Installing new horns (electrical question)

[jsbihn]

Hey all,
Well today I was getting ready to install my new ACDF horns (ala LoJac style train horns) when I decided to test them out before I started ripping things apart.

Well it was a good thing since it turns out that one didnt work, and the rest just didnt seem that loud. Luckily enough the seller on ebay is saying he will send me out a new set as of Tuesday. Lets hope he does :-)

So while I am waiting I figured I would take this opportunity to ask those that have installed these type horns before:
1) have you tried them individually and were they at least as loud as your stock horn?
2) did you wire the horns up to a switch and then directly to a solid 12V power for each (ie. each horn gets 12V from the battery or where ever instead of 12V coming to the horns then being split like the next option)? or did you just take the oem wires, pigtailed into them and thats how you got your power and switch?
3) do you have pictures of where you installed them and how?

Just want to make sure these get installed correctly so I have the nice loud 120db train horn sound.

Thanks

[LoJac963]

If I remember correctly not all the horn notes will be very loud, it's the combination of the 4 horns which give the distinct tone.

I wired all my horns off the stock horn wiring. Each side has 2 horns on the stock wiring. Now I don't know if the stock horn wiring is actually independent and wired separately of if one side is just pigtailed off the other, as in the passenger side branches off the driver side wiring.

Either way I wanted them to function as stock which is why I went with the stock wiring and not a second switch.

My goal is to have a Carson electric stutter horn on a separate switch for when I really want to get someone moving.

[guruerror]

I'm with LoJac...I installed a Carson stutter horn off the stock wiring. Worked great. I eventually switched over to the Carson PA system with a built-in stutter horn...still used the stock wiring...but since it was a PA I also had to run some extra wires to through the firewall.

...the short of it is, I would recommend using the stock wiring for power to simplify the process. The Carson has one large speaker...I mounted it directly behind the grill. It fits right on the horizontal support.

SIDE NOTE: @jsbihn...I saw that you got 'chewed' on CHO for recommending that folks try Elcova again...sorry about that. Elcova talk doesn't fly well over there. They refer to it as "E. coli"...I never understood why they dislike the site so much...lot of good info here.

[jsbihn]

Thanks for the info guys.
I am glad that you verified that it is a low sound individually, since I was worried I was going to get some bum horns again. Given, one of my horns (the F) didnt make any sound... so really it is cool that he is sending me a whole new set. I was thinking that them needing 12V to make the sound, that if they didnt get the 12V they wouldnt be as loud or work right.

As for the Carson, I thought that a stutter horn was not legal to have unless you were a firefighter or medic. And only able to be used in those cases... not saying it isnt a good idea, but since I kinda got in "trouble" one night with the local police when my Vette's strobes (some goofy thing the previous owner installed) got turned on by accident and the car in front of me called the PD saying I was impersonating a police car. Yeah it wasnt funny at first until ALL of the cities on duty police officers were surrounding me in the middle of the city's major road. Good thing I knew some of the officers and the others had respect for the fact that I could possible be the one saving their life one day in the ER. It was just one little short guy that was 5 foot nothing that kept me and the rest of the cops there for at least an hour more then needed. I hate when people have to prove a point to themselves or others at someone else's expense (especially short people)

As for the kind words,
Thanks. I have been talking with and trying to get Jason to get Elcova beefed up and back to a productive site. I dont really want a competition and I am not in it for any money or to make him money or make the other sites loose money. I just wanted to get more people flowing this way to keep this site going. I remember coming to this site a few years ago and it helped out alot.
You, LJ, Fyr, HT, and Ed I think are the guys who have always been here and helped out others. And I just think this is a good group and a good site.... just have to have more people to have more discussion....
As for the other sites, I understand where they are coming from. Given... I didnt mean harm.

[LoJac963]

I'm not sure if my city would be annoyed if I had a stutter horn, I don't plan on using it regularly just when I really need to but keep the 4-notes as my primary.

I was a little taken back at how the experienced members responded to that thread on CHO. We are all a Hummer community and trying to help out another forum really shouldn't be that big of a deal. Each forum definitely has its strong points. CHO and H4O are basically all H3 members. H2 people rarely post threads unless they're having an issue with their rig.

Half the time I just skim over the posts on those 2 sites and call it a day sine the majority of posts don't apply to the 2's.

I don't even have build threads on a couple of the other forums but I definitely have one here so I can keep adding to the post counts. This site does have a great knowledge base.

What's interesting is I believe on CHO they had mentioned trying at one point to bring all the tech info from here over there BUT god forbid you try and do any good for elcova........eh whatever.

[LoJac963]

Guruerror, did you install the Carson horn with the interior or exterior controller box? Just curious, I had planned on the interior box and just running the signal wires to the engine compartment.

[guruerror]

I did the exterior box. It was a very solid weather-proofed unit.

[fyr145]

Originally Posted by jsbihn

I remember coming to this site a few years ago and it helped out alot. You, LJ, Fyr, HT, and Ed I think are the guys who have always been here and helped out others. And I just think this is a good group and a good site.... just have to have more people to have more discussion....
As for the other sites, I understand where they are coming from. Given... I didnt mean harm.

I kinda felt the same way, I was able to get help on here one day and this was my way of simply giving back to the group for the help that was extended to me.

I even asked if I could also be a moderator on their site was well and they respectfully declined my request.

