I have a screwy driving principal.....

[TedTheLed]

I didn't respond to this thread at first because I thought it was about your crazy driving instructor; I see you meant "principle" -- anywho I replaced the bleeting sheep horn in my Sub'ru with a pair of Hella Horns (like in a Ferari, right?) and they're OK --

but REALLY loud ones I think you had better be careful with because like Turbod brought up, some people (me) are extra sensitive to noise, esp. loud noise. the louder the more sensitive. the more sensitive the more HOMICIDAL!! I beeped a truck entering the highway ahead of me, and as I passed his grill (my window open) he let me have it.

Never never have I fought so hard the urge to pull over and commit a savage bloody murder..

(hope I don't have to come back and delete this in a hurry some day -- just kidding -- ho ho HO! )

 

[IsaacHayes]

Hahha funny stuff. I have wanted a louder horn in my car not just to prank people and get in trouble with, but because while my horn isn't weak, it isn't that loud. Take for instance one time I was driving through a parking lot and a car's reverse lights go on, and I thought, he won't look for me, sure enough. So I honk, doesn't do any effect, so I have to stomp the gas and burn out to get out of his way fast enough. The screeching tires made them stop right away. I guess everyone is used to normal horns and ignores them. A louder horn might of gotten his attention with out me having to smoke my tires...

I would think a 2nd comprssor would help. For $25 try it out and see!

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

We have one particular class of sub-human that pulls out over a blind hill and won't accelerate! These are the main ones I want to have a Heart Attack when I honk...

I will in fact be trying the second compressor. It isn't likely to happen today, as it takes a bit of a road trip and I'd need to spend on fuel to make it.

I'll keep the money aside and hit the store one day next week.

You guys with the Volvo and other Big Time horns... how are they on your vehicles and how are they powered?

Keep it coming!

 

[Bogie]

The horn setup on my truck consist of first the stock factory on the steering wheel, then there is 2 floor buttons for the siren (2x 100 watt elctronic drivers & wind up), Then the pull cord for the Air Horns runs down the center of the truck. None of the horns are visable looking at the truck.

 

[DieselTech]

I have the Volvo horns mounted on the frame of the truck beneath the driver's door. The face forward and slightly down. I did it that way because they focus most of the sound in front of the truck, but they're close enough to the fenderwell that the tire doesnt sling mud and water up into them. I mounted my solenoid valve just a few inches behind them so that the delay would be as short as possible. Then I just ran an air lin over to the Freightliner air tank that's mounted to the passenger's side framerail below the cab. I dont have a compressor on the truck, because I couldnt justify the 200+ dollar cost of a high end compressor when I can go several months on one tank of air (I rarely use the horns). Instead, I use the female quick connect or a schrader valve to fill the tank from a shop compressor or tire pump.

I currently dont have a gauge on the system (again, too little use to justify the cost of doing it the way I want), but I could add one by just putting one in the cab and running a 1/4" air line from a port on the tank into the cab.

I really think adding a tank to your system would help out a lot. The key to having a loud horn is air pressure. The higher the pressure, the louder the horn. I'm not sure exactly what your compressors are capable of putting out, but I'd be willing to bet it probably isnt more than 100 pounds of pressure. If you had even a small tank at 120+ PSI, I think you'd be amazed at the difference in volume.

I may try to put up a few pictures of my setup later. The only visible part of it is the tank hanging below the passenger's door.

 

[Bogie]

I believe the pressure switch on my system kicks on a 105 psi & off at 150 psi

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

No doubt whatsoever in my mind that a tank setup would be killer.

Before mounting the horns I hit 'em with about 135 psi from the shop compressor and EVERYONE heard it!

I can ask around as at least one truck repair shop owes me!

Because as I understand it, the little dinky instant on compressors have like 8psi, so I'm looking at a max of 16psi doing it that way....

Keep 'em coming!

 

[James S]

find a place to mount this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=41712

Could toot your horn for quite some time on a 5 gallon tank charged to 120 or 200 psi or so Then just come home and charge it up again!

Might check into an old scuba tank or something, that might actually be smaller. I'm sure there are other smaller tanks that could be setup, that 5 gallon one is just the first that came up in a search.

 

[IsaacHayes]

Nice find! that could fit in my car trunk easily. Hmmmmm!!!

 

[TedTheLed]

just did a very quick look at google ' car horn law ' and on one page found laws against loud car horns in Miami, and, this struck me funny; the New York Holland Tunnel, which has a $100 fine just for honking at all! That trucker I wanted to kill for blasting in my window really hurt me! It hurts and it shakes your bones to the soul. You really resent it! Imagine a deafened and pissed off NewYawk Hollin tunnel mob coming after you! :duck:

some van with an actual train horn does sound off going by me on the highway now and then - it's not loud but it's one of those authentic dual toned deep far off in the fog kinda train horn sounds, and you can hear him coming over a mile away...but it sounds kinda nice and romantic..

