling the "Automatically Launch Viewer Application"
feature. When this feature is selected the application you
have chosen will automatically run and display the exported
text file.
Step 8 Check the "Automatically Launch Viewer
Application" check box.
Windows will automatically select a Step 9 You can then browse to the application you want
viewer application based on the type to "launch" by clicking the selection box to the
of output (comma-delimited file or right.
text). If you prefer a different viewer,
it can be re-configured.

Step 10 Choose your desired application to view the
exported data.
Step 11 Select OK to export the file and launch the viewer

application.

Searching the Blaze Database
Blaze incorporates a powerful search function which will

allow you to search through saved Data Records on specific
items.
Step 1 Select the Query Files button from the Tool bar.
Step 2 The Query Files dialog box will appear.
Step 3 Use the Browse button to select the file folder you
wish to query.
Step 4 Select the folder that contains your Blaze Data

Records, and press the OK button. (Check the
Search Sub-folders box if you wish to search the
sub-folders as well.)
2-100 Searching the Blaze Database SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
Step 5 Enter the parameter value you wish to search on.
Searches can be performed on multiple values, or
on one value.
NOTE: If the search is performed on a The search above was performed specifically on records
level such as an Leq, the search will taken at the Location of Geneva Steel. You can also search
identify records that are at or above the for records on User, Serial number, Job Description, etc.
specified level. This function can be very useful in pinpointing problem
areas or simply to gather specific records on a location.
Step 6 After entering the search parameters values, press

the Search button.
Step 7 Blaze will bring up a status window, and then
report the findings of the search in the bottom of
the dialog box.
Step 8 To view a record that was located by the search,

Double Click on the desired record, and the Data
Record window will be brought up.
Step 9 You may also print the results of the search by
pressing the print button.
Troubleshooting Download Problems
A situation can occur in which the instrument connects to

the Blaze software, but the download process fails,
indicated by the message "The file could not be downloaded.
Check the battery and the connection and try again". There
might also be a message "restore the connection" with a
countdown.
Note: All stored data is in non- If this occurs, replace the batteries with fresh new batteries.
volatile memory and will be safe Often times the batteries will have just enough energy to

while the batteries are changed. allow the unit to run fine, and connect to Blaze , but there is
not enough to allow the download process.
Also, it is often the case that the energy capacity in NiCd and
NiMH batteries will degrade over time. If NiCd or NiMH
batteries are being used and this problem occurs, try newly
purchased NiCd or NiMH batteries, or temporarily install
alkaline batteries for the download instead.
Temporary Workaround A temporary workaround is as follows:

Step 1 Connect the Spark unit to the Blaze software
Step 2 Locate the GENERAL SETTING tab of the
SPARK INSTRUMENT MANAGER box.
Step 3 Change BATTERY TYPE from NiCd or NiMH to

ALKALINE.
Step 4 Click on the CONFIGURE INSTRUMENT

button.
Step 5 Perform download
Step 6 set BATTERY TYPE back to whatever it had been

previously.
Step 7 click on the CONFIGURE INSTRUMENT

button.
CHAPTER
3 Manual Operation of the Spark

706/706RC

Spark 706/706RC Quick Reference
Congratulations! You now have your hands on the most

powerful, smartest noise dosimeter available. It is also one
of the smallest and lightest. We at Larson Davis thank you
for your purchase of the Spark 706/706RC, and trust you
will receive many years of good service from it. This section
has been developed to guide you through the operation of
the 706/706RC, independent of the Blaze software.
Overview
This manual is best used with the instrument at your side.

You will be guided through a step-by-step tour of the Spark
706/706RC. The appropriate keypad button will be shown
on the page. The resultant 706/706RC display will then be
presented to verify that you have performed the correct
action.
You will likely find the user interface of the Spark 706/
706RC to be intuitive. This section is intended to give you a
tour of the 706/706RCs capabilities, and insights to its
operation. You will navigate through the 706/706RCs
simple interface and make measurements immediately. You
may find that it will also be useful to refer to this guide when
trying something new with the 706/706RC.
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Manual Operation of the Spark 706/706RC 3-1
User Interface
Navigation within the 706/706RC display is achieved using

the keypad. The keypad allows the user to maneuver through
the 706/706RCs simple menu structure, change settings,
and view data.
Keypad Functions
The keypad functions are as follows:
v this key is used to power the 706/706RC on or off.
s this is the RUN/STOP key. It initiates or ends a

measurement
You will not lose any data when R the RESET key performs a reset of the current
doing a RESET. measurement. The measurement screen will clear and a new
measurement can be acquired. RESET is also used to exit
from menus/screens.
T the TOOLS key is used to access various system

functions of the 706/706RC such as calibration, setting the
706/706RC locking feature, changing the instrument setup,
viewing the available memory, viewing the firmware
version, viewing battery capacity, viewing the timers, and
adjusting the contrast of the display.
The arrow keys: l,r,u,d, provide a variety of

different navigation operations within the 706/706RC
operating system. This includes maneuvering through menus
and displays. Typically, the up and down arrows move the
user up and down through displays and menus. The up and
down arrow are also used to navigate through menu choices.
The left and right arrows move the user from one related
screen to another.
c The check key is used to select an option or choice

from a 706/706RC menu.
3-2 User Interface SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

706/706RC Icon Descriptions
The 706/706RCs graphical display also has its own icons

that provide status information.
Battery The Battery icon provides information with respect to the

remaining battery voltage of the 706/706RC. Notice that
there are 3 bars within the battery graphic. When all 3
sectors are present, the battery voltage is greater than 2.8
(3.0 volts is full power). Two bars indicate that the voltage is
greater than 2.4. With one bar illuminated, the voltage is
greater than 2.2 volts. If the voltage is greater than 2.0, only
the outlined battery will appear. When the voltage drops
below 2.0, the outlined battery will begin to flash. At 1.8
volts, the 706/706RC will shut itself off.
Mail Icon The mail icon is used to indicate a connection between a

706RC and a remote unit. On the 706RC the mail icon will
come on and flash anytime the 706RC is connected to a
remote unit. This indicates that the 706RC screen is showing
the data being collected from the remote, or that data is
being transferred. When the connection is lost, the mail icon
will go away.
On a remote unit, the mail icon will come on and stay on

solid anytime the remote is in communication with a 706RC.
If you are connecting 2 706RCs together, the master units
mail icon will be flashing and the remotes mail icon will be
on solid.
Communication The signal icon indicates IR communication. When the

antennae is present, communication is occurring between the
connected 706/706RC and the computer via the IR interface.
Run Indicator When the instrument is running, this bar graph will be
animated, rolling from left to right. When the instrument is
in the stopped mode, the icon will not be present.
Overload The alarm icon indicates that measurement overloads have

occurred. This can happen when extremely loud noise levels
occur, or if the microphone was bumped.
The icon will remain visible until a reset R of the 706/

706RC has been performed. During an overload event, the
alarm icon will flash.
The bell Icon will also come on and flash during a

microphone fault. After the microphone is connected, the
bell will remain on until the Spark instrument is reset.
Run-Time Clock The clock icon is always present in the top right corner of
the 706/706RC display. It indicates the total running time of
the current measurement. This time can be set to zero by
pressing the reset R button on the 706/706RC. During the
first hour of run time, the clock will display in minutes and
seconds (mm:ss). After completion of the first hour, the
clock display will adjust to show hours and minutes
(hh:mm). After 99 hours, the clock will start over again,
although the actual run time (in hh:mm:ss) will always be
maintained internally.
Powering up the 706/706RC
If you have not already done so, turn the 706/706RC on by

pressing the On/Off key: v
The instrument will move through a short start up cycle,

where it briefly flashes the 706/706RC ID screen.
Immediately following, the 706/706RC will stabilize to its
ready state. The screen that will be displayed is the same
screen that was active during the previous power down
unless there are timers set.
3-4 Powering up the 706/706RC SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

If there are timers set, then the following screen will be
displayed each time the unit is powered up. This will allow
the user to immediately know if there are timers set. The
message will not be displayed if no timers have been set.
If you are in a menu, press R one or more times to exit to a

measurement display. Then press u or d until you see
the following screen:
Navigating through the 706/706RC Displays
Step 1 Press s to start a measurement. Notice that the

current sound pressure level and Leq are currently
being displayed.
Level detector
Step 2 Press d to view the next display screen. This
Type of level shows the current Lmax (maximum sound pres-
sure), Leq (equivalent sound pressure level or
weighting
average), Lmin (minimum sound pressure
level)., and Lpeak (the largest peak sound pressure
Below is an explanation of the
level).
metric abbreviations used in the
706:
LAS - sound pressure level, A-

weighted, slow detector
Step 3 Press d to view the current SE (sound expo-
LASeq - equivalent sound level, A- sure), the 8 hour projected SE, and the 40 hour
weighted, slow detector projected SE in units of Pa2H.
LCSmx - maximum sound pressure
LCSeq - equivalent sound level, C- Step 4 Press d to view the noise dose data for Dose 1.
weighted, slow detector The 706/706RC will log four simultaneous doses.
These dose computations can have independent
LCSmn - minimum sound pressure dose variables such as exchange rates, threshold
level, C-weighted, slow detector levels, criterion levels, and criterion times. This
display shows the current dose value, the projected
LCpk - peak level, C-weighted 8 hour dose, and the TWA (Time Weighted Aver-
age).
Step 5 Press d to view the current dose data for Dose 2.
Step 8 Press d to view the SPL 1 Exceedance data. The

instrument counts the number of times the SPL 1
Exceedance level was exceeded, and also records
the amount of time for which the level was
exceeded.The Hysteresis is 2 dB, i.e. the level
must fall 2 dB below the exceedance level, before
a new exceedance will be recorded.
3-6 Navigating through the 706/706RC Displays SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
Step 9 Press d to return to the sound pressure level
screen.
Step 10 Press r to move to the sound pressure level set-

ting screen. Here you will see the current 706/
706RC settings for the gain, rms weighting, peak
weighting, and detector rate.
Step 11 Press d twice to advance to the SE data display.
Step 12 Press r to view the SE data in Pa2S (Pasques),

the 8 hour projected Pa2S and the 40 hour pro-
jected Pa2S.
Step 13 Press d to advance to the Dose 1 display.
Step 14 Press r to inspect the Dose 1 settings for the cri-

terion time, criterion level, exchange rate, criterion
time, rms detector, and rms weighting.
If you are measuring to OSHA regulations, the following is

a list of appropriate settings:
RMS Weighting A
Peak Weighting Unweighted
Detector Rate Slow
Exchange Rate 5 dB
Threshold Level 80 dB
Criterion Level 90 dB
Criterion Time 8 hours
Step 15 Press d to inspect the Dose 2 settings. As previ-

ously stated, independent dose settings for all four
of the 706/706RCs simultaneous dose measure-
ments can be established.
Step 16 Press d three times to move to the SPL 1

