# Air Horn



## TheBoombas (Aug 23, 2006)

Ok so it's another toy. I'm begining to think that getting our motorhome has now turned me into a little kid again..

I've just purchased a Stebel Nautilus twin air horn.
I was thinking of wiring it to a seperate button rather than replaceing the exsisting horn. the horn was supplied with a relay? but unfortunatly no wiring diagram! Do I need the relay? I was just going to wire from a + source with a inline fuse to a button. In therory that should work? 

Brian


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## richardjames (Feb 1, 2006)

I have air horns on my Merc - they do use a lot of juice - I utilised the relay in conjunction with the horn wiring and a 20amp fuse. I think the relay is to protect the horn wire! 20amp + wiring would be rquired - I took the source direct from vehicle battery, switched by the horn wire


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## camoyboy (May 9, 2005)

Hi, you will definately need the relay with this horn.
To wire the relay:

30 - to battery live
85 - to earth 
86 - to the switch
87 - to the horn 

Hope this helps, heavy cable on battery and horn connections.
Colin


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## bigbazza (Mar 6, 2008)

I think the relay is to protect the switch because of the high current.


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

Funny it was only the other day that I heard an airhorn playing a tune and thought to myself that I haven't heard that sort of thing for years, maybe even decades 8O 

They were all the rage in the late '60' and early '70's bet then seemed to die out. 

At the back of my mind I seem to recall that there was some law passed that knocked them on the head. I wonder why they're suddenly coming out again?

SDA


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Yes, they are illegal,but, considering there are only cameras and no police on the beat so what. 8) 

tony


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Yes I had colonel bogie set of six horns, the ones they use now are singles or twins operating together rather than a two tone.

cabby


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

AFAIK they're quite legal as long as they're used in unison, not to play a tune.

Yes, you'll certainly need a relay and some heavier wiring that is supplied for the standard horn. Even the small compressors draw 25 to 30 amps and your normal horn will have wiring rated at 10amp with a 10amp fuse to protect it. Disconnect the existing horn and connect the two wires to the coil terminals of your new relay, then use some heavier wire to connect the compressor positive terminal direct to the battery via a 30amp inline fuse and the relay switching terminals. Connect the negative terminal of the compressor directly to the van chassis and you're in business.

They certainly do the job, I frightened the life out of a Frenchman the other week, he had clipped a car when trying to park and was intent on driving off PDQ until he got a blast from my horns. :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## niggle (Jul 7, 2009)

hi all you need to do is run a spur from the ord horn as it should all ready have a relay,,, the wire diagram is on the box,,,got them on my cheiftan and there loud niggle


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## 106559 (Aug 19, 2007)

Showing a blue light in the front of a vehicle is 'maybe was' illegal but they don't seem to care any more.


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## TheBoombas (Aug 23, 2006)

Thanks for all the advise above.. relay and thick wire it is then!
I just found the wiring Dig in the wheelie bin on the back of box (silly place)

20 amp fuse required 30amp wire! that's one powerful compressor!
Can't wait to try it out on a zebra crossing... Just kidding :twisted: 

One & two tone air horns are I belive legal? 
It's musical air horns that are illegal on modern cars unless I think there on vehicles older than 1973 or there abouts?

I think however I'll use a bypass switch so that I have a choice..

Brian


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