Air horn setup

FlyingBlind310

This is awesome...I wonder what this system would entail )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTlTxFio6DY

 

On a more serious note...has anyone successfully installed an air horn on their radar arch? I am trying to snake the air line down to the cockpit galley/sink area with no luck. Any ideas/suggestions?

Black_Diamond

I'm considering the same as you, just figuring where to put the compressor and air tank.  hmmm  Can you get into the arch from the speakers if you have them there?

FlyingBlind310

I opted for one of the tankless systems...so it is just a small compressor the size of a soda can. I wish I had speakers in my arch or at least a side access hatch....

Black_Diamond

I'd use an electricians fishing wire. Go from the bottom up.

212rowboat

Just a suggestion, and purely dependent on how bad you want such a thing, but the tank doesn't have to be cylindrical for air.. I know a guy who sealed his headache rack on his pickup and holds quite a bit of air compressed around 175psi in it... Another who sealed a jeeps roll bar and did the same.. I bet a good welder could rig up a small in height and width but long chamber that could 'ride' that arch to the deck, and you could stow a small pump somewhere on the deck storage..

I have a 12vdc compressor in my truck bed, pumps to 215psi and draws 20a, duty rated at 50%, and have about two benjiis in it..

LaRea

My 342 had the horn on the radar arch and the compressor mounted next to the ice maker. It worked okay, but if I'm honest, it sounded a bit feeble.  It was plenty loud, but the cheap clear plastic air hose was too stretchy.  It would take about half a second to slowly spin up to pressure.  Ideally, you want the horn to make short, sharp blasts.  Plus, I could never get the compressors to last longer than 2-3 years.

Use reinforced air hose.  Better yet, get a no-compressor horn like this:

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|135|2290125|2290127&id=147388

It sounds fantastic, and it's easy to install.

212rowboat

these 'lil vair compressors are very well made... and tiny..

max draw 20a, will easily fit in the area of an average shoebox... they can get hot if ran to full cycle, but have an automatic shut-off to protect them.. this is w/o the 1gallon tank which they can be fit to- a matter of fact they can be fit to up to a 4gallon/175psi tank.. in a marine environment, i rec you instal the filter element which protects it from ingesting water droplets, and you keep whatever holding tank you need drained..

as far as the holding tank goes, again, it doesn't have to be cylindrical at all- you could easily have a couple sheets of decently stout sheet metal welded together with a void added in between, that fits on the arch either over it's entire length or just as a little rise that blends right in, have it pressure tested, and charge it up before you set out or plumb it in permanently, and there you go.

this isn't something I'm interested in, but demonstrates how folks are 'hiding' their tanks.. this is the rear frame rail off a s-10 p/u turned compressor tank that holds 150psi and charges the suspension.. pretty clean job.. if you look close at the cross over, you can see the four ports for distribution to shocks.

 

nhsd

How did they set up to drain the condensate from that "tank"?

212rowboat

It's hard to see but there is a brass bolt at one o'clock in the picture.. when mounted, that's the lowest point.

jmoen438

My dock buddy mounted a set of train horns on his Rinker 300. Ran the airline down the inside of the arch to the engine compartment where he mounted the compressor in the storage box. Amazing sound and I'm glad he is parked behind me facing the other way.

Black_Diamond

I'm looking at a Kalenburg horn set up (air), but the compressor is not ignition protected so I have to find a relatively 'safe' place for the little feller and the 1 gal tank.

SeaShift

I had  run a new cable for the VHF antenna...  to get up into the arch I had to remove the mounts for the sewage tank.  Slide the tank to the back then I was able to snake my body up into the side of the boat.  Your arm will reach the arch and there are holes in there that you can run the hose through.   Make sure somebody is there with you because I got stuck in there and my friend had to help me get out.