Powerful Whistle

3D MODEL DESCRIPTION

Update

By popular demand, I have added a version stripped of the V29. It is labeled V29D in the thing files section. I initially put the version number on the whistle to distinguish them as I developed them. I kept it on the final design because as I went from one version to the next, it was part of the whistles' history for me. A few people requested a version without the text and recently Fusion 360 posted a video where they, among other things, removed the lettering from the V29 using Meshmixer. I was thrilled to see my design featured on my favorite youtube channel and decided to trust your feedback. Have fun!

I have posted their video below.

The MakeItLoud V29 was named because it is the 29th version I designed for this challenge. It is a survival whistle of entirely original design. I designed it to be robust, easy to manufacture and carry, have excellent design, and most importantly, to be very loud. It is designed to get you noticed under any conditions.

For robustness testing, I rammed it into the pavement as hard as I could repeatedly. Then I ran it over twice with my car. Finally, you left it in a glass of water for two hours to ensure it does not sink and that it drains and whistles immediately after removing it from the water. It still whistles.

The design is crafted to look as clean and simple as possible while still looking like a whistle. It is also designed to be easily gripped with thick gloves or cold hands. It has a raised lip at the bottom and grips at the top to allow you to hold it firmly in your mouth even while blowing as hard as you can. There is a hole in the back for a keychain or lanyard so you can wear it around your neck or attach it to your zipper or keychain.

Another important goal in designing this was to make it printable in one piece, without supports or rafts. I wanted someone to be able to print it before going on a hike or something without any assembly, cleanup, or fuss to get it ready. Print and go!

The whistle actually has two slightly different tones produced simultaneously by separate chambers on each side. The two different tones alternate between amplification and cancellation. This variation creates a shrill sound much like a pea whistle that draws more attention and does not get lost as easily on background noise as a single-tone whistle might. Unlike the pea whistle, it does not lock up if blown too hard and does not freeze in cold weather. I tested the volume with my decibel meter, and it reached 118.7db. The harder you blow, the louder it gets so a person with greater lung capacity can reach higher levels. Be warned, it can hurt your ears at that level.

I started designing and printing prototypes from the day this challenge was posted, knowing virtually nothing about how whistles work. Through many hours of research and constant trial and error, I produced a whistle I am very proud of. It took me 29 tries, but this whistle allowed me to meet every goal I set for myself.

For louder results, blow as hard as you can in a burst! The international distress signal with a whistle is 3 long blasts.

I hope you print it for yourself. Have fun!