[jsbihn]

fyr,
just curious if you informed them of you being a moderator on this site?
just thinking maybe they declined you because of 1) a conflict of interest or 2) discrimination (you know because you are an Elcova Mod scum hehehehe )

[fyr145]

Originally Posted by jsbihn

fyr,
just curious if you informed them of you being a moderator on this site?
just thinking maybe they declined you because of 1) a conflict of interest or 2) discrimination (you know because you are an Elcova Mod scum hehehehe )

Yes, I did tell them that I was already a moderator here in addition to other previous sites on other vehicles. They still declined me.

They replied that they had enough moderators for right now and that if they needed any more, they would let me know.

[guruerror]

Originally Posted by jsbihn

fyr,
just curious if you informed them of you being a moderator on this site?
just thinking maybe they declined you because of 1) a conflict of interest or 2) discrimination (you know because you are an Elcova Mod scum hehehehe )

They do have a lot of moderators already...I honestly don't think that him being one here has anything to do with them declining. Every tribe needs a balance of chiefs to Indians.

[guruerror]

Originally Posted by jsbihn

Thanks for the info guys.
I am glad that you verified that it is a low sound individually, since I was worried I was going to get some bum horns again. Given, one of my horns (the F) didnt make any sound... so really it is cool that he is sending me a whole new set. I was thinking that them needing 12V to make the sound, that if they didnt get the 12V they wouldnt be as loud or work right.

As for the Carson, I thought that a stutter horn was not legal to have unless you were a firefighter or medic. And only able to be used in those cases... not saying it isnt a good idea, but since I kinda got in "trouble" one night with the local police when my Vette's strobes (some goofy thing the previous owner installed) got turned on by accident and the car in front of me called the PD saying I was impersonating a police car. Yeah it wasnt funny at first until ALL of the cities on duty police officers were surrounding me in the middle of the city's major road. Good thing I knew some of the officers and the others had respect for the fact that I could possible be the one saving their life one day in the ER. It was just one little short guy that was 5 foot nothing that kept me and the rest of the cops there for at least an hour more then needed. I hate when people have to prove a point to themselves or others at someone else's expense (especially short people)

As for the kind words,
Thanks. I have been talking with and trying to get Jason to get Elcova beefed up and back to a productive site. I dont really want a competition and I am not in it for any money or to make him money or make the other sites loose money. I just wanted to get more people flowing this way to keep this site going. I remember coming to this site a few years ago and it helped out alot.
You, LJ, Fyr, HT, and Ed I think are the guys who have always been here and helped out others. And I just think this is a good group and a good site.... just have to have more people to have more discussion....
As for the other sites, I understand where they are coming from. Given... I didnt mean harm.

As far as I know, stutter horns are fine in any situation...emergency vehicle/situation or no.

Now...sirens, strobes, and blue lights...they're another story.

EDIT: Looks like if varies from state to state...probably as it relates to decibels.

From Carson's site:
"Legal* for POV (privately owned vehicle) use.
*Legal in most states. Please consult your local/state vehicle codes to ensure compliance with vehicle horn regulations."
http://www.carson-mfg.com/hpk-100-an...rn-systems.php

[LoJac963]

It's not where near as bad as full blown train horns though. That was the route I was going to go until I heard a Police Motorcycle hit their stutter horn and I thought....oh yeah I need that lol

[jsbihn]

Guru, I dont care if they have too many Chiefs. Make us all Mods Damnit! Its discrimination man! HummerForums is trying to keep our man Fyr down. Its a conspiracy!! The Anti-Elcova conspiracy man!!!
Personally I think a strongly worded letter should do the trick. Or ummm a low toned boo hiss at the site owner

As for the Carson, yeah i know all too well about the strobes. In fact when I wired up my red/white flashers for when I do fire medic calls, I asked my chief if red and whites were ok, since no one else had them on their POVs until I put mine on. Now they have white, and I have red/white. As for blue lights, good luck even finding those for sale. I think you need a license or something to be able to buy them. And if you do have them and get pulled over...

Given I have to say I hate what MS is doing lately. Alot of the cops are driving either thier POVs or a GOV (I know what both stand for... ex military hehehe) that is an unmarked unit. Then when you dont pull over they give you a ton of crap. Sorry but if I see a Dodge Ram unmarked in my rear view with blue flashers, I am not running the risk of being the next victim. Plus they get out in civies with only their badge on their belt. WTF!! There is a reason we have police with marked cars and uniforms.

[fyr145]

Originally Posted by jsbihn

Guru, I dont care if they have too many Chiefs. Make us all Mods Damnit! Its discrimination man! HummerForums is trying to keep our man Fyr down. Its a conspiracy!! The Anti-Elcova conspiracy man!!!
Personally I think a strongly worded letter should do the trick. Or ummm a low toned boo hiss at the site owner

Thanks for the support but I dont want to push the issue anyway. I asked, they politely declined, its done.

Whats more important to me is not the status on the site, but rather the members knowing that I'm here to help if and when the team needs me. For me, that's more of a priority.

[jsbihn]

Fyr,
I support the good and battle against evil and all that stand against peace justice and the American way.
I hope you realize I was being silly

but still the plus side to all this is that You are a good forum buddy, and you are on the best H2 site out there

[fyr145]

Yeah, I knew you were kidding..............

Thanks for the kind words and I also agree, this site is very nice and informative.