The WeenieWagun v3

[Mullaney]

To a properly aimed headlight, even more so if it's a projector with a sharp cutoff, that 1* is the difference between seeing fine and being blinded.

I think we're talking past each other at this point.... or picking at nits, heh.

Easy fix - don't stare at the bright light... Look at a point on the side of the road like the shoulder marker on the right side... I mean, yeah, it should be aimed properly to begin with.. and we're both on THAT, but if the light on the right in the picture was aimed as the light in the middle was, it'd be more blinding.. if you're normal..

I get what you're saying, and you're not wrong, but I'm right-er...

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Interestingly enough, the driver training manuals make mention of looking to the right of the travel lane if you are being blinded by an oncoming vehicle.

I didn't actually go find the words in the book.
I do remember it though.

OR it could be 50 years of experience

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[TechnoWeenie]

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Interestingly enough, the driver training manuals make mention of looking to the right of the travel lane if you are being blinded by an oncoming vehicle.

I didn't actually go find the words in the book.
I do remember it though.

OR it could be 50 years of experience

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Yup, been that way since I was a wee lad as well.

 

[coachgeo]

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Interestingly enough, the driver training manuals make mention of looking to the right of the travel lane if you are being blinded by an oncoming vehicle.
.....

correct...... and they eye will autonamically drift back to the stimuli and one has to manually over ride that with conscious interactions with neuromuscular system.

I get the engineer stand point which am guessing is your background... stand point am coming from is a from brain/neuromuscular /motor movement side (motor as in muscles moving anatomical systems- not motor electric) which is my background.

 

[Mullaney]

correct...... and they eye will autonamically drift back to the stimuli and one has to manually over ride that with conscious interactions with neuromuscular system.

I get the engineer stand point which am guessing is your background... stand point am coming from is a from brain/neuromuscular /motor movement side (motor as in muscles moving anatomical systems- not motor electric) which is my background.

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Nicely worded. Yes sir.

Much like back in the days when we discussed those who designed targets vs those who design things to kill the target.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Wanted some steps similar to fmtv. Everything I could find was either too costly, or not built well enough.

I tried building steps with all thread.... nope.. wanted to bend inward.

I figured I'd use a crossover chain attachment..... nope... even worse... not tight enough...

So I left the chains intact to carry the weight (steel reinforcement above and below, to distribute load), and added steel plate to prevent it from bending.

So far.. so good....

But now I've spent more than a proper wire rope step would have... *sigh*...

I'm hoping the steel bars will bend if hit, instead of tearing crap apart...

 

[TechnoWeenie]

FD removed the blackout light to install a siren speaker. I got a fire truck airhorn that I was gonna put in the same spot, but needed to open the hole a bit. I checked both sides and.... there was room.... to miss the wiring harness that was there....







.....until there wasn't..... because I angled the blade in.... and sliced through the wiring harness... in 2 places..... clean through....


Had to spend 45 minutes tracing everything out....and temporarily connecting things.... Now I gotta put the right connectors on there and reseal them... THEN I'll be able to move on to adding the air horn.




(I also removed the factory airhorn, put on a 1/4->3/8 DOT push fitting, and will be running 3/8 DOT air line as supply to air horn.

 

[coachgeo]

....there was room.... to miss the wiring harness that was there....

.....until there wasn't.....

one step forward..... two steps backward..... ain't that how it always goes?

PS- air horns are tools. Use wisely. Loud sharp noise like air horns (esp. when used irresponsibly) DO damage hearing of children and elderly. DO trigger PTSD

 

[TechnoWeenie]

one step forward..... two steps backward..... ain't that how it always goes?

PS- air horns are tools. Use wisely. Loud sharp noise like air horns (esp. when used irresponsibly) DO damage hearing of children and elderly. DO trigger PTSD

It's a fire truck airhorn - no other sound like it.

Deep bass, felt in your soul... from 1/3 a mile away.

There is no better 'Get the #(%& out of my way' sound than that...

Based on idiots that have cut me off before, I'll need it.

Anyone who's been sitting at a light and hears an engine coming up behind them with a screaming Q and a Grover blasting... knows the feeling....

 

[G744]

I'll pass on LED headlights. All of 'em are just too rude for me.

Sticking with 80/100W 24V H4 halogens in 7" Bosch housings.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

I'll pass on LED headlights. All of 'em are just too rude for me.

Sticking with 80/100W 24V H4 halogens in 7" Bosch housings.

