mr2mk1g 10 #1 April 3, 2008 I've just fitted a dixie air horn kit to this crappy old car we're about to drive down to Africa (as in, we set off tomorrow morning)... Trouble is, when we trigger the horn it plays the tune at about 100 times the speed it's supposed to, so it just sounds like a very very loud, obnoxious musical fart. And yes, before I get any comments about how lame the horn idea is - that's the whole point! Anyone know how we can slow the thing down? The kit was a small electrical compressor unit, a short length of hose and 5 horns. Each horn had to be hooked individually to a separate outlet on the compressor with a length of hose and we had to buy about another 6ft of hose to hook them all up where we'd fitted the horns. Is it the extra length of hose we added do you think? My mate swears blind he wired the electrics up correctly... and he has an electrical engineering degree so in fairness he's probably right... The installation leaflet doesn't give us any useful help and is written in Engrish in the first place anyway. Any ideas? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #2 April 3, 2008 I think that the best news is that you are taking it out of the country .. WHooppppe. Hey, have a great trip. Are you doing a Long Way Down type thing? (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #3 April 3, 2008 Is there a Regulator (Reduce the air pressure)? 12v or 6volt Compressor? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #4 April 3, 2008 No regulator. 6v vs 12v - again, my mate swears blind he's bought the right kit. It's hooked to a 12v battery so my thinking all along has been that perhaps it was never designed for that power supply. I've even suggested we install a dimmer switch (lol) to see if we can fix it that way. This all kinda makes me think maybe it really is a 6v one... but then as I said, he's sure it was the right kit... Hell, maybe it was just packaged up wrong in china or wheverver the hell it was made. There's no markings on the compressor itself to assist. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LongWayToFall 0 #5 April 3, 2008 There has to be some sort of regulator, the compressor needs a way of knowing when to shut off. there is a tank, right? If it is a 6v motor running on 12v, it should have fried by now. How do the horns get selected when it is playing? some sort of diaphragm that is controlled by air, or do they get controlled electronically with valves? basically you need to figure out what is controlling the horns, because if it might be sensitive to air pressure (diaphragm) then you have too much pressure. If they are electronically controlled, then its too much voltage. the dimmer idea is a good one if its solenoids. If its pressure, then find the regulator and cut a bit off of the spring Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeJD 0 #6 April 3, 2008 Quote Anyone know how we can slow the thing down? I think the doppler effect might help you here. The bad news is that you can't use your horn until you're already passing the observer, and you're going to have to drive very fast indeed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #7 April 4, 2008 No tank or regulator. The compressor continues to run and the horns continue to sound until we pull the bathroom light pull-switch screwed to the roof of the car for a second time. It's 2am here. I leave in 6 hours. I'm gonna wing it with the doppler effect idea... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kschilk 0 #8 April 4, 2008 Are you sure that's an air horn...not a vacuum horn. They're similar in appearance, I often see them on RVs."T'was ever thus." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
