General Cycling Discussion - Sonic gun. First results.

Certainly, I should call it a horn. But this term would not be descriptive enough.

This horn was made in Taiwan. It produces incredibly loud and harsh sound. Undoubtedly some physics is involved in the contraption.

Yesterday I tried my new horn, while I was cycling the metric century on the trail.

If I saw that a pedestrian started to drift sideways, I just gave the sonic blast, which never failed to blow the pedestrian away. People just jump. A bell does not work anything like this.

But as you see from the photo I returned the bell on the steering bar too. The problem with the horn is that the sound can not be regulated.

It is always loud. I am afraid that it may be harmful to my hearing, if used too often. Sometimes I need just a slight bell clang to remind of my presence.

I will use horn only in really dangerous situations like: a driver opens the door, people block a trail, etc. I can now even send an acoustic message to a driver, because the blast is heard inside car all right.

Now, take that and hook up a 20hp compressor to it. That would be loads of fun! If I went with the horn idea, I'd rather go with Air-zound or something else rather than a wonka-wonka horn.

Originally posted by Bikes-N-Drums
...a wonka-wonka horn.

This horn emits very loud and short squawk. It is not louder if I press too strong or just strong.

The pressure should be just above a certain level and off it goes.

It is made from thin tinned steel.

Watch out, you don't want to be responsible for the death of some old easily frightened person.
;)

Originally posted by MeHT
you don't want to be responsible for the death of some old easily frightened person.
;)

Yeah. That is what I thought too. That is why I returned the bell.

Besides, the beauty of the horn is that I can warn pedestrians from about 100 feet.

I will need it only for the ones who do not obey rules of trails.

(I use a simple sports whistle. Loud toots alert motorists, gentle tweets in succession--without rolling the ball--alert ped's and tell them my position, too. $3.00)

(I never use it near an intersection controlled by a traffic cop.)

Alexey, is the horn you are talking about called a AIR ZOUND by chance? THe AIR ZOUND uses a bottle that you can refill with air from a bicycle pump and it gives off one heck of a blast when you use it.

Originally posted by Pete Clark
I use a simple sports whistle.

Wow! I did not think about a whistle.


Originally posted by I_H_M_B_F_M

is the horn you are talking about called a AIR ZOUND by
chance?

I do not know, because I've thrown away the packing. But there was no bottle for pressurized air for sure.

Nah, it's not an air zound. An air zound looks like a bottle with a cable attached to a horn.

Originally posted by MeHT
...air zound looks like a bottle with a cable attached to a hord.
Do you have a code, MeHT?

Uh...
What?

Crikey... just woke up. Need... my... caffeine...
:)