Too rude? The projectors have a sharp cutoff line.

 

[coachgeo]

....- no other sound like it.
...

got similar idea in mind.... using PA system for horn. I can speak (yell) right at them or use the Emergency service chirp chirp / siren . Ended up with two PA actually... thinking truck horn will trigger one set to make the chirp siren thing go off. Other one set for PA and wear a PTT mic lol.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

got similar idea in mind.... using PA system for horn. I can speak (yell) right at them or use the Emergency service chirp chirp / siren . Ended up with two PA actually... thinking truck horn will trigger one set to make the chirp siren thing go off. Other one set for PA and wear a PTT mic lol.

So, siren = illegal in all 50 states.

Airhorn, can be illegal depending on how loud it is and what state, but it's rarely enforced unless you're being a ... can't say it without getting a warning... but you know what I was gonna say..

As a former emergency vehicle upfitter.. .you have a couple options.

1. Airhorn and PA only. 100W. Whelen makes one. You're looking at about $200 for the unit and another $100+ for the speaker. You can't just use any speaker, and a CB PA is like 10W tops, which might as well not exist.
2. Siren/Light controller with siren tones disabled. Federal Signal SS2000SM, Whelen Cencom Gold, are some of the cheaper options. This is the route I would suggest, as the light/siren controllers are usually 200W, so you can use 2 speakers, AND have a PA function, AND you can disable the siren tones while maintaining add'l light functions.. Both of the above should be ~$150 used.... and the software for the Cencom you can download for free, the SS200SM programs via the keypad to disable the siren tones.
3. Fire truck airhon.

... and....

4. A combination of the above (which is what I'm doing).. .(2+3)



If you're gonna have ANY auxiliary lighting... like side, front, or rear illumination (lightbars) then you'll need a switch panel, and there's no reason to spend $100 on switch panel, $200 on a PA/Airhorn, etc. when $200 will get you something that gets you the airhorn sound you want, the PA, and the lighting control.

They look complicated but they're really not...




Here's the Federal Signal SS200 in my police car that recently got sold.. Radio was deprogrammed and siren tones disabled before selling it to someone.





They also make mini console mounts that will bolt right up to the trans shifter tower.... or if you have a hard top, you can bolt it to the roof and angle it down.

I intend on using one of the outputs on the controller to trigger the air horn as well. You can program one button to do multiple things, for example, you can have front facing lights, electronic airhorn, and fire truck air horn on 3 different outputs, and 3 separate switches, but also program one switch that turns all 3 of them on at the same time... Think of it as a 'I just got cut off' button, and all hell breaks loose with full front lights, fire truck air horn, and 200W of electronic airhorn.

 

[coachgeo]

So, siren = illegal in all 50 states.

Airhorn, can be illegal depending on how loud it is and what state, but it's rarely enforced unless you're being a ... can't say it without getting a warning... but you know what I was gonna say..

As a former emergency vehicle upfitter.. .you have a couple options.

1. Airhorn and PA only. 100W. Whelen makes one. You're looking at about $200 for the unit and another $100+ for the speaker. You can't just use any speaker, and a CB PA is like 10W tops, which might as well not exist.
2. Siren/Light controller with siren tones disabled. Federal Signal SS2000SM, Whelen Cencom Gold, are some of the cheaper options. This is the route I would suggest, as the light/siren controllers are usually 200W, so you can use 2 speakers, AND have a PA function, AND you can disable the siren tones while maintaining add'l light functions.. Both of the above should be ~$150 used.... and the software for the Cencom you can download for free, the SS200SM programs via the keypad to disable the siren tones.
3. Fire truck airhon.

... and....

4. A combination of the above (which is what I'm doing).. .(2+3)



If you're gonna have ANY auxiliary lighting... like side, front, or rear illumination (lightbars) then you'll need a switch panel, and there's no reason to spend $100 on switch panel, $200 on a PA/Airhorn, etc. when $200 will get you something that gets you the airhorn sound you want, the PA, and the lighting control.
...



View attachment 898905

They also make mini console mounts that will bolt right up to the trans shifter tower........

nice set ups. Yes emergency "siren" is regulated to Emergency service vehicles; as it should be. I used the wrong word. there are other tones in the PA that are legal, particularly when they are momentary bleeped like a horn is used.

Wish I could find switch board like that in the price range you posted. All the one's Ive seen fall in the same category as the overpriced military stuff. They're 3 times the cost you posted. Guess it is all in who you know.

