Designed in-house
The core instruments are designed and built by us, not rebadged. Most have no affordable commercial equivalent: they exist because something was needed in the field that could not be found, or cost ten times as much. That also means there is no reference price to compare them against — and that the measure has to be what the instrument does, not what it costs against a competitor that does not exist.
The error gets stated
Where we know an instrument's uncertainty we write it on the page, including when it is unflattering. A stated error is usable: it enters the calculation, it propagates, it can be defended when someone challenges the measurement. An unstated error surfaces when it helps least. Where the figure does not exist yet, the page leaves it blank rather than filling it with a reassuring number.
Worked example: the vehicle counter
The vehicle counter states a counting error of about 10%. That sounds like a lot until you look at what it produces: noise is logarithmic, so 10% on vehicle flow is worth roughly 0.4 dB on the computed sound level. That sits within the uncertainty of any predictive model, and it is smaller than the error introduced by estimated speed or road surface type. The accuracy is adequate for acoustic calculation, and that is the criterion — not the raw count.
Where not to use it
That same counter is not suitable for transport engineering, which needs better than 95% counting accuracy. We say so here rather than let you find out after buying. It holds as a general rule: if an instrument is wrong for a use, that goes on its page.
Frequently asked questions
- Are Athexo instruments own products or rebadged?
- The core instruments are designed and built in-house and in most cases have no affordable commercial equivalent. The catalogue also carries bought-in supporting kit, clearly separated as field support.
- What is the accuracy of the Athexo vehicle counter?
- The stated counting error is about 10%. On the computed sound level that corresponds to roughly 0.4 dB.
- Is a 10% error acceptable for an acoustic measurement?
- Yes. Noise is logarithmic, so a 10% error on vehicle flow produces about 0.4 dB on the computed level: within the uncertainty of any predictive model, and smaller than the error from estimated speed or road surface type.
- Can I use the vehicle counter for transport engineering studies?
- No. Transport engineering requires better than 95% counting accuracy, which this instrument does not reach. It is designed for acoustic calculation.
- Why do some pages not list every specification?
- Because the figure has not been measured or verified yet. We would rather leave the field empty than publish an unverified value: a wrong specification on a measuring instrument is worse than a missing one.