ear plugs

[Berley A. Firmin II]

Regarding ear plugs: I use the foam type when I tune the calliopes on the
Delta, Mississippi, and American Queens. On top of that, I use voice-powered
earphones to communicate to the keyboard consoles one deck below. the
combination of the two reduces the ear-splitting sounds emanated from the
whistles....but not eliminate them, especially in the last octave. I have
had to wait about week for my ears to recover before I attempted to tune my
pianos as there was a constant "beat" in my head.
    I use a Strobotuner to tune them, as it impossible to tune by ear
precisely. Environmental factors such as ambient temperature and wind
velocity cause dramatic pitch change. I have had the wind literally blow the
pitch away! Steam pressure, too, is variable.
    I have tried numerous brands of ear plugs, but have yet to find the
perfect ones.
BAF II
Bayou La Combe, Louisiana