air horn

[booker]

Hi, can anyone help. I have a 79 MC9 and it has no "optional" air horn. I got "cicada" dual trumpet horns with the manual vavle. I know I can tap into the aux air tank under the driver outboard side but ten what do I do, Thanx everyone Booker

[Lin]

I am not familiar with the horns you bought.  Do they require an inline air valve or is it operated through a solenoid?

[booker]

Well Lin, there is a 12v/24v solenoid, "or I think thats what it is", with two wires on it and atteched to the horn. I could have opted for the button to blow horn but I instead chose the man vale with pull chain. Now Air  horn Al sent me a schematic of this air horn, there is first a compressor, goes to check valve then to tank then pressure switch and air line out the other end. Airline right to horn and wiring to a relay and battery(+/-) then to a manual control switch. I figure since my bus already has an air system it probably has that "check valve and the "pressure switch" and I can go from the aux air tank to the horn and the two wires on solenoid to pos and neg, and I imagine I put the man. valve in the air line somewhere. Or am I all wrong Thanx for the help Booker

[pabusnut]

Booker,

I think that selenoid valve at the horn is a 'normally closed' valve and will require either 12 or 24 Volts DC to open--allowing air to go into the horn(to make that true big rig sound!).  If you want to operate the horn with a manual pull valve, you will need to put that manual valve in-line between one of your main lines and the horn. I think you will then need to wire the selenoid valve at the horn to be 'always open' so that your manual valve will work.  I would wire that selenoid to a switch on the dash, so that you could enable/disable the air horn(if you have children or grandchildren who may like to have fun at your expense!).

Steve Toomey
PAbusnut

[RJ]

Booker -

Are you SURE you don't have an OEM air horn?  I can't recall ever seeing an MC5/6/7/8/9/A/B/C/D without one.

To the left of the driver, below the "t" handle that controls the front defrost heat valve, there should be a "button" on the raised stainless footrest, about where your left heel would rest.  That "button" is the valve for the OEM air horn.

Double check and let us know.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[desi arnaz]

i had to install a key switch on my horn as my 2 y/o will hit that button every time i leave the coach

[bevans6]

FWIW, my 5C has a button as described, it's an electrical switch that works the electric horn.  No air horn.

Brian

[booker]

RJ, that button is there and in the owners manual is listed as airhorn valve. Pushing it does nothing. I did open the lower compartment under driver to find the electric horns, but no air horns. I do see the air horns are marked "optional" in the manual. What do you think about that. Thanx Booker

[buswarrior]

Yup, air horns were optional.

My parts bus, a 1975 MC8, a former 'hound, has an electric foot switch in the hole where my good coach has the air horn button.

Quite unsatisfactory...

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[RJ]

Booker -

Hmmmm. . . guess all the bus outfits I worked for had spent the few extra $$ for air horns. . .

Well, at least you know where the OEM switch/valve for them is.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[TomC]

Right next to my drivers seat is a quick release air pressure fitting just for the air ride seat.  I installed a T to power my two twin air horns on the roof and my train horn under the floor. The two twin air horns on the roof are toned to be four toned.  I bought two twin horns that were 17" and 19" and cut the second horn's bells down to 13" and 15".  I have a separate pull valve on each with a chain connecting them. I can blow either the high one, or the low one separately, or just grab the middle of the chain and pull all four at the same time.  My train horn (Buell 4 tone truck train horn) is operated off a 12vdc solenoid with a push button.  Just this last weekend coming home from San Diego was passing a slow car hauler on the right with a concrete barrier on the right and he started coming into my lane!  A good long blast on the train horn woke him up and straightened his travel in the lane out-highly recommend the train horn.  Had it on my big rig truck also-comes in handy.  Good Luck, TomC

[Busted Knuckle]

Right next to my drivers seat is a quick release air pressure fitting just for the air ride seat.  I installed a T to power my two twin air horns on the roof and my train horn under the floor. The two twin air horns on the roof are toned to be four toned.  I bought two twin horns that were 17" and 19" and cut the second horn's bells down to 13" and 15".  I have a separate pull valve on each with a chain connecting them. I can blow either the high one, or the low one separately, or just grab the middle of the chain and pull all four at the same time.  My train horn (Buell 4 tone truck train horn) is operated off a 12vdc solenoid with a push button.  Just this last weekend coming home from San Diego was passing a slow car hauler on the right with a concrete barrier on the right and he started coming into my lane!  A good long blast on the train horn woke him up and straightened his travel in the lane out-highly recommend the train horn.  Had it on my big rig truck also-comes in handy.  Good Luck, TomC

