Accomplice8

You can hear it buzz a bit but it only goes for 30-60 seconds after a honk.

Accomplice8

What would they do to you in CA? I heard that they outlawed 'em in Miami and now its no mere ticket but an actual arrest.

Christanza

Absolutely brilliant! hahaha

Torquester

I've been laughing for about half an hour now... that is too damn funny. I wonder if I paired a couple of little hella's up would it do the trick.

Chi500

Did you have this done at a car audio shop? I want to put it in my CLK, but I'm not sure if there will be room. Since it cuts through your car, is there a possibility of water entering through there? I drive it in the winter and am worried about it hitting and accumulating snow.

Accomplice8

I had it installed at a shop that does air suspension work for lowrider truck guys since they deal with air compressors, tanks, etc. all the time. My E55 had a large piece of thick plastic sealed in below the spare tire recess. They just cut through the glue holding that in and fabricated a matching piece of steel with a box welded to it which contained the horns, tank, etc. The car can returned to OEM be cutting out the seal that holds the steel piece in and replacing the factory sub floor piece. However your car is built, I'd make sure that they only install it in a way that can be reversed 100% to factory.

Kevin

rubensans

Take a look on this:

http://www.airchime.bc.ca/marine.asp

Your Dream:

MBH

Where can I get one for my pick up truck for X-Mas

Accomplice8

Actually, I think I've got them matched. The loudest suggested vessel horns from that site for the largest ships:

"CLASS I - VESSELS 200 METERS (656 ft) OR MORE IN LENGTH

IMO: 143 dB 1/3rd-octave band level at 1 meter
Electric Horn
Air Horns
Steam Whistle
Recommended Systems "

My train horn is also right there at 140 db. (http://www.noiseabatementsociety.com)

RJC

You guy's have way too much time on your hands

98 SNAKE EATER

Since most Train horn manufactures won't sell to the general public, your best bet is either EBay or the Classifieds section on the train Forums


I had a HornBlaster conductor special horn set on my daily beater for a while now, but after seeing the install on the E55, I just got the itch again and ended up buying a K3


Here's a test vid with the HornBlaster horns installed....

HornBlaster Test


Here's a Shop test vid with the K3's before installation....

K3LA Test



I'm actually looking for a K5 (I won't be happy until I go deaf lol)


What's funny is that the horns cost more than what I paid for the vehicle





Rick



Aztek T/A WS7 & 70 RAM AIR IV T/A
Moderator @ LS2, FAST LS1, FUELSLUT,
The F-Body Hideout, LS1Turd & ChopperForums

Accomplice8

You may want to talk to a buddy of mine before your order the K5. He is a horn nut that has the same two horn systems that you've had and then added the K5. He said that the tone was different and not all that much louder. He thinks that with all three sets of horns, he may be only 15-20% louder then my K3 set up. I got the impression that he wouldn't have invested in the K5 if he had it to do over.

I did a test with a friend of mine the other night to see how far away my horn could be heard. The longest distance we tested was 1.8 miles and he heard it. I'm thinking that I may have a 2.5 mile range on my horn under perfect conditions.

Kevin

ClayJ

I've installed a pair of Hellas under a few cars over the years -- more than loud enough.

swale

would be so funny

98 SNAKE EATER

He doesn't happen to drive the Marauder on the HB site, does he?


That install is just sick lol

Accomplice8

Yes, that's him.

98 SNAKE EATER

What kinda noids and tank(s) is he running?

Accomplice8

I don't really know the particulars. He sourced most of his hardward via hornblasters.com or his installer DG Golf Carts-Jax, FL.

Roupin

I hate to admit it but I used to drop a couple gears and slow down just to hear that 55K rumble past me

Roupin

I just read through the whole thread and now have lots of questions.

Accomplice, how did you wire a "button" to the compressor? All the compressors I had seen a few years ago (when I wanted to install similar horns) could only be actuated like a big rig, with the rope.

What kind of sound do your horns make? Does it sound like a big rig, a boat, a train...?

