Stock horn notes?

[davepl]

I added a set of the old Cadillac four-note optional "Train" horns, which if I understand correctly, as the notes F, A, D, and C. I get cut off a lot at the roundabout by my house, but didn't want a non-stock airhorn setup on my truck, so this was the compromise.

I decided to keep my existing two horns connected, just to see what it'd sound like, and it sounded good, so I left all 6. Besides being a load on the relay, I'm sure, it all seems to work.

That surprised me, because if the factory horns (my truck has the dual horns) weren't in the same scale, it'd sound like garbage. So they must be in the same key? Or part of the same chord? I'm not a musician...

Anyway, was just wondering if anyone knows:

a) What note(s) the stock horns produce
b) Why it sounds good when mixed with Cadillac F, A, D and C horns

Last I looked they were just indicated as "high" and "low" notes.

My guess is that the 67-72 truck horns are actually already one of those notes, like C, so it's just making that part of the chord louder and thus not interfering with it.

[truckster]

That's an interesting combination. I've looked at it several ways, and it seems to be an F6 chord. It's kind of a jazz chord. Maybe someone at Cadillac was a fan.

[El Dorado Jim]

what year and model cadillac did you get the horns from....?

[davepl]

I got the horns by note on eBay, not sure what year. I assume late 70s since it's still a packard connector on the horn, not yet Weatherpack.

[demian5]

I like my Hella twin air horns right behind the grill. Very effective.

[El Dorado Jim]

thanks dave

[In The Ten Ring]

My 1975 Pontiac's horns are very authoritative.......I'd like to have something similar on my truck.

Then there is this.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icnRMW6P9nc

[mongocanfly]

Train horns are a nice "touch"

[truckster]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Train horns are a nice "touch"

Yes, if you use them for their intended purpose of warning others of danger.

If you go around just annoying people, that's not so nice.

[davepl]

Originally Posted by truckster

Yes, if you use them for their intended purpose of warning others of danger.

If you go around just annoying people, that's not so nice.

I agree. I'm just too old I guess... the videos of people driving by Starbucks with train horns making people spill their hot coffee do nothing for me.

I installed it because my first intersection is a roundabout which it seems only about 60% of the people understand! I get cut off there regularly and would like to warn rather than test my braking!

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by davepl

I installed it because my first intersection is a roundabout which it seems only about 60% of the people understand! I get cut off there regularly and would like to warn rather than test my braking!

I hate roundabouts so much because of the general population of drivers; I go out of my way to avoid them.

It's a shame because they work so well on the GM Proving Grounds, when you are interacting with a group of professional drivers. Public roadways - not so much.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

My 1975 Pontiac's horns are very authoritative.......I'd like to have something similar on my truck.

That's funny because I added truck horns to my old Pontiac!!

(lol)

My '63 GP horns were not working so my original idea was to add some GMT800 horns as a replacement. While messing around with them I got the original horns working, so I played around with combinations of one, two three and four. Ended up keeping all of them for most volume (and effect).

K

[71threequarterton]

I've always wondered if my horns are stock because they sound incredibly dinky - NOT what I would expect from a big long bed 3/4 ton truck. I'd like to find some attention-grabbing US made horns.

['68OrangeSunshine]

I've got Fiamm Freeway Blaster horns, a Hi-Low set up, on my '71 GMC Jimmy.
I call them the F U horns. US-made, at least mine were. Fit right in where the GM hi lo's went. Louder than stock, but not a train horn or air horn.
http://www.aerostich.com/fiamm-freew...ster-horn.html

On my '68 C/10 Stepside, the OEM single horn burned out. I think it was in the key of "C". I had an old Mercedes Benz horn, .c. 1960-70s, amongst my parts collection. I had to grind off the angle bracket from the burnt out GM horn and run a separate ground for the negative terminal [ground not being normalled to the body of the German horn]. It sounds funny coming from a Chevrolet truck, but is annoyingly loud, and gets their attention. Kind of a ''Meep-Meeep!''

[hdff]

I put a set of 4 caddy horns on my 71 last year. Sounds really good to me. I got them in the older than 2000 section at my local pick your part....... mounted them to the inner fender, 2 on each side with relays

[Rufas]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I hate roundabouts so much because of the general population of drivers; I go out of my way to avoid them.

It's a shame because they work so well on the GM Proving Grounds, when you are interacting with a group of professional drivers. Public roadways - not so much.

K

Hey I've driven that on the Hot Rod Power Tour in 2012!

[Steeveedee]

One horn is an "A"; the other note is open for debate, but probably the higher note of the two. I have a thread going about that, but there is nothing definite about the sound, as yet. I'm thinking about going to the "local" "Pick Your Part", which is about 20 miles away, and get some horns like Andy mentioned- from a Cadillac. The local yard (3 miles away) had exactly ZERO horns. I don't know how that guy makes a living! All this for something I use maybe 2 or 3X a year. How often should someone driving an acre of orange sheet metal have to use his horn? "Did you not see that giant orange truck with the camper shell on it"?!

[In The Ten Ring]

So you want your truck to sound like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3e5BCE9zFI

Me too!

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

So you want your truck to sound like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3e5BCE9zFI

Me too!

YUP!