Hey, guys.

I'm pushing around a 96 F-250 Power Stroke crew cab, long bed and a 5-speed manual tranny. In other words, I'm big, long, a little slow and careful (it looks awkward to some) in parking lots. I believe that if you can't park it, you shouldn't drive it.

So, here it is... in Houston we have tight spots in the lots and a mess of uninsured jerkwaters zipping through parking lots like their pants are on fire. My '89 Subaru station wagon has a back- up alarm like a dump truck but my big truck does not.

Tonight, I have had my last. I waited patiently for a half dozen folks to squeeze by and had to stop short for a few. I was obviously backing the big thing with the reverse lights lit out back out into the traveling lanes. She came along in her late model beige SUV, honking and making an unpleasant face while waving to me that I was "#1". Then the honking began. Not mine, hers.

Why did ford give a truck this size a family sedan's horn?

Why would a vehicle which can pulverize cement parking blocks simply by pulling a bit too far forward not be able, from birth, to alert passersby that a big thing is on the move and that when a little thing gets pissy with it's horn have the ability to shout them down with a deafening blast?

What does the hive mind know about back-up sirens?

What does the hive mind know about deafening horns?
(preferably with the pull-chain activation hanging from above)

 

I'd search the nearest junkyard. I'd look at the bigger trucks and maybe ambulances?

I forget which model and year but there's a GM full-size car from the 80's with great stock horns without the need for a compressor. It may be a Buick Park Avenue from the mid to late 80's. 4-tones.

The van I use to transport my patients in (2011 E350 handicapped van) has a pretty loud backup beeper.

 

Back-up Alarms: EMERGENCY VEHICLE PARTS & PRODUCTS INC

Check out this place. Back up alarms and everything else you would ever want to make noise!

 

Backup alarms... just get one from any industrial supply place. You want the one that looks like a loudspeaker, not the black plastic one. Sorry but I don't have a link. I can get the info off of one at work if you'd like.

Air horns... this is what I have. Absolutely deafening up close, you will get a good (several seconds long) echo if you blow them in open spaces.

https://m.hornblasters.com/products/...r-4-train-horn

They are made by Buell for Hornblasters, you can see the same horns here on the actual manufacturer's website:

https://www.buellairhorns.com/buell-...air-horn-kit-0

Same horns, but hornblasters ships them with larger lines and a better valve. Valve type may not matter to you because you want a lanyard valve anyway, which they might also sell.

My air comes from a compressor that's belt-driven off my engine because I hate buzzing electric pumps with their whiny electric motors! Got an 8 gallon tank which is plenty for them horns and also for running impact guns and airing up tires.

I have pics if you want.

 

We need pics

 

for horn, you want a nathan K5LA.
for the backup alarm, a nathan K3LA with pulse generator should be sufficient.

 

True, but I don't think OP wants to spend $1200-$1500 on a nice set of refurb K3LA's. K5's are more, but they do sound sweet.

I think I read somewhere the horns I linked to are louder anyway... they don't sound as nice as the Nathan's though, although I've also read that Nathan's have been shipping out of tune for some time now.

I heard someone else in town with the same horns as me, so I adjusted the pitch screws on the back til I had my own unique tone.

I'll post pics sometime today.

 

Guitar Toolkit and a gazillion other digital tuning apps out there, bet they would work for dialing them in? (From a distance, heh)

 

York 210 compressor driven off the power steering pump using a dual-groove (serpentine/v-belt) pulley. I bought this pulley but you can easily make one if you can find 2 steel pulleys to weld together. Also made the bracket to mount the compressor, it's just 3/16" steel plate welded together with slots for the mounting bolts. On the bottom is an angle bracket with a nut welded to it, which has a bolt thru it that pushes against the bottom of the compressor for tightening the belt. The adjustment bolt pushes on one of the compressor crankcase bolts, not directly on the aluminum crankcase.






This is an 8 gallon tank. Incoming air goes into the black oil/water separator, then thru the brass check valve, then into the tank. The solenoid valve is wired to one of the two steering wheel horn buttons (other button is for factory horn) and the orange hose goes to the quick connect air fitting so I can run air tools.






Quick connect air fitting.






Here's the horns, sorry about the lighting. I can take a better picture later. The installation manual says not to mount them where they can be submerged, but I ain't ever had a problem with it. They sound goofy when they do get water in them but it all clears up in a few seconds.

 

I may be just budget minded or conservative but just give the Buick Park Avenue quad-tone horns a listen.

Don't you want something that's loud but not as obnoxious as full-tilt air horns with all the work it takes to set them up?

The ones I mentioned are notoriously attention-getting and you can hook 'em up in a half hour to a 12v source (ie: factory wiring).
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gm9Fyi8KJd0

 

Really nice air setup, Dixie. Bravo!

 

Those sound pretty good actually! I wanted air horns for two reasons, one being that no electric horn can ever match an air horn, and also I have the benefit of compressed air on tap for tires or tools anywhere I go! And I just like to put my own stuff together sometimes.

Thanks eakermeld, I appreciate the compliment!

 

On-board air is a great idea. I agree that if you're going to use it for more than airhorns, totally worth the time and money.

 

park avenue horn; now on my jy list.

 

These are what our semi tractors have on them at my work, ear splitting loud;
Ecco Model 530
ECCO | Warning Lights ? Worklamps ? Back-Up Alarms ? Camera Systems