Boat Horn

[system 4-50]

I have made do with an aerosol jobby for years and I dislike them. It is time to get a properly wired-in boat horn. Are there any chandleries where you can hear the horns they have for sale? A bit like the B&Qs where the children playing with the door bell chimes drive you potty. Or is there a clear forum favourite that I can buy without hearing it? I just want a run-of-the-mill horn that doesn't make me wince every time I use it, and doesn't rattle or screech.

[David Schweizer]

The best source for horns is a car breakers yard, we have a pair of Audi horns bought for £10. They are very loud

[Guest User]

I would have thought most chandleries can find a battery they can use to do a test beep for you. In a lot of cases it just a basic 12v car horn, if you want an old-fashioned 'arooooogah!' you might have to look around a bit more.

 

LCx

[blackrose]

I would have thought most chandleries can find a battery they can use to do a test beep for you.

 

Yes, the chandlers where I bough mine did that (Uxbridge Boat Centre).

 

However, while a horn might sound nice and loud when connected a directly to a battery, connecting it via a long length of cable to the bow of a boat may often not produce the same sound because the cables aren't adequately sized.

 

I solved this problem on my boat by using a relay for switching and taking the power for the horn from the BT batteries at the bow.

[Glynn]

I fitted these to replace the standard "car" horn, very loud.

 

http://www.halfords.com/motoring-travel/car-parts/electrical-lighting/car-alarms-car-horns/ring-twin-car-air-horn

[bizzard]

I wouldn't go for vehicle hooters, folk'll think there's a floating car approaching or its a car hooter on a nearby road.

[bottle]

'Loudness' is conceptual and will vary to who is listening, most horns have their 'loudness' in the specification "db"

 

but tone also has a part to play, a deep (low) note can be more effective than a high note.

 

Think American trucks and some English fire appliances.

 

ps. db is only a guide because they very rarely state at what distance etc the decibels were measured.

[blackrose]

'Loudness' is conceptual and will vary to who is listening, most horns have their 'loudness' in the specification "db"

 

but tone also has a part to play, a deep (low) note can be more effective than a high note.

 

Think American trucks and some English fire appliances.

 

ps. db is only a guide because they very rarely state at what distance etc the decibels were measured.

 

You're confusing loudness and sound pressure.

 

While you're correct that loudness is subjective, sound pressure measured in dB is objective.

 

I agree that the distance dB measurements are taken at is often not stated and without this parameter the specification is actually meaningless (not even a guide!)

Edited July 5, 2015 by blackrose

[magnetman]

Or go for an air horn?

 

It's a bit diy but I have rigged up a Westinghouse train horn with LPG gas hose routed to an empty large fire extinguisher. Most extinguishers have a car type tyre valve on the top so it can be pressurised to about 100psi with a 12v car tyre inflator. Then squeezw the fire extinguisher valve as if putting out a fire to admit air to the horn. A lot of air. Its quite loud the horn is near the stern on my barge I don't know how well it'd work with 30ft of 'ose on it.

 

Its quite heath Robinson as well so not everyone's kind of thing I guess.

 

 

Eta sorry just noticed you didn't want a stupidly loud one ..

[bottle]

 

You're confusing loudness and sound pressure.

 

While you're correct that loudness is subjective, sound pressure measured in dB is objective.

 

I agree that the distance dB measurements are taken at is often not stated and without this parameter the specification is actually meaningless (not even a guide!)

 

I bow to your greater knowledge.

[ditchcrawler]

I wouldn't go for vehicle hooters, folk'll think there's a floating car approaching or its a car hooter on a nearby road.

But thats all the better when you toot back to them as they start to cross the bridge

[Rob-M]

I wouldn't go for vehicle hooters, folk'll think there's a floating car approaching or its a car hooter on a nearby road.

Somebody commented to me, after nearly colliding in a bridge hole, that my horn sounded like a car. I presume that is why they never slowed down and just kept boating on into a bridge hole they couldn't see through.

[bizzard]

Beeping car hooters, don't make the right distinctive enough noise for boats, nor are they loud enough to be heard by a boat coming the other way which has the helm standing on top of a noisy air cooled engine like me and is sailing along in a melancholy stupor due to slight traumatic deafness caused by said engine.

[Timx]

I wouldn't go for vehicle hooters, folk'll think there's a floating car approaching or its a car hooter on a nearby road.