Exceedance display.
Step 17 Press r to examine the SPL 2 Exceedance val-

ues. This feature allows you to measure and view
a second sound pressure level (RMS) exceedance.
It counts the number of times the SPL 2
Exceedance level was surpassed, and the total time
the RMS sound levels were above the threshold
(120 dB).
Step 18 Press r again to examine the Peak Exceedance

values. The instrument counts the number of times
the Peak Exceedance level was exceeded, and also
records the amount of time for which the level was
3-8 Navigating through the 706/706RC Displays SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
exceeded. The Hysterisis is 2 dB, i.e. the level
must fall 2 dB below the exceedance level, before
a new exceedance will be recorded
Tools
The Tools area is where you go to change settings in the 706/

706RC. Lets tour the Tools menu.
Step 1 Press T on the 706/706RC keypad.
A number of sub menus are available within the Tools menu

including Calibration, Lock, Setup (Emulate: Available
only on the 706RC)
Step 2 Press d to move to the next set of Tools sub

menus.
Memory, About, Power
Step 3 Press d to move to the last set of Tools sub

menus.
Timers and Set Time. We will learn more about each of

these sub menus in upcoming sections.
Step 4 Press u a few times in the Tools menu to high-

light Calibrate.
Remote Control of Remote unit
(706RC ONLY) The 706RC can be used to control a remote unit. The units
that can be controlled are the 706RC, the 706, 705+, and
703+. To start communication with a remote unit.
Step 1 Go to the T menu.
Step 2 Verify that the Emulate menu item is highlighted

at the top of the tools menu.
Step 3 Press the c key to bring up the Emulate menu

items.
The Emulate menu contains two items, connect and invert.
The connect selection is what starts the 706RC looking for a

remote unit.
The inversion mode allows the user to operate the 706RC

while it is upside down. The Invert menu has 3 possible
settings.
never The display and keypad are never inverted.
master The inversion occurs only when the 706RC is
connected to a remote unit.
always The display and keypad are always inverted.
Step 4 Verify that the connect selection is highlighted,

and press the c key.
3-10 Remote Control of Remote unit SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
The 706RC will now start searching for a remote unit. The
706RC will connect to the first available remote unit to
come in range.
Once the 706RC finds a remote unit, the screen on the 706/
706RC RC becomes the screen for the remote. When you
press a key on the 706RC, you are really pressing the key on
the remote unit. All setup functions are then available from
the controls of the 706RC that would normally be available
for manual control.
Please see Chapter 4 for a complete explanation of the

706RC functionality.
Calibration of the 706/706RC
Step 1 To calibrate the 706/706RC, enter the Tools menu

and highlight Calibrate.
If you need to change the Cal Level to reflect a different

calibrator output level, go to Step 2. If the Cal Level is
already set to the correct value (the output signal in dB of
your calibrator), press c and proceed to Step 8.
Step 2 Press c to enter the Calibrate tools menu.
If you are using a Larson Davis Model CAL250, this should

be set to 114.0. If you are using a Larson Davis CAL150 or
CAL200, the value could be set to either 94.0 or 114.0
depending on the setting of the calibrators adjustable level
switch.
NOTE: The instrument will verify that Step 3 Press d to highlight the Cal Level. Then press
the calibration tone is within the c to enable editing the Cal Level.
expected range, if it is not, the calibra-
tion will not be changed.
Step 4 Use l or r to highlight the number(s) you

wish to change.
Step 5 Then use u or d to increment/decrement to

the desired number.
Step 6 When you have the correct calibrator output level

entered, press c to accept.
Step 7 Press u to highlight Perform Cal.
3-12 Calibration of the 706/706RC SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Step 8 Insert the 706/706RC microphone into the calibra-
tor opening. Switch the calibrator on.
Step 9 Press c to initiate the calibration
During the calibration, notice the circle building

on the left side of the display.
When the calibration is finished, the completed

circle changes to a check .
Step 10 Press c to accept the calibration.
Step 11 Press c again to keep this calibration. You will be

returned to the Calibrate menu.
Step 12 Press R to return to the Tools menu.
Using the Lock Feature
The 706/706RC has a very useful keypad Lock feature.

When the Lock is activated, the 706/706RCs display and
keypad are disabled. This renders the 706/706RC virtually
tamper proof during operation. The Lock is activated, and
deactivated by way of a 4-digit user defined Lock code.
Activating the Lock
Step 1 From the Tools menu, press d to highlight Lock.
Step 2 Press c to bring up the Lock combination screen.
Step 3 Type in any four-digit combination using l and

r to move between number fields and u and
d to increment and decrement the numbers.
Step 4 Press c to enter the combination code. The fol-

lowing message/warning will appear.
3-14 Using the Lock Feature SPARK and BLAZE User Manual
Step 5 Press r to highlight YES.
Step 6 Press c to activate the Lock.
Deactivating the Lock
Step 1 To deactivate the lock, press any key on the 706/

706RC keypad to bring up the Lock combination
entry screen.
Step 2 Using l and r to move between number

fields and u and d to increment and decre-
ment the numbers, enter the 4-digit Lock combina-
tion you defined earlier.
Note: If the 4-digit lock combination Step 3 Press c to enter the combination code and deacti-
has been forgotten, the unit can be vate the Lock. You will be returned to the display
unlocked by connecting to the unit screen prior to entering the Tools menu.

using the Blaze software.
Setting up the 706/706RC
Setting the 706 Date and Time
Step 1 Opening the TOOLS Menu
Press the TOOLS key to open the Spark dosimeter's menu.

The following display should appear (with a 706RC,
"Emulate" will be the first item displayed on the menu).
Step 2 Selecting "Set Time"
Press the DOWN arrow key several times until "Set Time" is
highlighted.
Press the CHECK key (?) and the following display will
appear.
The first time displayed (i.e. 09:50:38) is the time that is

currently set in the dosimeter. The seconds will be
incrementing as the display is viewed.
Step 3 Setting the Hours, Minutes, and Seconds
The display shows the value that can be changed. For

example, in the figure above the hours (09) are highlighted.
Use the RIGHT and LEFT arrow keys to move back and
forth between the hours, minutes, and seconds settings. Use
the UP and DOWN arrow keys to change each setting.
3-16 Setting up the 706/706RC SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

For example, the figure below shows that the time has been
changed to 14:27:30
Press the CHECK key (?) to store the new time in the
dosimeter. (If you decide to not change the current time,
press the RESET key, instead of CHECK, to exit the menu.)
Step 4 Selecting "Set Date"
After setting the time and pressing the CHECK key (?), the
instrument will again display the TOOLS menu as shown
below.
Press the DOWN arrow key once to highlight the "Set Date"
selection as shown below.
Press the CHECK key (?) and the following display will
appear.
The first date displayed (i.e. 9/22/2003) is the date that is

currently set in the dosimeter. The date is displayed as
month / day / year.
Step 5 Setting the Month, Day, and Year
The display shows the value that can be changed. For

example, in the figure above the month (9) is highlighted.
Use the RIGHT and LEFT arrow keys to move back and
forth between the month, day, and year settings. Use the UP
and DOWN arrow keys to change each setting.
For example, the figure below shows that the date has been
changed to 12/08/2011.
Press the CHECK key (?) to store the new date in the
dosimeter. (If you decide to not change the current date,
press the RESET key, instead of CHECK, to exit the menu.)
Step 6 Viewing the New Time and Date
After setting the date and pressing the CHECK key (?), the
instrument will again display the TOOLS menu as shown
below.
Use the UP arrow key to highlight the Timers selection, and

CHECK key (?) to display the newly set time and date.
Tour Tools Menu
The tools area is where you go to changes settings in the

706/706RC. Lets tour the Tools Menu.
Step 1 Press T on the 706/706RC keypad to enter the

Tools menu.
Step 2 Press d to highlight Setup.

Step 3 Press c to enter the Setup menu.
Within the Setup menu, you can access the 706/706RC setup
functions such as Gain, Frequency Weighting, Peak
Weighting, Detector setting, Time History Period, Dose 1
settings, Dose 2 settings, Dose 3 settings, and Dose 4
settings. The choices for these different setup functions are:
Gain (0, 10, 20, or 30 dB)
Frequency Weighting (A or C)
Peak Weighting (Unweighted or C)
Detector Setting (Slow or Fast)
Time History Period (1, 5, 10, 30, or 60 seconds)
Dose 1 (Threshold Level, Exchange Rate (3, 4, 5, 6), Cri-
terion Time, Criterion Level)
Changing the Gain
Changing the Gain of the 706/706RC will alter the

measurement range of the instrument. An increase in Gain
will enable the 706/706RC to measure lower noise levels. It
will also reduce the upper measurement range of the 706/
706RC. To change the Gain:
Step 1 Verify that Gain is the highlighted choice in the

Setup menu.
Step 2 Press c to enter the Gain selection menu.
Step 3 Press u to increment through the four Gain

choices (use d to return to the previous selec-
tions).
Step 4 Press c to enter the new Gain value or R to exit

without making the change.
The new Gain selection is now active.
Changing the Frequency Weighting
The choices are either A or C weighting, although A is the

most common setting.
Step 1 To change the RMS frequency weighting, first

highlight Frq Wght by pressing d in the Setup
menu.
Step 2 Press c to enter the Frequency Weighting edit

field.

Step 3 Press u or d to move to your desired weight-
ing value.
Step 4 Press c to accept the new choice or press R to

exit without making the change.
Changing the Peak Weighting
This function is used to change the weighting of the 706/

706RCs Peak Detector. The choices are either C or U
(Unweighted). Peak weighting is independent of the RMS
weighting.
Step 1 To change the Peak weighting, first highlight Pk

Wght by pressing d in the Setup menu.
Step 2 Press c to enter the Peak Weighting edit field.
Step 3 Press u or d to move to the desired weighting

value.
Step 4 Press c to accept the new choice or R to exit
Changing the Detector
This function is used to change the rate of the 706/706RCs

rms (root-mean-square) detector which is used to collect
data. This is normally set to Slow for dosimetry applications,
however you need to verify this with your particular
countries regulations. Choices are either S (Slow) or F
(Fast).
Step 1 To change the Detector rate, first highlight Detec-

tor by pressing d in the Setup menu.
Step 2 Press c to enter the Detector edit field.
Step 3 Press u or d to move to your desired Detector

rate.


Changing the Time History Period
The Time History Period or Sample Interval sets how often a

sample is stored within the 706/706RC. Time Histories are
very helpful if you wish to see how the sound varies during
the measurement period. A short Sample Interval (1-second)
will provide excellent resolution, but requires more 706/
706RC memory. A longer Sample Interval (1-minute) is
normally sufficient for work noise exposure surveys. The
choices here are 1, 5, 15, 30, or 60 seconds). Shorter sample

periods can be combined later in the Blaze software after
download.
Step 1 To change the Time History Period, first highlight

Tm Hst Per by pressing d in the Setup menu.
Step 2 Press c to enter the Time History Period edit

field.
Step 3 Press u or d to cycle to your desired Time

History Period.

