Just for clarification to others not knowing, the decibel scale is non linear. Your second sentence is incorrect and contradicts your second paragraph which is correct.

A true increase of 3db is approximately double the sound volume so makes a huge difference. Of course how the decibel measurements are taken varies greatly between manufacturers and many slightly distort the actual to market their horns as better and/or louder.

_

 

Thanks for posting that clarification. I didn't realize dB were on a logarithmic scale until this thread.

Which raises the question, the 108dB accord horn (assume that's for a single horn) must be a lot less loud than the 110dB Fit horn; where did these numbers come from and can someone who has made the change quantify (even if subjectively) the difference? Agree that the pitch will make a big difference too. Seems a lot like stereo specs subject to listeners' tastes.

I'll keep my middle finger and the roadrunner 'meep meep' that came standard with the Fit (rarely use either ).

 

I made the change and honked before and after. Not very scientific but the Accord horn sounds louder. Also lower-pitched so more authoritarian and less meep-meep.

If we need to, my friend drives a Fit, didn't make the change, so I could record both side-by-side and post it, but I think that the video posted by a Honda dealer (forgot which one, they've got a bunch of videos on how to do stuff) played both horns.

 

Dang it... chrome crashed on me and wiped out my message before I could post it.

There are two issues with this topic. One, being that different people test differently. So, until the two horns are tested by the same person(s) in the same settings from the same distance... any decibel qualification needs to be given less importance (don't base your decision on it).

Two, is that what gets people's attention, doesn't necessarily need to be louder. Even with only the lower tone half of my PIAA sport horns (the kit has a 400 and 500 hz pair), it seems to get more attention than the factory horn did. Whether it is actually "louder" or not, I'm the last person to give that qualification (I'm half deaf).

And to toot my own horn (pun intended), here's the comparison I made. I am assuming the remaining security horn is the same as the factory non-security horn.
Horn comparison of PIAA 400 Hz vs Honda Fit stock security horn - YouTube (outside a parking garage)
Horn comparison two of PIAA 400 Hz vs Honda Fit stock security horn - YouTube (inside that parking garage) <- may not apply after all... Honda lists two frequencies for the horns in the Fit. With this in particular showing the higher frequency as the security horn.

 

Thanks for the clarification. Learning is a good.

 

Look, my point is that the Honda Accord horn is not louder or not much louder then the stock horn. If you really want a much louder horn then you have to go aftermarket and get one of those air horns.

Some people will enjoy the lower tone Accord horn while others will enjoy the stock horn, but you will not get a much louder horn from the change.

 

I have a 2012 base with no ducting in the grill area. The Accord horn fits right in facing down, and when you torque it the sheet metal it attaches to bends up to make it face toward the lower grill.

It is less silly sounding to me than the stock horn, but not louder or in any way suitable for New York City. It is a credible alert in traffic that is not used to hearing horns at all.

 

I have no input on the fit horn vs accord horn, but another point worth mentioning is that of human perceived loudness.

The cochlea in our inner ear analyzes sounds in terms of spectral content, each "hair-cell" responding to a narrow band of frequencies known as a critical band. The high-frequency bands are wider in absolute terms than the low frequency bands, and therefore "collect" proportionately more power from a noise source. However, when more than one critical band is stimulated, the outputs of the various bands are summed by the brain to produce an impression of loudness.

Now whether the two-tone accord horn stimulates two bands, i dont know.

 

Welcome to the freakworld qwert You 'sound' like you know your facts!!!

 

Yeah, especially if that dude is 6 foot 6, weighs 350 pounds and is built like a brick s***house. And could be packing an HK MP5 on the passenger seat. Yeah, THOSE dudes you don't want to mess with! LOL

 

The horn mod was a big forum deal back in '09 when I got my Fit. So much so, I was gonna do the mod just because it was all the rage here- like a must do. Never did it though. I did one mod- the lower grill screen, and that was enough for me. Horn shmorn- if I've tooted it a dozen times in three years it's a lot, and it's usually to nudge morons on their cell phones. I don't beep- I steer out or around and keep moving...all while cursing the bastard that screwed me up. But the horn? Please- no time for it during serious wheel work.

 

Usually, when I honk, its more of a courtesy for the other driver... like:

wake up fool, you can go now.
Stop you twit, you're about to smash into something. I don't want to be forced to wait here until the cops/EMT clean your carcass off the pavement.

 

I honk to catch an eye ;-) Sweeter the honk the sweeter the eye. Meep just don't do it.

 

We gotta work on elevating your means of attracting the ladies.

 

I'm not sure about the legality in your area, but train horns>*. I used to love scaring the shit out of people in my miata, no one can claim to have not heard you. They also sell them at levels to comply with local sound ordinances.

 

HA As much as I appreciate your concerns, the skills were honed many many years ago starting with my first car when the world was a lot more polite.

Catching an eye has never been a problem. Any more, however, it's what to do when I catch one...

 

There is a trick to horn honking. When manuevering through tight NYC traffic and you want to wake people up so they wont change lanes into you, you hit the horn repeatedly fast so it goes meep meep meep meep meep in rapid fire. One long horn blast usually doesnt get as much attention. If you want to wake someone up at a stop sign, then you nudge the horn so it has a short meep. The long horn blast is usually never appropriate for any situation except when maybe someone is taking too long to get out of the house. Someone is taking too long inside the house so you give the horn a long blast so they hear it inside the house.

The rapid fire horn trick usually is the best way to get a pedestrian or another car's attention. One long horn blast will also tend to make people stop in their tracks like deer in lights. Modulating the horn gives a sense of urgency.

I noticed the police use modulating sirens now versus the old fashioned long siren wail. When people hear that one long tone, then they tend to freeze more so then get out of the way.

In urban areas where the traffic is thick and people are changing lanes quickly...sometimes without looking...the horn is your only way to let them know you are there. It isnt a sign of rudeness. In fact, I am happy when someone sounds their horn as they are just trying to prevent an accident where my car would probably be damaged had they stayed silent. Many taxis in NYC will use those aftermarket air horns and they do sound them constantly.