WHERE YOU BEEN ,THATS ONE OF THEM CAR BOATS YOUR THINKING ABOUT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cODPt3T0cHE&feature=player_detailpage

[FadeToScarlet]

'Loudness' is conceptual and will vary to who is listening, most horns have their 'loudness' in the specification "db"

 

but tone also has a part to play, a deep (low) note can be more effective than a high note.

 

Think American trucks and some English fire appliances.

 

ps. db is only a guide because they very rarely state at what distance etc the decibels were measured.

The part about tone is interesting, because lots of commercial boats- including the one I steer- have moved away completely from air towards electronic piezo (I think) horns, that make a very distinctive and loud high-pitched beep- very good for signalling intentions.

[Neil Smith]

Is there a correct beep for approaching a blind bridge hole ie one long blast or a set number of short ones.

 

Neil

[bizzard]

Formula 1 cars should have a hooter too. Look how many times a car clouts the back of the car in front whilst trying to overtake, mainly on bends.

David Colthard must have cost McLaren millions for this reason a few years ago with faster cars piling into the back of his car because he'd cut em off from overtaking, not on purpose I don't think, he's a decent chap and I doubt would do it on purpose, he always said he just didn't seem them. I think he's one of those folk with a rear view mirror reversal problem and really needed to swivel his head around to look. If the overtaking cars had had headlights they could have flashed him to warn him. I think the pit crews virtually drive the cars now almost fly by wire these days.

[David Schweizer]

Is there a correct beep for approaching a blind bridge hole ie one long blast or a set number of short ones.

 

Neil

 

One long sustained blast of at least ten seconds, several short blasts have different navigational purposes depending upon how many there are and the length of time betwen different sets, not that anyone actually undersatnds them on canals.

[magnetman]

 

One long sustained blast of at least ten seconds, several short blasts have different navigational purposes depending upon how many there are and the length of time betwen different sets, not that anyone actually undersatnds them on canals.

At least 10 seconds? That's a long blast.. Is that just a general idea or is it more official than that?

 

I would suggest about 3 seconds would be more usual but it does depend on sound pressure level I suppose as to whether anyone would notice a shorter blast.

 

Maybe musical horns would be worth considering ?

[Guest User]

I've no idea of the quality but how about ...

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hardcastle-Retro-OOOO-GAH-Klaxon-Horn/dp/B00DWYBR76/ref=pd_sim_sbs_201_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0VH8Y0KQAKXD2EN34NCR

 

[David Schweizer]

At least 10 seconds? That's a long blast.. Is that just a general idea or is it more official than that?

 

I would suggest about 3 seconds would be more usual but it does depend on sound pressure level I suppose as to whether anyone would notice a shorter blast.

 

Maybe musical horns would be worth considering ?

 

When I did my Boatmaster training we were taught that a long signal was officially six seconds, and that ten seconds was more appropriate when approaching a blind bend or bridgehole, because experience had demonstrated that the captains most oncoming boats do not actually hear the horn for several seconds.

Edited July 5, 2015 by David Schweizer

[nebulae]

Bought an expensive"Marine Horn" from a well known chanders fo £55. It was rubbish. Lasted less than 12 months. Now use a single air horn,cheapo ebay.Seems O.K. but not really load enough.

[magnetman]

 

When I did my Boatmaster training we were taught that a long signal was officially six seconds, and that ten seconds was more appropriate when approaching a blind bend or bridgehole, because experience had demonstrated that the captains most oncoming boats do not actually hear the horn for several seconds.

Thanks for that David

[Alan Saunders]

I make do with a cheap, black/red plastic car horn. Unlike the standard car item it does actually have a 'horn' to amplify the noise. It is not pretty but I could hide it if I could be bothered. I also have a manual klaxon ('arooooogah!' © Lady C) that is a nice way of attracting attention and can be perceived as a friendly greeting or a 'raspberry' depending on the situation.

 

It is not necessary to mount the horn at the front of the boat, it will deafen any crew there or give them a 'heart attack'. On the pigeon box over the engine room (if you have one) is a good place that minimises cable length and annoyance to crew.

 

Traditionally, large ships had very low frequency and little boats high frequency horns.

 

I have very rarely sounded my horn so I have also failed to memorise the various signals. A two second blast is usually sufficient to wake the other steerer to the fact that they have misunderstood my intentions.

 

Alan

[Murflynn]

Bought an expensive"Marine Horn" from a well known chanders fo £55. It was rubbish. Lasted less than 12 months. Now use a single air horn,cheapo ebay.Seems O.K. but not really load enough.

+ 1.

 

I use a £12 aerosol powered horn. Bearing in mind it'll only get about 1 minute's use in a year, it is great value, throw away and replace each year.