Changing the Dose Measurement Settings
The 706/706RC has the facility to measure 4 simultaneous

dose measurements. These are denoted as Dose 1, Dose 2,
Dose 3, and Dose 4. Each of these Dose measurements can
have independent settings, and thus be set with different
Threshold Levels, Exchange Rates, Criterion Levels, and
Criterion Times.
Step 1 To change the Dose 1 settings, highlight Dose 1 by

pressing d in the Setup menu.
Step 2 Press c to enter the Dose 1 Settings menu.
Changing the Threshold Level Step 3 Press c to enter the Dose 1 Threshold Level edit
field.
Step 4 Press l and r to move between digits and

u or d to increment or decrement that digit.

Changing the Exchange Rate Step 6 Press d to highlight the Dose 1 Exchange Rate.

Step 7 Press c to enter the Dose 1 Exchange rate edit
field.
Step 8 Press u or d to cycle to your desired

Exchange Rate (3, 4, 5, or 6).
Step 9 Press c to accept this Exchange Rate choice or

press R to exit without making the change.
Changing the Criterion Time Step 10 Press d to highlight the Dose 1 Criterion Time.
Step 11 Press c to enter the Dose 1 Criterion Time edit

field.
Step 12 Press l and r to move between digits and

u or d to increment or decrement that digit.
Step 13 Press c to accept the new Dose 1 Criterion Time

or press R to exit without making the change.
Changing the Criterion Level Step 14 Press c to enter the Dose 1 Criterion Level edit
field.
Step 15 Press l and r to move between number fields

and u or d to increment/decrement the num-
bers to your Dose 1 Criterion Level of choice.
Step 16 Press c to accept this new Dose 1 Criterion Level

or press R to exit without making the change.
Changing the Dose 2, Dose 3, and Dose 4 measurement

setup is achieved in the same manner as shown with Dose 1.
The values that were entered in this tutorial do not

necessarily reflect desirable or accurate dose settings. Please
ensure that your 706/706RC contains the settings that are
pertinent to your particular countrys regulatory
requirement. For OSHA, these values are: RMS Weighting
A; Peak Weighting Unweighted; Detector Rate Slow;
Exchange Rate 5 dB; Threshold Level 80 dB; Criterion
Level 90 dB; Criterion Time 8 hours.
Step 17 Press R to return to the Setup Menu
Step 18 Press R again to exit to the Tools Menu
Memory Settings
The 706 and 706RC come standard with 4 Mbyte of non-

volatile memory. The Memory Time (how much run time
you have with the current 706/706RC settings) can be
viewed. Memory Used (in %) and the Memory Free (in %)

can also be viewed. You can also clear the Memory by using
Clear All.
Step 1 In the Tools menu, press d to highlight Memory.
Step 2 Press c to enter the Memory menu. Use the d

and u arrow keys to navigate through the menu.
Memory Time Mem Time (Memory Time) lists the total time (in hh:mm)
the 706/706RC can run before the memory is full, using the
current measurement settings. The main variable controlling
this value is the Time History Period setting.
Memory Used Mem Used (Memory Used) lists the amount of consumed
memory (in percent).
Memory Free Mem Free (Memory Free) lists the amount of available
memory remaining in the 706/706RC.
Number of Records Stored This screen shows you how many files are currently stored
in the Spark instrument. A record consists of a Run and a
Stop. Each Run/Stop is considered a separate record. The
706RC can only hold 50 Records as well.
Installed Bytes of Memory Indicates the number of bytes of memory that were
originally installed in the Spark instrument.
Upload (706RC only) Upload is the function that is used to upload data from a
remote unit into the 706RC, which can then be uploaded to
the Blaze software. Multiple instrument uploads can be
taken before the 706RCs memory fills. The 706RC will not
allow you to upload a remote unit unless there is sufficient
memory available in the 706RC to take the entire remote
memory.
Clear All Clear All memory is used to reset the memory in the 706/
706RC. All measurement data residing in the 706/706RC
memory will be lost when this function is performed.
WARNING! Clear All is an unrecoverable function. All of the 706/

706RCs data will be lost when this feature is used. The 706/
706RC must be stopped to perform this function.
To clear the 706/706RC memory:
Step 1 Press c to initiate the reset.
Step 2 Press r to highlight YES.
Step 3 Press c to clear the memory.

Notice that the Memory Free value has changed to
100% and the Memory Used value has changed to
0%.
Step 4 Press R twice to exit to the Tools menu.
About
About screen contains the firmware version and serial

number of your 706/706RC.
Step 1 Press d to highlight About.
Step 2 Press c enter the About Screen.
The firmware version of the 706/706RC is dis-

played.
Step 3 Press d to see the 706/706RC serial number.
The706s serial number appears.
Step 4 Press R to exit to the About Screen.
The Power Menu
Step 1 Press d to highlight Power.
Step 2 Press c to enter the Power menu.
The first displayed value is the Battery Time. This

indicates the remaining time run time on the cur-
rent batteries. This run time is dependent on a
proper battery type selection.
Step 3 Press the d to see the battery type being used.

Press the c key to select the type of battery you
wish to use.
WARNING! In explosive environments, only approved alkaline batteries

can be used in this instrument. (See page A-8 for approved
batteries.)
Step 4 Press d until Auto-Off is highlighted.
Step 5 Press d until Volts is highlighted.

The Volts value displayed, reflects the remaining
voltage in the batteries. New alkaline batteries will
yield 1.5V each for a total displayed battery volt-
age value of about 3V. Fully charged NiCDs or
NiMHs should indicate roughly 2.4V.
If you are using rechargeable batteries (NiCD or

NiMH), it may take a few moments for the battery
voltage value to stabilize.
Auto-Off The Auto-Off feature allows you to set a time whereby the
706/706RC automatically powers off. If a 706/706RC key
has not been pressed during this Auto-Off period, the 706/
706RC automatically shuts off to conserve power.
The maximum time that can be set is 60 minutes. The

minimum is 1 minute. Selecting the "Never" option disables
this feature, leaving the 706/706RC power on indefinitely, or
until the unit is powered off using v.
If the 706/706RC Timer has been set, the Auto-Off feature

will be disabled until one minute after completion of the last
timer stop time. Auto-Off is also disabled during a manual
start (run) until the unit is stopped or when the Spark
instrument is in range of any active IR device.
Step 6 Press c to edit the Auto-Off time.
Step 7 Press d to cycle through the Auto-Off times.
Step 8 When you have highlighted your Auto-Off time,

press c to accept.
Step 9 Press R to exit to the Power menu.
Timers
The Timers area is used to view the current time and date of
the instruments built in clock, and to view the automatic
run/stop timers, if they have been established. The time, date
and the timers can be changed using the Blaze software.
Time and date can also be changed manually with the
instrument. Automatic timers, however, can only be changed

using Blaze .
Step 1 Press d to highlight Timer.
Step 2 Press c to enter the Timers screen.
Time Now show the Time and Date of the 706/

706RCs clock
Step 3 Press d to see if Timers have been set.
If a Timer is set, you can view the Start/Stop

Times and Dates from this display. TO1 displayed
in the upper right corner of the screen is the first
action to be taken. This will always be a Timer

start. In this case, the timer is set to start on Sep-
tember 13, 1999, at 2:30 PM. Press the d arrow
to see the stop time.
Step 4 Press R to exit to the Timers menu.
If the Repeat Twice Daily selection had been made, there

would be two more timer indicators. TO3 and TO4.
If the 706/706RC is manually started (run) prior to the timer

start time, the unit will still stop at the programmed timer
stop time/date.
Display
Display allows you to adjust the contrast of the 706/706RC

display, adjust the brightness of the display backlight, and
establish a backlight shut off time to conserve battery power.
Step 1 Press d to highlight Display.
Step 2 Press c to enter the Display menu.
Contrast adjusts the contrast of the 706/706RC

screen. The larger the percentage, the darker the
screen will appear. To adjust the contrast, high-
light the contrast menu item, press the c key, and
use the u and d arrows to adjust to the desired
level. When finished, press the c key to return to
the display menu.
Step 3 Press d to highlight BL Bright (Backlight
Brightness).
This adjusts the brightness of the backlit display of

the 706/706RC. A value of 0% turns the backlight
off. This maximizes the battery life of the 706/
706RC.
Step 4 Press d to highlight BL Save (Backlight Save).
The Backlight Save feature allows you to set a

time whereby the 706/706RC screen backlight
automatically powers off. If a 706/706RC key has
not been pressed during this Auto-Off period, the
backlight is automatically turned off to conserve
power.
Step 5 Press R to exit to the Display menu.

CHAPTER
4 706RC Operation
Introduction
The 706RC is a 706 with the added capability to communi-

cate with other Spark Family instruments (703+, 705+,
706). This remote function will allow the user to have com-
plete control, including observation of the data being gath-
ered on the 706RC screen.
Menu Structure
The menu structure for the 706RC is identical to the menu

structure of the standard 706, except that an Emulate selec-
tion has been added to the top of the tools menu, and the
Upload section has been added to the Memory menu. Within
the Emulate menu, the user will select either Connect or
Invert. The Upload selection allows for uploading data from
other Spark Family instruments into the 706RC. These set-
tings are explained later in this chapter.
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual 706RC Operation 4-1

Controlling a Remote Device
Note: The remote dosimeter (703+or Place a single remote unit in front of the 706RC.
705+) utilizes a digital infrared data
transmission and control To connect with the remote, select Connect from the Emu-
mechanism. The infrared late menu.
transceivers operate on a "line of
sight" principle, yet the infrared The 706RC master will indicate that it is searching for
light beams will disperse in a conical "(ANY 70x)". The serial number of the first remote that
manner and may reflect off highly comes in range is recorded by the 706RC.
polished surfaces including
tabletops and notebook paper. The
706RC can only process digital
information from ONE remote
dosimeter at a time. Thus, it is
important to allow only ONE remote
dosimeter to communicate with the
706RC at one time. Physically
separate the remote devices such
that they do not interfere with one
another.
Keys pressed on the 706RC will be After the connection is made, the 706RC's screen will be
immediately sent to the remote as if replaced by the remote's screen. The "mail" icon will flash
you had pushed the button on the on the 706RC as an indication that the display is showing the
remote unit. All functions available remote's data. The "mail" icon of the remote (706 and
in the remote device will be accessi- 706RC only) will come on solid to indicate that it is being
ble from the 706RC. The key controlled by the 706RC. If the connection is interrupted, the
response and screen update perfor- 706RC will indicate that it is searching for a remote with the
mance of the remote will typically be given serial number. To terminate the search, press the
as quick as a regular 706. To exit the v(power) key on the 706RC.
emulation mode and terminate the
connection to the remote, the 706RC
operator presses the v(power) key.
It is not possible to turn the remote
off by using the 706RC. The remote
remains fully functional during emu-
lation.
4-2 Controlling a Remote Device SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Inversion Mode
The 706RC can be used to control a remote instrument while

a user is still wearing it. In order to point the 706RC's IR
window at the remote's IR window, the 706RC can be held
upside down. To facilitate this type of use, the 706RC has an
optional "inversion mode". Enabling this option causes both
the 706RC's display and the arrow keys on the keypad to be
inverted. An example of an inverted screen is shown below.
Figure 4-1 Inverted and Standard Display Modes
The inversion mode allows the user to operate the 706RC

while it is upside down. The Invert menu has 3 possible set-
tings.
never The display and keypad are never inverted.

master The inversion occurs only when the 706RC is
connected to a remote.
always The display and keypad are always inverted.
To change the invert status of the instrument:
Step 1 From the T tools menu, verify that Emulate is

highlighted, and press the check key.
Step 2 Use the d arrow key to highlight Invert, and

press the check key.
Step 3 The d and u arrow keys can now be used to

select the inversion mode for the 706RC.
Step 4 After the desired mode is showing, press the c

key to enter the selection, and return to the Emu-
late menu.
The screen and keypad will invert when the connect menu
item is selected and the c key pressed.
4-4 Inversion Mode SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Record Transfer
The 706RC is able to upload records from remote units.

