acoustically housed Beta engines

[frygood]

Hi Guys any views on the acoustically housed Beta engines,[has antbody out there in forum land got one]

 

Thanks Carl

[Bloomsberry]

Here's my view.

 

The sound of the diesel engine , thumping away is one of the pleasures I get when taking my narrowboat out.

 

It also gives an indication of how the engine is performng so is a reassuring indication that all is well.

 

To suppress this by an accoustic housing is something I would not entertain , personally.

[frahkn]

I have an acoustically housed Beta, it also has a hospital silencer exiting through the roof (deck-head).

 

It is extremely quiet - other boaters have commented on this - from 20 feet away you absolutely cannot hear it.

 

However it is about 15 feet forward of the propeller and is at one side of the boat, rather than in the centre. Its positioning causes some problems but of course you may not have this difficulty.

 

This is in a 70 foot boat.

[Dinz]

Although not cocooned my Beta is in an insulated engine room below deck.

Hospital Silencer.

Referred to as the stealth boat by some.

Often asked if I am electric powered by 'towpathers' when they clock the solar panels.

 

Still prefer the noise of a big single or twin though.

The Avatar sort of gives that away though!

[OldGoat]

We worked up the Hatton flight some years ago with 'another Beta Boat' and I was amazed that his engine was quieter than mine!! IRRC it was the Propgen version as the boat was all electric.

 

FWIW a cocooned engine only makes real sense if you have:-

• electric or hydraulic drive
• mount the engine away (somewhere convenient) from the rear of the boat and to one side
• have fresh water cooling - external water cooling makes the engine run cooler in its cocoon

Else it's a bit pointless - You might just as well have a well designed and silenced engine bay with an hospital silencer or fresh water cooling.

 

We hired a boat from Teddesley aeons ago which had a Ford XLD in its own box mounted well forward (probably where a 'proper' engine would go) and to one side. It had a cardan shaft drive and two UJs to make it work. 'Twas great for the steerer and the motive unit, being offset meant that the 'engine room' was more of a usable storage space as well. Looking through some old WaterWays World mags: - prior to chucking them out, I notice it was the boat that the Nolan Sisters (who they) hired.

 

I digress,

Methinks it's a good idea but only if the cocooning serves some other requirement as well, otherwise it's an expensive solution.

[Tuscan]

We have a cocooned beta marine generator with hospital silencer in what used to be the gas locker. Agree you struggle to hear it on the towpath.

[trackman]

We have a Beta JD3 in an engine 'ole and totally uninsulated. Pretty noisy inside the boat but when I'm battery charging moored up I'm always amazed that its virtually inaudible from outside until I get less than 100 feet away.

Bloody good accessibility for servicing etc too. That's my serious point, how hard is it to get to a cocooned engine, especially if offset to one side or similar?

[Jim Batty]

We have a Beta 38 under the semi-trad deck. There is good accoustic insulation on the underside of the deck boards and stern position, as well as a hospital silencer. It runs quite quietly ... and a couple of times, just as we are pushing off, another boater has said, 'Don't you want to turn your engine on!?'

[Machpoint005]

>> a cocooned engine only makes real sense if you have:-

• electric or hydraulic drive
• mount the engine away (somewhere convenient) from the rear of the boat and to one side
• have fresh water cooling - external water cooling makes the engine run cooler in its cocoon

Else it's a bit pointless - You might just as well have a well designed and silenced engine bay with an hospital silencer or fresh water cooling.

...

Methinks it's a good idea but only if the cocooning serves some other requirement as well, otherwise it's an expensive solution.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with this. A cocooned engine on a narrowboat is little more than a solution looking for a problem. I do like the idea of a hydraulic drive though.

 

We have a Beta 38 under the semi-trad deck. There is good accoustic insulation on the underside of the deck boards and stern position, as well as a hospital silencer. It runs quite quietly ... and a couple of times, just as we are pushing off, another boater has said, 'Don't you want to turn your engine on!?'

 

Similar - our standard Beta 43 is pleasantly subdued under the cruiser stern.

[Kwacker]

I would hesitate to make a narrowboat engine any less accessible than it already is. We have insulated the engine compartment and fitted a hospital silencer, rendering the boat practically silent from the towpath. However, there is still plenty of noise for the steerer, from prop cavitation and resonance from fixtures & fittings, neither of which would be eradicated by an acoustic housing.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Kwacker

[bottle]

Just to echo what has already been said, Beta 43, hospital silencer, non soundproofed trad stern, cannot be heard from towpath, well it can but you have to listen for it, great for creeping up on fishermen.

 

The only reason I would have the acoustic housing (very expensive) is if I was going to have the engine mounted in say an engine room forward of its 'normal' position.

[mrsmelly]

My Twopenneth

 

Modern boat diesels are quiet anyway especialy when fitted with the so called hospital silencer as on my present boat. I have had dealings on two occasions previously with boaters who have had problems with their cocooned prop gen sets. Diesels need air to run and they dont realy like living in a cocoon. Letting air in lets noise out. I love Beta set ups mainly but ask yourself how many other manufacturers cocoon their boat engines and then ask yourself why not.

 

Tim

[Semitrad]

In a previous boat we had a cocooned Beta 43 under a semitrad deck with sound insulation and hospital silencer. It was quiet but not silent. Still difficult to converse on deck at normal speaking volume due to rattles and various noises, although strangely it could hardly be heard on the towpath.

 

The airflow from the cooling fan was ducted on to the deck below the steering position, in cold weather this could provide a warm breeze straight up a trouser leg, one of it's best features!

[aread2]

I've got one, mounted in the "normal" place for a clonecraft trad. Hospital silencer and deckboards on top. It's quiet. Access has never been a problem. There's a little hatch on top above the dipstick, oil and water caps and you can see the belts through it. The housing can be dismantled in about 5 minutes. You can hear the exhaust if you stand next to the outlet. There's very little engine sound to speak of inside, just the usual vibration transmitted through the fabric of the boat. I never felt the need to add sound insulation under the deck boards.

Forced ventilation for the alternators is provided by a blower.

 

Ed to make ventilation arrangements clear

Edited January 28, 2015 by aread2