Wimpy Horn

davidbrooks

So i am coming in to dock yesterday and there is a guy just sitting in front of my space waiting on the ramp.  I hit the horn to get his attention and it sounded a little like a 4 yr old on a kazzoo.  I yelled out and asked if he could back up so i could get into my spot and he asked if "that was me beeping at him"  Made me realize the horn is really pretty bad.  Anyone replace theirs?  if so what did you get?  Where is the **** thing anyway?  

LaRea

The stock horn is probably in the anchor locker, and yes - they are pretty feeble!  On my 342, I installed an air horn on the radar arch.  I replaced the helm switch with a 2-way rocker switch so I could keep both horns.  

This one is pretty good if you have room for it.

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

Black_Diamond

Went air horn here too. Kahlenberg. 

http://www.kahlenberg.com/products/marine-signaling/yacht-horns/model-d-0a-white

Put it in place of the tv antenna.  Looks good. LOUD.  

Ian

I always thought mine was not real loud - the oval shaped chirper on the port side - when activated from the helm but was on the dock one day and the wife hit it to raise the attention of some clowns bombing through the no wake zone and near made my ears bleed. I like the idea of the 2 way switch as @LaRea did, one for normal and the other for "can you hear me now". Have to consider that.

Black_Diamond

The 'hear me now' is always the better option.  People with loud engines, loud stereos....I can out blast any of them.  hehe

Cableguy Greg

I have a trumpet horn along with a hand held air horn. If one doesn't get someones attention, the other usually does.

rasbury

I too have a weak horn issue.....someone at the marina tossed a dual horn so I grabbed it to see if it works or not....on my list...sigh....

Michael T

.....very sad to hear that some of you guys have horny issues. Forget Kahlenberg ......Phizer has a cure for that!

rasbury

uh, to many letters in the word for the problem we have.....LOL

Michael T

Ras there is a short form for that....:-)

Dream_Inn

You old salty farts are funny!

I used to hate that small horn on my 310!  The admiral says I moved up to the 400 just for the horn (as I love to hear it - we go under a bridge out of our marina).  It has two of the trumpet horns on the bow.

nick92675

i had a similar situation earlier in the summer, and was like 'wtf was that?'  i was able to make mine slightly less wimpy by taking it apart, cleaning all the spider webs and crap out of it, and adjusting the screw that is there.   didn't make it 'ballsy' by any means, but definitely better.  now it's just 'not completely embarrassing'.  easy stopgap.  

J3ff

Mine doesnt work and it's probably better that way.. I get in less fights.

jmichels

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|135|2290125|2290127&id=2199945

Bought this few weeks ago for all the same reasons listed above. Installed it and so far very happy. Its much deeper then my old one and definately loud enough to hear . Suitable for 30-35 foot boat no problem. They have a dual too but didn't feel the need.  I checked all the specs and researched alot before I bought it and it matched the Kahlenberg horns almost identically for decibels etc. 

LaRea

A working horn is an essential safety device.  Every boat needs a horn that is loud enough to be heard in bad weather.  

@jmichels - I think the difference from the Kahlenberg will be the reliability of the air pump.  I've owned several copies of the horn you bought, and I could never make the pump last longer than 2-3 years.  The Ongaro horns seem to last longer, while still being relatively cheap.  YMMV, but Kahlenberg is definitely the cream of the crop.

J3ff

yeah, I have a hand held air horn ready to go under the captains chair.. 

jmichels

LaRea said:

A working horn is an essential safety device.  Every boat needs a horn that is loud enough to be heard in bad weather.  

@jmichels - I think the difference from the Kahlenberg will be the reliability of the air pump.  I've owned several copies of the horn you bought, and I could never make the pump last longer than 2-3 years.  The Ongaro horns seem to last longer, while still being relatively cheap.  YMMV, but Kahlenberg is definitely the cream of the crop.

LaRea,

Possibly true. My factory pump which looked identical lasted 13 years and was still going. Kahlenberg sells the pumps seperately too. 

I bought a FIAM Tornado Single Horn from defender not the Ongaro but seems similar. BTW Defender also sells Kahlenberg.

Agreed Kahlenberg is cream of the crop.