Have got minimal parts of switch board out of the ambulance my "to be" camper box was pulled from. Just not enough to complete anything.

 

[ToddJK]

I'll pass on LED headlights. All of 'em are just too rude for me.

Sticking with 80/100W 24V H4 halogens in 7" Bosch housings.

That's why I installed amber LEDs on the front bumper. Normally the halogen lights work fine, until it's raining or heavy snow, but mine are 40watt flood lights that are pointed down and slightly inward so it lights the road up nicely but doesn't blind other drivers. I have yet to be shined with them on or pulled over by a cop after passing numerous cops with them on. It was also cheaper to buy after market led lights than it is to buy the 7" led head lights and I used preexisting holes to mount them.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

So, not exactly how I wanted it, but to center it in the hole would've meant hours of fabrication...so... this should be OK... Stainless hardware, K-loks, and threadlocker. It shouldn't be going anywhere.

Now I gotta figure out what I want to do with the rest of the hole. Maybe a pseudo blackout drive light?

Yes, I still need to remount the solenoid, and run the line.

The only thing that's visible is 3x 1/4" stainless button head allen drive bolts, which, to be honest, unless you're looking for them, you probably won't see. I'll take a sharpie to them later and make them disappear .

 

[TechnoWeenie]

That's why I installed amber LEDs on the front bumper. Normally the halogen lights work fine, until it's raining or heavy snow, but mine are 40watt flood lights that are pointed down and slightly inward so it lights the road up nicely but doesn't blind other drivers. I have yet to be shined with them on or pulled over by a cop after passing numerous cops with them on. It was also cheaper to buy after market led lights than it is to buy the 7" led head lights and I used preexisting holes to mount them.

The LED lights cost me like $80 or something like that.

 

[Mullaney]

So, not exactly how I wanted it, but to center it in the hole would've meant hours of fabrication...so... this should be OK... Stainless hardware, K-loks, and threadlocker. It shouldn't be going anywhere.

Now I gotta figure out what I want to do with the rest of the hole. Maybe a pseudo blackout drive light?

Yes, I still need to remount the solenoid, and run the line.

The only thing that's visible is 3x 1/4" stainless button head allen drive bolts, which, to be honest, unless you're looking for them, you probably won't see. I'll take a sharpie to them later and make them disappear .




View attachment 899010

View attachment 899011

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Maybe some mesh like the passenger side has on it... ?
To kinda protect the horn and "hide" it.
Especially if you don't plan to put lights beside the bell of the horn.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

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Maybe some mesh like the passenger side has on it... ?
To kinda protect the horn and "hide" it.
Especially if you don't plan to put lights beside the bell of the horn.

Good idea. Simple and effective.

The horn does stick out a little bit, and isn't flush, so it'd still be exposed but it'd hide the remaining gap to the left of it.

 

[ToddJK]

Good idea. Simple and effective.

The horn does stick out a little bit, and isn't flush, so it'd still be exposed but it'd hide the remaining gap to the left of it.

With the horn exposed, would that pose any issues with debris getting inside and does it seem more effective? I might steal this idea, lol.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

With the horn exposed, would that pose any issues with debris getting inside and does it seem more effective? I might steal this idea, lol.

No more exposed than any other airhorn mounted on a roof or a fender. This is actually mostly covered, so, theoretically, more protected from the elements.

.... as far as effectiveness, an exposed horn will be orders of magnitude louder than mounting one under the hood. Just moving the stock horn to a location that the sound can travel freely will get you a ton of add'l volume. The stock horns have too high of a pitch for me, so it's not just location and volume, it's also the type of sound.

I opted to mount it slightly in front of, in lieu of slightly behind, as the amount of material required to be removed to give it a clear shot out the front would have been substantial. If I had a plasma cutter I may have opted for that, but I also want to remove as little material as possible... Mounting it even an inch behind the would cause a loss in volume, due to the way sound waves propagate out of the horn.... Some would reflect back into the engine bay instead of spreading out.

The easiest/loudest option would be to install it on the fender, or on the cowl.... however I don't like the looks of horns just bolted on, and it's something to get ripped off on a trail, or makes it a target for tampering/theft. Unfortunately, I live in a state that's gone to hell in a handbasket pretty quick, and anything of value, even bolted down, will get stolen. People are getting their headlights and windshield wipers stolen. I even had to use security screws on my LED headlights to reduce the risk of them getting stolen by a tweaker.