How much did the whole thing cost you in parts?

I have measured the area behind the radiator of my Buick and I have enough room to mount a dual note big rig horn with ease.

How long does the 2 gallon tank last when blasting constantly?

98 SNAKE EATER

The compressor itself doesn't control the horns like smaller air horn setups that don't have a tank....


Instead, the tank itself provides the air for the horns and it's controlled by an air solenoid (much like a Nitrous solenoid)....


Once the tank is filled with air, you can blow the horns until the air runs out....

In fact, while I was waiting for my compressor to be shipped, I just filled the tank with air at my shop everyday and saved it for quick blasts

In big rigs, the cable they pull is connected to a manual air valve (which works kinda like a water faucet)


The compressor is wired using a relay/pressure switch to turn on at 110psi and turn off at 150psi (at least mine is, not sure about Accomplice's setup)



I have a 5 gallon tank with my HB horns and it will sound at full blast for about 5 seconds, then the sound will start to die down slowly until all the air is gone (about 20 seconds)


Here are some pix of my setup....




Tank, Relay/Pressure Switch, Compressor and gauge





Everything mounted on the roof in a box with cooling fans and a port for an accessory hose (for air tools, air brush, etc.)




Air Solenoid mounted under the hood near the horns




Horns mounted behind the grille facing down








Rick

Roupin

How much does that whole system run and how hard is the install? Is there an installation writeup anywhere online or provided with the kit?

98 SNAKE EATER

Here's a small rundown of what it cost me:


HornBlaster 4 Horn set w/Solenoid, distribution block, line fittings and 200psi line = $189

Firestone 5 Gallon/7 Port Air Tank = $49

ViAir 450c Compressor = $159

ViAir Pressure Switch Relay (110 on/150 off) = $17

Misc. Parts (pressure gauge, blow-off valve, airhose coupling, wiring, connectors, fuse holders, heatshrink, etc.) = $20


The horns come with basic instructions for installation and wiring, but since every car is different, the labor will vary...


My installation took a few nights because I wanted everything to be completely hidden without using any interior space....

This meant having to remove the interior panels and running the airline and wiring through the dash and up the A-piller, snaking through the roof A/C and through the roof rack....

My relays and solenoid are hidden inside of the air duct for the vents, so even when you pop the hood, nothing stands out

I put the big stuff in a box cause I didn't want to lose any interior space (I have kids and we need all the room we can get), however, I wanted it to be easily removable, so I installed a weatherproof trailer lighting plug as a power port








Putting everything in a weatherproof box meant having to air cool the compressor with electric fans that turn on and off automagically....






The install doesn't have to be this technical though....

If you have the trunkspace, everything can be installed very easily in just a couple hours....

Accomplice8

SnakeEater pretty much told you most of what you asked about. My horn is a Nathan K3 (same as SnakeEater's second horn set) which is an actual train horn so yes, it sounds just like a train. The parts ran me $1,100 shipped. Like SnakeEater mentioned, you can get other kits for less $. I'm going to spend about another $100 to get a keychain remote to operate the horn from up to 200 feet.

I have a question for SnakeEater...my compressor sits in a recess under the trunk liner. There is only a few (2-4?) inches of airspace over the compressor. Do you think that it is enough room to keep it cool or do these things burn out if not given enough breathing room?

98 SNAKE EATER

I contacted ViaAir about this while I was doing the install and they told me I should try to keep it as cool as possible and definitely ventilate the box, especially if plan to use it as a 100% duty cycle compressor....


They said the a good rule of thumb is to use it as you would by letting it trip on and off automatically (from 110 to 150psi, not 0 to 150psi), then put your fingertips on the cylinder head...

It should be hot, but not enough to burn yourself....


My setup is a bit overkill IMHO...

With the box closed and the fans running, I can run a full duty cycle from 0 to 150psi and immediately put my entire palm over the cylinder head without getting burned


If you run a regular duty cycle after honking, you should be fine with your current setup....





Rick