| Author | Message | ||
     86129squids |
Just sent this email to Stebel- methinks I can do an install like this for easy under a Bennie... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello, and thank you for providing a superior product! I have installed a Stebel on several vehicles to date, been very happy with each. I am now considering a 3 unit installation for my '92 Nissan pickup. I'm hoping for one in the front grill per SOP, PLUS one each in both front inside corners of my truck bed. I'm anticipating good use of the truck bed as a resonator to REALLY maximize volume. My question is this: Will I need to wire in parallel? And, would I need any supplemental voltage source? I am certainly NOT an automotive electrician, so I do need good advice. If at all possible, please reply with detailed instructions, perhaps with a web link or PDF of a viable diagram. (Given all the modern-day morons driving all my local roads, I'm looking for the best option barring a locomotive horn install, too much $$$ by far.) Thank you in advance for any guidance- I look forward to your reply. Regards, J. Brad Hardin | ||
| Njloco |
Yeah, blow them right off the road ! I'll ordering just one for the front of my GMC, and I could easily get a locomotive air horn. Problem would be, where to put it and the air tank to run it. Good luck, let us know how it works out. | ||
| Crusty |
I've got a Stebel Nautilus on my Roadster. However; keep this in mind; Idiots pull out in front of Freight trains and get hit. Locomotives that have multiple flashing lights and the loudest horns this side of the Queen Mary, AND they run on fixed tracks that have flashing red lights and clanging bells at the crossings. Yet there are morons who manage to get hit. The horn might get their attention, but don't bet your life on it. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Stebel- shmebel!  | ||
| Pwnzor |
I used to have a triple foghorn setup on my tractor, immediately behind my passenger side fuel tank, about head-high to most cars... illegal as hell but very effective | ||
| 86129squids |
REAL train horns, or pretty much the equivalent, are available, but cost prohibitive and a serious job to install- I've looked at a few websites already. The Stebel horns are serious bang for the buck- I figure a setup like that for my crappy old truck should do nicely. Once had a HD customer who was a truck driver- he showed up one day with a new rig, deadheading home. It had a train horn. Once he yanked on it, I was SOLD on getting one someday, somehow. The new norm out on our highways is either Baby Boomers getting old and slow (at least THEY don't futz with their phones) or, anyone else jacking around on the dang things. Anytime I pass someone and I see them texting or yakking, they get the horn. Right now the truck is a fair bit anemic... that WILL change.  | ||
| Aesquire |
Just as I endlessly point out you on a motorcycle are invisible. .... ( no need to rehash that I'm sure ) Loud horns may not work as safety items. Not that I'm against them. I fully grasp the entertainment value. ( & the potential legal hassles of using noise as a weapon ) I simply point to countless reports on plane crashes where the warning horns distracted the pilot so he landed with the gear up, "because he couldn't think with the buzzer going". Even the pros suffer from this with airliners plunging miles with stall warning horns and even voice recordings telling the pilot he'd lost airspeed. Driving into the ground with an actual voice telling him to "pull up". Multiple beeping warning alerts as the jet airliner, with 3 highly qualified pilots in the cockpit as the Airbus deep stalled over six miles right into the ocean. ( that one also involved one guy pulling his wheel while the other pushed.... but it's fly by wire with no motion feedback so the Captain had no idea the copilot was inputting control ) So when you hit the air horn and they plow right into you..... they couldn't think over the noise..... don't be surprised. Otoh.... I'd rather be blatant than quietly respectful when it comes to horns. Not real train horn.... I suspect there's a violation there, but the brand mentioned above is great. ( my phone won't let me spell it. ..  ) | ||
| Ourdee |
I cut mine apart and put the dual horn part under the windscreen. Then ran an air line from the pump mounted under the air box cover. Used for sobering up texters. They are worse than drunks. | ||
| 86129squids |
Most of the times I expect to need the Stebel setup is when I'm passing some a%%hat texting, often parked in the fast lane, or when the light is green and their brain is mush. Good observation though- be prepared for their reaction when you "release the Kraken/Stebel" on them. Hyper-awareness for us MC riders has never been more important. | ||
| Ratbuell |
The main problem with noise, lights, and hi-viz gear is...it still relies on that "other guy" to...PAY ATTENTION. I don't rely on others. I've learned that lesson. I pay enough attention for both of us. If I have to hit the horn button...I've failed. I should have been attentive enough to see that coming. To predict the bonehead. I don't get mad at them...I get mad at ME. Because *I* know better. Them? Don't know, don't care, not my problem. And I don't rely on the unknown. | ||
| Njloco |
As I am sure most, if not all of you are in denial and being older than most ( I hope not all ) I will try to explain. In the old days we would smash their windows, beat the crap out of them, give them flat tires, etc. Of course it had to be for a severe infraction ! Now with all the cameras around one really can't get away with that anymore so, now they pretty much have no fear ! They don't give you a second thought, what's the worse that will happen, they'll get a ticket, so what. The accident I had this past November, the idiot was facing me with nothing between us, clear view, clear skies, I'm wearing a yellow helmet, yellow and black leather jacket, bright red motorcycle, with the headlight on! She waited for me to get very close to her, then made her left turn as I was about a car length away. She could give no reason to the cops for not seeing me, and the worse part is, she's still out there ! They gave her two tickets. I want to mount a proton torpedos with star war lasers, I won't even care if they're made by Honda ! | ||
