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10-19-2021, 10:06 AM
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#1
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Guru
City: st pete
Vessel Model: 430 Mainship
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 3,498
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Adding an air horn
All,
Thinking about adding an air horn to the boat and need advise.
First, what is a good reliable brand?
When hooked up, assume you wire the horn switch that goes to a solenoid that triggers the air switch, correct? So once wired, I don't have to run a special like to the lower helm?
And are there any volume adjustments that one could make, perhaps less for backing out of a Marina than on the open water?
And can I assume that these are generally more reliable than the electric ones, that just aren't loud enough.
Thx for the help!
__________________
Seevee
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10-19-2021, 10:16 AM
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#2
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Guru
City: Reno, Nevada
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 1,177
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Do you already have compressed air on your boat?
We added a Kahlenburg to a 45' aluminum work boat a few recent years ago, no regrets there, built like the idiomatic brick lavatory. But this vessel already had a compressor and air tank. I may poke around and see if I can find the model. No tweaking the volume on that one though lol.
As I understand it they make various ones generating their own air even with wireless controllers. Check them out.
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10-19-2021, 11:04 AM
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#3
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Guru
City: Boston
Vessel Name: Adelante
Vessel Model: IG 30
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,609
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Most recreational air horns have their own mini compressor, about the same size as a beer can, and use the same power feed as the existing elec horn. The wires go to the compressor instead of the elec horn. You would need to add a small hole for the air tube.
Now Kahlenburgs are AIR HORNS! Suitable for small coaster tanker or locomotive. If you have existing compressed air then yes, a simple solenoid would work.
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10-19-2021, 11:07 AM
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#4
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Guru
City: Reno, Nevada
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 1,177
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We removed the old electric horn that had been reduced by time and repeated water infiltration to sounding very much like a lowing calf locked in a closet and then installed the model S-OA single horn and plumbed it to the existing compressed air system with a valve kit and a controller for timed fog signal. I believe we reused the existing toggle switch for normal horn use. Even the single horn (vs dual or triple) was plenty, plenty loud for our application cruising amid islands on Lake Superior.
Here's the page showing complete air-driven kits for vessels under 65 feet. https://www.kahlenberg.com/products/...cht-horns.html
I can say without reservation that this (dual horn) is what I would install if I was at all unhappy with the existing horn on my vessel. For my plans I would probably go with the fog signal controller too unless I was already happy with my loud hailer.
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10-19-2021, 11:18 AM
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#5
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Guru
City: Rochester, NY
Vessel Name: Hour Glass
Vessel Model: Chris Craft 381 Catalina
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 7,550
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2 and 3 tone horns aren't necessarily louder than a single, but they're much more distinctive sounding and IMO, they just sound better. It's tough to beat the melody of a good 3+ tone horn.
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10-19-2021, 11:25 AM
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#7
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Guru
City: Edgewater, MD
Vessel Name: Catalina Jack
Vessel Model: Defever 44
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,585
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Our boat came with a 3-horn Beueler horn system. I say system because it is designed to operate on compressed CO2, no compressor nexessary. It is VERY loud. We got the boat seven years ago, have cruised extensively, and have not consumed the whole of a gas bottle. The bottle is in a mount undern3ath the upper helm.
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10-19-2021, 12:20 PM
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#8
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Guru
City: st pete
Vessel Model: 430 Mainship
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 3,498
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Wow, lots of good ideas.....
And love the Kahlenberg one for $28,000, everyone should have one.
__________________
Seevee
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10-19-2021, 12:31 PM
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#9
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Guru
City: Dewatto
Vessel Name: CHiTON
Vessel Model: Tung Hwa Clipper 30
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,096
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I fabricated one on a boat using the propane tank that was up on deck. I used this solenoid. The pressure needs to circumvent your pressure regulator. Even still, the pressure in a propane tank varies quite a bit depending on temperature. It will be louder on hot days (just like people).
__________________
Marco Flamingo
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10-19-2021, 12:55 PM
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#10
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Guru
City: st pete
Vessel Model: 430 Mainship
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 3,498
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Another question....
What's available to have these air horns work as a fog horn that honk automatically?
