Horn replacement?

100% agree. Because of my, who knows what kind of "think I know better" process to get rid of the horridly effective horn for something more pleasing to the ear which has failed and made my vessel less than properly noticeable, I'm ready to drop 8 hundo on a real horn. I have learned much about horns in the process, one of which is OEM has a purpose. Boat ownership has been a process I've enjoyed and continued to laugh at my ignorance.

Lazy Daze said:
You know, I had to laugh at that a little. Primarily because of the old adage of "it's funny because it's true". I've had that happen to me, too! A good 'ol trumpet horn never has that problem. You might still get flipped off (it's strange how some people revert to flipping people off, even though it's THEIR fault?), but it will definitely get their attention. I certainly would not avoid installing one on my boat (other than the fact that on my 260DA... no arch... there's really no feasible place to put it). And, really, my only reason for even mentioning the effectiveness above, is in case someone else is reading this thread - I wouldn't want them to switch out their horn on the premise that it can't be heard. Certainly could do it for other reasons, I just wouldn't want them to spend their money if they didn't have to.
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I think all those electric trumpet horns are electro magnetic, so even if the horn tubes, diaphragms, and mount are all stainless or chrome brass, they have steel in the mechansim, so they will rust. I think that's why the warranty is so specific, that the stainless parts get 5 years but the "electrical" parts only get 1 year.

The Kahlenberg horns are fantastic, and the K380 is a nice size for a pleasure boat. The only problem I have with them is you need a compressor and tank, and the compressor is noisy as hell and turns on randomly to maintain pressure in the tank. Kahlenberg made a direct pump setup for the K380 a few years ago but they discontinued it. They said its performance was not up to their standards.

People seem to like the AFI air horns. They are direct drive, and also less expensive. The mount is flimsy compared to the Kahlenberg, but the installation is easier than a tank setup.

Either way, I prefer a horn that makes a normal boat horn sound, so when people hear it they know right away what the sound is.

The OEM duck horn always reminds me of Caddyshack.
 
onthejob said:
Boat ownership has been a process I've enjoyed and continued to laugh at my ignorance.
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I've learned quite a lot that way, myself! Sometimes, it's the quickest way to learn!
 
And with the Kahlenberg you need to run a separate 20 amp circuit and switch. The electric horns are about 8 amps so you could use the existing circuit AND switch. New switch likely for the Kahlenberg and the Sea Ray dash is not after market switch friendly.
lawndoctor said:
The Kahlenberg horns are fantastic, and the K380 is a nice size for a pleasure boat. The only problem I have with them is you need a compressor and tank, and the compressor is noisy as hell and turns on randomly to maintain pressure in the tank. Kahlenberg made a direct pump setup for the K380 a few years ago but they discontinued it. They said its performance was not up to their standards.
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onthejob said:
Great price point. Much easier installation. But listen to the difference:

Ongaro Dual Trumpet Horn
http://schmittongaromarine.com/products/horn_sounds

Kahlenberg K-380 Marine Air Horn
http://www.kahlenberg.com/products/marine-signaling/yacht-horns/model-k-380-chrome
Click to expand...

Unfortunately a .wav file played on a computer is not going to give the same comparison effect as live.

I can tell you that the Ongaro dual trumpet, in real life, is VERY loud and rated at 125db @ 1m. They are very easily heard by nearby boats running at speed,which is when a horn is needed. If I come up behind a boat traveling at planing speed, and sound a blast to pass, the captain of the boat ahead definitely turns their head to look. Or when a jet skier is not paying attention running ahead of me and zig zagging around, I can get their attention in a hurry. As a matter of fact I think a few probably soiled their wet suits when I used it to get their attention.

That did NOT happen with the OEM horn (which is why I added a real horn set).
 
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