I can’t be intimidated vs. a real train horn, I will get a K3.
ohhh young padawan… you will learn the way of the force soon…
What are some good compressors (and their AMP draw)?
Depends on the CFM you want… I’m getting 2 Air Zenith OB2’s with a 3.5 - 3.8CFM which draw 35 amps each…
The compressors I have now supposedly only pull 26 amps (from the viair website) but they are pulling more like 30 so I’m going to be pulling 10 - 20 more amps than I am now. You should find a decent compressor that your car will be able to handle… I don’t know what you have going on in your car (As far as lights, cigarette lighter, ipod, stereo system, what ever you have…) and as small as it all may be, you have to consider it all for your power consumption. 45amps isn’t much to work with.
Don’t go with a dual compressor setup, it will be too much for your alternator and battery to handle.
My recommendation would be to pick up a Viair 450/460 compressor. It pulls 19 amps and will fill a 5 gal tank in 6m 40s.
Again, the stats are taken right off of the viair website. You will just have to do more research if you want to know more than that.
The only electric things in the car are the brake lights, head lights, and ignition.
I think i’m going to piece a kit together a kit vs. buying one out right. I think I can do it for considerably cheaper than the 1400 HB wants for theirs.
Yeah. Good luck. The only thing is, and Im not sure which kit you looked at but the fittings and hoses run you quite a bit I mean I spent like $130 on just fittings and hoses. And I got a deal on the compressors and horn. The pressure switch is gonna need a reducer which is 3-4 bucks. so you think about every single connection that gonna need some kinda fitting. Im running half-inch lines, so the 3/8" on the compressors needed a reducer. pressure guage needs a reducer. bleeder valve and all that. IM sittin right at $1000, but like I say, thats with a dang steal on the horn and compressors. Someone the other day just spent like 1800 on additions. I think they already had an air system.
I spent right about $1k on upgrading mine, without the horns…
A couple thoughts on horn selection from someone that has used several horns for several years:
K3 is awesome and the only way to get a true train horn sound, however mounting it on a vehicle will limit and change the sound a bit so that it still won’t sound or carry exactly like a real train. Only way to get authentic sound is to mount the horn high up top and keep them free from obstructions. Sounds good but may not be practical, might lead to theft or vandalism, and might get you a ticket sooner.
K3 will suck down the air in no time so you will get less blast time and your compressors will work harder, especially on a smaller tank setup in a small vehicle.
K3 volume is great for some fun but will probably be a bit too much for certain uses on the road, such as smaller residential streets, crowded city areas, or stop and go traffic. You may find yourself blowing it a lot less often unless you can install a manual valve or regulator, but then why have a K3 if you are going to do that?
Anything less than a K3 and you will always wish / wonder what it would be like to have the K3. If you must have it then it is cheaper to get it the first time.
I was using a smaller Omega AH-500 horn with 1-gallon @ 110 psi for a while and recently upgraded to a Shocker XL set with 7-gallon @ 150 psi, and then upgraded again last week to 1/2" ID air line and added the Omega horn back on. So I can now do the factory horn, Omega, Shocker, or all three. With dual 400c units my tank refills really fast but the air still runs out pretty quick with either horn blowing individually, and with both horns at once the air is gone in no time. Plenty of air for 3-5 short and very loud blasts but then it tapers off. This is the price you pay for running a 1/2" ID air line high-flow setup but it makes the horns much louder, about double the volume I had when using the 3/8" ID air line.
After all of my combinations and testing I am content to stick with my current setup. I think the K3 would just be too loud for some use and take too much air, so if I went that route I would have to upgrade compressors and tanks again, and the total extra $$$ and time just wouldn’t be worth it. I would end up being thrilled with it for off-road use or certain highway scenarios at greater distance but I would be reluctant to use it at times when I often use the Shocker or Omega horn now without worry. If I ever find a used K3 really cheap I might replace my Shocker or Omega but I would still keep one of them for use as my primary horn and only use the K3 occasionally. Just my $0.02 worth.
The man said he wants to go balls out. You, on the other hand, take the more reserved approach. Thats fine. Its good information to have though, for myself. I got a K3, and I feel like I wont blow it as much as I think I want to. but LOUD GEO said he wants to go balls out. On THAT CAR, the K3 is too much horn, but a radio on a bike sounds louder than one in your car cause everything is pretty much out in the open. Good info though.
Hmm, thanks. I’m actually not going to be able to get it as soon as I thought I could, so that’s a little bit of a problem. School work is dragging me down.
Man that happens dont it. Dont be a stranger to the forum. The more you can learn about your pending purchase the better. And all the more time you have to stack your ends.
My point was that there are times when you will want to go as loud as possible and other times when you will want something loud but not crazy. Driving in a residential area, late at night, crowded city intersection, young kids in the car next to you, etc. are all times when a K3 might be too loud and/or attract the wrong kind of attention.
I recently hit my Shockers when an approaching driver swerved into my lane. The horns worked as intended but there were two police cars sitting on the shoulder just 1/4 mile ahead of me and they had visibility to me the entire time. I didn’t see them until it was too late because I was focused on the guy that was swerving into my lane. Had I used a K3 I am pretty sure it would have prompted the police to pull me over for excessive horn volume (a violation in our state), but with the Shocker it was loud enough to make the other driver notice without scaring the cops out of their seats. They let me drive on without incident.
If your budget or time is limited then this is another good reason to start with a smaller horn setup. You can get a decent kit for around $300 and install everything in one day, then upgrade to a K3 later when you are ready, plus you can keep the original horn for the times when you don’t want the excessive blast. Best of both worlds IMHO.
I will have to see, I may buy both the shockers and K3 at the same time. It all depends on if I get a job. Then again I may upgrade the stock horn to a VW or a Subaru horn and buy a K3.
Thats a really good point. I can imagine that sometimes you will hit your horn and wish you didnt. or like you said, get a reaction from it that you didnt want or expect. Maybe to the point where you back-off from horning, and then what use is all the money you spent? I agree sir. Point well taken. I know I learned something there. (light bulb)
Subaru? I gotta check that out. Are they loud?
I think Subaru is loud, although I can’t remember. I had a friend that had one and it was pretty loud.
So yeah, Geo got rearended. Long story, train horn is delayed.
Woah. Sorry bout the ride but that IS a nice looking horn there brother.
Is that real or photoshopped?
Come to think of it. The picture of the horn definately had a flash used. Aint no flash gonna show up like that OUTSIDE. Tell me it isnt so.
it’s photoshopped. no bolts holding the horn on top, no horn shadow on the roof, the lighting is different on the horn and on the car and the horn image is clearer than the car’s. etc etc etc 