I Really Want An Electric Horn

[Topol_86]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

My boat sat like that uncovered through southwestern ontario's weather for over 6 years before I bought it,and not sure how long it was outside before that owner. Horn still works great, although I have to replace the push button on my switchbank console. Reason I know it still works is because when I was first testing the electrics on the boat I took it off and connected it directly to a 12v source. Scared the hell outta me when it worked.... ear-piercingly loud. After checking the website, it is indeed an automotive horn, AM80 made by FIAMM. Was trying to find specs for it for db range, but was unable to. FIAMM also makes horns for marine application as well. Their website is FOUND HERE

 

[rwidman]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

It didn't run out in one beep. But it only lasted for maybe 5 to 10 boat rides. My point about the beep was that it gave no warning. I went to beep through a lock and my long-long-short-short turned into long-hssssss.

You must do a lot of horn blowing on your trips. I still have the original horn and canister I bought for my Porta Bote in 2001.

You will not find a louder electrically powered (including the ones with the air pump) for under a couple hundred dollars.

So - it's possible you bought one of the "environmentally friendly" horns instead of the "good" kind. Buy a good handheld horn and an extra canister. You're not going to have space or electrical power on a 15' boat for a good, loud electrical horn.

The one I have that is not loud enough is listed at 106-108 db. I think something at least 120 would be good.

Correct. I sometimes sneeze louder than 106 db.

It's possible for a manufacturer to "fudge" the db rating by measuring closer to the horn. Ratings need to be measured at the same distance from the horn to be compared against each other.

 

[LX Kid]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

This is the one I bought from iBoats for my boat and it works nice and loud!

http://www.iboats.com/Seasense-Stai...41410409--**********.303399811--view_id.56059

 

[l008com]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

I go through locks most times I go for a boat ride. Then again coming back in. So yeah, lot's of beeping.

 

[l008com]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

So here's an interesting development. I just picked up another small can-air horn today while I figure out a more permanent solution. So I look at the package, and its only 112db! And its super loud, just like my last can horn. According to what I've read, two of those small 108 db horns (the ones I originally linked to, that I like so much) would be approximately 111db. So maybe that's the best way for me to go after all? And I could always stick a 3rd one on there at a later date if I needed just a bit more volume.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

There are portable air horns which do not take replaceable canisters- they have a built in pump and can be "re-charged" in seconds and never need electricity or a purchased can of compressed air.

My 2 cents

 

[EricJRW]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

There are portable air horns which do not take replaceable canisters- they have a built in pump and can be "re-charged" in seconds and never need electricity or a purchased can of compressed air.

My 2 cents

Never heard of those... Sounds cool. I guess it's like the flashlight that does not need batteries (powered by shaking).

 

[rwidman]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

If you get a horn for your boat from Harbor Freight or JC Whitney, get two. That way you'll have a replacement for the original when it stops working after a few months.

A horn on a boat is going to get wet and you can't put it behind a grille facing down.

Put it in or under the console and it will stay relatively dry but it will be very loud inside your boat and pretty quiet outside.

Ongaro makes good boat horns.

 

[scipper77]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

get the horn from I-boats or wherever you want(I have the sea sense horn) It comes with a pretty long wire. You can rig it up under the console on a temporary mount. Pull it out when you want to blow it. Point it at the lock operator, honk till your blue in the face, and put it back.

Try this idea for the $20 it costs to buy the horn and if you don't like it no big deal, take the time to mount the thing properly. In the world of boating expenses this is nothing.

 

[skargo]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

I have OK electric ones on my boat, and I have one of the air horns that comes with a small bike style pump. It is eco friendly to boot

 

[MAXXIE]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

Mine is mounted like the picture above (front of windshield), it's factory & I don't think it's nearly loud enough. I like the Caddy horn idea, there loud & mutli-tone. I was just looking at electric air horns in the Overtron's catalog. They were around 135+ db's, that should be loud enough. There is a vid. clip on youtube of a horn Co. that is all about after market horns, really loud horns. They drive around a downtown street & slam people on corner's, really funny clip, I'll try to find it & post the name of the clip.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

I have OK electric ones on my boat, and I have one of the air horns that comes with a small bike style pump.

This is just like what I meant. Buddy has one. LOUD and he likes to have fun.... disturbing people... with it.

 

[skargo]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

This is just like what I meant. Buddy has one. LOUD and he likes to have fun.... disturbing people... with it.

We pulled our boat in a local independence day parade. My wife, and her best friend's family rode in the boat. Their daughter was blowing the horn non stop, my friend had to keep refilling it

 

[l008com]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

I know nobody seemed to like the original horn I linked to buuut. I'm thinking I'll buy two anyway, and walk down the street and have someone beep the pair and compare the volume level (to my air horn). And if it's not loud enough with two, maybe I'll just install two more. I think it's odd that no one makes a louder horn of that style thats made to surface mount on a boat, and is up in the 120+db range.

 

[Al-53]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

I took a pair of horns off a junk Ford truck...mounted them..loud as hell....been on 3 years now and still going strong....they have run in the rain and bad water...just point the horn down a bit so they can't collect water...or mount side ways....don't use a car horn from todays cars...get a older one....cost is 5 dollars from the junk yard

Al

 

[bobkyle2]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

or get a horn off a school bus... i had an old like 70's model school buss had a old antique looking metal horn... i put it on our old baja... becouse my dad bought 2 new ones from jcwhitney... and they suck... after i put that metal one on there i forgot that he didnt know i did it... and the next time he hit the horn button.... he almost jumped out of the boat.... he crawled under the console... he thought they blew up... sounded great tho

 

[l008com]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

So I've pretty much decided I'm just going to buy two of those horns I liked, that I linked to. I'll just wire em up and see, hopefully they are loud enough. I'm also hoping that you only need to drill screw and wire holes, and not any holes for the body of the horn (like a bow light). That will make installing so much easier. And I'm sure, once I have two installed... if they're not loud enough, I'll just buy two more and have four horns I'm confident that will be loud enough to wake a sleeping lock attendant.

 

[l008com]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

So I got the horns yesterday. I hooked them up real quick a few minutes ago. Just to test them.

Not good.

They're not even horns. I would not classify them as horns. More like sirens. They sound like a high pitched fire alarm. They were larger than I thought, so I was pretty excited when I got them, that they would be loud enough. I need to test them out more to see if they are loud enough or not. But now my concern is, wether or not this strange high pitched squealing will even get the attention of someone that normally responds to honks.

I have a feeling, in the end, I'm just going to end up buying a 6 pack of can'o'horn replacement cans.

 

[l008com]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

OK so plan B:

I can fit a single trumpet type horn on my bow, right at the tip of the boat. It will sort of be in the way of the step, but people will just have to be careful and not kick it. So those horns that come with little compressors, how do those work? Does the compressor come on when you blow the horn, and thats where the sound comes from? Or does the compressor hook up to accessory power and automatically keep a certain PSI in the tank, then beeping lets the air out?

 

[l008com]

Re: I Really Want An Electric Horn

Bump. Anyone know the answers to my questions about electric air horns?