Both the 706RC and the remote will need to be stopped prior
to initiating the transfer.
To initiate the Upload:
Step 1 Press the T (tools) key on the 706RC while it is

connected to a remote unit.
Step 2 Use the u and d arrow keys to scroll to the

Memory menu item.
Step 3 Press the c check key.
Step 4 Use the u and d arrow keys to scroll to the

Upload menu item, and press the c key.
The data transfer rate will be 1/3 to 1/2 the speed of an

equivalent transfer to a PC (the available amount of free
RAM on the 706RC limits the size of the data packet). A 1
Megabyte transfer will take approximately 6 minutes. The
706RC will refuse to start the transfer if it does not have
enough free memory to store the entire used memory of the
remote.

If the beam is broken during a file transfer, the 706RC will
continuously attempt to complete the transfer, unless the
user elects to cancel the operation
If the beam is restored, the file transfer will resume. During

transfer, the 706RC's screen will display transfer statistics.
After the data upload is complete, the remote instrument

may momentarily display a higher sound pressure level,
which will then quickly come down to the regular ambient
noise level. This is normal.
The following screen shows what type of information is

available during a transfer:
The total number of bytes to transfer (i.e. 117kB)
The percentage of total bytes transferred (i.e. 12%)
The total number of records to transfer (i.e. 2)
The record currently being transferred (i.e. 1)
The percentage of the current record that has been trans-
ferred (i.e. 80%)
If the operator of the 706RC elects to cancel a transfer, the

706RC will automatically delete the partially transferred
record from its memory. The records on the 706RC can be

transferred into Blaze as usual (each record will contain the
serial number of the unit that created the record).
4-6 Record Transfer SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

APPENDIX
A Spark 706RC/706/705+/705/
703+/703 Specifications
Specifications are subject to change without notice. Numeri-
cal values given are typical. Refer to specific calibration or
test results for accurate data on a specific unit.
General Characteristics
Type Precision The Larson Davis Spark series meters with attached
MPR001, combined preamplifier, 3/8" microphone cable
and connector, is a Type 2 combination personal noise
dosimeter and personal noise exposure meter.
Reference Direction The reference direction is perpendicular to the plane of the

microphone diaphragm.
Typical Measurement Ranges RMS Detector

Dynamic Range > 75 dB
Primary Indicator Range > 70 dB
Measurement Ranges
Gain = 30dB Gain = 20dB Gain = 10dB Gain = 0dB
43 - 113 dBA 53 - 123 dBA 63 - 133 dBA 73 - 143 dBA
Crest Factor Limit > 50

Pulse Range = 70dB
The instrument's Noise Floor, Lower Limit, and Overload

Level, vary, depending upon the sensitivity of the attached
microphone. Typical values for a MPR001 or MPR002 3/8"
microphone are listed in the table below.
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Spark 706RC/706/705+/705/703+/703 Specifications A-1

Typical Noise Floor Typical Lower Limit Typical Max
Typical Overload
A-Weighted A-Weighted Peak Level
Gain = 30dB Gain = 30dB Gain = 0dB Gain = 0dB
35.0 dBSPL 40.0 dBSPL 143.0 dBSPL 146.0 dBSPL
Worst Case
Noise Floor Lower Limit Overload

Max Peak Level
A-Weighted A-Weighted
Gain = 30 dB Gain = 30 dB Gain = 0 dB Gain = 0 dB
40 dB SPL 45 dB SPL 140 dB SPL 143 dB SPL
Peak Detector
Dynamic Range > 40 dB
Primary Indicator Range > 35 dB
Measurement Range is approximately 80 to 146 dBSPL
Peak in 4 ranges
Calibration Reference Level The reference level is 114.0 dBSPL.
Frequency Weightings The available frequency weightings for the Model 706/703
are described in the following table.
Flat
Detector A Weight C Weight
Weighting
RMS
Peak
A-2 General Characteristics SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

The typical frequency response of the Peak detector with
FLAT weighting is shown in the following table.
Nominal Unweighted Nominal Unweighted Nominal Unweighted

Frequency Peak FLAT Frequency Peak FLAT Frequency Peak FLAT
Hz Weighting - Hz Weighting - Hz Weighting -
dB dB dB
10 0.4 160 0.0 2500 0.0
12.5 0.3 200 0.0 3150 0.0
16 0.3 250 0.0 4000 0.0
20 0.2 315 0.0 5000 0.0
25 0.2 400 0.0 6300 0.1
31.5 0.1 500 0.0 8000 0.1
40 0.1 630 0.0 10000 0.1
50 0.0 800 0.0 12500 0.2
63 0.0 1000 0.0 16000 0.2
80 0.0 1250 0.0 20000 0.2
100 0.0 1600 0.0
125 0.0 2000 0.0
Detector Time Weightings The available RMS detector time weightings are FAST and
SLOW.
Operating Temperature Range The SPL level varies 0.5 dB when the complete instrument
is tested over the -10 C to 50 C temperature range. The
reference reading, for this test, is taken at 20 C and 36%
relative humidity (RH); the input signal is at 1000 Hz at
114.0 dB SPL.
Effects of Humidity The SPL level varies 0.5 dB when the complete instrument
is tested over the 30% to 90% RH range. This test is
performed at 40 C, with an input signal of 1000 Hz at 114.0
dB SPL.
Storage Temperature Permanent damage can occur when stored or operated above
60 C or below -20 C. Condensation of moisture will make
readings inaccurate but will be correct when moisture has
dissipated.
Effects of Magnetic Fields The SPL level varies 0.5 dB when the complete instrument
is tested in an 80 A/m, 60 Hz magnetic field (worst case
orientation). Even at a field strength of 240 A/m the SPL
level variation is still 0.5 dB.

Effects of Strong Acoustic With the microphone replaced by an equivalent electrical
Fields impedance, the instrument was placed in a sound field of
100 dBSPL. The acoustic signal (sine wave) was swept from
31.5 Hz to 8000 Hz at a 0.1 octave/second rate. The strong
acoustic field did not affect the reading on the instrument.
Compliance with
Electromagnetic Compatibility
Standards
CE Standard Description
Electrical equipment for measurement,
IEC 61326-1 control and laboratory use EMC
(2005) requirements Part 1: General requirements.
Consisting of the tests b elow.
IEC 61000-4-2 Electrostatic discharge immunity test.
(2008) (4kV contact, 8kV air discharge).
Radiated, radio-frequency, electromagnetic
field immunity test.
IEC 61000-4-3
AM at 1 kHz, 80%. 26 MHz to 1.0 GHz (10
(2006)
V/m), 1.4 GHz to 2.0 GHz (3 V/m), 2.0 GHz to
2.7 GHz (1 V/m). <2 dB from 85 dB SPL.
Power frequency magnetic field i mmu nity
IEC 61000-4-8
test.
(2001)
80 A/m. <2 dB from 85 dB SPL.

Effects of Mechanical Vibration The entire instrument (including the microphone and
preamplifier) was sinusoidally vibrated at an acceleration of
1 m/s2 at 1/3 octave frequencies from 10 Hz to 1000 Hz. The
results of this test are shown in the following tables.
X Axis: Acceleration parallel to the mic diaphragm (mic/

preamp body was laid on its side on the shaker) Y Axis:
Nominal Frequency Instrument Reading Nominal Frequency Instrument Reading

Hz (10 sec Leq) Hz (10 sec Leq)
dB(C) SPL dB(C) SPL
10 66.1 160 73.9
12.5 66.5 200 73.2
16 68.0 250 70.5
20 69.2 315 76.9
25 70.7 400 76.0
31.5 71.7 500 76.2
40 72.6 630 75.2
50 73.2 800 75.6
63 73.7 1000 75.9
80 74.1
100 74.4
125 74.1
Acceleration perpendicular to the mic diaphragm (mic/

preamp body was laid on its side on the shaker)

dB(C) SPL dB(C) SPL
10 68.4 160 80.6
12.5 69.6 200 80.5
16 72.1 250 79.6
20 73.9 315 81.8
25 75.7 400 81.6
31.5 77.5 500 81.5
40 78.8 630 82.5
50 79.6 800 83.2
63 80.2 1000 84.3
80 80.4
100 80.7
125 80.7

Z Axis: Acceleration perpendicular to the top surface of the
MRP001 cap

dB(C) SPL dB(C) SPL
10 66.1 160 66.1
12.5 66.1 200 66.1
16 66.1 250 66.1
20 66.1 315 66.1
25 66.1 400 66.1
31.5 66.1 500 66.1
40 66.1 630 66.1
50 66.1 800 66.1
63 66.1 1000 66.6
80 66.1
100 66.1
125 68.5
Microphone Extension Cables Microphone extension cables cannot be used with the Spark
series meters.
Calibration Procedure The calibration procedure for the Spark series meters is
described on page 2.13 and 3.11 of this manual.
Reference Frequency The reference frequency is 1000 Hz.
Stabilization Time At power-on, the Spark series meters will not proceed to a
running condition until it is allowed to stabilize. A short
stabilization time (approx. 5 seconds) is also invoked when
certain settings (Weighting, Gain, etc.) are changed.
Microphone Electrical The Larson Davis ADP046 should be substituted for the
Impedance MPR001 microphone when performing electrical tests on
the Spark series meters.
Functions Measured Dose, Projected Dose, Time Weighted Average (TWA),

and Leq
Exposure in Pa2S and Pa2H, (including the E8 and E40
calculations)
SPL, Lmax, Lmin, and Lpeak
Exceedance count and duration for 115 and 120 dBSPL
(RMS), and 140 dBSPL (Peak)

Ln Table for SPL measurements (5 minute intervals, 0.5
dB resolution bins)
Time History
Data Storage 4 Mbyte Memory

