Replacement Horn for 280 Sundancer (2002) - Any Suggestions

[Traveler643]

Any suggestions on a replacement horn for our 280 Sundancer (2002)? Ours is functioning, but I can barely hear it at the helm.

 

[Bruceflinch]

I got a lousy horn as well. It’s on my list. Trying to finish the big maintenance items first.

 

[Lazy Daze]

It's more important if people in front of you can hear it. But if, instead, what you mean to say is that you notice a decrease in sound - then, yes, replace it. They're commonly available and not very expensive. Your dealer probably has it in stock - and it shouldn't be too expensive there, either. But you can get similar horns other places, too.

This is a normal thing - it's exposed to the environment and there's really no way around that... unless you wanted to spend more time and money and transition to an arch mounted trumpet (if you have the arch, that is).

 

[RAW BAR]

My Amberjack 290 has a wimpy horn too. Following!

 

[Lazy Daze]

My Amberjack 290 has a wimpy horn too. Following!

This has actually come up quite a bit before -- the horn in your boat may "sound" different from where YOU are. But the tone was specifically designed to carry across the water better so other boaters can hear you. Like I mentioned above - it's not about what you can hear. Unless, as I also mentioned, you're saying it has "changed" - but that's a different scenario.

 

[brewster16]

If it's an air horn(s) the problem is often a crusted over horn and reed. As Dennis stated above the horns are exposed to the elements. Easily fixed by removing horns, cleaning them and the plastic reed, blowing through the air hose and then re-installing. Give it a try...I promise you it's not hard to do and VERY satisfying when your hear the blast for the first time!

 

[Bruceflinch]

If it's an air horn(s) the problem is often a crusted over horn and reed. As Dennis stated above the horns are exposed to the elements. Easily fixed by removing horns, cleaning them and the plastic reed, blowing through the air hose and then re-installing. Give it a try...I promise you it's not hard to do and VERY satisfying when your hear the blast for the first time!

I’ll try that tomorrow, Thanks.

 

[brewster16]

I’ll try that tomorrow, Thanks.

If you don't know already....when you depress the "horn" on your dashboard you are activating an air compressor which is normally located starboard side somewhere between your instrument panel and the horns themselves. In my case the compressor is behind a panel in the starboard closet of the master bedroom. (Sorry if I offended iprof or any of the other liberals by saying "master"....I guess the new term is "primary bedroom."

The compressor is what provides the air down a long tube out to the horn(s) themselves.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Traveller, just a quick side note so as not to confuse you... the other guys are talking about a different style horn than you have. You have a simple, inexpensive electric horn. It's a 10 minute job to replace it - if, along the lines of what I mentioned, you truly need to replace it.

 

[Althepal78]

I replaced my horn you can too and mount it somewhere else if you need too

 

[Bruceflinch]

If you don't know already....when you depress the "horn" on your dashboard you are activating an air compressor which is normally located starboard side somewhere between your instrument panel and the horns themselves. In my case the compressor is behind a panel in the starboard closet of the master bedroom. (Sorry if I offended iprof or any of the other liberals by saying "master"....I guess the new term is "primary bedroom."

The compressor is what provides the air down a long tube out to the horn(s) themselves.

Went out to the boat today. Looked behind the panel and verified it was powered by compressed air. Looking more closely, I found a switch that said “horn” and it works!
guess I heard A bit of the last air buildup from it was turned off.
Sounds like a horn/whistle 2 tone.

 

[brewster16]

That's great news

 

[brewster16]

Yes, as Dennis noted, there are air horns which most, if not all, Sundancer's have. They use compressed air to blow as outlined above. Then there are electric horns which do not use air to sound. They are often seen mounted up on a hardtop.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Yes, as Dennis noted, there are air horns which most, if not all, Sundancer's have. They use compressed air to blow as outlined above. Then there are electric horns which do not use air to sound. They are often seen mounted up on a hardtop.

Brew, the smaller Sundancers (like the OP) have the same horn as the bowriders.

 

[brewster16]

gotcha

 

[Lazy Daze]

gotcha

There's a lot of subtleties to the myriad of different models!