Low voltage horn?

[maxsideburn]

Okay guys, for my custom Schwinn Meridian trike I'm piecing together and electrical system. Honestly I'd like to go with a simple 3V system since most of it (which consists of LED lights) will run straight off of that without having to use resistors or diodes to bring the power down. On top of that it can be powered by a couple of AA batteries in a battery holder.

I was thinking about doing 6V though, so I could power USB chargers off of it but that's not really a big deal if the 3V system makes it much easier to work with.

Here's my only issue...I cannot seem to find a horn that runs on 3v-6v. I tried using the horn out of my Toyota Yaris with an 8-AA battery holder (so 12v) but I guess it didn't have enough current flow and wouldn't activate it, so unless I go full-on ATV battery for the trike (which I don't want to do because of expense, weight and space) then I can't use a car horn.

I've thought about using Radio Shack piezo buzzers but they don't seem to be very loud.

Is there ANYTHING out there that will make a nice loud horn sound running on 3-6v? Thanks.

 

[maxsideburn]

where do I find something like that? I've searched all over the internet for 3 volt horns to no avail. Any source would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[maxsideburn]

nvm, just found them on ebay by searching for "bicycle tank horn", the cheapest ones are $18 though, ouch. I need a 3V horn closer to the $5 range.

 

[Raoul Dude]

Radio Shack has some buzzers that are 90-100+ decibels, which is loud enough for OSHA to regulate working conditions in loud environments: http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html

My first apartment was in a 100-year old converted house, with a locking outer door at the bottom of the stairs leading to the hallway of the second-floor apartments. Nobody could hear people knocking loudly at that outer door, and the landlord didn't want to install an actual doorbell, so I went to Radio Shack and bought two "project boxes," a battery holder, a push button, one of those buzzers, and some wire. I mounted the button on one box and mounted it to the wall by the door, and ran the wire up the stairs to the other box with the batteries and buzzer. "It's a 'doorbell' that only required one screw in the doorjamb, and two staples to hold the wire down, so it's not like I permanently damaged the building," I told the landlord, and he liked it.

That buzzer in the upstairs hallway was loud enough that the people in all three apartments could hear it, through our solid wood doors and over the sound of our TV's! Later residents apparently liked it enough to change the batteries and the landlord painted the "button box" to match the building -- and it was still there (and still working) 20 years after I built it!

 

[maxsideburn]

Cool. Will probably go with one of them then. Using a project box right now to make a control panel for all of my bike's electronics. Decided on a 3V system and I'm going to have a main switch that turns the system on, a horn button, a status LED showing the system has power and an audio input run to the stereo in the back so I can plug my phone in with a short patch cable. (audio jack will go where small push-button currently is mounted). Already mounted my LED tail lights and will have a switch hooked to the rear brake drum that will detect when I brake to light them up.

 

[maxsideburn]

What I have so far on the electrics diagram.

 

[Raoul Dude]

Wow -- I like what what you've got designed so far!

I'm a little worried about what it might mean for MY current project bike. Just two nights ago, I was thinking about a "fake tank" for my bike, and reading about vintage tanks with lights and/or horns -- this thread might result in me putting a horn on mine as well!

 

[horsefarmer]

If you find an old household smoke detector they have loud horns usually can find one for "free" somewhere also built in 9v batt holder....

 

[patman73]

make it rechargable battery , so you won't have spend money on a ton od batteries , you can add a sollar panel charging system !