Silencer placement

[Biathlonman]

Just wanted to make a post relaying the importance of silencer placement. I've read it before but never could tell much of a difference. Well recently I had been fighting with my new Elkheart and just could not get it as quiet as I felt like it needed to be to hunt with. After reaching out to a couple members and trying everything we could think of I sent Gregg Coffey an email asking for help. He told me to try the silencers at 1/4 and 1/3 from the tips. I thought I was already there, but turned out I was about an inch off on both ends. Boy what a difference an inch makes!  Went from pretty darn loud to awfully darn quiet. Never underestimate the little things.

[Blackhawk]

 

Explain this please.  Did he say put one silencer at 1/4 and the other at 1/3 from the ends?  If so, which end gets what?

[bigbadjon]

I have found 1/4 from the tips is generally the best. I use cat whiskers for precision placement and adjustability.

[LBR]

Boy what a difference an inch makes!  

Yep--I've been saying that for at least 10 years...but it seems most folks still just stick their silencers on the string and go.

Silencers can be tuned like the rest of your equipment, and like the rest of your equipment if you want the best results you have to put a little effort into it.

[olddogrib]

I believe the 1/4 goes on top and the 1/3 goes on the bottom. The concept is called heterodyning (SP-?), I think. You can do a search, it's not new and I think it came from acoustical science or something.  I don't doubt there's probably an ideal location for every individual release out there.  It's just that at my advancing age and declining window of opportunity I've pledged to devote more time to enjoyment and less to obsessing about perfection, lol!

[Blackhawk]

Olddogrib, I will have to try this old concept on a bow or two that are louder than I like.  I just usually keep each distance near the same, but just move up or down until it sounds right.  

I'm like you in not "obsessing about perfection", but I'd probably shoot much better if I did.  

...and thanks for spelling it out.  

Now where did I put that loud mouth Black Widow?

[Bladepeek]

If you could look at a guitar string in slow motion, or frame-by-frame, you would see a primary frequency vibrating, but harmonics (multiples) of that frequency as well. It's the harmonics that give it the rich, full tone.

People who are having trouble with a skinny, fast flight string might want to give it a try, since most claim the higher pitched sound turns them off. It may be the harmonics they are objecting to and they might be able to quiet the string a lot by just adjusting the silencers. Works on my bows for me.

[olddogrib]

What I was referring to was a single at those locations. Some have gone one step further and use 2 sets (four small silencers total) at those locations. Your mileage may vary. I'm an apparent oddity that has a 3U release that benefits from slight negative tiller, the reason I switched to ILF. Not that surprising when you consider that noise/vibration is caused by the slight mis-timing of the limbs due to where we grip the string combined with our individual draw/anchor characteristics. Most get away with moving the nock set, but not everyone's so lucky. If you want to feel good about your bow noise shoot with a stringwalker, lol!  Just don't get a wild hair and start making bets with 'em when the targets are "way out thar"....normal 3-D distances are chip shots to them!

[Biathlonman]

He said 1/4 from upper tip and 1/3 from lower which equated to 14" and 18" from the tips of my 58" Elkheart.  I was out shooting today and it's definetly much better then it was. Weird, but wonderful!

[Friend]

No precise position is a fix for all designs.

[Friend]

No precise position or multiple silencer combination is ideal for all designs.

[Big Ed]

Gregg knows his bows pretty well!!

[bowfanatik]

Heterodyning
This tip requires a bit of radio theory and brain-work. The subject is heterodyning. A very basic definition is two different frequencies that are combined to produce two new frequencies: the sum and difference of the two original frequencies. What does this have to do with traditional archery equipment? Well, knowing this fact helps us to quiet our bows.

Most of us have tried various types of string silencers. Some folks have trouble getting any of them to work. Here is the solution, no matter the type of bow or type of silencer material. Measure the distance from where the string leaves the bow limbs top and bottom. Divide that distance by four and also by three. For instance and simplicity let us say your measured length is 60 inches; divided by four equals 15 inches and divided by three equals 20 inches.

Attach your top string silencer 15 inches down from where the string leaves the bow, and attach the bottom silencer 20 inches up from where it leaves the bow. Doing so cancels out the sustaining frequencies that would make a naked string hum or twang when released. The quartering distance (15 inches) cancels out all even multiples of the frequencies and the distance in thirds cancels out all the odd multiples of the frequencies. The end result is a string that resists vibration after the shot and goes thump instead of twang.


Bowshooter.com

[slowbowjoe]

Thanks for sharing that tip. Been thinking I wasn't getting my Falcon's sweet spot, tried this and it helps. I've heard it suggested before, though I'd tried it with this set up, any way my 'whiskers
are at the 1/4's and 1/3's now and it seems to help.

Milan, great explanation of heterodyning. I notice the change in tone that you describe.