# ...Come Blow Your Horn...



## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

There's two things of importance I need to accomplish in my dark maze:

1. To scare them senseless (Duh!)

2. To give a signal to the attendant at the beginning of the haunt that it's time to send another group through.

I thought I could accomplish 1 & 2 by having a loud horn with a bright light approximately 12' into the maze. I have mat switches and awesome sensors I purchased from Creative Visions, so triggering the effect isn't a problem.

However.....

I have no idea what kind of *economical *horn to purchase and how to connect it as well as a clamp light to the trigger.

Please help!


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

I put headsets on 8-10 of the actors. Everyone new what was going on at any time.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

auto or truck horn? Auto graveyard. We have some pull-it yourself places around here.


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Sickie Ickie said:


> auto or truck horn? Auto graveyard. We have some pull-it yourself places around here.


Either one. So, go to a "Pull it" place. How would I connect the horn to the mat switch?


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Frighteners Entertainment said:


> I put headsets on 8-10 of the actors. Everyone new what was going on at any time.


And let the people slide without a scare? No way! That would totally be eliminating #1.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Hmmmm. I don't have a mat switch, so I'm guessing it would be a matter of hooking up one of the wires to the switch as in a toggle switch. The switch connects the current and the electricity makes the horn sound.

As Im writing, I suppose you could have a pneumatic wounded rabbit call as well.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

Empress Nightshade said:


> And let the people slide without a scare? No way! That would totally be eliminating #1.


All the actors knew what was going on. I would get a call that a group had passed a certain area in the haunt, I then could let the next group in.


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Frighteners Entertainment said:


> All the actors knew what was going on. I would get a call that a group had passed a certain area in the haunt, I then could let the next group in.


Jeff,
you're taking the scare aspect out of the equation, Dude! To notify and scare at the same time is what I'm looking for.

Any suggestions on where I can get a horn and how to hook it up?


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Sickie Ickie said:


> auto or truck horn? Auto graveyard. We have some pull-it yourself places around here.


D'oh!
My son's old klunker is sitting here in my driveway waiting for the tow company to pick it up next week. I've got the horn right here at my house! Now, all I have to do is get someone to remove it for me.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

Doh! Gottcha.

This would be an easy hook up. A 12v volt power supply and a button ( I used a door bell button on our horns) or a pressure mat.
MonsterGuts has the mats.


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

I MUST say....

I posed this same question to three other forums and THIS was the only one I received a true response from. I knew it would be as such. This is truly a good place to receive help. :jol: 

Okay, so yank the horn from my son's car and purchase a 12V Power pack -- I already own a mat switch and clamp light.

NOW....

What's the power pack for? Wouldn't the car horn be attached directly to the match switch? How do I connect the clamp light?

I'm totally ignorant when it comes to things like this. HELP!


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

This would be a simple closed system. The black lines are wires. The horn will have a negative (-) and (+) positive to hook up to. One wire will have the switch (be it doorbell, or toggle, or mat or whatever) somewhere along its length. When the switch is "on" it connects the power across the wire. When "off" it disconnects the power going through the wire.

The car horn is quite a find sitting right in yur driveway! If I remember right, it should be held on only by one or two screws. It looks like a metal spiral.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

Nice work sickie.


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Sickie Ickie said:


> This would be a simple closed system. The black lines are wires. The horn will have a negative (-) and (+) positive to hook up to. One wire will have the switch (be it doorbell, or toggle, or mat or whatever) somewhere along its length. When the switch is "on" it connects the power across the wire. When "off" it disconnects the power going through the wire.
> 
> The car horn is quite a find sitting right in yur driveway! If I remember right, it should be held on only by one or two screws. It looks like a metal spiral.


THANK YOU!! I think I understand now. Just one more question (Yeah, right!) How can a clamp light be hooked up into that equation?


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

If the lamp is 12 volt and your power supply can handle it, it can connected like the horn.


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Okay,

I pulled out the horn (I think  ). It's got two coils on either side and resembles the picks I've looked up on the internet for a Ford Taurus. However, it only has one wire from it. Not two.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

1 wire connected to a clip?


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

I'll try to take a pic of it so you can see. Pleeease don't tell me I clipped something I shouldn't have.....


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Okay,

here it is!


