blackrose Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 (edited) Took the boat out today and just to give it a run and when I sounded the (electric) horn approaching a bridge/blind bend nothing happened. I tried pressing the switch again and eventually it started to make some noises but not very loud. After about 10 goes the horn started to work properly. So what's going on? Old horn, dirty switch connections or is the relay getting old? (The switch is at the stern but because of voltage drop through inadequately sized cables I connected the horn to the BT batteries at the bow via a relay and it used to work fine.) Edited May 12, 2018 by blackrose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess-- Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 50 dead spiders in the horn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boater Sam Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 The horn will have an electromagnet and a set of cantacts inside. The contacts are pysically connected to the diaphragm that makes the noise. They get corroded and make poor contact until a good long rattling cleans them up. There is often an adjusting screw that sets the contact pressure and hence the tone of the horn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzard Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 The newness wearing off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted May 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 Thanks chaps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Marshall Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 For years mine only worked when the engine was running, which wasn't much use when I broke down in the Harecastle tunnel. It finally got condemned by the safety examiner bod when it wouldn't work for him either. The new one on the same button and same wiring ect works fine. Some things just aren't built to last - it was one of the four remaining original bits of the boat, so can only have been about fifty years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 1 hour ago, Jess-- said: 50 dead spiders in the horn Now 50 deaf spiders... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 Bowthruster batteries flat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 2 hours ago, Jess-- said: 50 dead spiders in the horn Maybe not that far from the truth. I dismantled my horn when it showed the same symptoms as the OP's found a wound up large ball of spider web inside. Cleaned it out refitted and all worked OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwil Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 33 minutes ago, reg said: Maybe not that far from the truth. I dismantled my horn when it showed the same symptoms as the OP's found a wound up large ball of spider web inside. Cleaned it out refitted and all worked OK. Had the same problem with a horn and a paloma. The spiders had "nested" in the manifold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machpoint005 Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 When you press the button it takes a long time for all those little electrons to make their way along nearly 60ft of wire, through the horn and all the way 60ft back to the battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty69 Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 Common in men of a certain age I believe. Try Viagra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bizzard Posted May 12, 2018 Popular Post Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 The delay can be handy though, if you've panicked and pressed the button too early. 1 minute ago, rusty69 said: Common in men of a certain age I believe. Try Viagra Stops you rolling out of bed. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebotco Posted May 12, 2018 Report Share Posted May 12, 2018 3 hours ago, bizzard said: The delay can be handy though, if you've panicked and pressed the button too early. Stops you rolling out of bed. Oh very drole! 'Ow do you know anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted May 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 16 hours ago, ditchcrawler said: Bowthruster batteries flat? No, they're fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now