Using HornBlasters horns in Buildings / ArenasUpdated a year ago

Overview

Air horns are becoming an increasingly popular way to signify a goal in sporting events across the nation. HornBlasters horns are commonly used on vehicles but can also be used in arena's for sporting events or just as a warning device. This guide goes over the different ways this can be done with 110v power.

Air Source

At the heart of any horn system is the air source. You can't honk air horns without air! Deciding on an air source for your application can be tough. The chart below lists a few different models we would recommend for use with our horns. 

	Rigid Pancake Air Compressor	Husky "Hotdog" Compressor	Dewalt Heavy Duty Compressor	Husky "Silent" Air Compressor	Husky Oil-Free XL Portable Compressor
Reservoir Size	6 Gallons	8 Gallons	15 Gallons	20 Gallons	27 Gallons
Continuous Honk Time (with Shocker XL Horns)	12-15 Seconds	16-20 Seconds	30-35 Seconds	40-45 Seconds	~54-60 Seconds
Refill Time	100-120 Seconds	90-110 Seconds	3.5 Minutes	5 Minutes	9-10 Minutes
Operating Pressure	150 PSI	150 PSI	200 PSI	165 PSI	200 PSI
Website Link	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here

Choosing a Horn

Picking out the best train horn for your application is just as important as the air source. In most cases, your best bet is to go with our Shocker XL horns or even the Nathan Airchime series horns. The Shocker XL is more budget friendly whereas the K5LA is the loudest horn we offer. The K5LA is more commonly used for larger venues due to it's output volume. Our K5LA is even used in the Mercedes Benz stadium in Atlanta, GA. More info on that here.

Adapting our horns to the compressors listed above is extremely easy and can be done with the aid of one fitting. A 1/4" NPT x 1/2" PTC fitting can be used to adapt from the tank's existing outlet port to the 1/2" line we use with our kits. Check it out here. 

You can remove the 1/4" quick disconnect fitting from the compressor and replace it with our fitting instead. The quick disconnect on the compressor looks like this:

Unthread this fitting and thread ours in it's place. Make sure to use some Teflon tape on the thread of the fitting so it doesn't leak constantly.

Wiring Options

 The horns can be setup with a 110v valve instead of the 12v valve we normally offer. This allows you to honk the horn with power from your venue without having to keep a car battery handy. Our Shocker XL can be purchased with a 110v valve here. If you don't need the horn set but need just the valve, we offer the valve separately here.

If you would rather honk the horns with a manual or hand-actuated valve, you can use our manual train horn valve to control the horns manually. Check it out here. 

Conclusion

Setting up train horns in a building or arena isn't as hard as it would seem. There are a variety of air tanks and horns that can be paired together for the ultimate honk. If you have trouble picking out the best horn / air source, give our team a call @ (877)-209-8179.