Build an Air Horn Kit

Do you want to make more noise than anybody else can? Would you like to learn how to make an air horn system? Do you want to be able to honk at other drivers with the intensity of a train? Do you need a device to alert people over long distances? If you answered yes to any of those questions, keep reading.

Steps

  1. Buy the basics. The longer it is, the lower the tone. If you want anything remotely manly, it should be close to two feet long. Two horns sound better than one, which is why many come in pairs. You can buy the dinky red ones with the 12V pump, but it is a waste of money because they sound so wimpy. Plan on spending $20-40.
  2. Become familiar with air pressures. Using a Fire a PVC Blowgun, blow compressed air from your air compressor into the hole at the rear of the air horn. Depending on the size and number of your air horns, low pressures of 10-20 psi will probably be enough to make the horns make some noise, but not enough. 40-50 psi is a good range of pressure to make a loud noise, no matter what kind of horns you have. If you want to be really loud, put 100 psi air through your air horns. More than that pressure is unnecessary. If your air compressor goes much higher, it won't make a noticeable difference; 100 psi will be just as loud as 150 psi.
  3. Know that your need dictates how much you need to do. If you are just needing to call your son in from the backfield, then the air horn and compressor is all you need. But, there is much more you can do with this loud device, and this is where the fun begins. The following information varies depending on your air horn's intended usage.
  4. Buy a portable air tank. This is necessary if you want to be able to use your horn away from your air compressor. You can try to use an old propane/freon tank, but these are very dangerous and you probably won't be able to get it to seal well. Tanks can be purchased from anywhere that sells air compressors. A {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} tank is more than enough. You will need at least {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of compressed air if you want to honk it for more than 10 seconds. The speed the air leaves depends on the size of the fittings and tubing between the tank and the horns.
  5. Install a valve. This eliminates the need for the blowgun, but requires the purchase of pipes and tubing. Do not buy a PVC valve and expect it to hold more than 5 psi. You need to buy a brass ball valve and buy the correct fittings to make an airtight seal to your tank. Flexible air tubing is strong enough and will suffice between the valve and horns.
  6. Install a solenoid. This is necessary if you want to blow the horn by connecting a circuit. If you want to install the horn on a vehicle, this is necessary. Basically you need some device that turns the flow of air on or off; if you don't want to have to hold a blowgun up to it, or have to flip the ball valve, spend $20 and get a 12V solenoid from Ebay. If you buy the silver 12V solenoid that is common on Ebay, it will not give you directions on which way the air goes in. It goes in the side with the smaller fitting. You will need to buy brass fittings to make a tight seal between the solenoid and the air tank. The other side may just be a rubber tubing connection. The 12V should come from your vehicle's cigarette outlet, or another power source in your car (it's not a good idea to connect it directly to your car battery). Drill batteries work well also.
  7. Install onto a vehicle. This is highly recommended. It requires keeping an air tank in your truck full of compressed air and mounting an air horn somewhere. Then comes the trick of running an air tube from the tank to the horn. If you are putting the tank in your trunk, try drilling through the underbelly of your car, to keep the tube as short as possible.
  8. Install an air compressor. Since you will be honking this extremely fun and loud new horn on your car, the air tank will soon decrease it's pressure. Then your horn will sound wimpy until you re-pressurize the tank. Installing an on-board air compressor can be very tricky. First you need another air inlet or a tee, since you cannot use the same hole the solenoid is getting air from. You will need to buy a Schrader valve from the hardware store, and more fittings to seal it onto your tank while allowing the solenoid air also. Do not simply buy a 12V tire inflator and expect it to pressurize your {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} air tank from 0-100psi. They are handy because they plug into a cigarette outlet, but if it runs for more than 5 minutes, it will start to smoke, melt the cord, or self destruct. You need a commercial-quality 12v compressor, or a belt-driven compressor. The latter will likely be much more difficult to install.

Tips

  • Use tight fittings, with Teflon tape or else air will slowly leak out.

Warnings

  • Compressed air tanks have the potential to explode. Make sure the tank is designed to hold air at high pressures. If a tank explodes, it may be deadly.
  • Be careful when wiring in your car, you might blow fuses, or damage you car's electronic equipment.
  • Be responsible when using this air horn. You should not use it when it might disturb near by population, unless it is for an emergency.
  • Excessively loud horns have been known to cause traffic accidents. It is very unlikely that your insurance will cover any damages caused by a modified car horn.
  • Under Department of Transportation Regulations, use of an air horn within urban areas is illegal. You can be subject to significant fines.

Things You'll Need

  • Air compressor
  • Air horn
  • solenoid
  • wires
  • switch
  • lots of brass fittings
  • portable air tank
  • rubber tubing
  • Teflon tape

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