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## oct31man (Sep 19, 2006)

I'm wondering if that tab on the top of that bracket is your negative contact. Are there any more tabs on the bottom of it? Was there a wire clipped to that tab?

Does your mat switch have a plug on it already?


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## ScareFX (Aug 18, 2004)

oct31man is most likely correct. Try connecting the blue wire to the positive on your power source and a separate wire from the bracket to the negative on your power source.


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## Ironman (Feb 4, 2006)

Yup....most 12V horns use a common ground, so it would just be the metal frame. Emp...rather that trying to use a clamp light, and since you said you wanted a 'bright' light, why not go ahead and scavenge a headlight or two from the Tarus. And while you're now stripping parts, don't forget the wiper motor, any easily accessible 12V lamp bulbs, the windshield washer pump, the turn signal flasher, and power window motors and any auto door lock solenoids. There are tons more goodies on it, but these are all fairly easy to get to before you send it to the junk yard.


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## oct31man (Sep 19, 2006)

Just strip the car bare and put it on blocks! LOL!
Good thinking Ironman!


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## ruafraid (Jan 3, 2006)

I did this a few years ago and I ended up using a car battery for the night. The horn draws more current than you would think. At least it sounded better with the battery. I know you are open more than one night but a trickle charger for the battery will keep it charged and they are not expensive. I have the same horn as well at least it looks the same. Good Luck with your Haunt this year.


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## Gothic Nightmare (Jul 19, 2007)

You can also use a old atx computer power supply for power ala www.scary-terry.com It should have enough amps to run the horn, a headlight, and even the washer pump to squirt or spray them with water (Blood muhahah!). I got 5 of these power supplies for $1 each at a local radio shack / computer repair shop. I got them cheap because I explained that I needed them for the free haunted house I do for the TOTs, and they thought that was cool.

My favorite dark ride (and ranked #1 in the country for like 5 years) The Haunted House at Knoebels uses 2 headlights and a truck horn in a near black hallway to create the effect of a truck about to run you over. The lights and horn go off when you are like 2 feet away. I've been through it dozens of times over the years and it still makes me jump every time.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

I think the car horn is a great idea for your particular haunt Gwen! It'll sound a little goofier than an alarm bell or scream sound but still be a good loud startle. Too bad it's not one of those old "oh-OOOOOO-gah" horns... that'd be good for a clown haunt too...

I see only one potential problem... it's possible to miss a mat switch unless you get the really big ones which get pricey... seems to me if you're using this as a practical indicator and not just a scare you might be better off using a photocell/"broken beam" setup that would be impossible to pass without setting it off. Or... has anyone heard of mounting a large panel of floor so that it rests over a pressure switch so there's no way to miss tripping it?


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## oct31man (Sep 19, 2006)

Revenant said:


> I see only one potential problem... it's possible to miss a mat switch unless you get the really big ones which get pricey... Or... has anyone heard of mounting a large panel of floor so that it rests over a pressure switch so there's no way to miss tripping it?


Yep, I lay a piece of plywood over my tape switch and they don't miss it!
While you're at Empress, go ahead and make a car bumper prop! They will love it! I am borrowing your idea of the horn being a signal for the actors. Last year I had my car bumper toward the end of the haunt. This year it will be first, to give us a signal! Thanks for bringing this up!


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

oct31man said:


> Yep, I lay a piece of plywood over my tape switch and they don't miss it!
> While you're at Empress, go ahead and make a car bumper prop! They will love it! I am borrowing your idea of the horn being a signal for the actors. Last year I had my car bumper toward the end of the haunt. This year it will be first, to give us a signal! Thanks for bringing this up!


You're welcome, Oct31man!

Since I last posted, the car horn with a bright pinbeam is up and running! It's so hilarious to see crew members who aren't aware of it jump out of their skin when they activate it. The mat switch works just fine as we allow a group of eight to enter each time. If the first person doesn't step on it, someone is bound to. This will be a place we will definitely mount a camera up top to catch great footage. LOL! 

Thanks to all for your help!


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## randyaz (May 26, 2006)

hey...cut the car into just behind the windshield. Take the components off the frame. mount hood,fenders, and front grill and mount on a lightweight frame. Use pneumatics to make the car jump forward about 10 ft. When the TOT's trigger it...the car comes out horns and lights blaring.

But a Mac truck would work better than a Tarus...


...and no...Im not really serious...but it would be cool


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