Solenoid or Lanyard on Hadley Air Horns?

[ericboutin]

Which should I do? The wife got me a set of Hadley Bullydog airhorns (solenoid activated) for Christmas! I went down to the local camping world today to exchange them for the lanyard type but they only carry them with the solenoid either in black or chrome. Since I want to install them on top on the cab I definately want the chrome but now I can't decide between the lanyard or not. They said they can get me the lanyard activated ones but Hadley is on a Christmas shutdown till the 3rd of January; so it would be after then of course. So since I've got some time I figured I'd poll you all and see which ones you like better and why? Some of my reasons for and against with the lanyard is I would have to cut some holes in my headliner for the cord. Hmm not sure I want to do that. Of course it would be pretty cool to have the cord/lanyard like the big rigs. For those with air horns is it better to have em solenoid activated? Longer life maybe, easier to fix if something goes wrong?
Thanks in advance for your opinions and ideas.

 

[Whit]

Go the solinoid and get the hot wore from yer OEM horn .that way ther you can honk the Hadley from the steering wheel ...it will be instinct to go for that spot in an emergency anyhow

 

[highest_vision]

I've never driven anything with a lanyard, but I have worked on them, and even if the only drop down like half an inch they get in the way and get caught in stuff. I think it would likely be a pain. Had to climb back down after a few hats
James

 

[Russ]

Eric, I used a solinoid on my Grovers. I put it right at the tank. I then wired a push button on the dash. While it works well... I just can't get the sound I was looking for. It sounds like a car horn. I get just honk honk. To get the "train" or "big rig" sound you need to be able to slowly bring the air on to get the hhhhhooooonnnnkkkk hhhhooooonnnk.(lanyard) Mine work well to down to about 40 psi but sound better at around 80psi. If you want to use a soliniod I ordered mine though STC valves They were the cheepest by far. The one I got says it's good to 100 psi but it will bleed off at 80 psi. Russ

 

[highest_vision]

Maybe part of the reason for the sound diff with larger trucks and equipment is the pressure difference? Pull the lanyard real quick or slowly, sounds just the same. Can't imagine it is real easy to meter it while driving or if some one cuts you off :draw
James

 

[6point9diesel]

I've never had anything to do with air horns, but I do have to order alot of solenoids for my job. If it sounded like a car horn, is it possible you weren't getting enough cfm's out of your solenoid? I think lanyard or solenoid is personal preference. For myself I would think the solenoid would be a neater cleaner installation. Of course the idea of air horns is the sound, so if you can't get the correct sound with a solenoid maybe you should go with the lanyard.

My vote: solenoid.

Paul

 

[Russ]

It's the way the air it "discharged" to the horns. How to explain this? Think of it a incandescent light bulbs verses LED's The incandescent bulbs "glow" until the reach full brightness, then slowly dim as they cool. However LED are almost instantaneously bright when turned on and dim very quickly. That's why LED's look different when they turn on, and off. I originally had my solenoid at the horns and that sounded really bad, then I moved it to the tank which allowed approx. 8' of air line that needed to be "filled" before ever reaching the horns,which made it better, but I still think a lanyard would be best.

 

[PackRat]

For easy installation, a solenoid would be the way to go. You sacrifice the control a manual valve gives you.

If I was doing it for myself, I'd use the lanyard valve, or just a ball valve on a floor mounted standoff.

 

[Freight_Train]

For easy installation, a solenoid would be the way to go. You sacrifice the control a manual valve gives you.

If I was doing it for myself, I'd use the lanyard valve, or just a ball valve on a floor mounted standoff.

I voted Lanyard.I have the setup on White Lightning from just above the rear view to the dome light screw(Make sure you measure 4 times and cut small chunks out of the headliner if you go this route!) and I can control the tone and Volume quite effectively.It's called Muting on the railroad.Don't use the chain that comes with the valve.I broke mine like 3 times.Not fun when you reach up to blast someone pulling out in front and all you get is a BUH....and you have a loose chain in your hand.Mine kept opening up at the joint in the links.I can really make mine sing!Takes Practice and a careful hand but anyone can do it.


You can also do both.Run a Solenoid parallel with the Lanyard so You can have the Emergency situation steering wheel horn or the casual greeting hand pull.Just would take 2 Ts and a foot or two of extra line.

 

[94f450sd]

im running the lanyard in both trucks.i see it as this.the big trucks have them and so will mine,same as the smoke.a diesel is supposed to smoke and mine do

 

[soulpatchfr]

i voted lanyard too - if nothing else, just for the cool factor.

if it's that easy, though, i'd go the 'both' route...

 

[Freight_Train]

im running the lanyard in both trucks.i see it as this.the big trucks have them and so will mine,same as the smoke.a diesel is supposed to smoke and mine do

Oh yea,I also have the electric setup on the deuce.I prefer the Hand activated setup.With the Electric steering wheel setup you get an instant BWWWWWAAAAAHHHH BWAAAAAAH but with the hand pull you can bring it on slowly wwwwwwWWAAAAAAA wwwwWWWAAAAAWwwwww.If I had a way to record sound I would give you an example of each.

 

[ericboutin]

Dang ya'll aren't making this easy! So I guess it is really just personal preference then huh? Both work easily, both are pretty reliable etc etc. Hmm what to do what to do. I had thought of rigging it up both ways with a "T" up at the horns one for the lanyard and one for the solenoid. I also thought like Russ did of having a separate button for the horns if I go the solenoid route. Didn't think about getting stuff caught in it like James said - that is definately a consideration with little ones. Like Freight said I do like the ability to bring em up slowly, I was out playing with em Christmas day with the air compressor in the shop and whoa those things are loud!!! My oldest come running outside (she's partly the reason I got em - she said such a big truck shouldn't have such wimpy horns!! that's my girl!!) Both kits are identical except one comes with a lanyard fitting and the other comes with a "ell" fitting with no place for lanyard and of course has the solenoid. Other than that they are identical, so I had thought of installing what I have and I know I could always add the lanyard...Darn I was hoping there was a definate advantage to one over the other...Thanks for everyones ideas and suggestions and for any others yet to come.

 

[Whit]

Eric...........you can do both ya know

 

[Freight_Train]

Don't run 2 separate lines.Just install the lanyard where you want it and put 2 Ts at the inlet and outlet orface.Run a short section from the pressure line T to the Lanyard on one leg and a short section of pipe from the other leg to the Solenoid.Then do the same on the unpressurized horn side.On my 94 there is a shelf of sorts over the windshield under the headliner where they ran the wires for the cab lights.You could easily stick the solinoid up there.Wrap it with rubber so it doesn't rattle or you could figure out some way to bolt it in(Shelf not the metal above the shelf since that is the roof skin).That is where I screwed my Lanyard.But make sure you measure several times and only make small cuts till you have just enough room to pass the chain/cable/string since I thought I did and have a monster hole up there where I screwed up(about 3x3 with a 1x2 strip to clear the chain.....OOPS.Thats another project I never finished,A cover plate!