Hmmm...

[darthandy]

I had to put off my air horn installation last month and just got to it yesterday. It took quite a while, but I finally found a spot to install the horn where it didn't foul the fairing. When I hooked up the relay, I ran direct battery power to the 30 terminal and ran a wire from the 87 terminal to the '+' terminal on the horn and a wire to ground from the '-' terminal. I then ran a wire from the 86 terminal to the pink wire coming from the connector on the right side of the fairing (facing the bike) and then a wire from the 85 terminal to ground. When I switched on the ignition, the horn immediately blasted away (Nice and loud)! I checked Dingy's simplified wiring diagram and I think I've found the problem. That pink wire goes to the switch from the horns, so when I attached terminal 86 and grounded terminal 85, I completed the circuit as I would when pressing the horn button. I need to change the wiring for the 85 and 86 terminals. Choice one is to attach 86 on the other side of the switch - assuming that there is enough wire and that it is easily accessible. Choice 2 would be to hook up both 86 and 85 to the pink wire -one at one point and the other at a different point - basically hooking it up "in line". This would, in theory, energize the relay only when the horn button is pressed. I'm not entirely sure if choice 2 would actually work and I'm wondering if anyone would know off-hand? By the way Larry - can your harness be used in the fairing? That is, are there places to hook it up in there or do wires have to be run to it? Just curious.

 

Andy

[dingy]

There is a PDF attached to thread linked below, it goes into some detail about using relays for controling circuits. Towards the end there is a series of example schematics and one of them details using a relay to control an add on horn.

http://venturerider.org/wiring/Relays%20101.pdf

Gary

[darthandy]

There is a PDF attached to thread linked below, it goes into some detail about using relays for controling circuits. Towards the end there is a series of example schematics and one of them details using a relay to control an add on horn.

http://venturerider.org/wiring/Relays%20101.pdf

Gary

 

Thanks Gary, but I already have that document. The problem is that the "Recommended" version of the air horn hook up doesn't make sense to me. If there is power running through the horns to the ground through the switch, won't I get a short circuit if I run power to 85 and attach 86 to the pink wire? I'm probably misunderstanding something here, but I'm not sure what. By the way, I was planning on disconnecting the stock horns since the compact air horn I'm using should be a lot louder. I may hook up another air horn to the stock location on the right side, but that would be powered by a separate wire from the battery so it seems to me that hooking up the horn relay in the fairing in series shouldn't cause a problem. Or am I screwing this up really badly? Basically, I wanted to use the existing horn circuit to power the relay only (Or relays, if I hook up the second horn) and power to the horns would be directly from the battery.

 

Andy

[Flyinfool]

Thanks Gary, but I already have that document. The problem is that the "Recommended" version of the air horn hook up doesn't make sense to me. If there is power running through the horns to the ground through the switch, won't I get a short circuit if I run power to 85 and attach 86 to the pink wire? I'm probably misunderstanding something here, but I'm not sure what. By the way, I was planning on disconnecting the stock horns since the compact air horn I'm using should be a lot louder. I may hook up another air horn to the stock location on the right side, but that would be powered by a separate wire from the battery so it seems to me that hooking up the horn relay in the fairing in series shouldn't cause a problem. Or am I screwing this up really badly? Basically, I wanted to use the existing horn circuit to power the relay only (Or relays, if I hook up the second horn) and power to the horns would be directly from the battery.

 

Andy

 

That is correct.

Pink to 86

Fused power to 85.

The horn switch is providing the path to ground.

[djh3]

Stumped more than one of us dummies. The horn circuit is backwards to most things we do. Horn essentialy has power all the time and we are controling the ground as has been mentioned. Had me confused for better part of a day.

[dingy]

Stumped more than one of us dummies. The horn circuit is backwards to most things we do. Horn essentialy has power all the time and we are controling the ground as has been mentioned. Had me confused for better part of a day.

 

Car horns work in a similar manner with horn button providing ground. At least on the pre computer-for-everything cars.

In reality, it makes little, if any difference where the switch is in the circuit. The fuse will protect the circuit just the same.

Gary

[darthandy]

Thanks to everyone for the hints and tips. I got her done today and now have a nice loud blast aimed closer to cagers' window level. Of course it's also closer to me so there's never any doubt when I have used the horn!

 

Andy