Blaster Horns

[n7myr]

has anyone noticed there passport 8500 going off when the honk their blaster horns?

took me a little bit to get a handle on what was going on but when I blow the horns the 8500 goes nuts.

got a chuckle out of me :haha:

 

[ian]

I occassionally get a false laser response from my 8500 after honking the Blasters. Ian, Iowa

 

[BrunDog]

My guess is this has more to do with the power supply circuit they share rather than an effect of the detector sensing the horns' blast.

Can you power the detector separately and see if it still happens?

-BD

 

[Mogan]

I power mine separately and have never had this trouble.

 

[vectervp1]

Yup. Every time I tap the horns (man-horn upgraded) I get a laser alert on my Escort 8500. Scared the crap outta me the first few times it went off. I was tooling down the road at an elevated speed and decided to blip my horn, because I like to toot my own horn, and beep beep beep beep beep.. slam on brakes, look around, nothing.

I have all of my aux stuff powered from a barrier strip. My theory (like that of BrunDog) is a power thing (technical term there) that freaks out the Escort 8500.

 

[ionbeam]

BD is correct about it being a power problem. I leave my 8500 turned on just about all the time (it is on an ignition switched power source). Every time I start my bike I get to hear the laser alert because the starter drops the voltage.

Additionally -- Fun Fact #1-- fluctuating voltages makes the 8500 susceptable to laser falsing. Fun Fact #2 -- if you set the 8500 to display voltage you can watch and see how low the voltage actually dips when the Man Horn speaks out.

Alan

 

[RonBB]

if you set the 8500 to display voltage you can watch and see how low the voltage actually dips when the Man Horn speaks out.

Interesting fact #3

I noticed a full volt drop (on the 8500) one day (While stuck stopped in traffic) when the radiator fan kicked on. That was through a circuit from the tail light & also was feeding the J & M CB & Integrator Module plus the radar detector.

I also have had several laser alerts when out in the back country & there was no one around. It never did this in the car. I've never been able to figure out what was tripping it. I will watch the voltage a bit closer now. Has anyone noticed what the voltage is when it trips?

 

[dobias]

Joe Strbik's comments are:

Hi,

What is a pasport 8500? A radar detecter? If it is, the horn and the unit are probably hooked on the same fuse circuit. Whatever the case, make sure a seperate ground is used for both units. The problem could be an insufficient size ground wire. Running a seperate wire for each unit for ground should solve the problem.

Joe

Sound Engineering

dobias

PS: I would add, the voltage drop appears to be the culprit to me, too.

 

[dobias]

Additional comment from Joe Strbik;

The two Magnums draw around 11 amps. If #12 or 14 wire is used for the circuit feeding the horns, and nothing else is on the circuit, the bike engine is running, and the radar detector is on a seperate circuit from the horn, between the alternator output and the battery capeability, there should not be any problem on reduced voltage on all bikes I have looked at.

Could the horns be mounted near the radar detector? One other thought, the Magnum horns are nothing more than a strong coil creating a magnetic field in a rapid on off cycle. I have never studied a radar detector and how it works as well as if a strong magnetic field would affect it, but if a magnetic field will affect it, this could be the cause.

Sound Engineering Consultants

 

[FJRandy]

I'm betting the voltage drop has nothing to do with it.

Horns of this type produce tons of "EMI", or horn hash in laymen's terms. This is brutal to control on ANY 12 volt electrical system. You should be thankful you don't have a CB radio hooked up. You should hear what THAT sounds like through an intercom when the CB is on! :bigeyes:

 

[05fjrBluedevil]

On the topic of interference, I installed a power outlet in the left top black dash panel, I cut into the running light as many suggested and I get falsh or interuptions when the left turn signal is on, it does not happen when the right is on.

I did notice three wires running to the light, I asumed on was ground, one power and it is like a swith loop where it runs down to the light and back to the turn signal switch, does anyone one know which color wire is which on the 05 abs model, or is this something that is going to happen, doesn't seem right.

Thx for your suggestions/ help Mike

 

[Woodstock]

Sounds like you tapped into the turn signal wire, not the running light wire??