Air horns

I had 3 train horns and 3 ships horns on the truck. It's hilarious watching people slam their brakes on at railroad crossings. Later I added 3 silent dog whistle horns that humans can't hear. Used it at a customer where the neighborhood residents complained about trucks idling. No trucks could be heard idling, but you could hear dogs screaming and barking for 2 miles.

 

Volvo is the same way. The two buttons on the spokes are the city horn and the air bag module is the air horn. I've accidentally blown the air horn at night at a rest stop while doing my logbook and leaning too hard on the wheel lol!

 

oh so your that guy waking everyone up...... I drive a Volvo too and have done the same thing. its actually kind of embarrassing when a kid pulls up beside you and gives the international horn honk signal and you have to press the steering wheel.....sad, shame on you Volvo lol

 

This post should have started out with, " you ain't going to believe this ****..."

Just sayin'.

 

Train Horns can be monsters.

I actually laughed out loud when I read this. haha

 

Air horns are loud. Just like diesel engines, Jake brakes and air brakes. Truckers seem to love loud ####. Besides would you take my truck as seriously if it only went 'meep meep'?

 

In trucking school they call the air horn an emergency horn. Its supposed to be for emergencies but everybody calls it an air horn and use it for whatever they want.

 

yes! Classic!

 

Volvo 730 did it to me... I'm sure I pissed off a few drivers when I'd be finishing up my log for the day, set it up on the steering wheel, and then...
So I got into the habit of doing all of that in the bunk.
My favorite thing about hitting the air horns for the kids was to see their mom turn around and smack them after you did it.

 

#### Chinatown that is evil!

I love it.

Did you call the cops to complain about the barking dogs too? LOL.

Back to the original question, I think airhorns are used because they project farther.
Although technically ALL horns are air horns, some are just powered by an electric fan.
In the old days they actually operated by a squeeze bulb like you'd find on a turkey baster.
Come to think of it, that's probably how airhorns became mandatory equipment.
Prior to electric horns you probably couldn't get sufficient volume out of the squeaky toy horn.

These days all the factory horns sound kinda weak/flat. Seems like only the custom ones sound "right"

We have an old GM/White we use as a yard mule (to rotted out to drive legally) and the trumpets on that sound awesome.
They're missing the original "mute" plates but that can't be the only reason they sound so good, it's also a twin set.

I don't want a "loud" horn on my Cascadia, I just want one that doesn't sound like Gonzo in the Muppet Show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-LnaZiAKw0