Twin horns not working

[Jess--]

Silly question maybe...

was the engine running when you tried the horn?

 

The horn on our boat would either not work (just clicking) or give a quiet strangled squawk if the engine wasn't running, with the engine running the horn worked perfectly.

for us it was a combination of an older starter battery* (the horn was the only thing apart from the starter running from it) and marginal wiring thickness.

We just accepted that the engine had to be running to use the horn as we couldn't think of many situations where we would be on the back of the boat, need to use the horn and not have the engine running.

 

*The starter battery finally gave up at 29 years old... the day we sold the boat (of course we fitted a new one when they came to pick up the boat)

Edited April 5, 2023 by Jess--

[john.k]

Thats typical of the old Lucas horns ...adjust the screw until it sounds like a strangled chook,and it gives out a clear note with the engine running....... Lucas did call them a "Clearhooter"

Edited April 5, 2023 by john.k

[Scholar Gypsy]

14 hours ago, Higgs said:

The twin-horns I'm used to have an adjustment screw on the horn assembly, under the chromed housing. If it isn't adjusted correctly, the horn may not sound at all. Tried to find a photo of the screw adjuster, to help. No luck. The horns are electro magnetic, and the screw would limit the deflection (oscillation) acting through the contact's gapping-  to dampen or increase the sound.

 

 

 

This maybe of some help, to explain the screw adjustment. 

 

 

 

 

 

I bought a very similar/identical pair recently. Only one horn sounded. I took the other one apart, put it back together, and it worked fine. The screw seemed to be locked in place so I couldn't manage to move it.

Most of the time it will be stowed away, but in operation will sit in the middle of the roof to avoid deafening people on board. The push switch is near the stern,

Edited April 5, 2023 by Scholar Gypsy

[mrsmelly]

On 05/04/2023 at 05:07, john.k said:

Send them back and get some Kahlenberg horns.

Just been on their web site. Bloody proper bits of kit, and great fun listening on line to the different sounds available 😃

[Scholar Gypsy]

I was quite tempted by this:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/1348668285/dewalt-quad-train-horn-impact-train

[magnetman]

3 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

I was quite tempted by this:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/1348668285/dewalt-quad-train-horn-impact-train

Good one for idiot cyclists !

[Higgs]

I carry one of these, for if all else fails. 

Hand pump eco horn - very loud and no need for refills > Standalone Site Fire Alarms (fireprotectiononline.co.uk)

 

 

 

 

 

[Hudds Lad]

24 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Just been on their web site. Bloody proper bits of kit, and great fun listening on line to the different sounds available 😃

Thats it, i want a Kahlenberg 02M 😱

[magnetman]

Steam calliopes seem quite pleasant. 

 

 

[cuthound]

4 hours ago, Higgs said:

I carry one of these, for if all else fails. 

Hand pump eco horn - very loud and no need for refills > Standalone Site Fire Alarms (fireprotectiononline.co.uk)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I use one of those as my horn is mounted on a removable post (along with the tunnel light) which I often forget to put in place before setting off.

 

I once sounded it at a blind bridge and as I passed slowly through the boat waiting for me said "oh, your a boat, I thought it would be an express train!".

 

😂

3 hours ago, magnetman said:

Steam calliopes seem quite pleasant. 

 

 

 

Given the name of my boat I really ought to have a steam calliope.

Edited April 6, 2023 by cuthound
To insert spaces between merged posts

[Higgs]

2 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

I use one of those as my horn is mounted on a removable post (along with the tunnel light) which I often forget to put in place before setting off.

 

I once sounded it at a blind bridge and as I passed slowly through the boat waiting for me said "oh, your a boat, I thought it would be an express train!". 😂

 

Yes, enough to wake the dead. 

 

 

[Ken X]

With a modicom of thread drift, am I the only person who sounds their horn when cars beep before an overbridge as I pass underneath?🙂

[cuthound]

3 minutes ago, Ken X said:

With a modicom of thread drift, am I the only person who sounds their horn when cars beep before an overbridge as I pass underneath?🙂

 

No I have fun doing that too, especially when you see (and hear) a big 4x4 doing it as they approach a bridge without slowing down... 😂

[magnetman]

It has to be done, and specially good with a proper train horn. 

[IanD]

4 hours ago, magnetman said:

Steam calliopes seem quite pleasant. 

 

 

Wow, that *really* needs tuning, it made my teeth itch... 😞

[magnetman]

I see on eBay someone has got a proper pair of BR EMU horns complete with the air switch. 

 

How nice ! 

 

My loud horns were £5 and free so £200 does seem a lot but it is going to be good hardware. 

 

Needs a decent tank. 

 

I discovered that the gauge on a large fire extinguisher is the same thread a cheap pressure switch. There is a schrader valve on the neck. 

 

Find a used extinguisher, unscrew the valve assembly and empty it. Replace valve arrangement. Remove the gauge and replace with a 100psi pressure switch. Cheap car tyre pump onto the schrader valve and wire the pump via the pressure switch. Route air from extinguisher output to the horn. 

 

Works really well. LOUD. Automatically recharges the air after use. 

2 minutes ago, IanD said:

Wow, that *really* needs tuning, it made my teeth itch... 😞

I quite like it being out of tune. Gives it more "feel". I'm not a musician only got to grade 6 on the flute once I was 13 yars old cba any more. 

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

6 hours ago, Ken X said:

With a modicom of thread drift, am I the only person who sounds their horn when cars beep before an overbridge as I pass underneath?🙂

O the temptation, but so far I have resisted

[Tracy D'arth]

16 hours ago, Ken X said:

With a modicom of thread drift, am I the only person who sounds their horn when cars beep before an overbridge as I pass underneath?🙂

Do it all the time, great fun hearing the tyres shriek as they emergency stop.

[dave moore]

I used to do it too.....

[DHutch]

On 06/04/2023 at 15:23, IanD said:

Wow, that *really* needs tuning, it made my teeth itch... 😞

The issues with steam calliopes is the tune to each whistle changes somewhat with temperature, which changes significantly depending when they where last sounded, so perfect tuning is impossible! It is also the case they are hard to tune at all, in part because of the above but also due to having to manually change the tube of each whistle, so many could likely be much better than they are! All part of the charm isnt it.....?

On 07/04/2023 at 07:28, Tracy D'arth said:

On 06/04/2023 at 14:42, Ken X said:

With a modicom of thread drift, am I the only person who sounds their horn when cars beep before an overbridge as I pass underneath?🙂

Do it all the time, great fun hearing the tyres shriek as they emergency stop.

It has been know on occasion! Only we don't have a horn, we have a full size replicate A4 Locomotive whistle with 150-200psi of live steam behind it!

On 06/04/2023 at 14:33, cuthound said:

I once sounded it at a blind bridge and as I passed slowly through the boat waiting for me said "oh, your a boat, I thought it would be an express train!".

See also this!

 

 

Getting slightly more on topic, it appears that these are electromatic type horns, pair of with long trumpet, rather than airhorns with a compressor. Hence the current draw should be manageable and only around twice a normal single horn. As said, might also need the gap adjustment making.

 

But I would still try the same sorts of thing of testing it with the engine running, or directly with a short lead of the battery, else as always, approach the seller for their answers!!