Unlimited data memory retention with batteries
removed.
2 minute (typical) data retention for clock during battery
change.
5 second download (typical time required to transfer 8
hours of data, sampled at a 60 second rate, from a Spark

instrument to the Blaze software)
The Spark noise dosimeters store a time-history sample once

every 1, 5, 15, 30, or 60 seconds (user selectable). If
necessary, longer sample periods can be calculated by the

Blaze software. Each time history sample contains the Leq,
Lmax, Lmin, and Peak level for each sample period. In
addition, four time weighted averages (TWAs) for each
sample period are also stored (the four TWAs have four
corresponding user selectable exchange rates and
thresholds).
In addition to the time history samples, the Spark

instruments also store an LN table once every 5 minutes.
The LN table has bins from 60dB to 150dB in 0.5dB
increments.
Storage Capacity of Spark Instruments
4 Mbyte Memory
Sample Period Maximum Storage Time
(hh:mm)
1 second 54:48
5 second 221:41
15 second 450:01
30 second 606:06
60 second 733:16

Note that recording time is also limited by battery life. See
Larson Davis Spark Dosimeters Run-time
Specifications on page -A-9 for applicable run times.
Data Communications Infrared serial interface for computer communications

Data Rate: 115,000 bits per second
Digital Display 97 x 32 pixel, graphical LCD display

Icons for displaying battery life, run time, overload,
IrDA activity and Microphone Disconnect
Update rate: 5 times/second
Digital Display Resolution dB levels: 0.1 dB

Dose: 0.001%
Elapsed Time: 1 second
Real-time Clock/Calendar Accuracy: 0.02% (-10 to 50 degrees C)

24 hour clock: hh:mm:ss
1 second resolution
Year 2000 compliant
98 Automatic run/stop timers
Run-time Clock One second resolution

Format: mm:ss, (switches to hh:mm after 59 minutes and
59 seconds and colon flashes to indicate seconds)
99 hours and 59 minutes
Standards Met IEC60651 - 1979 (including amendment 1 - 1993)

IEC60804 - 1985 (including amendment 1 - 1985, and
amendment 2 - 1993)
IEC61252 - 1993 (including amendment 1-2000)
ANSI S1.4 - 1983
ANSI S1.25 - 1991
Power Supply 703/703+/704706/706RC operate with 2 AA alkaline

batteries, approximately 100 hour operation

703/703+/704706/706RC operate with 2 AA NiCd or
NiMH batteries, run time is reduced to approximately 40
hours
705/705+ operate with 1 AA alkaline battery, approxi-
mately 35 hour operation
705/705+ operate with 1 AA NiCd or NiMH batteries,
run time is reduced to approximately 15 hours
Current draw when unit is off is approximately 800A
(batteries will drain down in about 3 months)
Actual run-times vary depending on operating conditions
Battery-life indication selected from keyboard or com-
puter program
Dimensions/Weight (with Width: 2.5 inches (6.4 cm)

Microphone, Preamplifier, and
Battery, and Case) Length: 5.6 inches (14 cm) - without MPR001 (Micro-
phone, Preamplifier, cable and connector combination.)
Depth: 1.25 inches (3.2 cm)
Weight: 8.4 ounces (238 gm)
Approved Battery Types To comply with the intrinsic safety rating of this instrument,
one of the following battery types must be used when this
instrument is operated in an explosive environment.
Duracell MN1500 AA Alkaline
Eveready Energizer E91 AA Alkaline
WARNING! Do not replace batteries in an explosive environment.
In NON-explosive environments, NiCd or NiMH

rechargeable batteries may be used. (See page 1-17 for
recommended rechargeable batteries).

Larson Davis Spark
Dosimeters Run-time
Specifications

Running at Various Temperatures
Total Run-time Total Run-time

Dosimeter
@ -10C (hrs) @ 25C (hrs)
703, 703+, 704, 706, 706RC,

70 100
705, 705+ 14 35
Notes:
The reduction of run-times in colder environments is due
to the chemical attributes and nature of the batteries.
Run-times at higher temperatures will give similar run-
times as those of 25C.
All of the above times are with units using alkaline bat-
teries. Run-times will be somewhat shorter if running
with NiCd or NiMH batteries.
705 and 705+ downloading after run-times
Because the 705and 705+ units use only one battery, they
tend to consume more battery energy during the
downloading of data. Below are times listed on how long the
unit can run and still be able to download data with no
problems. The times in the table above still apply for
continuous run-times, however, the user may encounter
problems during the downloading if the run-times are longer
than the times listed in the table below. If problems are
encounter during downloading of data simply install a fresh
battery; the data will still be safe.
Run-time and still
Dosimeter
downloadable (hrs)
705, 705+ 24
Notes:
All of the above times are with units using alkaline
batteries. Times will be somewhat shorter if running with
NiCd or NiMH batteries.

Microphone Pinout

APPENDIX
B Frequently Asked Questions
Measurements and Interfaces
This FAQ answers the following questions:

What do the Spark Family of Instruments measure?
How do are they utilized?
How do they communicate with the computer and other
instruments?
What data reports can be produced?
Metrics Measured The Spark Family of Instruments are personal noise

dosimeters. They are designed to measure workplace noise
exposure
The specific metrics measured are described below.
D o s e : 5 k in d s : P r o je c te d TW A SEL SPL Leq L m in Lm ax Lpeak

( IS O + 4 u s e r D o se (5 , a s 4 (U se r ( U n w e ig h te d
s e le c te d ) w it h D o s e ) s e le c te d ) o r C w g h t .)
PLUS: 4 - 6 Overall Ln values (Ln values can be changed even after measurement)
Operation The table below indicates the operational modes of the

different Spark instruments. Those with both a keypad and a
display can be operated manually. Many can also be
operated in the field using the 706RC remote control unit, as
indicated in the column entitled "Remote Control
Capability". With the exception of the 704, all Spark

instruments can be setup and operated using the Blaze
software, communicating with the instrument via an infrared
link. When operated manually in the field, measured data

can be subsequently downloaded to the Blaze software for
reporting or, if using the 706RC, downloaded to the 706RC

and subsequently to the Blaze software.
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Frequently Asked Questions B-1

Model LCD Keypad Infrared Remote Control Report Capability Casing
Screen Communication Capability (in Blaze)
(with Blaze)
706RC X X X Control, Display, Complete Report Lightweight
Upload Case
706 X X X Sends info to Complete Report Lightweight
706RC or PC Case
705+ X Sends info to Complete Report Metal Case
706RC or PC
705 X N/A Basic and Summary Metal Case
Reports
704 X X N/A N/A Display Only Lightweight
NO PC interface Case
703+ X Sends info to Complete Report Lightweight
706RC or PC Case
703 X N/A Basic and Summary Lightweight
Reports Case
Reporting In the above table, the column entitled "Report Capability"

indicates the reports which can be provided using the Blaze
software for each Spark instrument. Examples of these
reports can be found in Sample Reports on page E-1.
Connecting the IR Interface
This FAQ describes how to connect the Spark noise

dosimeter to a computer.
The 706, 706RC, 705, 705+, 703, and the 703+ all use an
accompanying infrared interface module. The DVX008 can
be used for direct serial connections. No driver is required
for it. Or, for USB connections, use the DVX008A (with
DVX008) or DVX009. These two interface modules do not

need any additional drivers, as the Blaze software installs
all of them for you.
B-2 Connecting the IR Interface SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Identifying the COM Port
Step 1
Go to Start, Control Panel, and double click System.
Step 2
Within System Properties go to the Hardware tab, and click
on Device Manager.
Step 3
Within Device Manager if you see anything that has to do
with an IR port, disable it. This will ensure that the

connection will be clear for Blaze .
Step 4
Within Device Manager, go to Ports to see which COM port
to use. You can see in the example above that the correct
COM port is next to "ATEN USB to Serial Bridge" (COM9
in this example). This is the COM port you will use in

Blaze .
Step 5
Close Device Manager and System Properties.
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Frequently Asked Questions B-3

Connecting to a Spark Dosimeter in Blaze
Step 6

Open Blaze , and go to Options, Connection
Step 7 Insure that the instrument type is Spark
Step 8
If using a DVX008, select which COM port it is attached to,
or select the DVX008A or DVX009 if one of these is being
used instead. These all will appear in the Select COM Port
pull down menu as the following:
DVX008 appears as "COMn <Communications Port>"
DVX008A with DVX008 appears as "COMn
<DVX008A ATEN Serial to USB Bridge with
DVX008>"
DVX009 appears as "COMn <DVX009 Infrared (IR)
interface with USB>"
NOTE: A text box may come up Click Connect to make the connection.
stating that the instrument time
needs to be resolved with the
computer time. Clicking OK will
resolve the times and the Instrument
Manager will come up.
B-4 Connecting the IR Interface SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

APPENDIX
C Glossary
A-weight A standard frequency weighting to simulate the response of
the human ear.
Calibration Adjustment of the system so that the measured sound level

agrees with a reference sound source.
Calibration Check A check for variations between the measured level and a ref-
erence level - no adjustment is made to the system.
Criterion Duration Criterion duration is the time required for a continually

applied sound of the selected criterion level to produce a
dose of 100%. Criterion duration is typically 8 hours.
Criterion Level It is the level of a sound which will produce a dose of 100%
if continually applied for the criterion time. The current
OSHA criterion level is 90 dB.
C-weight A standard frequency weighting that simulates the response

of the human ear to high amplitude (loud) noise.
Daily Personal Noise Exposure LEP,d is the level, expressed in dB, of a constant sound over a
(LEP,d) specified normalization time period (Tn) that contains the
same energy as the actual (unsteady) sound measured over a
stated measurement period (T2 - T1). The measurement
period is generally shorter, so the actual noise exposure is
spread out (or normalized) over the normalization time
period.