__________________
Seevee
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10-19-2021, 01:00 PM
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#11
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Guru
City: Duvall, Wa. USA
Vessel Name: Beach Music II
Vessel Model: 2003 Mainship 430 Trawler
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,040
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Seevee, the horns on the stbd side of my flybridge are already air horns, installed by the factory. The air compressor is behind the seat.
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10-19-2021, 01:05 PM
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#12
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Guru
City: st pete
Vessel Model: 430 Mainship
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 3,498
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Quote:
Originally Posted by porman
Seevee, the horns on the stbd side of my flybridge are already air horns, installed by the factory. The air compressor is behind the seat.
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Sounds good. I've got electric ones there and they are poor at best. Could easily add a compressor.
Does yours have a fog horn option... so it will sound automatically?
__________________
Seevee
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10-19-2021, 01:11 PM
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#13
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Guru
City: Rochester, NY
Vessel Name: Hour Glass
Vessel Model: Chris Craft 381 Catalina
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 7,550
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As long as the horns are triggered by an electric solenoid, a Fogmate or the Kahlenberg controller (or anything else that can electrically trigger horns on a timer) will work for a fog signal.
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10-19-2021, 01:14 PM
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#15
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Guru
City: San Diego, CA
Vessel Name: Second Chance
Vessel Model: 42' Uniflite Double Cabin
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 828
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My boat has an older dual tone air horn, I don't remember the brand. The compressor was originally an A/C powered unit that was in poor condition. I removed it and put a 12V compressor with an integrated tank and pressure switch, hooked it up to the same line as the old A/C one.
Amazon- VIAIR Compressor
It powers the air horn just fine, the original solenoid actuates the horn, and the same DC circuit that powers the solenoid also now powers the compressor.
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10-19-2021, 01:24 PM
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#16
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Guru
City: Reno, Nevada
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 1,177
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Adding an air horn
Kahlenberg sells a simple twin toggle switch timer controller where you select off, underway, not underway (and sail or power.) I imagine this unit would work for any application not just their own, the electronic principle is fairly simple (other than choosing 12v or 24 volt model.) On one of my express cruisers I installed a simple fog signal controller underneath my panel in-line with the horn switch that was controlled by pressing that existing horn switch in a couple of simple predetermined patterns that would activate or then deactivate the automatic underway signal. This was nice since I didn’t need to mount any new switches etc.
Edit: that was the Fogmate unit previously mentioned above.
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10-19-2021, 02:04 PM
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#17
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Guru
City: Duvall, Wa. USA
Vessel Name: Beach Music II
Vessel Model: 2003 Mainship 430 Trawler
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,040
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Seevee, my air horns don't have the fog horn option, but my VHF radio does. It's a little anemic though.
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10-19-2021, 02:26 PM
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#18
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Guru
City: Seattle
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,312
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Quote:
Originally Posted by catalinajack
Our boat came with a 3-horn Beueler horn system. I say system because it is designed to operate on compressed CO2, no compressor nexessary.
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I like that idea of running off a compressed bottle. However it would be really cool if you hooked it up to a propane bottle instead, with a tiny piezo starter.
Send us some photos when you’re done, Jack!
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10-19-2021, 03:01 PM
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#19
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Guru
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
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Thought about replacing our electric strangled duck horn with something better but, reality is we have only used it 3 times in 5+ years of every day boating.
Not high on our priority list.
But if I did, it would be one of the numerous under $50 air horns on eBay
Worked fine in vehicles I have had, see no reason they won't on a boat.
__________________
Everything on a boat is broken, you just don't know it yet
Full time cruising is repairing boats in exotic locations
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10-19-2021, 04:23 PM
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#20
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Guru
City: Campbell River
Vessel Name: Blue Sky
Vessel Model: Nordic Tugs 42 Hull #001
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,972
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Blue Sky came with a single horn Kahlenberg, presumably installed in 1995 when she was built. About four years ago we replaced the compressor as it was only capable by then of producing a strange and grotesque sound. The new compressor made a world of difference. (Blue Sky has the complete system, solenoid, compressor, horn). It is a good system and 12V.
The only thing I would change is to go for at least dual horns if not triple horns. They make a huge improvement to the sound.
__________________
Conrad
Berthed in
Campbell River BC
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