Loud horn Required (any idea's)

[FadeToScarlet]

A few years ago we were heading up the Middlewich Branch when I heard a steam whistle. "Must be a steam excursion train up on the railway crossing" thought I.

Then it occured to me that the railway line crossing was still quite a way off and the whistle sounded nearer than that. And didn't I read something about President due to appear at Ellesmere Port?

 

After stopping to listen out, President with Kildare in tow came hurtling through the blind bridge 'ole. The bewhiskered engineer leaning out of the side doors called out "we have to go at a bit of a pace 'cos bottom's too near the top".

 

I have a similar President story. They visited the Cam, and were heading out of town. A person in a single scull was happily tootling along the middle of the river, so President whistled. The sculler looked confused, gave a shrug, and carried on.... to get whistled at again, turn around, and have the "ARGH!" moment common to many rowers and scullers on the Cam.

 

I've got one of these:

 

 

As well as one of these:

 

 

Albeit with a smaller handle. Great fun, though- people expect to see a Royalty-class or Big Woolwich foreend through the bridgehole, and so give way, when it's actually our somewhat less imposing bow that hoves into view!

[magnetman]

I used to have a Hadley air horn on one of my boats, a bit like these ones:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-New-Mack-Hadle...=item43a0bfdce8

 

coupled to an empty fire extinguisher which I charged up to 130psi with a Hellfrauds electric tyre pump. said fire extinguisher was connected to air horn with a length of garden hose (larger bore allowed plenty of air through) and when fire extinguisher was opened the horn reacted in a noticeable way

 

I once got someone coming over a bridge in a car, "eep-eep" they went and proceeded and I let the air out of the fire extinguisher. "OOOOOWAAAAOOOW" They stopped on the bridge and looked rather shocked.

 

The only weakness with the fire extinguisher system is it only gave enough air for a few seconds then you had to charge it up again. But it was extremely loud

 

I tried the same horn with a little fiamm compressor and it didn't even whisper.

 

 

 

 

These look nice

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TRAIN-HORN-120dB-SCA...=item45f45246b7

[mykaskin]

These look nice

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TRAIN-HORN-120dB-SCA...=item45f45246b7

 

Presume it sounds a little like this:

http://www.break.com/index/train_horn_scare_prank.html

 

Would be great on the canals! :-)

 

Mike

[Jayen4]

The Delta Queen horn is superb but surely it would be outclassed if you went for this option:

 

 

 

Heh heh....beautiful ! I loved that...very entertaining. . Fred Dibnah would have been in his element having a look at that !

[boatyboy]

I Know this ever so slightly off topic,but it still concerns horns and the use of them.But this time its from road traffic.Any of you been up the Ashby canal ????

Well there are several nice mooring spots near the hump back bridges.Now to the point of my post.......Why do blinking motorists insist on bibbing their bloody horns just before they rise over the hump?? Does the fact that they have bibbed give them the right over other traffic approaching the bridge from the other way. I just don't see how a car coming the other way could hear them honk. Getting back to the mooring's by the bridge,its only after one has tied up for the night that they honk about every 5 minutes, even at night, and its damn annoying .

Dave ........................night night sleep tight....i hope

[blackrose]

Hi all.

I am looking for a loud, simple, fairly inexpensive horn to replace the mickey mouse one that was fitted to my boat.

I want to make myself heard as I creep through blind bridges only to meet that inconsiderate clown thundering through from the other side totally oblivious to any other boat. Usually giving that "what gives you the right to be here" look.

Any idea's would be appreciated.

Bob.

 

Whatever horn you buy and however loud, it will not work properly if the cables supplying the power are too thin. Because most horns are mounted at the bow but take their power supply from a battery bank at the stern there can be a long cable run (depending on the length of the boat), and the voltage drop down the long cables is often the cause of horns not working properly or users blaming the horn itself for what is in fact a bad installation.

 

I had this problem on my boat because the builder had fitted inadequate cables to the horn. Fortunately I was able to do a workaround because I had another battery bank at the bow for the bow-thruster, so instead of running new cables down the length of the boat I wired the horn to the BT batteries and put in a relay to the switch at the stern. So the long cables are now only used to carry a very light load to connect the switch, while the power from the horn comes from the BT batteries.

[steviehat]

I had no horn either so i use an old Trombone...picked it up for a fiver at the car boot sale. It's very loud [the loudest instrument in the orchestra they tell me.]

