Electric horn?

[Ken Cross]

It seems odd to me that many power boats have a built in electric horn. I've never seen one on a sailboat. Just curious, why would that be? It would be far more convenient to have a button rather than finding that air canister powered noise maker.

Ken

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

Electric horns are not really all that powerful and do consume amps, which are at a premium on a boat sailing and not motoring. Real powerful horns on powerboats are air horns, driven by a electric compressor. Other issue is they have to be placed somewhere on deck and hence they would get in the way of lines, and/or crew working on deck.

 

[Ron20324]

You can get VHS radios with horn signals built in. The speaker is another situation.

 

[rardiH36]

I also had given thought to the convenience of just pushing a button on an electric horn. And had grown weary of replacing the my air horn's propellent canister every 6-9 months. But discounted as not practical for the reasons already brought up by Mr. Auger.

I DIY cobbled together a hand-held horn from an after-market electric car horn kit, pvc pipe, a 3S = 12v lipo (a Li-ion variant) battery from my RC days, and some circuitry to control charging and prevent over discharging.

When the very popular Sausalito kayak/standup paddle board rental business moved into our slipway, we needed something more convenient and longer lasting per charge than our previous pump-up air horn. A friendly toot alerts novice renters to please not linger in our berthing approach path.

The horn is certainly loud enough for normal purposes of meeting leaving port requirements and getting the attention of other sailboats when sailing. But not as loud as the canister type air horn. My horn needs to stay dry which isn't a problem for protected water sailing.

I still keep an air horn on the boat as a backup since I never quite trust my attempts at DIY solutions.

An internet search several months ago for hand-held electric horns didn't find anything really suitable. Most of the ones I did find seemed to be in the toy category. Maybe a new product opportunity for a creative inventor?.

 

[All U Get]

I have a Hailer like this with speakers mounted above the spreaders. The first time we used it in a fog my wife panicked thinking there was someone real close. Of course I thought she was hearing something else so I did the "look through fog" squint and saw nothing. By the third cycle I realized it and turned ours off. No more boats nearby.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|344|2028693|2028954&id=660600

All U Get

PS when you climb the mast, don't step on the speaker.

 

[Christy Leigh]

My 1999 Nauticat has one up on the mast and I think most Nauticats do. Of course many look at the Nauticat as a motorboat with sails, but whatever. Mine failed last year so I bought an almost exact replacement at WM which was one of the three they have in their online catalog by AFI. I don't know the decibel comparison but I know when I was up on the mast fussing with it I drew apparently complaining comments from the peanut gallery lounging at the marina. "HEY it WORKS !!!!!!!!!!".

Stan

 

[Les]

Ken. I had that discussion with my self a few years back. Over the years in numerous boats that I've had, most of the air canisters either rusted or became empty without me ever using them. So I looked for a mechanical hand held horn which I found on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Innovative-Li...qid=1423334663&sr=8-1&keywords=hand+held+horn

I've had it now about three years and it is indeed loud. I have changed the battery once just because....but I carry extra batteries on board. I'm very pleased with my electronic horn. Now I'm looking at laser flares to replace the burning types.

 

[Capt jgw]

I saw a boat once with air horns hidden in Dorade vents. Don't know how that would affect the vents, but they might have been dummies. They were hardly noticeable and well protected.
A "sailing vessel" is not required to have a horn, but if the engine is running you're a power driven vessel, and are required to have some sort of horn.

 

[Benny17441]

For the use I give to a horn a canister one does fine. The more things to install is the more things to break and maintain. No thanks.

 

[jsalley]

I just finished installing a mast-mounted radar scanner, and while up there and running cables through the mast and boat I mounted a small but loud (135 dB) electric horn on the bottom of the radar bracket, with the button on the helm console. The current draw is negligible, considering the short time it will be energized. I also installed a Fogmate controller that automates the appropriate fog signal (sail, power, underway, stopped), as recommended by Maine Sail a while back. Always have the air horn as a backup.

 

[Prime Time]

Standard horizon VHF with auto fog horn and hailer built in. Outstanding performance with speaker on mast.

 

[Scotty C-M]

I've wondered the same thing. I bought an electric horn at West Marine. Wired it up to a button at the helm. I mounted it on my radar pole (at the stern), and boy is it loud!! I love it. I carry a compressed gas horn as a back-up.

I also installed a VHS at the helm. It's totally seperated from the main VHS, which has a mast antennae and the unit is mounted at the chart table. I wanted a separate VHS in case the first failed. While installing it, I ran a cable to a hailer, which I also mounted on the radar mast. It has automatic fog horn settings, and also I can use the hailer. In hind site, I should have gotten one with AIS. Perhaps later.

 

[gettinthere]

West marine sold (dont know if its still available) an air horn with a plastic canister that you pump up with a bicycle pump. Works quite well.

We added the standard horizon 2150 vhf. It has ais receive as well as programmed auto fog horn and a hailer. Mounted the horn under the radar as others here have said. Works well as a horn and hailer.

When I see a ship on the ais, I turn on the hailer and shout at them to get out of my way. Thats in the colregs, right?

 

[Rafael8008]

Hunter 376 factory air horn has failed. Over the 25 year life-span of the boat, she has sailed 50% fresh water and 50% salt or brackish.
I expected to be able to tap in a few mouse-clicks and find a replacement. To my surprise this is becoming more challenging than I thought.
Any advice. Horn is 12V. The boat is on the Hudson River - 2 bridges north of NYC.

 

[Terry Cox]

Any advice

Hi Rafael. Sorry, but no electric horn here. Got tired of the canister type and settled many years ago on a traditional signal horn, which is similar to the one from Amazon below.

https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Removable-Mouthpiece-Accessory-Emergency/dp/B0CLNKF59F/ref=sr_1_41?crid=3ATTDU3MW2V7V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Bf7ONmdLUgdYPYaB2sRHbZWHiNT7oM4ve5-9qoSzMBq9kXD1-6N8FL7yrCt_aT9wTtaoW_39NznIDLFOB6owN3ygBSM1-6Luw4ZUwe07bml7fXCJY1fXoIDs8cxKUEyE08DiAgopaz4zrm437gkb3m9_1CB78hDg-XeltRW6qwCTQZuywdMxzJkpucqUBg27FKwPQomY8M6T-zswrey7GHJ5qBdA12W6EMXHM1oJ566Jsiq6f1T-Xm-I1VJsFHEWfBPXk5qdTgwxMN0_vO8Ys6FeC4m_d7VEXMKEdKPCCTY.ypZs7umfG0YRAgf90JhzzClfcwB19zn-sj4EeymnbDk&dib_tag=se&keywords=signal+boat+horn&qid=1727011934&sprefix=signal+boat+horn%2Caps%2C260&sr=8-41

Seems odd for a sailboat to have an air horn. What is the air source; compressor, holding tank, etc.?

 

[Rafael8008]

Turned out to be a non-story. Found the exact replacement at Defender.

 

[jssailem]

Terry, I like this idea. Not as loud as a compressed air horn, unless I give it to a grandkid.

 

[Tally Ho]

I have often longed for a diesel locomotive air horn mounted on my bow so I could blast the power boaters and jet skiers that zoom around me…

But instead, I have an air canister and horn. Works well.

But I also found this gizmo on the boat when I bought her…not quite as loud as the air canister, but it is surprisingly loud and never runs out of air…could be good as an alternative to a fog horn or bell too I suppose.

https://a.co/d/7Lmz2Zj

Mine is plastic.


Greg