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Author Topic:   Horn Installation

FISHALLSPEC posted 04-06-2006 06:06 PM ET (US)
I am thinking about installing a horn on my 1981 Outrage 18. What brand and size should be used?
I want [the installation of a horn] to be correct. Was [a horn] an option in 1981 [on an OUTRAGE 18]?
I am not a big fan of makeshift, and I would like to make sure it is installed the way it was done at the factory, or better than the way it was done at the factory. The new boats have an attractive unit installed center of the console. Should I be looking at one of those? Thanx Rich.
Tom W Clark posted 04-06-2006 06:24 PM ET (US)
Rich,
The factory never had anything to do with horns on Outrage 18 boats.
I liked the compact twin horn mounted on the starboard side of the console just forward of the console grab rail where it is less likely to snag lines. You can make out the horn in this photo of my old boat:
http://home.comcast.net/~tomwclark/18outrage200dpi.jpeg
Chuck Tribolet posted 04-06-2006 06:40 PM ET (US)
Did you honk at the sea gulls while you were up there? ;-)

Chuck
Tom W Clark posted 04-06-2006 06:42 PM ET (US)
Chuck,
To be honest, I hate noise. I almost NEVER used that horn, but we are required to have some sort of efficient sound making device onboard and that horn was a fairly easy, inexpensive and convenient way to accommodate that rule.
FISHALLSPEC posted 04-06-2006 06:45 PM ET (US)
Thanks Tom. Those are some big "honkin'" units! I am looking for something a little smaller. That picture I have on my phone to show people what the boat can do. I guess I will start to look for a horn around our used marine part shops up here. Should be able to find a funky unit. At least it is not that critical right now, so I have got time.
Buckda posted 04-06-2006 06:51 PM ET (US)
You can also mount the horn "inside" the console and vent it through a small grille plate in the front of the console.
Kingfish has this setup on his 22.
Right now, I'm using a handheld air horn (and I carry a whistle) to meet the requirements, but my boat did come equipped from the previous owner with a horn inside the console. I hated it, so I disconnected it and have not determined a better place for it....I'm thinking about mounting it up under one of the gunwales so it is hidden. it should still be loud enough for most purposes, and I'll carry the air horn for the (seldom needed) times I really need to make some noise on the water.
I think I used the air horn twice last summer...once to scare a friend and the other to test it to make sure it worked.
Now my car horn on the other hand....well, I guess that just comes with living in a big city full of yidiots!
Dave
jimh posted 04-06-2006 08:33 PM ET (US)
If going to the bother of installing an electrically operated air horn, get a nice triple-trumpet unit that plays a chord. You need to go first class with a Whaler.
Perhaps on an OUTRAGE 18 a triple note horn will be over much. But a nice single trumpet horn would be good.
jimh posted 04-07-2006 01:35 AM ET (US)
This would be a nice horn:
http://www.marinco.com/scpt/ProdPage. php?loadItem=10011_AFI%20Recreational
Robob2003 posted 04-07-2006 08:56 AM ET (US)
For something that hopefully is not blown often I got an Orion Blaster from West for about $12. It's a small, loud portable plastic horn blown with your mouth.
It's legal, cheap,won't corrode and is always in operating order:-)

Bob on Tampa Bay
Casco Bay Outrage posted 04-07-2006 11:52 AM ET (US)
Guess you guys don't get much fog. After 3 years I am tired of blowing my own horn!
Thinking of the style similar to the one on a 170.

Fish Stick posted 04-07-2006 11:58 AM ET (US)
For a low profile horn, this is what I recently installed. It is fairly inexpensive, it works well and looks good.
http://www.boatersworld.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&catalogId=10051&langId=-1& productId=13101665&bct=t249085%3Bc251425%3Bc343634
It may be what you are looking for.
-Joe
Backlash posted 04-07-2006 12:19 PM ET (US)
Rich,
I'd go with one of the hidden horns like Fish Stick referenced. These are also available in a twin (louder) configuration. IMO, just one less thing to have to carry around and store.
Steve
Livingwater posted 04-07-2006 01:07 PM ET (US)
The flush mounted twin horn Whaler installed on my 190 Nantucket sounds great. Not like one of those wimpy horns most other boat manufactures use!
wwbach posted 04-07-2006 04:24 PM ET (US)
If you really want to make some noise, the previous owner of my 22 Outrage had the right idea. I think he had a horn fetish. Not only is there a HUGE side mounted horn like Jim referenced, but look closely and you can see a smaller one mounted between the rod holders on the front of the console!
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v359/wwbach/ C-Duced%20Again%20-%20March%202006/?action=view¤t=cduced-again-10. jpg
Can never have too many horns I guess. Only thing I don't get is where he put the switch. So far, when I've wanted to use the horn, I can never find the switch. -- Bud
P.S. Personally, in case you wondered, I think this is overkill. On my 18 Outrage, I just had an air can in the console.
Chuck Tribolet posted 04-07-2006 07:40 PM ET (US)
wwbach: try tracing the wiring under the console. It will
go more or less direct from the horn to the switch and ground.
All: besides an electic horn, I also have a whistle that I got
from the USCGaux at a boat show. It's velcroed to the top of
the console. My experience with electric horns is that they
are a bit fiddly. And there's an air horn on my dive gear
that will hurt your ears, and another on Adm. Linda's, but
they aren't all that accessible.

