FIAMM air horns

[Steve St.Laurent]

While perusing the latest Northern Tools catalog in the "library" today I happened across a set of air horns made by FIAMM for $90. Has anyone tried these? Here's a link - http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=357181&prmenbr=6970 . They make two different styles, one is a set of chrome air horns (they'll be behind the bumper so it doesn't really matter what they look like) and it comes with a compressor but there's no air tank, or the air tank is integrated into the compressor (that's the $90 ones). They also have another set that are Nickel plated and comes with a compressor and an air tank for $200. Both of them produce 188 db (114db at 1 meter for one set 120db at 1 meter for the other). They mention the air tank system is for long lasting bursts of sound. I'm thinking of trying them out to get rid of the pathetic Neon sized beep that the joke of a factory horn produces. I don't really care about a LOOONG blast, just something that will wake someone up.

 

[mbatterson 1]

northern tool

i recently ordered the 200. 00 set. even though they state on the web site it is in stock,it isn't. they expect to have them in stock around the 11th of july. there are currently 10 people on the back order list. i will keep you posted on the progress of the order. this wasthe best price i found after an extensive search.

mike

 

[GSchlegel]

Steve,



I have a FIAMM marine twin air horn set up on my truck that I bought in 1977. I just keep moving it from vehicle to vehicle. I'm on my second compressor (bought about 10 yrs. ago). Mine looks a little different (Da!). It uses a little demand type compressor with no tank. It's a lot louder than stock, but I'm sure It's not up to Grover standards. The trumpets on mine are tunable (loosen nut and screw trumpet in or out). I just tied a relay into the horn circuit. I get a two step tone, the stock horns hit first joined a half second later by the air horns. If I want to give a friendly honk, I just briefly tap the horn button couple times, that way the air horns don't have time to sound.



Hope this helps.



Gene

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

When you say a second later, do you mean a full second later Gene? I was planning on disabling my stock horns completely. Once they are sounding how long do they last? Thanks for the info.

 

[Utah Willie]

I too have moved a set of air horns from car to car. In this case, they were a "Maseratti" unit with a compressor and no tank. Currently, I've it installed on my Trooper where the casual touch of the horn button gives a polite, Asian "beep". Ignoring that, one is enveloped by 130 db of air horn. Previously, I had set up the unit with a two-way switch and a relay, but I took the easy (lazy) way out and hooked the relay to the OEMs horn wire. The delay in the relay gives me just enough time between "excuse me" and "Get the f*** outa the way".

 

[mbatterson 1]

if anyone would like them,i wil be selling the horns that i recieve from northern tool. i already have a set of grovers mounted behind the bumper. i bought the new set for the compressor and tank and such. i was going to list them on ebay,but if someone here wants i will let them go for a real good price. i don't expect them to arrive until the 3rd week of july,unless northern tool clears up thier back-orders early.





mike

 

[GSchlegel]

Steve,



It's only a guess, but I'd say 1/2 second or less. Like what Utah Willie said.



Gene

 

[milehiscott]

Originally posted by Steve St. Laurent

Both of them produce 188 db (114db at 1 meter for one set 120db at 1 meter for the other).

Steve,

Just something to think about.

114dB is not that loud. 120dB is about the sound pressure of a mellow rock concert. 125dB= a heavy metal concert, or a jet at take off. 130dB= WHAT???? 7dB is double the sound pressure.

If they are saying they produce 188dB (inside the horn??? ) but it is 114dB @1m, by the time it gets to another car it will be heard ~107dB or less. Most inattentive drivers need more than that to wake them up.

Just my $1. 385

Scott

 

[Koa Man]

I have 6 Fiamm air horns, brand new, stainless steel, not nickel or chrome plated. I can email a picture if you want. They are very loud, have a sound very similar to the 22" Hadley w/5 inch bell that I have on my truck. I have four 25 inchers and two 21 inchers for sale. Also have 2 Hadley Ambassadors... 29 inchers.

Email me if interested.

 

[CTRam]

I have the $200. set from Northern, and they are just as loud as Grovers and Hadleys. I can lay on them for a good 20- 30 seconds before they fade real bad.

 

[TORQUE THIS]

Re: northern tool

Originally posted by mbatterson 1

i recently ordered the 200. 00 set. even though they state on the web site it is in stock,it isn't. they expect to have them in stock around the 11th of july. there are currently 10 people on the back order list. i will keep you posted on the progress of the order. this wasthe best price i found after an extensive search.

mike

I ordered the same set in April, just canceled my order yesterday, was told they wont be in till August 22nd I just have to find a compressor, and I am going with firetruck horns

 

[Fireman]

Firetruck Horns

That'll do it !