| Aesquire |
Unhappy with texters? Folk that drive entire stadium lengths without looking outside the car? Feel free to startle the daylights out of them. However, be prepared for the crushing guilt if instead of evolution in action, they slam into a school bus and slaughter a bunch of children. Hey, I'm all for bad mouthing, annoying, freaking out, and even watching texters drive into a field... as long as no one gets hurt. Heck, no one else. Although the local anti-texting law was written & IIRC named after the car full of teen girls who died while texting. Frankly the PSAs on the subject are not really strong enough. They need to have that one brave kid who demands they stop texting or stop the car & let him out... and gets out. You know the guy who wrote the "this is your brain" adds? Hire someone else. Joss Whedon? Snappy patter & as the one guy who won't put up with the dangerous texting gets out, pulls out another... muttering "I'll call Uber"... then the fireball as the car goes over the hill out of sight.  Like the countless "fail" videos online, One thing is certain. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but when someone gets seriously hurt, the funny level drops... a lot. | ||
| Njloco |
Hey rat, what do you do when approaching a car that wants to make a left, and is waiting for you to pass and then at the last second starts their turn as you are maybe a car length away in a 40mph zone but, your only doing 30-35 ? From now on, I have to come to a stop, because I don't know what the f..k the idiot wants to do or if they see me. Now I'll have to be looking in my rear view mirror to make sure I don't get rear ended, since I do have the right of way. | ||
| Ourdee |
Has anyone thought of using an air horn off a semi and powering it with propane or butane? | ||
| Ourdee |
I had an idiot in the right lane beside me texting. I needed to make a right turn. I tried speeding up. They sped up. I tried slowing down. They slowed down. Went on for a half mile. They were pacing off me. Horn was only thing that worked. | ||
| Crusty |
Has anyone thought of using an air horn off a semi and powering it with propane or butane? Are you going to put an igniter at the mouth of the trumpet? Sounds like a pretty hot idea! | ||
| Griffmeister |
"Has anyone thought of using an air horn off a semi and powering it with propane or butane?" I like that idea if you can put it on a swivel mount so you can aim it. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Kenny - depends on the situation. 1 - no matter what, cover the brake and clutch levers. Check the road surface for debris - will I slide? or stop? 2 - lock eyes on the WHEELS of the other vehicle. Forget the driver. Look at the wheels. If they're turning/rolling...I stop and/or evade. Immediately. 3 - is there other traffic traveling in my direction? Will the driver see them even if they don't see me? If I have a shadow in my blind spot...it's a good shield. If I'm the only one going my direction...better figure out what's next. 4 - multilane? Change lanes away from the center line for another 14' worth of warning and evasion time. 5 - plan an escape - either a sidewalk, or an empty oncoming lane, even the lane they just left by turning into mine. What's the clear path out/around? 6 - gauge their impatience. Are they the only one in the left turn lane? Or is there a line of cars behind them, indicating they've been there for a while and are getting impatient? How many cars are in front of me going my direction, another indication of how long they've been waiting? 7 - can *I* make a left? Even if I don't want to turn here...a couple extra turns around the block are preferable to a ride in a bus if things go bad. I have people turn in front of me all the time. I have yet to have a panic stop, or an accident. Paying attention and "not seeing" goes both ways. No reason a motorcyclist shouldn't be aware of their surroundings, every inch of the way. If a rider isn't prepared to take that responsibility, well... And don't fall back on hi-viz, bright lights, "loud pipes", or noisy horns. They're a crutch. Sure, I wear hi-viz as a habit. But I don't count on it to save my life. I count on ME to save my life, when it comes down to it. Again - people turn in front of me all the time. On the bikes and in the cars. I'm 44. I have NEVER had to lock my wheels in a panic stop or evasive maneuver. But...I know where all the exits are if I need them. | ||
| Njloco |
Single lane each way, she's stopped facing me, she has her wheels straight, she's waiting to turn into the WaWa, at maybe 15 feet, she starts to turn it, I didn't even have an oh sh.t moment, I don't know if a horn would have worked, but I do have two of them now, waiting to be installed on each bike. I'll still come to either a stop or very slow roll from now on, no other choice. | ||
| Aesquire |
