Old horn voltage: 1.5V? 3V? what can I get away with?

[ParkRNDL]

ok so I took apart the tank on my current project and found this. It's marked 1.5V and it works fine on a single AA battery.

It also seems to work fine, albeit a little louder and higher pitched, on TWO AA batteries.

I am wiring the tank up to run a 3V LED headlight system with those two AA batteries. Will it hurt the horn in the long term to run it off the same power supply? I mean, you really only ever use the horn for a fraction of a second at a time just to show off that it works anyway... but I'd hate to blow up an original part by running too much voltage through it.

 

[kingfish254]

Those horns are pretty simple but sturdy relays. I don't think there is much chance of you harming it with the extra voltage.
To burn it out, you would probably have to lay on the horn forever like an angry old man at stop light when it turns green for the guy in front of him.

 

[Captain Awesome]

Those horns are pretty simple but sturdy relays. I don't think there is much chance of you harming it with the extra voltage.
To burn it out, you would probably have to lay on the horn forever like an angry old man at stop light when it turns green for the guy in front of him.

Who are you calling old?

 

[ingola]

Those horns are pretty simple but sturdy relays. I don't think there is much chance of you harming it with the extra voltage.
To burn it out, you would probably have to lay on the horn forever like an angry old man at stop light when it turns green for the guy in front of him.

I agree two batteries won't harm it all

 

[clamdigger]

Those buzzers usually had a tone adjustment screw with locknut , preset at the factory for the rated voltage. Looks like it could be the red one on yours.

 

[Wildcat]

Those horns are pretty simple but sturdy relays. I don't think there is much chance of you harming it with the extra voltage.
To burn it out, you would probably have to lay on the horn forever like an angry old man at stop light when it turns green for the guy in front of him.

That reminds me of my 65 Fairlane. 1st gear wasn't synchronized and it was made that way. It only came with the 6 engine. All the small Fords were that way, even the Mustang. I would be slowing for a red light, it would turn green, but I was now too slow to go in second gear, so I had to stop and shift into 1st before going, while the car behind me would be honking and yelling because some ..... has stopped at a green light. I just wore out the clutch after that happened a few times.

 

[Wildcat]

Those buzzers usually had a tone adjustment screw with locknut , preset at the factory for the rated voltage. Looks like it could be the red one on yours.

I adjusted the buzzer in my tank with that screw to a lower tone.

 

[Sparky Sharky]

That reminds me of my 65 Fairlane. 1st gear wasn't synchronized and it was made that way. It only came with the 6 engine. All the small Fords were that way, even the Mustang. I would be slowing for a red light, it would turn green, but I was now too slow to go in second gear, so I had to stop and shift into 1st before going, while the car behind me would be honking and yelling because some ..... has stopped at a green light. I just wore out the clutch after that happened a few times.
View attachment 201986

My Mom had one of those and I drove it occasionally. Not exactly the Fairlane of legend!

 

[Ulu]

All the old cars were like that. I have a Scout, a Plymouth and a Volkswagen, and they’re all non-synchro first gear.