In Blaze , the Criterion Duration is the normalization time
period, and the Run Time is the measurement period. For
example, a measured Leq of 86 dB (Run Time = 4 hours)
will produce an LEP,d of 83 dB (Criterion Duration = 8
hours).
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Glossary C-1

In Blaze, LEP,d is annotated as Lep(x) where x represents
the normalization time period or Criterion Duration (i.e.
8, 10, 12, etc. hours).
T2
1 P (t)
2
L EP, d = 10Log 10 -----
T P0
T n 2
- dt dB
------------

1
OR
L EP, d = Leq + 10Log 10 [ ( T2 T1 ) Tn ] dB

Leq = frequency weighted (A or C), equivalent-continuous sound pressure level in dB
P(t) = instantaneous, frequency weighted (A or C), sound pressure in pascals
P0 = reference sound pressure, 20 Pa
Tn = normalization period (Criterion Duration)
T2 - T1 = measurement period (Run Time)
Detector Rate See Frequency and Exponential-Time Weighted Sound

Level.
Dose See Noise Dose.
Exchange Rate Exchange rate is defined in ANSI S1.25 as "the change in

sound level corresponding to a doubling or halving of the
duration of sound level while a constant percentage of crite-
rion exposure is maintained". Possible values for this field
are 3, 4, 5, or 6. The current OSHA exchange rate is 5. A
value of 3 will produce Leq-like levels.
Equivalent-Continuous Sound Leq is the level of a constant sound, expressed in dB, which
Level or Leq in a given time period (T= T2 - T1) has the same energy as
does a time varying sound. For the Spark dosimeters, an
Leq value is recorded for 2 different time intervals. First, an
Leq is recorded for the entire records Run Time. Second, an
Leq is recorded for each individual time history sample.
On the Spark dosimeters, Leq is annotated as LAeq or

LCeq (A or C frequency weighted Leq)
C-2 Glossary SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

.
T2
1 P (t)
2
Leq = 10Log 10 ---
T ------------- dt dB
P0
2
T1

T = measurement period (Run Time or time history interval), T = T2 - T1
Equivalent Time Weighted The level of a constant sound, expressed in dB, which if
Average or TWA(x) measured for a time period equal to the criterion duration,
will produce the currently measured noise dose. The x in
TWA(x) represents the criterion duration.
For example, suppose a worker is exposed to a noise envi-

ronment with a TWA of 90 dB. Also, assume that the
exchange rate is 5, the criterion level is 90 dB, and the crite-
rion duration is 8 hours. After 1 hour, the workers noise
dose will be 12.5%, the TWA(8) will be 75.0 dB, and the
TWA will be 90.0 dB. A TWA(8) of 75 dB indicates that if
the worker is instead exposed to a noise environment with a
TWA of 75 dB, then the noise dose after 8 hours will be
12.5%.

T
TWA ( x ) = TWA + q log 10 ------
TC
TWA = time weighted average sound level in dB
T = measurement period (Run Time)
TC = criterion duration
q = exchange rate constant
if exchange rate = 3, q = 10
if exchange rate = 4, q = 4/Log10(2) 13.29
Frequency & Exponential-Time Lw is the frequency and exponential-time weighted sound

Weighted Sound Level or Lw level in dB. Lw is sometimes referred to as the "rms sound
level". Similarly the A or C frequency weightings are some-
times referred to as the "rms frequency weighting" (rms is an
acronym for root-mean-square).
The Detector Rate setting on a Spark dosimeter corresponds

to an exponential time constant of SLOW (1 second) of
FAST (0.125 seconds), which is designated as in the equa-
tion below. These time constants are required by both ANSI
and IEC standards.
In the Lw symbol, the w designates the frequency weight-

ing (A or C) and the designates the exponential time con-
stant (SLOW or FAST). For example, on the Spark
dosimeters, LAS signifies the A weighted, SLOW expo-

nential-time weighted sound level. Similarly, LCF signi-
fies the C weighted, FAST level.
t
1 P 2 ( )e ( t )

Lw = 10Log 10 --- --------------------------------------- d dB
P0
2
Lw = frequency and exponential-time weighted sound level in dB
w designates the frequency weighting (A or C)
designates the exponential time constant (SLOW or FAST)
= dummy variable of time integration
t = time of observation
= exponential time constant SLOW (1 second) or FAST (0.125 seconds)
Frequency Weighting See Frequency and Exponential-Time Weighted Sound

Level
LEP,d See Daily Personal Noise Exposure.
Lmax Lmax is the maximum value, expressed in dB, of the fre-

quency and exponential-time weighted sound level (Lw) in
a given time interval. For the Spark dosimeters, an Lmax
value is recorded for 2 different time intervals. First, an
Lmax is recorded for the entire records Run Time. Second,
an Lmax is recorded for each individual time history sample.
On the Spark display, the Lmax annotation includes the cur-

rent settings for frequency weighting and exponential-time
weighting. For example, on a Spark dosimeter LASmx
signifies the maximum, A weighted, SLOW level. Simi-
larly, LCFmx signifies the maximum, C weighted, FAST
level.
Lmin Lmin is the minimum value, expressed in dB, of the fre-

quency and exponential-time weighted sound level (Lw) in
a given time interval. For the Spark dosimeters, the time
interval is the records Run Time.

On the Spark display, the Lmin annotation includes the cur-
rent settings for frequency weighting and exponential-time
weighting. For example, on a Spark dosimeter LASmn
signifies the minimum, A weighted, SLOW level. Simi-
larly, LCFmn signifies the minimum, C weighted, FAST
level.
Ln An Ln is the frequency and exponential-time weighted

sound level (Lw) that is exceeded n percent of the time in a
give time interval. In Blaze, the time interval is the records
Run Time. For example, L10 is that sound level, expressed
in dB, which was exceeded for 10% of the total Run Time.
The default Ln percentages are 10, 30, 50, 70, 90. Different
Ln values can be entered and recalculated in Blaze.
Noise Dose Noise dose is the percentage of time that a person is exposed
to noise that is potentially damaging to hearing. Zero repre-
sents no exposure and 100 or more represents complete
exposure. It is calculated by dividing the actual time of
exposure by the allowed time of exposure. The allowed time
of exposure is determined by the Criterion Duration and by
the sound level (the higher the level, the shorter the allowed
time). The sound levels must be measured with A-weighting
in frequency and slow-exponential weighting in time.

T2
[ ( L AS L c ) q ]
Dose = ( 100 T c ) 10 dt
OR T1
[ ( TWA L c ) q ]
Dose = ( 100T T c ) 10
LAS = frequency (A) and exponential-time (SLOW) weighted sound level in dB
(in the formula above, if the sound level is less than the user specified threshold
level, then LAS = -)
Lc = criterion level in dB
Tc = Criterion duration in hours (8 hours typical)
T = Measurement period (Run Time), T= T2 - T1
TWA = time weighted average in dB
Peak The maximum value of the instantaneous, frequency

weighted (C or Unweighted), sound pressure in a given time
interval. For the Spark dosimeters, a Peak value is recorded
for 2 different time intervals. First, a Peak is recorded for
the entire records Run Time. Second, a Peak is recorded for
each individual time history sample. Note, the Peak metric
is not an integrated or averaged value, and it is measured
with a separate peak detector circuit, which has a very fast
rise time (see specifications for more details).
Blaze denotes the Peak value as "Max Lpeak". On the

Spark display, the Peak value is annotated as LCpk (C
weighted peak) or LUpk (Flat or Unweighted peak).
Peak Frequency Weighting It is the frequency weighting of the peak detector. Possible
selections are C(weighted) or U (unweighted). Peak weight-
ing is independent of the RMS frequency weighting.

Projected Noise Dose The Noise Dose assuming that the current rate of noise dose
exposure continues for the duration of a work shift. On the
Spark display, projected dose is shown as DPROJ.
T2
[ ( L AS L c ) q ]
ProjectedDose = ( 100 T ) 10 dt
T1
OR
[ ( TWA L c ) q ]
ProjectedDose = 100 10
Lc = criterion level in dB
TWA = time weighted average in dB
Projected Sound Exposure Projected sound exposure shows what the actual sound
exposure will be (for a specified time period) if the current
equivalent-continuous sound level (Leq) remains at its cur-
rent level. The Spark dosimeters calculate an 8 hour and a 40
hour projected sound exposure. On the Spark display,
these values are shown as EA8 and EA40 (A frequency
weighting) or EC8 and EC40 (C frequency weighting).

.
T2 T2

8

2 40 2
E 8 = --- P ( t ) dt and E 40 = ------ P ( t ) dt
T T
T1 T1
Sound Exposure (SE) Sound Exposure is the total sound energy of the actual sound
in a given time interval. For the Spark dosimeters, the time
interval is the records Run Time. The units for sound expo-
sure are Pa2S (pascal squared seconds) or Pa2H (pascal
squared hours).
Blaze denotes sound exposure as SE. On the Spark dis-

play, sound exposure is shown as EA or EC (A or C fre-
quency weighted sound exposure).
T2

2
E = P ( t ) dt
T1
Threshold Level ANSI S1.25 defines threshold as "a sound level below which
the dosimeter produces little or no dose accumulation as
specified in this stand." The threshold should be selected to
be within the measurement range of the instrument which is
between 70 dB and 140 dB for the Spark. The current OSHA
threshold is 80 dB.
Time Weighted Average (TWA) The level of a constant sound, expressed in dB, which in a
given time period (T = T2 - T1) would expose a person to the
same noise dose as the actual (unsteady) sound over the
same period. ANSI S1.25-1991 refers to the time weighted
average as Lav or average sound level.
The Spark dosimeters simultaneously calculate 4 separate

TWA values. The user specifies the exchange rate, criterion

level, criterion duration, and threshold level for each TWA.
These 4 separate TWA values are recorded for 2 different
time intervals. First, 4 TWAs are recorded for the entire
records records Run Time. Second, 4 TWAs are recorded
for each individual time history sample.
T2
( L AS ) q

1
TWA = q log 10 --- 10 dt
T
T1

T = measurement period (Run Time or time history interval), T = T2 - T1

APPENDIX
D 706RC/706/705+/705/703+/
703 IR Communications
Troubleshooting
If you are having difficulty establishing communication
between your 706RC/706/705+/705/703+/703 and
computer, this section is provided to help you with a few
basic steps to setting up IR communication. This section will
help you get your infrared communications working in the
shortest amount of time. If you prefer, feel free to call
Larson-Davis technical support to help you with the infrared
communications. Technical support is also available by e-
mail: [email protected].
The First Step
The first step in solving problems in IR communications is

to establish that the 706RC/706/705+/705/703+/703 is
operating. If you are using a 706RC/706, it should be
powered on. If you are using a 705+/705/703+/703, the
green LED should be blinking. If the units do not power up,
install new batteries. The 706 can be set to automatically
power down after a specified time from within the power
menu (see page 3-27). To disable this feature, set the AUTO
OFF function on the 706 TO NEVER.
Still Having Problems? If you are still experiencing problems, please contact Larson
Davis technical support.
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual706RC/706/705+/705/703+/703 IR Communications Troubleshooting D-1

Additional IR Connection Solutions
The following suggestions and procedures will help in

resolving most connection problems.
General Information
Ensure the unit is powered on.

Install new or freshly charged batteries.
Ensure that IR interface module is firmly secured to the
PC (either to the serial or USB port).
For optimal data transfer performance, it is recom-
mended that the instrument be placed a distance between
one and three feet from the IR interface module.
Ensure that the IR lens on both the instrument and the IR
interface module are clean and not obstructed from each
other.

Ensure that all other Spark instruments are facing away
from the IR interface module.

Ensure latest version of Blaze is being used. You can
find the version by clicking on Help on the main menu
and About Blaze...
If using in bright or direct sunlight, shade the instrument
and IR interface module.
If instrument and IR interface module are sitting on a
reflective surface (i.e. gloss white or stainless steel sur-
face) try moving them to a non-reflective surface.
Direct Serial Connection The software provided with the DVX008 should not be
used. If it has already been installed, remove it.

