Foghorn/ Loud Hailer

anniebray

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Our new Sadler 290 is being fitted out right now & due to be commisioned in April. Today I'm delivering my supply electronics to Rampart Yachts. Question is that the bumpf with the Raymarine VHF mentioned that it had an integral facility for automatic fog signalling if one added a foghorn Usefull idea I thought, so I ordered the Horn. It arrived this week & I was rather aghast at its size. I mean it wouldn't look out of place for a public address system ! I have great misgivings about fitting it to my beautiful boat. Has anyone else fitted a Foghorn in this manner or do you think its worthwhile ? I could imagine that if one were stranded on a foggy windless day with rope round one's propeller & sitting in the Channel traffic zone, that it could provide great comfort !!
 
I have one on my boat. It is a little on the large side. It also has a loudhailer facility which might, under some circumstances prove useful. Not sure that I would bother again, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. One thing, if you do fit it have the fitters angle the loudspeaker down slightly, otherwise (I'm told) the thing collects water. Angling it down allows water to drain away from whence it came.
 
I keep mine in the locker and it is connected all the time via a long lead, so that on those rare occasions when the fog descends, the automatic function of my Standard Horizon 3000 takes care of the fog signals, whilst we all peer through the gloom.

I just bring it into the cockpit - it's no louder than manually blowing the compressed air horn.

I too thought it looked ugly , and besides as it was a retro fit, we'd have had to run cables up the mast - too much effort!
 
I've made a loop recording of the cannons in the 1812 Overture to blast through the cockpit speakers at 400w. Will that do? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
PA system? Use it to instruct the crew and have a laugh.

"Good afternoon, this is your Captain speaking"

Life jacket donning instructions a la aircraft.

Karaoke nights at anchor.



/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Am I the only one to believe that a foghorn, whether electric or manual, on a small boat is only going to warn other small boats of my presence? I'd assume that anything from less than a big ships jobbie would just get lost in the engine noise of the big ship.

Not saying that shouldn't have one just wondering....
 
[ QUOTE ]
PA system? Use it to instruct the crew and have a laugh.

"Good afternoon, this is your Captain speaking"

Life jacket donning instructions a la aircraft.

Karaoke nights at anchor.



/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Most of the VHF's with built in fog/hailer system make the hailer two way.
So the speaker, when in RX mode, is also a mic.
This does mean the crew can answer back and that is palyed through the built in speak on the radio.

So beware of their "polite" answers like "do one"!

I have the GX-3000 fitted and do use both the feature.
There is also a manual horn and siren function which can be handy!

The GX-3000 is a tad cheaper than the Raymarine and has 3 year warranty!

We also do two of our own PA horns.

Cheers
 
Thank you all for your comments. So I shall have a socket installed in the instrument bridge , probably have some neat little mounting point for the horn up forard & just plug in & use when necessary otherwise keep it in the locker.
For the interest of others with Raymarine VHF , I was informed that only the Raymarine supplied Horn would match their VHF & of course it had a matching price of £105. I noticed that its spec was 8ohm (which I thought was fairly common) & output 60w. Part no 95997
Thanks to all of you, Richard.
 
Played that with my FM extender through the day room speakers, which prompted SWMBO to shout up the stairs;

"WTF was that"

I declare it fit for purpose /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
PA system? Use it to instruct the crew and have a laugh.

"Good afternoon, this is your Captain speaking"

[/ QUOTE ]

À la recherche du temps perdu?

".....The radio speaker by his right knee barked suddenly “Come left 5 degrees!” Startled, the helmsman looked down, noting the display no longer read ‘16’, but now showed a large ‘IC’. “Better make that 10 degrees to port!”, again came the amplified voice of The Owner. Perplexed, the helmsman eased the wheel, letting her head come up, then ‘meeting her’ on the new heading. He recalled that the VHF had an ‘intercom’ position at the chart table, and that The Owner was probably sat there studying his 'array of instruments'......"

Or something similar....


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