Chuck
Moe posted 04-09-2006 09:25 PM ET (US)
The horn Whaler used on the 2003 boats and probably others, is the black dual Aqua-Signal Hidden Horn, with the separate stainless cover. I could only find the white ones on the market, and not the stainless cover, so I bought both the black horn and the cover through the parts department of a Whaler dealer when I installed one on our 150 Sport. Probably paid more, but wanted the same thing Whaler uses on their other boats.
--
Moe

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Author	Topic: Horn Installation
FISHALLSPEC	posted 04-06-2006 06:06 PM ET (US) I am thinking about installing a horn on my 1981 Outrage 18. What brand and size should be used? I want [the installation of a horn] to be correct. Was [a horn] an option in 1981 [on an OUTRAGE 18]? I am not a big fan of makeshift, and I would like to make sure it is installed the way it was done at the factory, or better than the way it was done at the factory. The new boats have an attractive unit installed center of the console. Should I be looking at one of those? Thanx Rich.
Tom W Clark	posted 04-06-2006 06:24 PM ET (US) Rich, The factory never had anything to do with horns on Outrage 18 boats. I liked the compact twin horn mounted on the starboard side of the console just forward of the console grab rail where it is less likely to snag lines. You can make out the horn in this photo of my old boat: http://home.comcast.net/~tomwclark/18outrage200dpi.jpeg
Chuck Tribolet	posted 04-06-2006 06:40 PM ET (US) Did you honk at the sea gulls while you were up there? ;-) Chuck
Tom W Clark	posted 04-06-2006 06:42 PM ET (US) Chuck, To be honest, I hate noise. I almost NEVER used that horn, but we are required to have some sort of efficient sound making device onboard and that horn was a fairly easy, inexpensive and convenient way to accommodate that rule.
FISHALLSPEC	posted 04-06-2006 06:45 PM ET (US) Thanks Tom. Those are some big "honkin'" units! I am looking for something a little smaller. That picture I have on my phone to show people what the boat can do. I guess I will start to look for a horn around our used marine part shops up here. Should be able to find a funky unit. At least it is not that critical right now, so I have got time.
Buckda	posted 04-06-2006 06:51 PM ET (US) You can also mount the horn "inside" the console and vent it through a small grille plate in the front of the console. Kingfish has this setup on his 22. Right now, I'm using a handheld air horn (and I carry a whistle) to meet the requirements, but my boat did come equipped from the previous owner with a horn inside the console. I hated it, so I disconnected it and have not determined a better place for it....I'm thinking about mounting it up under one of the gunwales so it is hidden. it should still be loud enough for most purposes, and I'll carry the air horn for the (seldom needed) times I really need to make some noise on the water. I think I used the air horn twice last summer...once to scare a friend and the other to test it to make sure it worked. Now my car horn on the other hand....well, I guess that just comes with living in a big city full of yidiots! Dave
jimh	posted 04-06-2006 08:33 PM ET (US) If going to the bother of installing an electrically operated air horn, get a nice triple-trumpet unit that plays a chord. You need to go first class with a Whaler. Perhaps on an OUTRAGE 18 a triple note horn will be over much. But a nice single trumpet horn would be good.
jimh	posted 04-07-2006 01:35 AM ET (US) This would be a nice horn: http://www.marinco.com/scpt/ProdPage. php?loadItem=10011_AFI%20Recreational
Robob2003	posted 04-07-2006 08:56 AM ET (US) For something that hopefully is not blown often I got an Orion Blaster from West for about $12. It's a small, loud portable plastic horn blown with your mouth. It's legal, cheap,won't corrode and is always in operating order:-) Bob on Tampa Bay
Casco Bay Outrage	posted 04-07-2006 11:52 AM ET (US) Guess you guys don't get much fog. After 3 years I am tired of blowing my own horn! Thinking of the style similar to the one on a 170.
Fish Stick	posted 04-07-2006 11:58 AM ET (US) For a low profile horn, this is what I recently installed. It is fairly inexpensive, it works well and looks good. http://www.boatersworld.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&catalogId=10051&langId=-1& productId=13101665&bct=t249085%3Bc251425%3Bc343634 It may be what you are looking for. -Joe
Backlash	posted 04-07-2006 12:19 PM ET (US) Rich, I'd go with one of the hidden horns like Fish Stick referenced. These are also available in a twin (louder) configuration. IMO, just one less thing to have to carry around and store. Steve
Livingwater	posted 04-07-2006 01:07 PM ET (US) The flush mounted twin horn Whaler installed on my 190 Nantucket sounds great. Not like one of those wimpy horns most other boat manufactures use!
wwbach	posted 04-07-2006 04:24 PM ET (US) If you really want to make some noise, the previous owner of my 22 Outrage had the right idea. I think he had a horn fetish. Not only is there a HUGE side mounted horn like Jim referenced, but look closely and you can see a smaller one mounted between the rod holders on the front of the console! http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v359/wwbach/ C-Duced%20Again%20-%20March%202006/?action=view¤t=cduced-again-10. jpg Can never have too many horns I guess. Only thing I don't get is where he put the switch. So far, when I've wanted to use the horn, I can never find the switch. -- Bud P.S. Personally, in case you wondered, I think this is overkill. On my 18 Outrage, I just had an air can in the console.
Chuck Tribolet	posted 04-07-2006 07:40 PM ET (US) wwbach: try tracing the wiring under the console. It will go more or less direct from the horn to the switch and ground. All: besides an electic horn, I also have a whistle that I got from the USCGaux at a boat show. It's velcroed to the top of the console. My experience with electric horns is that they are a bit fiddly. And there's an air horn on my dive gear that will hurt your ears, and another on Adm. Linda's, but they aren't all that accessible. Chuck
Moe	posted 04-09-2006 09:25 PM ET (US) The horn Whaler used on the 2003 boats and probably others, is the black dual Aqua-Signal Hidden Horn, with the separate stainless cover. I could only find the white ones on the market, and not the stainless cover, so I bought both the black horn and the cover through the parts department of a Whaler dealer when I installed one on our 150 Sport. Probably paid more, but wanted the same thing Whaler uses on their other boats. -- Moe