Alright well i’m about to buy a train horn kit for a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee and i was wodering how to go about it. Should i buy the complete air kit with a train horn or just an air system a buy a horn seperate. I was planning on spending around 600 dollars and thinking about getting a shocker xl train horn kit, which is around 450.00 dollars, but i was wondering if it was a loud train horn and worth the money?
Shockers are definitely loud…Loud as a real train horn? No. Should you buy a horn separate and get the air management separate? If your limit is $600, no… You may be able to find a Nathan P or K horn for cheaper on Ebay and get an air management kit from Hornblasters for under $600 but it will be close. Just an idea.
This may be true at farther distances and with common vehicle installations where the horns point down or are obstructed, but when close to the vehicle and/or with the horns mounted up top then the Shockers can sound just as loud as a real train horn, and sometimes better. In fact I like the tone from the Shockers better than most trains that run in my local area.
I just did a test against a real train the other day. My wife stood in our backyard and I drove the truck to a railroad crossing which is 2.1 miles (straight line) from our home with a 300’-400’ mountain and lots of woods / buildings between us. I put my cell phone on mute during the test and didn’t tell her which sound was the real train and which sound was my Shocker setup. The real train came first and she reported that she could just barely hear it, sort of faint and far away. Then I hit the Shockers from the exact same spot after the train passed. She heard them too but they were slightly less loud than the real train. Then I drove just a short bit down the road to be within 1.6 miles and hit the Shockers again. She reported this blast as being much louder than the real train and said it sounded the most like a real train.
So depending on your circumstances the Shockers may sound louder and/or better than a real train.
I’m not calling you a liar or anything but that is someone’s opinion on what was louder. I own several real locomotive horns and a set of shockers and I can guarantee you that the real ones are louder. If I were to honk my shockers next to my RS-5-T, I wouldn’t even be able to hear the shockers.
The Shockers sound “train-like” but don’t make the mistake of thinking that they sound like a true locomotive horn. Trust me, the difference is HUGE!
I agree man. Some horns move more air and produce more decibels with all other factors being equal. My point was that under some circumstances a certain horn may be perceived as being just as loud or even louder than another. Actual loudness is up to the perspective and perception of the person listening.
Another example: my Omega AH-500 horns are not nearly as loud as the Shockers for total sound output or distance, but when standing right in front of the horns I would rather be hit with the Shockers as the Omega sound is a much higher frequency range which blasts your eardrums like fingernails on a chalkboard.
Yes, the K3, K5, Leslie, and other horns are the only “true” train horns since these are the types most often used on real trains. We don’t need to trust you - we can just listen to any real train that passes by in our town. Again, I never implied that any horn was definitely or always louder or better than a K3. Just that under some circumstances a certain horn may sound just as loud or louder than another horn. So it is not necessarily required for everyone to get a K3. Most people will probably want a K3 if they enjoy train horns but if they can’t afford it or fit it on their vehicle then some of the alternatives are pretty good. Just like HB says on their website: the Shockers offer the best sound / value combination.
Save the money up and go with the Nathan or Leslie set. You won’t be disappointed. I first bought a Maximus kit with the compressor and all, then later got a K3. Then the air wouldn’t keep up so I had to get another tank and air compressor.
Just advise from another that wondered the same thing, go with the Nathan or Leslie.