I just wonder how drivers will react to other superloud sounds, hopefully not with a sudden spastic adrenalin jolt that would make them jam on the gas pedal, as if struck by a taser or some such thing.. guess you could get in trouble fer that..?

 

[James S]

like anything, a super loud car horn is a tool that could be used for good or evil. And it could definitely get you arrested or at the very least in trouble with the person you're honking at.

I recommend you check all local laws and use that extra switch with a bit of care. Sometimes being ABLE to blow the offenders car over a lane with nothing but sound pressure means you don't actually HAVE to do it...

If you give the little old lady who cut you off a heart attack and she swerves into oncoming traffic, guess who goes to jail for reckless homicide when they catch you?

Take it easy, perhaps la-cocaratcha would be a better horn to install

 

[Pellidon]

Forget the airhorns. See if you can find a second hand Genave GLH-100 loud hailer. I used to work for the company (now long gone) and it was a general purpose PA amp with an alarm trippable 132 decibel alarm circuit. We sold literally boatloads of them to the Coast Guard for bilge alarm systems.

 

[TedTheLed]

now that's what I was thinking, only instead of an alarm, how about a microphone, and tell the pelican what you think of his driving, at 132 dbs !
then you could get a digital sampler board, load it up with small arms fire,jet engines, lions roaring, galloping bison, how about a Tarzan yell !!

on the other hand --
:uh-oh:

VEHICLE CODE (California)
SECTION 27000-27007

27000. (a) A motor vehicle, when operated upon a highway, shall be
equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting
sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less
than 200 feet, but no horn shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh
sound. An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with, and use
in conjunction with the siren on that vehicle, an air horn that emits
sounds that do not comply with the requirements of this section.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

no horn shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh
sound. An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with, and use
in conjunction with the siren on that vehicle, an air horn that emits
sounds that do not comply with the requirements of this section.

Unreasonable and harsh are somewhat subjective terms, especially compared against the level of ambient noise in the area. I'm guessing that this is subject to interpretation based on the intended effect of the emitted noise.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

All I can really say about all this is:

What about MY adrenalen when these idiots do something that makes my blow my horn?

"F" em!

Keep it coming!

 

[Mednanu]

This brings back memories. I used to have an old Toyota Corolla hooked up with a decent air horn. Not only would people get out of my way when I honked it, they would usually do that 'swerve left, then right, then left again' move before they even knew what was behind them....then swerve reflexively out of the way. I used to have the most fun getting into 'horn fights' with busses and other large vehicles. Tons and tons of fun is all I've got to say about putting a BIG HORN in a small car.

 

[bfg9000]

I had a wee car (hard to see in traffic since it was over three feet shorter than those giant Corollas, and smaller than a Mini Cooper even) that I equipped with horns from a dump truck. People would flinch and swerve, trying to desperately avoid the nonexistent truck. Once I honked at a stoplight to try to get the attention of a friend in the next lane, and he gave the finger to the poor trucker behind him!

I don't like the usual shrill air horn sound, but those train and ocean liner horns sound great!

 

[TedTheLed]

bfg; smaller than a mini ? ! (did the motor say 'black and decker' and also run a flashlight?)

friend of mine told me a story yesterday similar to what you mentioned;
My friend drives a 38 year old Dodge truck butthat's got the original common old weak bleety horn..at a stoplight the truck behind him let out a blast, and a few moments later he was being pulled over by the police for the noise. He objected, told the police it was the truck behind him, the police insisted it was him, and then he honked his horn to demonstrate. The police stepped away, conferred together for a minute, then came back and said he had failed to signal when he pulled over for them..
He said "What!? -- you pulled me over for something I was going to do??" -- cops told him to turn around and put his hands together.. I couldn't listen to the rest of the story at the time, but I'll find out what happened and let yall know...

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

That sounds ALMOST as unlikely as a story I heard today about the son of a co-worker getting a ticket in a Wallyworld parking lot for un-doing his seatbelt before shutting of his engine.

Seems to me that cop just had a hardon for giving SOMEBODY some trouble. Could be the story isn't even true...

I'm still poking along with just the one instant on compressor. I was at Northern Tool thinking to pick up another set of Wolo Long Horns but I would have had to order them and again I have no credit card I can use.

It's pretty loud if I stand in front of my truck and hit the panic button.

I'd like more, but what the heck.

 

[TedTheLed]

well yaahhh, it happened in the Val-ley..I still haven't talked to Scotty but when I see him I'll find out the end of the story.. he wouldn't have reason to lie about that. stranger things have happened..

...I'm saving up for the 132db Tarzan Yell PA.