boat horn

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catalac08

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about to fit a horn and looking at the compact type, not the sort with long trumpets as these are difficult to accommodate on a small boat, water ingress, catching sheets etc. what i have in mind are two compact horns one low and one high tone and total cost 45 pounds, similar to a trumpet type horn and should be easy to fit in a not too exposed position.

Sound output of these is rated at 112dB each. With 2 what would be the total sound output, appreciate dB is a logarithic scale but still cant really work it out. Also will these be loud enough to be useful. I have no real concept of what 112dBx2 would sound like.

Also any comments about horns on boats I have an air horn which is very loud but aerosol is sure to be empty when actually needed!
 
Horn on boat

I am not sure of the need for a horn. Certainly I have never felt the need although I have been hooted at by bigger ferries etc.
The exponential horn on any sound device increases the efficiency of the coupling of the vibrating diaphragm to the surrounding air. So outdoor loud speakers have a horn fitted to increase sound power. The horn however has to be big enough to handle lower frequencies hence horn loud speakers have very poor bass response.
This is not a problem with your boat horn (hooter) as frequency will be relatively high so a small horn will be quite efficient. However the bigger the horn the more sound you can expect. IMHO the air horn is the loudest. That is the type with a 12v driven air compressor to 2 or 3 trumpets.
We have one of these on our club rescue boat for starting races. The plastic trumpets have deteriated with UV however.
Using 2 horns at once if my theory is correct will increase sound pressure by 3 db.

good luck olewill
 
thanks I thought about 114-5 dB - never felt the need really for a horn in NW UK/Eire although had one on previous boat....but the Solent is something different!
 
Air horn

Why not consider an aerosol hand-held type but driven by air rather than an aerosol. The horn is supplied with a small bicycle type pump which you use to pressurize the cylinder. I think they are sold as Econoblast? At least as loud as the starting line horn at our local sailing club and you can't run out of gas!

Alan
 
You could always try your local scrapyard and get an old twin tone car horn. Something off a suitably large car to ensure it's a "BARP" not a "tweet".

Likely to be suitably loud, compact, and cheap.
Might need to clean it up before fitting of course..
 
Best horn, IMO, is the type that you blow through.

Except that you don't blow through it; that would soon make you dizzy.

Rig it up so you can plug in the tube from the dinghy bellows. No aerosol to finish when needed, more oomph than your lungs can produce, operated by stepping on the bellows it leaves both hands free for the wheel, loud enough to raise the dead, and ... you already have the bits. :)
 
Puff has the hit the nail on the head. I use the dinghy pump ( Avon) on a pair of air horns up the mast. Trouble with this method of leg powering is when you try long and short blasts to signal a turn to port etc. Any ideas how to control the blast.

Are you chaps talking about db a by the by?

73s de
Johnth
 
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