Tom I had train horns on my trucks too. Dang train horns and tunnels combined seemed to go together and get me in trouble
  BK 

[JohnEd]

I have the "WOLO" metal horns for the roof.  They sound great and my old Winnie sounds like a Peterbuilt when I want it to.  The thing I never liked about those truck horns was that they didn't seem to be all that directional.  Sure, I heard it but I had to look around to see where the sound was coming from.  You did get the part where I said I have them, right?  But, I felt I needed MORE and who woodda guest that?

My most frequent problem is 4 wheelers that won't allow me to get back into the right lane or won't let me merge into the left.  I don't think they are being mean, just not attentive or maybe they think that hulk can accelerate like a car.  Dunno.  BUT, I came across a cure/solution.  AIR HORNS!  Yeah, I know but these are the el-cheapo kind with their own little compressor.  Those are pretty loud, in their own right and they operate on 20 PSI or some such wimpy.  I rigged mine to have a electric solenoid valve on-off control and fed them thru a HF pressure regulator that I "fine tuned" for 70 PSI. Fed from my 90 PSI Aux tank. BOY HOWDY AND "OMG".  I have two that aim to the left, three that aim to the right, my main trouble spot, and two that come out under the front.  They will curdle milk at 100 feet and make butter at 50.  Problemo solved.  And, this is very important, every one knows where the noise is coming from and moves AWAY from it.  In the 20 years it has been on there I don't think I have used it more than ten times in 80K miles of travel.  It is like a CC Permit.....you don't use it but knowing it is there makes ya feel a tad safer.

John

[booker]

RJ, I do have the "airhorn"valve but no airhorn. I looked where the electric horns are, below driver out board side and see no airhorns, would they be somewhere else?

[JohnEd]

I got a PM request for more info on my air horn WMD system.  My answer may be of interest to others so I'll post it.


My friend....if I thought it would do you a single bit of good I would go out and re-install all my horns.  They have been off for the year that the Winnie has been down for repairs.  But I will be delighted to give you all the info you will need.

1.  I used a 5 gallon propane tank as my reservoir and that gets pumped up to 90psi from a separate compressor that is set for 90 psi and is 120Vac powered.  I drilled a hole and threaded it to install a drain valve.  Epoxied the valve in place as well as screwing it into tapped threads.  I can turn off the propane feed valve to save the air supply if I work on the system and I have never used that feature....KISS may come into lay but tghat valve was already there and so was all the threaded couplings and the bleed-off valve.

2.  I ran a supply line to a cheapo Harbor freight regulator/gauge setup and set it for 65 pounds as that is the pressure at whuch that the trumpets sounded like they were ready to explode.  The shreiking scream was scary as heck.  I ran a tank pressure line to a gauge in the dash so I could monitor tank pressure and verify that the horns were locked and cocked.

3.  I installed my electric valve/solenoid in the line coming from the regulator and from that point I ran lines to each horn bank.  My line was 3/8s air line as that was cheap and durable stuff

3.  Those plastic horns are cheap and they are a throw away item.  I mounted them with a serious downward tilt and a little to rearward to prevent dirt from entering the trumpet or settling on the diaphram.  They all lived for years till I acedently applied the full 90 psi at which time they all died with a sick little chirp in unision. The front two actually sit with a forward and downward aim.  The right and left side just point down and "sorta" to the outside on each side.

4.  My "Panic Button" is a large red button momentary contact switch on the top of the dash but it is fed by a safty switch under the dash for obvious reasons.  The ignition switch must be on for the system to work.

5.  I put an air pressure gauge in the dash and when I see that the air pressure has fallen off I simply hit the genny start switch.  The compressor is hardwired into the coach AC circuit and if the regulator says it needs air it comes on automatically whether I am on the pole or driving with the genny lit off.  The compressor is fed from a circuit breaker that can turn off the entire system.


John