How Horny

Hi guys,
trying to add a horn to the 650 and got 1 off ebay but I am guessing it's made for DC not AC which my bike is currently chucking out....no Rectifier fitted. Horn works fine off a DC power supply but sounds dreadfull running off the bikes power , I made sure I got a low power version...1.0 amp rather than the higher 1.5 amp versions but didn't think to much about AC/DC bit, is there an easy way to rectify the voltage besides fitting a rectifier ?, I thought about a diode and make the voltage half rectified ?.

Mauser,

when using a single diode you'll end up with a pulsed dc, and my guess is it will sound even more awful. Yeah, adding a large cap(acitor) will help a bit, but you'd be better off to mount a Graetz bridge ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diode_bridge ).
The bottom part of the second pic is one, a tiny (and cheap) item, and you could use it to drive the horn only. Put a cap over there (an electrolytic one rated 25V min) and you'll probably hear a lot better sound.

Thanks for that, annoying thing is I used to have access to all sorts of rectifiers @ work a few years ago but not any more lol. Might send the horn back and pick up a 6volt AC horn which I am told will work a lot better .

Hey, if it's cheap try a 6V one, but the breaker-points in it won't last. Why do you worry, is it for a roadworthy maybe?
Then trick it
Get that bridge, and get a couple of Nicad cells instead of that cap. It'll honk like when you're horny mate, promise it will, even at idle, wot, when off even! It will all fit behind the headlamp, and I assure you it'll keep the inspector deaf, happy I mean

BuRP wrote:Hey, if it's cheap try a 6V one, but the breaker-points in it won't last. Why do you worry, is it for a roadworthy maybe?
Then trick it
Get that bridge, and get a couple of Nicad cells instead of that cap. It'll honk like when you're horny mate, promise it will, even at idle, wot, when off even! It will all fit behind the headlamp, and I assure you it'll keep the inspector deaf, happy I mean

I know where your coming from but I like my baby nice and clean and especially the wiring, cannot stand added wires and extra stuff un-needed. I will need the horn for the MOT but as I ride on the road as well as off-road it's good to have a working horn.

I can't remember all they said but I think a lot of guys recommended using a horn off some BMW streetbikes and also some horns off 1970s large American cars like Buicks. Of course many over went off the deepend with some sort of Steibel (sp?) horns and what not that require a lot of room and ear protection.