8. On left hand curves, ( In Right side driving countries... reverse for England ) Don't hug the center line. This puts your face at pickup truck headlight oncoming position. I keep telling people. You are invisible. I ride a Reactor Yellow Buell. I wear yellow mesh armor. My lids have reflective bits... one is downright gaudy. ( Bostrom replica, casino motif ) None of it makes a difference. Sure, Police track my movements like they've seen too many episodes of Sons Of Anarchy. ( the last time I got pulled over, the nice Deputy had his hand hovering over his Glock ) But the "left turn in front of you even though you think they made eye contact" business is actually well understood. Every person that has slammed a bike in that maneuver has said the same thing. Like a cult. "I Didn't See Him". And they didn't. A study showed that none of the people that are likely to kill you ride. They don't have a close relative or friend that rides. They only have the vaguest of notions that motorcycles exist, and that fleetingly. The image forms on the retina. The brain simply refuses to process that image into something in their Universe. I know that sounds nuts. But I can show you the opposite phenom. Ever get a new brand of car? One you haven't owned before? Suddenly you see every one on the road while just days before all your brain said was "car". ( because presumably you're still alive and know cars exist ) Even when you are shopping for a new car, and are thinking about ( say ) Volvos. Suddenly you see all the Volvos. It's a perception problem. A PSA program might help but it would have to be saturation level. But don't let horrifying reality ruin your day. Wear bright stuff. Loud horns are good. ( if you remember the Spiderman Lesson ) | ||
| Zacks |
The image forms on the retina. The brain simply refuses to process that image into something in their Universe. Another example that was me: I was going to the Postal facility in Anchorage. You need to cross an active taxiway to get there. Signs all say 'Beware Aircraft". I stop at the stop sign, look both ways and start across. Almost got nailed by a Cessna. Saw him, just didn't register. Talking to the folks at the facility and was told it happens all the time. | ||
| H0gwash |
We have a blind spots in each eye strangely close to the center of our fields of vision, it is a peculiarity of our anatomy and our brains interpret this out. I will often slowly weave back and forth in the lane if I'm afraid an idiot could pull a left directly in front of me. I figure I only increase my visibility and possibly move out of their blind spot. | ||
| Aesquire |
Yep. Kicks off a philosophical question. The more weird you are, the more varied your interests, the more you see. Science fiction fans will be the first to see Aliens. ( they'll probably get it all wrong, since....Hollywood, but They will notice them first ) History buffs see "patterns" that repeat. ( and then are Cassandras, since no one will listen to them ) Bike riders see bikes... and more importantly, see roads as 3 dimensional. There's up & down & sideways and we see them as variables. Car only drivers, especially the newer ones that never had vent windows, See the road as a video game with no kinesthetic sense of connection. ( the exceptions tend to become addicts of the "g" load. Racers, the folk who buy BRZs & Miatas. Bike riders ) etc. etc. So...Opinion by induction? The worst drivers never rode bikes, or forgot childhood, and never did motion activities...sports? That can't be right, but it makes sense? (Forgetting childhood is scary common. People especially forget adolescence. I would guess because their current brain chemistry can't comprehend the hormone storm &.... throw in your own psychobabble. ) | ||
| Aesquire |
HOgwash, you are correct, and a good tip. Ditto moving the head in a car to clear the windshield pillars, etc. But this is in the head not the eyeball. Still real. It's why the #1 car/bike crash is the "left turn in front of you". ride paranoid. | ||
| Etennuly |
Truck horns need 60 to 90 psi to work, louder with more pressure. Butane would be kind of expensive. Propane would require a pump. But man, it sure would be awesome to put a spark plug in the trumpet and aim it at them blasting a loud horn with a ten foot flame!  I would think the legal hassles could follow you home. I have a motorhome with a driver remote controlled roof mounted spot light and an air horn right next to it, along with a propane system on board.....interesting.....very interesting. Really the problem is just as you shake someone to their roots for doing something stupid, you find yourself in a situation where perhaps you yourself do something out of the ordinary. Karma comes in all kinds of packages. Reminds me of the guy riding a fast bike who blasted the ears off a driver respecting the speed limit on a twisty road as he passed them on a double line in a curve, to be found a couple of miles later stuffed face first into an embankment. Texting drivers.....have at 'em. | ||
| Etennuly |
It is more about the brain than the eyes. Some brains are numb-er than others.  | ||
| Ratbuell |
This all goes to my theory that ANY driver, whether they ever throw a leg over a motorcycle or not, needs to take (and pass) at least the written part of the motorcycle license exam. Whether they like it or not, it would save lives through awareness. | ||
| Njloco |
I like the flame thrower idea, oh yeah the horn would be nice also. | ||
| Ourdee |
I move side to side in my lane when I see a left turn vehicle coming my way in the other lane. I hug the left of my lane but weave to center and back to catch the on coming eyeball. That side to side motion sometimes gets their attention. I always think I am invisible. Even when they look straight at me. I had a woman pull out in front of me last year. I hit the wig wag on the XB lights by alternating high low beams. She pulled over like it was a cop behind her. I drove by waving nicely. NO, not the Hawaiian good luck sign. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Weaving around in the lane is SMIDSY, taught to riders in the UK. It works on the principle of difference. You are more visible because the brain picks up on movement. You are invisible to traffic coming directly at you in most cases because most people are not practiced at using their depth perception much further away than arms length. They simply fail to see the Up Doppler. Side to side motion moves against the background. SMIDSY. Use it, it's awesome. It's the best ever, I guarantee, you'll love it. |