A connection to a Spark instrument can now be made by

simply selecting the "Connect" icon in Blaze . If the COM
port that the IR adapter is connected to is still being used by

another program, Blaze will display the following error
message.
D-2 706RC/706/705+/705/703+/703 IR Communications Troubleshooting SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

"A connection could not be established. Make
sure your instrument is turned on and pointing at
the IR receiver and that the receiver is plugged
into the correct Com port"
In this case, try connecting the IR adapter to a different

COM port.
Find out what the connection settings are for the

Blaze software.

Step 1 Open the Blaze software.
Step 2 Click on the "Options" selection near the tool bar

at the top of the window and select "Connection".
Step 3 Ensure that the corresponding COM port is being

used.
If using the DVX008 IR interface module:

Verify no other programs have control of the COM port.
Try using a different COM port, if available. If switching
to another COM port, ensure that the COM port number
is switched as well, using the Connections Settings dia-
log box. This can be found by clicking on Options on the
main menu, and Connection.
USB Connection If a direct COM serial port is not available on the computer
being used, a Larson Davis DVX008A (with DVX008) or a
DVX009 USB-to-IR interface module should be used
instead.
If DVX008A (with DVX008) or DVX009 is being used,
try using a different USB port.
Note: If the DVX008A or DVX009 is switched to a different

USB port, reconfiguring the port through the Connections
Settings dialog box is not necessary.

Ensure the latest version of Blaze is being used. The
version can be found by clicking on Help in the main
menu and About Blaze.
Try using the IR interface module with an externally
powered USB hub.
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual 706RC/706/705+/705/703+/703 IR Communications Troubleshooting D-3

Blaze Check for COM Port

The Options menu on the Blaze toolbar includes Check for
virtual port at startup, as shown below.

When enabled, Blaze will always search for a virtual COM
port upon startup. To enable this, click on this feature, which
will place a check mark as shown above.

When Blaze detects a COM port is present and available, it
will provide the following message.

Blaze Connection Wizard for IR Communications

The Blaze software contains a Connection Wizard to aid in
troubleshooting any possible IR connection problems

between Blaze and a Spark instrument. This Connection
Wizard will start automatically if an instrument is not found
on a connection attempt.

To start the Connection Wizard manually for initial setup,
click on Options in the main menu and then on Connection
Wizard to open the screen shown below.
Select Spark and click Next.
Note that the rest of the instructions

for the Connection Wizard are the
same whether it was started manu-
ally or automatically.
Select the IR interface module you are using and click Next.
If using the DVX008, ensure that it is plugged into the COM
port that is being selected here.

Highlight the port on which the desired IR interface module
is connected. Click Next.
To ensure that the IR interface module is connected correctly

to the PC, and to ensure that it is working properly, click on
the TEST IR DONGLE button. The LED on the top of the
IR dongle should light up. If it does, click Next.

If it does not light up, ensure that the dongle is properly
connected to the PC. Try testing with another COM or USB
port.
Place the instrument facing towards the IR interface module,

at between 12" and 36" and click Next.
Before finishing, ensure that all of the criterion listed are

satisfied and after verifying and checking each, click Finish.

If the IR connection is successful, the Blaze Instrument
Manager will be displayed.
If the connection was not successful, please follow the

troubleshooting suggestions listed in the screen below.
If none of thee suggestions help, please call Larson Davis

Technical Support at (716) 926-8243, or in the US toll free
(888) 258-3222.

APPENDIX
E Sample Reports
Summary Report
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Sample Reports E-1

Time History Report
E-2 Sample Reports SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Statistics Report

Measurement Record
Summary Report

Time History Graph Printout

Statistics Graph Printout

APPENDIX
F Intrinsic Safety Approvals
The Larson Davis noise dosimeters, models 703, 703+, 704, 705, 705+, 706, and 706RC, along with
their microphones, models MPR001 and MPR002, are approved to the following intrinsic safety
standards
Classification Applicable Standards
Class I Division 1 Groups C D UL 913, 5th Edition:1997
Class II Division 1 Groups E F G CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 157-92
Class III Division 1 See ITS Listing Report J20024945.002
Temperature Code T4 FM 3600: March 1989

Ambient Temperature 10 to 50 C FM 3610: October 1988
See ITS Listing Report J20024945.003
NOTES:
Class I: Gases or Vapors Class II: Dusts Class III: Fibers or Flyings
Division 1: An explosive concentration of the hazardous material may be continuously, intermittently or periodically present under
normal operating conditions.
Group C: Ethylene Group D: Propane, Methane

Group E: Metal dust Group F: Carbon dust Group G: flour, starch, grain
Maximum surface temperature produced under fault conditions at an ambient temperature of 40C
T4: 135C

Class I Zone 0, 1, and 2 Groups IIA, IIB UL 2279
IEC 79-0-1983
AEx ia IIB T4 IEC-79-11-1995
Ambient Temperature 10 to 50 C See ITS Listing Report J20024945.001
NOTES:
Class I: Gases or Vapors
Zone 0: An explosive air/gas mixture is continuously present or present for long periods.
Zone 1: An explosive air/gas mixture is likely to exist under normal operating conditions for short periods.
Zone 2: An explosive air/gas mixture is not likely to occur under normal operating conditions and if such a condition occurs, it will
exist only for a short period.
ia: Intrinsically safe with 2 countable faults and all non-countable faults
Group IIB: Ethylene Group IIA: Propane, Methane
Maximum surface temperature produced under fault conditions at an ambient temperature of 40C
T4: 135C
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Intrinsic Safety Approvals F-1 1

MSHA approved for use in gassy underground mines Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations
Approval No. 2G-4121-0 Part 18
Methane Air Mixtures Only NOTE: This approval is from the

U.S. Department of Labor
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Warning! For safe operation, Do not replace batteries in an explosive

atmosphere.
To comply with the intrinsic safety rating of this instrument, one of the following battery types must
be used when this instrument is operated in an explosive environment.
o Duracell_MN1500 AA Alkaline
o Eveready_ Energizer_ E91 AA Alkaline
Warning! To reduce the risk of explosion do not mix old batteries with new
batteries, or mix batteries from different manufacturers.
F-2 Intrinsic Safety Approvals SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Back Panel Labels
This section presents the intrinsic safe labels which appear on the back of the different instruments of
the Spark family.
703, 703+, 704, 706, 706RC
Model Serial
PERMISSIBLE NOISE DOSIMETER United States Department of Labor
Approval No. 2G-4121-0
MSHA tested for intrinsic safety in methane- MSHA
WARNINGS: air mixtures only.
1. Use only with two Duracell MN1500 or two Eveready
Energizer E91, 1.5 Volt, "AA" alkaline batteries.
2. Do not mix batteries from different manufacturers.
Replace both batteries at the same time.
3. External connection port is for use only with an
MPR001 or MPR002 microphone.
INTRINSICALLY SAFE FOR
HAZARDOUS LOCATIONS
Class I Div. 1 Group C D
C US
LISTE D Class II Div. 1 Group E F G
2000830 Class III Div. 1 AEx ia IIB T4
Conforms to UL Std 913 & UL Std 2279 For more info see:
Certified to CAN/CSA Std C22.2 No. 157 www.larsondavis.com
M706.12(F) TYPE 2 NOISE DOSIMETER
ANSI S1.4-1983, S1.25-1991
IEC 60651-1979, 60804-1985, 61252-am1-2000
Ambient Temperature -10 to +50 C. Read manual.
Do not replace batteries in an explosive atmosphere.
LARSON DAVIS - a Division of

PCB Piezotronics, Inc. Made in USA
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Intrinsic Safety Approvals F-3

705
Model Serial
705 M705.25(F) XXXXX
For more info see:
www.larsondavis.com Made in USA
C US
LISTE D
2000830
Conforms to
UL Std 913
UL Std 2279
Certified to CAN/CSA
Std C22.2 No. 157 Class I Div. 1
Group C D
INTRINSICALLY Class II Div. 1
SAFE FOR Group E F G
HAZARDOUS
LOCATIONS Class III Div. 1
WARNINGS:
AEx ia IIB T4
1. Use only with one Duracell MN1500 or one United States Department of Labor
Eveready Energizer E91, 1.5 Volt,
"AA" alkaline battery. MSHA
2. External connection port is for use only with
an MPR001 or MPR002 microphone.
PERMISSIBLE NOISE DOSIMETER
TYPE 2 NOISE DOSIMETER Approval No. 2G-4121-0
ANSI S1.4-1983, S1.25-1991 MSHA tested for intrinsic safety in
IEC 60651-1979, 60804-1985, 61252-2002 methane-air mixtures only.
Ambient Temperature
LARSON DAVIS - a Division of -10 to +50 C. Read manual.
PCB Piezotronics, Inc. Do not replace batteries
in an explosive atmosphere.

705+
Model Serial
705+ M705.23(G) XXXXX
For more info see:
www.larsondavis.com Made in USA
C US
LISTE D
2000830
Conforms to
UL Std 913
UL Std 2279
Certified to CAN/CSA
Std C22.2 No. 157 Class I Div. 1
Group C D
INTRINSICALLY Class II Div. 1
SAFE FOR Group E F G
HAZARDOUS
LOCATIONS Class III Div. 1
WARNINGS:
AEx ia IIB T4
1. Use only with one Duracell MN1500 or one United States Department of Labor
Eveready Energizer E91, 1.5 Volt,
"AA" alkaline battery. MSHA
2. External connection port is for use only with
an MPR001 or MPR002 microphone.
PERMISSIBLE NOISE DOSIMETER
TYPE 2 NOISE DOSIMETER Approval No. 2G-4121-0
ANSI S1.4-1983, S1.25-1991 MSHA tested for intrinsic safety in
IEC 60651-1979, 60804-1985, 61252-2002 methane-air mixtures only.
Ambient Temperature
LARSON DAVIS - a Division of -10 to +50 C. Read manual.
PCB Piezotronics, Inc. Do not replace batteries
in an explosive atmosphere.
SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Intrinsic Safety Approvals F-5