Couldn't play it all but now a couple of years later i can get a bit of a tune out of it. I started by copying air horn tunes. Loadsa fun,needs no batteries and just hangs on a hook by the backhatch.

 

Cheers Folks

[Guest wanted]

I had no horn either so i use an old Trombone...picked it up for a fiver at the car boot sale. It's very loud [the loudest instrument in the orchestra they tell me.]

Couldn't play it all but now a couple of years later i can get a bit of a tune out of it. I started by copying air horn tunes. Loadsa fun,needs no batteries and just hangs on a hook by the backhatch.

 

Cheers Folks

 

Now were talking, I would like to see a full range of battered brass instruments being used instead of boring old horns. Imagine the noise at a junction!

It would also be a happier place if bendy buses made accordian noises whilst going round corners!

[nb Innisfree]

Now were talking, I would like to see a full range of battered brass instruments being used instead of boring old horns. Imagine the noise at a junction!

It would also be a happier place if bendy buses made accordian noises whilst going round corners!

 

Very dangerous erecting a music stand and steering at the same time.

[Guest wanted]

Very dangerous erecting a music stand and steering at the same time.

 

I wasn't suggesting that the person on the tiller does it, no that would be dangerous, I'd get the kids on the roof to do it!

[jelunga]

I have a bugle which gives a loud noise. Coming south through the Blisworth Tunnel I played a few bugle calls. On exiting the tunnel there was a group of walkers who gave me a round of applause. Most gratifying.

[RLWP]

<snip>

It would also be a happier place if bendy buses made accordian noises whilst going round corners!

 

I think the Parisian ones do

 

Richard

 

And if they don't, they should!

[Neil TNC]

Hi all.

I am looking for a loud, simple, fairly inexpensive horn to replace the mickey mouse one that was fitted to my boat.

I want to make myself heard as I creep through blind bridges only to meet that inconsiderate clown thundering through from the other side totally oblivious to any other boat. Usually giving that "what gives you the right to be here" look.

Any idea's would be appreciated.

Bob.

 

I had some airhorns floating about from my RS Mexico days. On Earnest we mounted two under the cabin overhang and mounted the pump at the bottom of the front bulkhead (pipe plumbed it at build. The pump is powered off the bowthruster batteries (Earnest only has a crappy 12v bowthruster) by short 10mm2 cables and a 40A relay. We still have the pathethic beepy horn supplied (hardy even good enough to summon crew for a brew), another switch enables the horn push to activate the air horn relay and the beepy horn. Earnest is also strange in having the spot lamp mounted under the cabin overhang. You have to flip the cratch cover over to get it to work. The good point about this is that it is out of the way, the cratch board comes apart easily and the cheap car spot lamp has never failed, though bad/damp connections.

[carlt]

The Delta Queen horn is superb but surely it would be outclassed if you went for this option:

 

According to my Colregs documentation, she is signalling "I am about to turn to Starboard."

[DHutch]

According to my Colregs documentation, she is signalling "I am about to turn to Starboard."

Hehe!

[mchancox]

Hi all.

I am looking for a loud, simple, fairly inexpensive horn to replace the mickey mouse one that was fitted to my boat.

I want to make myself heard as I creep through blind bridges only to meet that inconsiderate clown thundering through from the other side totally oblivious to any other boat. Usually giving that "what gives you the right to be here" look.

Any idea's would be appreciated.

Bob.

The Stebel Nautilus will certainly be loud enough (over 120db). The other trick is understanding what the horn signals mean but then even when you sound them you still get the "What gives you the right to be here look"! LOL.

[Guest wanted]

I think the Parisian ones do

 

Richard

 

And if they don't, they should!

 

 

[FadeToScarlet]

Oddly enough, the local tripboat- Georgina- hasn't gone for an airhorn or a mechanical horn, but what sounds like an electronic one.

 

It makes sense- it's not very, very loud, but the note is high pitched and carries a long way.

 

I'm tempted to try and get one that sounds the same, so that the local rowers think it's the 90' tripboat coming and not my little narrowboat!

[Nickhlx]

The Stebel Nautilus claims 139dB for the hi/lo pair... It definitely is loud - when I have to remind cars that they have just pulled out in front of me without looking, a blast makes them visibly jump, even when they have their windows shut... very satisfying !

 

Nick