Help with figuring out the db of the e39 horn

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Yeah, mine really suck. Sound goofy too.
You know, some horns used to have adjusting screws that changed the tension of the, what would you call the stupid thing, what, a bell? Did the Supertones have those? It changed the tightness, in turn, changing the pitch? Gonna have to check.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Just found this horn on revzilla.com. I always order from these guys when it comes to my bikes. The nice thing about this site, they have specialists that talk about each product that they sell, they test them, review them, and have a video about them, on every page, EVERY PRODUCT!
It’s called the Denali Sound Bomb. Rated at 120db, but the Revzilla guy tested it at 116 with his meter. Still pretty good, think I will try them out soon. It is an air horn, so they need 20 amps, kits come with the wiring, relays, not sure what our cars horn amperage is, gonna have to check if we can just hook up to the oem wiring.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...?sku_id=961521

[jicaino]

Yeah, mine really suck. Sound goofy too.
You know, some horns used to have adjusting screws that changed the tension of the, what would you call the stupid thing, what, a bell? Did the Supertones have those? It changed the tightness, in turn, changing the pitch? Gonna have to check.

The thing's called diaphragm, and Hella supertones don't have adjustable diaphragm.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Yeah, a diaphragm….. I knew that! Getting stupid in my mid life old age. Supertones, mine are super turfs.

[jicaino]

Yeah, a diaphragm….. I knew that! Getting stupid in my mid life old age. Supertones, mine are super turfs.

I know, happens to me as well. Nothing more annoying than trying to remember something one knows and slips your mind at the time. Adjustable diaphragms are a thing on "cochlear" construction horns, while supertones are the hornless design with the open resonator. They're loud but not super obnoxious, while having a tonal quality that makes them stand out even at not so loud dB output. They have sort of a "ring" that cuts thru, while other horns have a more wagnerian brass nasal tone that needs extra oomph to cut thru.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Meant to call my Supertones, Superturds. Stupid smart phones…

[E0339]

Just make sure you seal the splice with very good heat shrink to keep the exposed wire from corroding. The whole crimping vs soldering argument, I prefer soldering, but also have all the crimping tools in the world, they’re all good, just make sure you seal all the connections very well.
I need to replace my old horns just as well. I have horns from newer BMW’s and Audi’s, all with the pigtails that came off the cars they came with, just need to install them.

Great advice. Thank you

For now, I put my horns back. I think what I'll do when I want to upgrade is to find a G63 SUV at a junk yard, steal the horns off of it (They're beasts and sound wonderful), take the connectors, and splice them into the BMWs.

On a somewhat relatable topic. Where abouts can I find specs for different parts in our cars? There doesn't seem to be a db level for the horns, but what about specs of the other components of the car? Ex. The resistance of the ignition coils. I would love some specs to compare against. I'm also very much still learning so there's a big chance I got some vocabulary wrong.