I recently picked up a Trigger Horns brand "Chiti Chiti Vintage Oooogah" horn at a local car show to put on my 2011 HHR. It was a decent deal, and best as I can tell from the various sound files, it seems to sound better to my ear than the Wolo brand one. :shrug:

When I opened the package the trumpet was loose, as in "stayed in the package with no noticeable resistance when I pulled the horn out." I'm not especially alarmed by that since it seems to have just been glued on in the first place, and I can easily glue it back in place my own self.

Before I do that, though, I find myself wondering if there's really a down-side to leaving the trumpet off? Obviously it would be easier to mount without it, and i know that the trumpet doesn't have any impact on the mechanical function of the horn -- I have tested it and it seems to work just fine, and sounds good, without the trumpet. I know it shapes and directs the sound, but in the stock location (where I plan to put it) that's kinda moot, I just don't know enough about the things to have a worthwhile guess as to whether there's some important, less apparent function of the trumpet, so I figured I'd ask folks here who might know better than I do.

 

You can easily test it with power to hear it. But the horn is on it for a reason. It will probably sound shallow without it.

 

Thanks, solman98. So you think it's just going to affect the sound? No mechanical or other probable impact, you think?

I don't know that I'll leave it off, but I think it sounds okay to me without it.

 

Horn part is for sound. Imagine a speaker that you didn't let the cone vibrate, doesn't sound nearly as good. But use a jumper wire and test it with your battery.

 

Did that, works fine.

The cone on a speaker (this is something I do know a bit about) actually produces the sound by its vibration, so if it didn't vibrate it would make no sound at all.

The horn seems to be different, since when I tested it straight to the battery with jumper wires, and without the trumpet in place, the horn made rather a lot of noise.

 

LOL, my point was if you hold the speaker cone, the voice coil still produces sound, just looses the quality of the sound. The horn (trumpet) on a car horn does the same, it improves the quality of the sound.

But test it both ways and make your own determination. I think you'll like the sound better with it on.

 

Okay, I'll play with it and decide -- thank you!