AIR HORNS

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bobalong

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Has anyone on here rigged up a compressor and 12V air horn solenoid to supply a bigger blast of air to the air horns ? My air horns work , and I replaced the compressor a year ago, it helped, but I still would like to have more air /cfm/db than is there. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollar$, and maybe even a renewable air supply would suffice. Just wondering if anybody else already crossed this path ??
 
I have seen it here on a couple boats.

Some items to consider:

A "land" compressor is just too loud. The
noise is bothersome when working.
The tank will corrode fairly quickly with
that salty condensation inside.
The stock air line will break up quickly
in the salty environment. Better dump it
and install real air pressure lines while
you are installing it.
Resist the temptation to just bump up the
pressure in search of more volume. The
trumpet will take x pounds of pressure
before permanent damage.
Good Luck,
H
 
if you want noise you can buy locomotive horns at a truck stop there are plastic tanks and the air lines are plastic you can even make your own air tank with pvc pipe a good air horn does indeed get louder with more air pressure but our steam whistles got to loud so i had to put restrictors in each valve for the different whistles.......is this one of those musical ones that play dixee, dukes of hazard style?
 
LOL. . .Kevin, no, no Dukes of Hazard horns, just twin trumpet SS boat horns :)
 
I bought an Air Horn setup from an auto parts store. The little Compressor must have worked fine because in between Mountains, the noise was just plain Obnoxious.
 
I had Kahlenberg horns on a previous boat. I bought them at the Fort Lauderdale show, KBerg discounted them at the show. You might buy just their compressor and hardware.
 
Horn is alot louder on the water and in front of the boat.
Does it really have to be that loud?

Be honest, other than trying to get someone's attention or when stuck in fog, I rarely use my horn.
And when I am in fog, my eyes are on my gps and radar and the horn is just to CYA.
 
Loud is good if you want to be heard over the engine noise on the other fella's boat - 70 db+. When threading through Saturday morning's fishermen (all gliding about in a fog at the mouth of say - the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal). Twin KBergs lend a certain authority when needed. Otherwise, they are just fun to have.
 
horns are critical when running in fog and most boat horns are inadequate. just ask yourself if you will be heard 1/4 mile away by someone coming on up on off your stern at 25 kts with triple outboards? don't think there are such idiots? everytime i've run in fog, i've seen a couple...

back to origninal question, it's pretty common to have a DC compressor run air horn thru a solenoid valve but rarely seen on smaller boats due to space issues. On a flybridge boat, you can often put the compressor under the helm where it will stay dry and close to the horns. noise isnt' a big issue as it will only run occasionaly to recharge the tank.
 
I use my horns regularly. In my home port, at the end of the fairway I must make a 90 deg starboard turn around a houseboat that creates a blind spot, I always sound a long blast just in case there is someone approaching in that spot. Then 75 yards and another 90 deg port turn toward the gas dock / entrance to the river(another blind turn), these are narrow passages for larger boats. The other consistent rookie boating mistake I see (read: trailer boaters) they gas up at the dock, untie, shove off THEN they look to see if anyone is approaching. . . .then I get the OMG look when they realize they just shoved off into the path of an outbound boat. So I use my horn as a reminder to them too look before they shove off.

Last weekend in really windy conditions (again another narrow passage leading to my slip, different marina) fishing boats were aimlessly trolling around the fairway oblivious to the world. Again. . .the HORN. As we all know, there's no sense in stopping a 40' boat in a cross wind 10' from the rock shore line and same distance from the docks.

Other boaters have told me to just be more throttle aggressive, keep making way and the fishing / ski boats will move. I guess that and a louder horn . . .
 
The Searay horns are the best sound like they belong on a bicycle. I have no idea what kind on horn I have but I love it sounds like a ships horn loud as hell.
 
Again, I bought 3 harbor freight air horns about 12 years ago($10 ea). Mounted a single SS air horn to the compressor so the air isn't split between two horns. Plenty loud. I'm on the second compressor and still have the 3rd as a replacement
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

horns are critical when running in fog and most boat horns are inadequate. just ask yourself if you will be heard 1/4 mile away by someone coming on up on off your stern at 25 kts with triple outboards? don't think there are such idiots? everytime i've run in fog, i've seen a couple...

back to origninal question, it's pretty common to have a DC compressor run air horn thru a solenoid valve but rarely seen on smaller boats due to space issues. On a flybridge boat, you can often put the compressor under the helm where it will stay dry and close to the horns. noise isnt' a big issue as it will only run occasionaly to recharge the tank.

Click to expand...


100% agree and am configured as described by Pascal. Ran in soup this morning so thick that many times I couldn't see past the foredeck. We ran low and slow with the radar tuned to 1 mile and zoomed in. This happens only a handful of times per year in our area.

I could see tons of targets obviously on plane but knew they couldn't see me so I gave a blast well before they came out of the fog. A couple had to make a quick course change. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. By the time we entered Tampa Bay headed North in the ICW, I had a convoy of 4 boats following us out.

Last year I installed these: AFI 10122 Heavy Duty Marine Dual Trumpet Deck Air Horn (12-Volt, White) to replace a chromed pair that lost their luster. These are plenty loud and I use them all the time in weather or blind turns in marinas or marinas that require a signal for entering/exiting.

Edit: We didn't need to move in the fog. It's just that boating in fog or complete dark adds an entirely different dimension to boating and using/trusting the equipment. Kind of like an instrument rated pilot I guess.
 
quote:
Originally posted by jtybt15

Again, I bought 3 harbor freight air horns about 12 years ago($10 ea). Mounted a single SS air horn to the compressor so the air isn't split between two horns. Plenty loud. I'm on the second compressor and still have the 3rd as a replacement

Click to expand...


Wonder what effect mounting two HF compressors in line would have, more volume same pressure ? There's some food for thought . . . .
 
Not much fog where I boat but man I sure do want one of these Kahlenbergs now...
 
I have what Pascal describes, a small 12v compressor with what looks like an old propane tank & a gauge & pressure switch mounted that turns the pump on & off under the console on the flybridge. Pump is noisy but not that noticeable when running the 8.1s at cruise...
 
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