Trojan Boat Forum

The electric horns on my 1985 10 meter didn't work when I bought her three years ago, so I bought an air horn for trucks and installed it on the bow.

The other day it started intermittently sounding. It went on until the air tank emptied.

After emptying the air tank, I could hear a relay clicking.

There's a junction panel just aft of the dinette, forward of the circuit panel box on the starboard side.

So I pulled the cover off and found a Sylvania 12 volt ballast in front of a Bosch relay.

The relay was clicking on a pretty steady rate of about 1/2 hertz. It was a Bosch fuel pump relay - 0 332 204 150.

I replaced the relay thinking it was malfunctioning.

Put the new relay on and it was still clicking.

So I go to the ballast, a Sylvania TR2032.

Took it off and went around town looking for someone who knows what it is. Nobody recognizes it.

So I called Sylvania general lighting as well as Sylvania automotive lighting. I got nowhere even with those guys. I mean nowhere. They almost denied the existence of what I was in my hand.

I guess the question is - what is the ballast for? Is it for an old fashioned electric horn that needs a quick jolt of current to make a crisp honking sound?

I am thinking of bypassing the ballast as my air horn is controlled by a low current solenoid valve.

Any info or opinions on this?

Thanks

Mark

In 1989 We had an air horn installed on our 11 Meter by a local marina. There is a typical horn button actuating a solenoid. No ballasts or anything similar in the circuit.

my 1983 10 meter had a simple 3 prong horn relay.

Can you post a photo of what you have?

Could it be a relay for the window washers?

RWS

Sounds like you are describing the round pc. With two pins. If so it is a typical flouresent lamp starter. Have seen it on mine but did not know what it does. Should be available at local hardware store.

a high water alarm system was optional from Trojan in 1985 the relay controlled the horn itself and the flourescent starter controlled the 60 second delay for the alarm. There were float switchs on top of the bilge pumps which activated the alarm (horn) in the event of high water and blew it intermitently. I would look for for crossed wires from one of the float switches. There was one on top of each bilge pump. There were three in my case. I have the original wiring schmatic for a 85 11 meter in PDF and that circuit is probaly the same on the 10 meter. Good luck tracing it out.

http://www.collegefair.org/11_meter_progress_page.htm

Here are pics of the ballast.

I am going to wire around this. There's no need for a ballast in this circuit - its just an air horn solenoid valve.

I ran into this post searching for a replacement for Sylvania TR2032.
Sylvania TR2032 is a 12Volt time delay relay (~30 seconds). It is also used in the older Mercruiser Alarm systems to delay the alarm until the oil pressure builds up.

I did find a replacement ECHLIN AR613 available from NAPA.
The specs appear to be the same, The pictures appear identical. (Three connectors in a small 3/4" cylindrical can, 1.25" long)
I have the part on order.

Hope this helps someone.
Dan

Thank you for posting this valuable information.

So there are TWO components here - a "ballast" and a relay.

the ballast functions as a delay and the relay functions to provide the intermittent feature.

Is this assumption correct?

When I reattached the emergency bilge pump switches on my 1983 International, there is no delay and no intermittent feature.

Lift the switch and the horns blow steady.

I added an emergency cut out switch to kill the horns in the event of a false alarm.

I could easily get the two components and wire them in - however this defeats the purpose of less components to fail equals less failures theory.

Comments?

Anyone?

Bueller?

RWS