THE ELECTRIC HORN.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 23 January 1926, Page 12

THE ELECTRIC HORN.

drain on the battery. Dow drivers appreciate that an ele.? trie horn may consume more current than is required hv the head, side and tail lamps burning together. In a fast drive over strange country roads the horn must be sounded very frequently, and the current used up is not to be ignored, although if the generator and battery are in good condition the most liberal use of tne horn could not exhaust the battery. It is. perhaps, in the city that frequent use of the horu will tell most, frequent employment of the sellstarter, and the'use of parking liglus for hours at a stretch are about as much as the average battery can cope with, when running is mostly about congested streets with little opportunity for the generator to attain an adequate charging rate. The average electric horn consumes from throe to eight amperes. A few makers claim as low as one and a half amperes. A large horn, badly adjusted. may easily drain 12 amperes from the battery.

Electric horns are of two classes—the vibrating armature type, and the motor type. In the first’ class a vibrating armature, similar to that of a buzzer 01 electric bell, transmits its vibrations to a diaphragm. The note of the horn can be altered by adjusting . the screw in the centre of the diaphragm. The motor type of horn is generally more melodious, and often a heavier consumer of current. It employs a diminutive electric motor to rotate a shaft which causes a diaphragm to vibrate. The electric horn with a motor requires periodic lubrication in the same way as an electric fan. Clogged bearings will cause sluggish operation, a less penetrating note, and heavy con sumption of current. If it is found that pressing the horn button produces no sound, there is either a broken connection or a short circuit. If the ammeter pointer swings Imrd over when the switch is pressed a short circuit exists. Should the ammeter show a consumption of anything up to Id amperes it would indicate Unit the horn was receiving the current, but thill the mol or was prevented from resolving or the platinum points of the vibrating armature were not separating. Many English manufacturers fit both evict tic and bull? liorns. The discriminating driver will save his battery by using the less raucous hand or bulb horn more often than the electric signal.