Ongaro horn sounds wimpy or not working? It might need better power.

LaRea

If your Ongaro dual trumpet horn is not working properly, you might need to rewire it for a better power connection.  

Mine had been working intermittently for a year or two, then last year stopped working entirely.  One of the back covers was missing, so I figured that was why it failed.  I installed a new horn, but it was having the same problem. 

Ongaro told me that this horn needs a high startup current in the first fraction of a second.  It only draws 4 amps continuous, but it needs a solid power connection to supply the startup transient.  I rewired it to draw power directly from the helm's main 12V feed rather than from the wiring harness.  Now this important piece of safety equipment works as it should. 

Dream_Inn

Interesting, I may have to check this one out.  I seem to have to go in and do a little cleaning/sanding each year on mine.  It probably needs that as well, but it still doesn't always work perfectly.  Maybe this is the fix.

LaRea

I tried cleaning the contacts on the original horn ... actually, that's how I lost one of the covers.  In retrospect, maybe the contacts were never the problem.  Only time will tell.  

Dream_Inn

Do you have any pics of the wiring?  I'm guessing before the switch it goes in the harness and that's where you disconnected?

LaRea

This was an easy mod. 

I have a rocker switch for the horn.  One of the spade connectors on the back of the switch is 12V+ supply from the wiring harness.  All I did was unplug that connector and make a new wire:  one end has a female spade connector for the switch, and the other end connects to the helm power bus.  I think I used 12 AWG wire.  

I didn't change the wires from the switch to the horn.  

davidbrooks

I tried the electric horn last year and ended up putting in an air horn instead.  A weak electrical source was one of the reasons.  I teste it by running a wire directly to the battery and it was great.  As soon as i connected up a typical momentary switch it would barely activate it.