Horns

[Roger Long]

I would appreciate any opinons on horns since. One inevitible aspect of my upcoming cruise to the Bay of Fundy is that much or all of the trip will be in fog about the consistency of wet concrete. If you are going to wait for clear weather, you might as well just start in September. Mitigating factors are low traffic volumes, few obstructions, and the Fundy Traffic radio system. One thing I'm adamant about on horns - no cans.

I've been rather casual about horns since my Maine fog strategy is to go close in counting on the ledges and dangers to keep the lawyers and derivitives brokers well offshore from me as they roar along playing with their million dollar video games. I have a mouth blown horn that makes lots of noise but I figure I'd better make noise a lot more often down in Fundy and I don't want to return deaf. I or the crew will get pretty sick of blowing after 8 - 10 hours anyway.

I probably didn't think of this soon enough to put the big permanent air horn installation I would like on this year's work list and I don't have a good place up in the rig for the horn. Will one of the compact electric units down on deck will have enough penetration?

BTW I've sorted out the problems with Maptech. I don't know what I did to get it reading the GPS antenna but it now has a solid and stable fix as long as the antenna is outside. I've also downloaded and installed NOAA charts for the region. The Offshore Navigator Lite version that came free with my chartbooks has all the features I really need. The things like anchor watch alarm I can get from my Garmin which has much lower power draw when I leave it on at night.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Height above water for a horn is not the same consideration as height of an antenna for a VHF radio. Decibels are decibels regardless of height. It's all about horn shape and direction, obstructions and obviously wind direction which dictate effective distance.

 

[Bob V]

Have you heard about the CD's

Someone mentioned that there are CD's available with fog signals that you can just pop in the stereo, crank up the cockpit speakers and forget about it. That sound like a pretty good idea.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/rdjansen6

I only travel in fog rarely so I depend on the mouth horn that they sell at WM. It is extremely loud as you know if you ever used one. I keep the package of ear plugs right next to the horn in the nav station.

By the way, do any of you also carry a bell. It is required on vessels over 39 feet. I finally picked one up just to comply with Colregs. My understanding is that the bell is used if you are stopped in fog and the horn if you are moving.

 

[sailingdog]

Most of the larger horns are somewhat directional, and as such can often be mounted so that they will not deafen you, unless you're standing in front of them.

 

[Velero49]

I saw this company in the Baltimore Boatshow and like the concept. It's around 300 plus the horn/light. I have a hailing speaker/horn already mounted under my radar dome. Maybe a fall project to install this system.

http://kimberlitemanufacturing.com/

Velero49

 

[sailingdog]

Some VHF radios have a signal controller built in, but most require a speaker, not a horn.

 

[Ron20324]

If you only put it on-deck, as needed, a regular car horn should be doable. Wired with a push-button switch, maybe to a board with the horn signals meaning?

 

[william24424]

Interesting.I'm surprised that there is not much demand for the weekend sailor to purchase an automated fog horn. I keep a trumpet on board, which is tiring after several hours. Blow can runs out of gas too quick, I like the cd idea, and think it's a great idea to automate the fog signal.

 

[Allan Frey]

I have the cdbaby disc and it works well.

Allan

 

[Roger Long]

I just got an email answer to a version of this inquiry from my friend the ex navy navigator and now delivery skipper. He pretty much confirms my earlier thinking which is that the boats you are really concerened about and not going to hear any horn of a size you could carry on a sailboat when they are in their pilot house. Nobody listens for horns anymore anyway with all the electronics.

Carry the smallest horn that makes you legal and don't expect it to be userful for anything except the USCG Aux safety inspection.

 

[sailaway78]

Not much need

Don't have much need in this area, as we don't have the kinds of fog you are expecting. I do carry a bell, a whistle, and a can type horn. I found a can horn, that you power up with air from a small compressor. Just as loud as others, but no need to carry spare cans or worry about running out.

 

[Tim R.]

I have the disposable can type and use it when I see boats nearby on the radar or in a busy channel.

BTW, my dog hates it.

 

[Ross]

mouth blown horns work well for hailing other open boats. But given the number of posts we get here about Hi Fi music systems I am not sure that the boats we would be most concerned with will ever hear my signals. I rather like the idea of barking dogs and cow bells.

 

[Benny]

Better deaf than sorry.

Those portable air horns work pretty well and the canisters last for a good while. Clanking the silverware against a steel pot just does not do it.

 

[RichH]

If you only put it on-deck, as needed, a regular car horn should be doable. Wired with a push-button switch, maybe to a board with the horn signals meaning?

Hook it up to a small 12vdc timing motor with cam plus relay .... and you dont have to push the button all the time. Probably someone could cobble you up a #555 IC timing chip to run a small relay and do the same thing.

;-)

 

[Ross]

Roger , do you have access to a big fireplace bellows? That would blow the horn with just a pull on the handle.

 

[RobG]

Look at the Taylor Made Eco Blast horn

Just keep pumping it up when it's gassed out. It's very loud but at arms length pointing away from you it doesn't blow your ears out. The can and horn are both larger than the disposable types for better performance. I'm happy with mine (5 years old).
http://www.sailboatstuff.com/oth_airhorn.html?gclid=CPnkpcDExZkCFdVM5QodXm0Htg

 

[JustDucky]

I have been using the same Eco Blast for 5 years and it works fine. But, I do like the idea of automating the sound signal. I will have to give the CD a try.