Index
Numerics
706 about screen ................................................................................................ 3-29
706 accessories ................................................................................................. 1-11
706 auto-off ........................................................................................................ 3-31
706 backlight save .............................................................................................. 3-34
706 backlight settings ......................................................................................... 3-33
706 calibration .................................................................................................... 3-11
706 display contrast ............................................................................................ 3-33
706 display settings ............................................................................................ 3-33
706 dose .............................................................................................................. 3-6
706 icon descriptions ............................................................................................ 3-3
706 keypad functions ............................................................................................ 3-2
706 memory ....................................................................................................... 3-26
706 memory free ................................................................................................ 3-27
706 memory used ............................................................................................... 3-27
706 power menu ................................................................................................. 3-30
706 schematic .................................................................................................... 1-10
706 tools .............................................................................................................. 3-9
706 - changing the detector ................................................................................. 3-22
706 - changing the dose settings ......................................................................... 3-23
706 - changing the frequency weighting ............................................................... 3-20
706 - changing the gain ....................................................................................... 3-19
706 - changing the Peak weighting ...................................................................... 3-21
706 - changing the time history period .................................................................. 3-23
706 - clearing the memory ................................................................................... 3-28
706 - manual setting of the timer .......................................................................... 3-32
706 - manual setup ............................................................................................. 3-19
706 - timers ........................................................................................................ 3-32
706RC ................................................................................................................. 4-1
706RC Operation.................................................................................................. 4-1
706/703 data records .......................................................................................... 2-42
706/703 Features ................................................................................................. 1-3
706/703 instrument settings................................................................................. 2-34
706/703 timer ..................................................................................................... 2-30
706/703 timer modes .......................................................................................... 2-31
1-1
A
about screen ...................................................................................................... 3-29
adding data to the time history ............................................................................. 2-70
Assembly ........................................................................................................... 1-12
Auto-off .............................................................................................................. 3-31
Auto-timer .......................................................................................................... 2-30
B
battery installation ............................................................................................... 1-14
Blaze dose field .................................................................................................. 2-20
Blaze general settings ......................................................................................... 2-16
Blaze installation ................................................................................................ 1-21
Blaze modified results ......................................................................................... 2-47
Blaze results summary ........................................................................................ 2-46
Blaze Session Log .............................................................................................. 2-26
Blaze setting the 706 lock.................................................................................... 2-39
Blaze statistics graph .......................................................................................... 2-81
Blaze summery window ...................................................................................... 2-45
Blaze - live display .............................................................................................. 2-36
Blaze - manual instrument control ........................................................................ 2-35
Blaze - printing reports ........................................................................................ 2-89
Blaze - resetting the 706/703 ............................................................................... 2-39
Blaze - viewing records ....................................................................................... 2-48
block timer ......................................................................................................... 2-31
C
CAL 150............................................................................................................. 3-11
CAL 200............................................................................................................. 3-11
calibration history................................................................................................ 2-13
calibration - 706 manual ...................................................................................... 3-11
calibrators .......................................................................................................... 2-11
CCS008 protective case...................................................................................... 1-14
Clear all memory ................................................................................................ 3-28
clock - setting with Blaze ....................................................................................... 2-8
connecting the microphone ................................................................................. 1-13
Connecting to a Slave ........................................................................................... 4-2
Contrast ............................................................................................................. 3-33
criterion duration ................................................................................................. 2-26
criterion level ...................................................................................................... 2-26
1-2
D
data downloading ............................................................................................... 2-42
data export ......................................................................................................... 2-95
data records ....................................................................................................... 2-42
date - setting with Blaze .................................................................................. 2-8, 2-9
detector - manual change in the 706 .................................................................... 3-22
Disconnecting from Blaze ...................................................................................... 2-7
dose .................................................................................................................. 2-25
dose recalculation ............................................................................................... 2-49
dose settings - changing in the 706 ...................................................................... 3-23
downloading the 706/703 to Blaze ....................................................................... 2-42
DVX008 external IrDA ......................................................................................... 1-19
E
edit include ......................................................................................................... 2-72
editing the time history ........................................................................................ 2-65
exchange rate .................................................................................................... 2-25
exclude all .......................................................................................................... 2-70
exporting data .................................................................................................... 2-95
exporting data to another application.................................................................... 2-96
F
frequency weighting - manual changing in the 706 ................................................ 3-20
G
gain ................................................................................................................... 2-25
gain - manual gain selection of the 706 ................................................................ 3-19
general information window ................................................................................. 2-49
I
Instrument Manager .............................................................................................. 2-7
instrument settings.............................................................................................. 2-34
Internal IR .......................................................................................................... 1-19
Inversion Mode ..................................................................................................... 4-3
IR connection ............................................................................................... 1-19, 2-6
K
keypad lock ........................................................................................................ 2-39
1-3
L
launch viewer ..................................................................................................... 2-98
Leq ...................................................................................................................... 3-5
live display ......................................................................................................... 2-36
Lmax ................................................................................................................... 3-5
Lmin .................................................................................................................... 3-5
Ln table .............................................................................................................. 2-42
lock function ....................................................................................................... 2-39
Lock - manual deactiviation of the lock ................................................................. 3-15
Lock - manual locking of the 706.......................................................................... 3-14
M
manual calibration of the 706 ............................................................................... 3-11
manual control using Blaze ................................................................................. 2-35
measurement summary ...................................................................................... 2-45
memory free ....................................................................................................... 3-27
memory retention................................................................................................ 1-20
memory time ...................................................................................................... 3-27
memory used ..................................................................................................... 3-27
Merging Records ................................................................................................ 2-54
microphone clip .................................................................................................. 1-12
microphone preamplifier ...................................................................................... 1-12
modified data report ............................................................................................ 2-89
modified results .................................................................................................. 2-47
Modifying the Time History Interval ...................................................................... 2-56
O
once daily timer .................................................................................................. 2-33
OSHA guidelines ................................................................................................ 2-16
overloads ............................................................................................................. 3-4
P
peak weighting ................................................................................................... 2-24
Peak weighting - manual change in the 706.......................................................... 3-21
Power menu - 706 .............................................................................................. 3-30
printing reports ................................................................................................... 2-89
printing windows ................................................................................................. 2-94
Printing - modified data report.............................................................................. 2-89
printing - statistics report ..................................................................................... 2-90
1-4
Printing - time history detail report ........................................................................ 2-89
R
recalculating the dose ......................................................................................... 2-49
rechargeable batteries ........................................................................................ 1-18
Referance Line ................................................................................................... 2-53
Reference Line ................................................................................................... 2-66
Remote Control Operation ..................................................................................... 4-1
Repeat Once Daily Timer .................................................................................... 2-33
Repeat Twice Daily Timer ................................................................................... 2-33
report - modified data .......................................................................................... 2-89
report - summary ................................................................................................ 2-89
report - time history detail .................................................................................... 2-89
reports - statistics ............................................................................................... 2-90
reset key .............................................................................................................. 3-2
resetting the 706/703 using Blaze ........................................................................ 2-39
results summary ................................................................................................. 2-46
rms detector ....................................................................................................... 2-24
rms weighting ..................................................................................................... 2-24
S
saving settings in Blaze ....................................................................................... 2-30
Screen Contrast ................................................................................................. 3-33
SE ....................................................................................................................... 3-5
selecting data records ......................................................................................... 2-48
set timer ............................................................................................................. 2-34
Spark data records ............................................................................................. 2-42
Spark keypad ....................................................................................................... 3-2
Spark - user interface ............................................................................................ 3-2
statistics graph ................................................................................................... 2-81
statistics graph zoom .......................................................................................... 2-83
statistics report ................................................................................................... 2-90
statistics table..................................................................................................... 2-42
subtracting data from the time history ................................................................... 2-70
summary report .................................................................................................. 2-89
summary window ................................................................................................ 2-45
T
threshold level .................................................................................................... 2-26
1-5
time history data exclusion .................................................................................. 2-65
time history detail report ...................................................................................... 2-89
time history edit restore ....................................................................................... 2-73
time history editing .............................................................................................. 2-65
time history graph ............................................................................................... 2-59
Time History Interval ........................................................................................... 2-56
time history interval ............................................................................................. 2-24
time history period - changing in the 706 .............................................................. 3-23
time history zoom ............................................................................................... 2-62
timer modes ....................................................................................................... 2-31
timer - block mode .............................................................................................. 2-32
timer - once daily ................................................................................................ 2-33
timer - twice daily ................................................................................................ 2-33
To........................................................................................................................ 2-1
tools key .............................................................................................................. 3-2
twice daily timer .................................................................................................. 2-33
U
unlocking the 706 ............................................................................................... 2-40
unzooming the statistics graph ............................................................................ 2-85
unzooming the time history .................................................................................. 2-65
User Defined Limit Line ....................................................................................... 2-66
User Defined Limit line ........................................................................................ 2-53
V
viewing data records ........................................................................................... 2-48
W
windscreen ......................................................................................................... 1-12
Y
Year Code............................................................................................................ F-3
Year of Manufacture ............................................................................................. F-3
Z
zoom out - statistics graph ................................................................................... 2-85
zoom out - time history graph .............................................................................. 2-65
zoom - statistics graph ........................................................................................ 2-83
zooming the time history ..................................................................................... 2-62
1-6
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Spark Noise Dosimeters

and Blaze Software

FOR NOISE DOSIMETERS

Chapter 2 Using Larson Davis Blaze Software 2-1

Chapter 3 Manual Operation of the Spark 706/706RC 3-1

Appendix A Spark 706RC/706/705+/705/703+/703 Specifications A-1

Appendix B Frequently Asked Questions B-1

Appendix C Glossary C-1

Appendix D 706RC/706/705+/705/703+/703 IR Communications Trouble-

Appendix E Sample Reports E-1

Appendix F Intrinsic Safety Approvals F-1

Thank you for purchasing the Spark/Blaze noise dosime-

The 706 and 706RC are full-featured dosimeters and sound

Blaze provides a simple way to setup the Spark

We invite you to read this manual to achieve the best results

About This Manual

This manual has 4 chapters and 6 appendices covering the

SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Introduction 1-1

About This Chapter

Specifically, this introductory chapter covers the following

This manual uses the following formatting conventions:

In step-by-step directions, the process (what you do) is

1-2 About This Chapter SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

The Larson Davis Spark family of products meet all

Spark 706 RC Features

The 706RC has the ability to connect to the 703+, 705+,

SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Introduction 1-3

Spark 706 Features

The 706 is a fully functional Noise Dosimeter.

1-4 Spark Family Features SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Introduction 1-5

1-6 Spark Family Features SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Spark 703/705 Features

SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Introduction 1-7

Spark 704 Features

Measurement range of 40 dB to 143 dB (rms), in four

1-8 Spark Family Features SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Figure 1-1 706, 705+, and 703+

The Spark family instruments include a 3/8 in. (10.6mm)

This section outlines the steps to follow after unpacking the

SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Introduction 1-9

You will then be ready to use the dosimeter for actual

Unpacking and Inspection

Your Spark dosimeter has been shipped in protective

The following system diagram (Figure 1-2) illustrates the

1-10 Getting Started SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Figure 1-2 Spark 706

Spark Dosimeter Standard and Optional Accessories

Your Spark dosimeter was delivered with a number of

Standard Accessories Detachable 3/8 in. (10.6 mm) microphone/preamp/and

Optional Accessories Blaze software

SPARK and BLAZE User Manual Introduction 1-11

If any of these items are missing, please contact your Larson

Assembling the Spark Dosimeter

Remove the microphone and preamplifier from its protective

Figure 1-3 Integrated microphone and preamplifier (MPR001)

1-12 Getting Started SPARK and BLAZE User Manual

Figure 1-4 Aligning the microphone connectors

Step 2 Carefully push the microphone connector plug