Strange experience over the past few days. Despite it being pretty Baltic down here the daytime weather has been nice and sunny and due to the fact that they don't salt the roads I took the opportunity to have a tootle out in the RP.

First of all (and I presume due to the thickness of the oil given the low temperatures) the car was turning over much slower than usual. I presumed that the battery was a bit down. Anyway, running on winter setting to get a few amps back in I went off for a drive. Nothing really amiss except I noticed that the horn wasn't working. The car is actually fitted with two horns, the original Rist which has been recently restored inside and out and a 6volt Lucas horn from a Panther 600.I have a hidden switch so I can switch between them - I use the Lucas for driving as it's pretty loud and effective and the Rist just for show given that its output is pretty feeble.

Strangely neither of them would operate. I put this down to a low battery charge or possibly a faulty earth from the horn button and put the battery on charge when I got home. It's fine, there's nothing wrong with it. I also moved the third brush to give me a couple more amps as it's likely I'll need the headlamps for the winter rally in a couple of weeks. However the horns still wouldn't work. I could hear them trying but no "meep"

A strange coincidence but BOTH of them worked as soon as I adjusted them.

Just one question though for the experts. Just how loud and effective should a genuine period Rist horn be. Mine seems to make a reasonable "parp" but nothing anywhere near as loud as the Lucas tooter. Is this normal?

Location: Gard, France 30960. Used to be Languedoc-Roussillon but now it's Occitanie

And what about your hearing aid RR?

Location: Sunny Brittany

Not really concerned about me I'm worried about all the other road users!

Location: Gard, France 30960. Used to be Languedoc-Roussillon but now it's Occitanie

Have you a repro Rist horn?..

I have four. Two genuine ones. Both on cars. They are the total opposite to feeble. In fact they are startling in their operation.

The third I picked up cheap at a autojumble, it looked recently overhauled but had no mount.

I went to fit it to my Microplas Austin 7 special. Even at 12v it was diabolical. Didnt sound like the other two at all. I took it to bits to find that it is essentially new.

The fourth is for the chummy. Not tried it yet but it is clearly an original

No it's definitely an original one although I have taken it to bits and rebuilt it as per the Cornwall A7 Club's recommendations. Having found Ivor Hawkins' short video on you tube, perhaps I'm being too optimistic - the output on mine sounds roughly the same:

HERE

RR

Location: Gard, France 30960. Used to be Languedoc-Roussillon but now it's Occitanie

I have a reproduction 6v Rist horn. I can barely hear it above the sound of the gearbox/back axle or any other mechanical component that is slowly trying to consume itself.

Mind you, it is very shiny and has a label on it.

The Rist horn on one of my cars, and which has been silent since the early seventies, presents a health hazard to one's hearing and can be heard several hundred yards away. It frightens the bejesus out of pedestrians!
Contrast this with the Benjamin on my '25. It's pathetic and despite a couple of rebuilds offers little as a warning to other road users.

Location: Melton Mowbray

Well, I better have a go at adjusting mine on a day when the neighbours are out

I have a restored original Rist horn on the Pearl. It's main function is to amuse Sunday walkers and the MOT man. The sound can best be described as like an elderly sheep. Maybe adjustment time, or maybe corrosion in the diaphragm causes mechanical losses ?

Location: New Forest

When I tune/setup one of these horns I connect a test meter in series set to read amps.
I then set the the adjusting screw for the lowest current draw while still giving consistency of tone/output.

Steve V.

Location: Polegate, East Sussex, United Kingdom

A day's fiddling appears to be needed then. Will update if I get any more volume out of it.

Location: Gard, France 30960. Used to be Languedoc-Roussillon but now it's Occitanie