Fireman

 

[SlyBones]

hhhmmm... . finally a kit with compressor and tank thats in the price range I am willing to spend. The horns seem OK, even if I replace them later with Grovers for example the horns themselves are inexpensive. Its the cost of the compressor, tank, and kit that comes with them. My questions are related to the kit.



The tank, compressor comes with some kind of pressure switch, compressor auto start/shutoff stuff right? What is the tank pressure set to? 125psi?



Is the solenoid for allowing air to hit the horns mounted at the horns or is it build into the tank assembly?

 

[Briar Hopper]

The solenoid that comes with the Grovers isn't part of anything. The instructions recommend threading the stem of it into a port in the air tank, which is what I did. The weak link in the system is that little chuffer pump, mine had to work so hard to keep up with a leak, it had a heart attack and seized up. So I went to a $10 seven-gallon air tank purchased at WalMart, easily refilled at any truck stop. It holds enough air to blast 7 stoplight runners, 6 pull-out-in-front -of-yous, 3 bluehairs driving 30 in a 55 on their way to a mason jar auction, and 5 cell-phone willy-weavers. That's a lot of air between refills.

 

[Roger rodbolt]

Originally posted by Briar Hopper

It holds enough air to blast 7 stoplight runners, 6 pull-out-in-front -of-yous, 3 bluehairs driving 30 in a 55 on their way to a mason jar auction, and 5 cell-phone willy-weavers. That's a lot of air between refills.

:-laf

 

[SlyBones]

Briar, where did you mount the tank?



My question had two purposes. One was it seems like if the solenoid was at the horns, the tank and lines would be pressurized to that point. When you hit the button, the air pressure only has to travel the short distance to the horns, and not the long distance from the tank to the horns.



The other part was I saw at Home Depot a nice $20 kit, with 25' hose and a ton of adapters, fillers, quick connects, fittings, T piece, etc. Everything plus some for filling tires and all that.



Seems like this would need to go between the solenoid for activating the horns and the tank. so when you start filling that inflatable raft the air comes from the tank, then the compressor kicks in as soon as the pressure drops, AND a person does not need to go deaf at the same time.

 

[Briar Hopper]

Sly, the tank is in the truck bed right now, waiting on me to get time to mount it to the frame underneath. The original air tank , a small pancake 1-gallon style, was mounted to the outside passenger side frame rail, under the rear door, right where the frame converts from box to channel, in order to get nuts on the bolts.

The distance from tank to horns doesn't seem to matter, the blast is nearly instantaneous. Man how them things ROAR ! I love it ! I was helped with the install by a trucker friend, who swore up and down while we were installing it, that putting the tank and the solenoid back there would not slow the sound down. But you COULD mount the solenoid at the horns. I don't see why not !

That Home Depot kit you're talking about sounds good. I'll have to check that out.

 

[SlyBones]

Cool, nice to know there is no performance loss with the solenoid mounted where ever. This gives lots of freedom with mounting the solenoid and accessories quick connect under the hood, and the tank/compressor back under the bed somewhere.



At Home Depot I also notice a 0-120psi regulator gauge setup for another $20. I was undecided about that. But I figured that I could mount the 'T' bwtween the horn solenoid and the tank. Run that line thru the regulator and then to a quick connect. then you can not only attach that pile of accessory fittings, but have adjustable pressure. AND still maintain the 125psi in the tank and line for the horns.

 

[Big White Beast]

I had a junk yard set similar to those......

I ran off a tank though instead of direct feed. They are pretty loud. I just liked the deeper tone of the Grovers I have now. Picked em up at a junkyard for $40 each. Put one ion my truck and one in the old ladies.



I used a $10 compressor from Wal-mart that works great. It is the kind that plugs into the cigarette lighter but I hard wired it through a pressure switch. Anyway I ordered the small tank, solenoid & pressure switch from J. C. Whitney for around $100 and the junk yard horn was $40, another $30 or so for brass fittings, gauge and hose. I know the $170 is more than what FIAMM horns run but the sound is much better. The only draw back to the Grovers was the bell was so big I had to remove the front bumper to fit em in!!



Garrett



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[Bigsaint]

I have two tanks and no compressor, which works just fine. I had some extra space in the toolbox, so I placed a 12 and a 10 gal. tank in there, piggybacked them with a few brass T's and a short length of line and placed the solenoid up front, near the horns. Beyond overkill with 22 gals. of air but I use them alot and refill maybe once a month, at best.



Scott W.