Wolo Bad Boy

[jaster]

I've been looking at these because I can pick them up locally. After talking to someone in the manufacturing field I've found out they're supposedly the exact same as the Stebel Nautilus. Yesterday I came across this deal on them:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94117

A good price especially if you have a Harbor Freight near you.

[Sink]

The stebel is 138 db and is $40 or less..... The wolo is only 118 db

[Mark]

The difference in DBs looks significant, it is the reason I haven't picked one up from the HF about 300yds from me right now...

imo: If you look at the cost per db difference, the Wolo is *not* the way to go...

Mark

[dreddd2000]

The outter design of the Wolo is VERY similar to my Stebel. That being said, I have to agree with the others here. I wanted LOUD. As loud as I could get. The Stebel is just rated louder.

I bought mine here (http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Stebel11135&Category_Code=horn) and haven't had any cause to regret it. When I tested it in my dad's driveway his comment was that it sounded like a 60's buick on steroids. Works for me. At least they hear me now when I push the button. :)

[Tom B.]

Unbelievable!:hat1:

I got tired of the excuse me, excuse me. horn on my Tacoma so I went to Advanced Auto Parts to get a louder replacement! Loh and behold, there on the shelf lay a stebel! No more excuse me, excuse me. from my Tacoma! Now its get the H E DOUBLE TOOTH PICKS outta my way!:clap2: Just haven't gotten around to getting another for the ST!!!

Advanced Auto Parts!!!:hat1:

[jaster]

Updated...

Wolo used to post their rating distance which I believe is:
118dB @ 3 ft.

From www.stebel.it
139dB @ 4 in. and 115dB @ 2 m.

I've had my Wolo Dual Trumpet air horns (119dB @ 3 ft) tested next to the Stebel and there's no discernible difference besides tone. Mine sounded slightly louder but that may have been because they were at a lower frequency.

My dad helped install some emergency sirens several years ago that were rated somewhere around 130dB. After my comments of how useless they were he informed me they are rated at 1/4 mile. :eek:

The dB rating is useless until you know at what distance they're tested.

[Mark]

Thanks for the db to distance info...
I didn't know anything about it...

Now let me see about that short walk to HF... :-)

Mark

[Sink]

Great info!

[spotz]

So were talking Horns, I have the dual trumpet set on my 1100 and the stebel on my 1300 and one of each on my tiny honda Del Sol except the wolo in place of the stebel. From using them I can't tell the difference between the stebel and the wolo and their is no question when the Del Sol honks its horn

[Highway Troll]

Bought a wolo because i found one locally and lo and behold its made in italy just like the stebel. Its actually made by stebel and rebranded.

[Gonzo]

Jaster's numbers appear to be all consistent when you consider the dB vs the distance. It all looks the same.

I just finished installing my Stebel (from casporttouring.com) and it costs less, even with the shipping. It got here in a week. I'll be publishing the last part of my frugalfarkle part 2 soon.

gonzo

[Viggo]

It may be a rebranded Stebel but I only paid $36 for the Stebel last summer. You would think rebranded would be cheaper, not more expensive.

[Gonzo]

I probably waste endless hours shopping around. If I calculated the cost of those hours and factored it into my purchase price, I probably lose out.

However, I have the minor satisfaction of knowing I didn't throw ca$h away.

Sure, the Wolo may be rebranded, and HF is usually a good place to shop for price, but they have to make money someplace.

On the other hand, there are a few places where I will go knowing I will spend a little more out of pocket, but I am confident the extra is well placed.

gonzo

[wmgeorge]

I probably waste endless hours shopping around. If I calculated the cost of those hours and factored it into my purchase price, I probably lose out.

However, I have the minor satisfaction of knowing I didn't throw ca away.

Sure, the Wolo may be rebranded, and HF is usually a good place to shop for price, but they have to make money someplace.

On the other hand, there are a few places where I will go knowing I will spend a little more out of pocket, but I am confident the extra is well placed.

gonzo

Since my HF is just a few short fun motorcycle miles away, and the same price as online... perhaps cheaper 'cause no shipping. I'll head for HF unless I find a "deal" online.

Do I need plain or chocolate? Oops I mean do I need the chrome one, just wondering if it could be mounted on the exterior some place??
Since I've used a 1" riser block and no longer use the OEM handlebar cover, maybe I can find a place on that top plate??

[wmgeorge]

Got the Wolo at Harbor Freight and set it aside for a rainy day, which was today. Took very little of the plastic off, just the seat, and left side engine cover... just two allen screws.

Mounted the supplied relay, as it looked identical to the one I purchased. Put in the same spot as the old horn, and mounted the new horn with a hose clamp and large wire tie to the right side fairing support bar up high and tucked in to the right side fairing. As a former air craft electrician and retired master electrician who is used to working in tight places, no problems.


This puppy is loud, as everyone says!!

Price wise, with 15% off coupon it was $29.75.

[George]

Just a little dB data: 3 dB diff. is about the minimum the human ear can discern. On the power scale, tho, that's _double_ (or half) compared to higher (or lower) reading. Distance matters, too. If STEBEL is advertising their level at 4 inches and the other guys is advertising their level at 2 M (< 6 feet) that is very significant because the noise level falls off fast as distance increases.

Frequency counts, too. In the telco industry, standard test tone is 1000hz at 0 dB, C weighted scale. That should be what's measured with any dB meter as that's what we "hear."

LOUD is a relative term. I can hardly hear at all at some frequencies.

[SDMike]

Check your local AutoZone. I went there last night to pick up some brake pads for my car and on a lark checked out the horns. They appear to be clearing the Wolo's out for $23. I picked up the last one they had out on the shelf, perhaps more in back, at the one in Santee, CA next to Home Depot.

[RobsTV]

CONFIRMED AUTOZONE $23.
THANKS!
(I'm yelling because I'm now almost deaf from testing).

Just finished installing, and it is all they say it is.
LOUD AS @&%@.

At first I just connected the horn to a old 10amp automatic battery charger, to see how it sounded. Did not seem much louder than my great '93 ST1100 factory horn (stock ST11 was much louder than brothers brand new ST1300's horn). Installed it anyway, and after doing the proper wiring, through included relay and then directly to battery, this thing came to life!!! At first, with battery charger, it was like an old Buick. Now it is closer to a freight train or big rig.

Installed on my '93 using stock horn mount. Removed braket from old horn. The bracket is actually 3 layers of metal making up the single bracket. Removed one layer, and twisted the remaining two layers 90 degrees. This then allows enough room to fit inside left fairing, almost blasting out of the original fairing opening.

[Byron]

Here are some measurements I posted earlier (http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35255&page=3&highlight=Byron+stebel)after mounting my Stebel:

"Before putting the skins on I found my sound meter. It is a Realistic 33-2050 from Radio Shack. With the scale set at 120 dB I gave the horn a blast. The meter was held out at arms length pointed at the back of the horn since the trumpets face the left. I got 122 dB on the meter and that was with the filter in place. To see if the filter was holding back the horn I removed it and ran the test again. I got the same 122 dB."

[Schavlan]

Bought a wolo because i found one locally and lo and behold its made in italy just like the stebel. Its actually made by stebel and rebranded.

I just installed a Wolo Bad Boy and noticed the same thing. The horn and the relay are both stamped "made in Italy".

I bought it at Auto Zone for $22.95 including the relay.

Incidentally, many thanks to Clair for his post at st1100.org. I mounted mine the exact same way.


I honked it a few times after it was installed and I have the best endorsement of all.
The dog wouldn't stop barking for 3 minutes and my stepdaughter was yelling at me because the horn was "SOOO ANNOYING".
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