The Horn

[993cc]

I have idly wondered how the horn will work on the Aptera. For aerodynamic reasons they won’t want to have the usual grille or perforations that would allow sound to freely pass to the outside.

Maybe some sort of vibration producing device that would cause the entire nose cone to vibrate? That could be hugely loud, though it might not sound like a horn, which is probably also a safety thing.

What we know is that they won’t sacrifice efficiency.

[Phil]

About 3 months ago, Aptera was featured on Jay Leno’s Garage and during the drive with Chris Anthony, Jay says “no horn?” Chris answers “no horn, you won’t need one in the future”. Granted, Chris may have been joking with it being an Alpha vehicle they were riding in, but he may have been serious too, no way to know for sure.So an after market horn might well be the only solution, should the Aptera actually be hornless. Here’s link to the video, the comment happens at 15:58 into the show…..https://youtu.be/TsYyJJFYRvc

[Phil]

They should be able to place one somewhere in the frunk, but it would need to be loud enough to not need an acoustic opening, thereby not effecting aerodynamics.

[llewellyn-evans]

There are openings for steering and suspension or even in the wheel pants. There are probably other openings as well.

[paul-evans]

There are Federal requirements for BEV vehicles that set multi-band frequencies and minimum decibel levels for specific speed bands to alert seeing-impaired individuals of an approaching vehicle. I don’t know if there are any noise prohibitions above those speed bands set in the regulations.

[KayleighVenne]

Aptera will have a horn! We look forward to sharing more details with you in the coming months.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by  Kayleigh Venne.

[Fran]

I think they could fit an acceptable horn down by the windshield wipers and not mess up the aerodynamics.

[Pistonboy]

At time 24:11 in the interview video, Jason Hill says the button on the right (on yoke) will be for the horn. I take issue with the wisdom of this. The horn is an emergency control and needs to be easily accessible. It is on the right, until you turn the steering wheel 180 degrees, and then it is on the left. If it must be a button, then at least put it in the center. Also, it should not be small, which it is. It should be an area that can be controlled with the palm of the hand. Safety is being sacrificed in order to be chic.

https://youtu.be/VK6r9fhOqco

• This reply was modified 2 months, 3 weeks ago by  Gabriel Kemeny.
• This reply was modified 2 months, 3 weeks ago by  Harry Parker. Reason: Fixed link

[ROMAD]

My 1979 Mustang had the horn button on the end of the right hand stalk, I never had to move my hand to use it; just a finger tap was enough. When airbags became mandatory in 1990, there wasn’t a way to have a centered horn button so they were moved to the steering wheel spokes thus my 1990 Miata has one on both the left and right horizontal spokes and again I don’t have to move my hand; just my thumb. Later airbag makers came up with a way to have a horn actuator underneath the airbag front cover so my 2005 Jetta TDI has it back in the center; unfortunately I have to take my hand off the wheel now to use the horn. The right side horn button is the ONLY thing I like about the yoke!

[john-smith-2]

I thought that when we went though this in the 70’s and moving the horn control from the center of the wheel was a massive failure we were done with this. Unfortunately those doing the designing today don’t remember what a failure it was so they are trying to repeat it. The steering yoke is a solution for a problem that never existed. At least with its problems you feel cool and trendy.

[Mike-Mars]

One thought – don’t forget the airbag. If there’s an emergency and you go for the horn in the middle of the steering wheel, and the airbag deploys, then your hand is in a really bad place. Whereas if the horn is off to one side, then it is less likely to cause injury.

I think this is also why driving instructors now recommend holding the wheel at 9-3 rather than the traditional 10-2.

Having said that, probably a better idea to focus on avoiding the accident rather than beeping the horn. So I don’t know how relevant that thought is.

[Greek]

I hope I can palm the little horn wheel…other wise , what finger do I use? Use your imagination.

[ROMAD]

I hope it will be within reach of my right thumb like on my Miata so I DON’T have to move my hand.

[kerbe2705]

The button appears to be directly under the driver’s right thumb – so how the semi-wheel is rotated shouldn’t make a difference, so long as the driver’s hand is gripping it at the 3:00 position.

[Pistonboy]

True, but I do not always use the 9:00 and 3:00 positions. I get tired of the same position and thus will change my hand position. But I will always know where the center of the steering yoke is.

[kerbe2705]

@Pistonboy Delux What can I say? The center of my Honda’s steering wheel doesn’t activate the horn – I have to depress the edge of the hub. I doubt that I’ll have difficulty learning where the horn button is located in the Aptera and chances are that, once I learn its location, I’ll probably remember it.

I’ve recounted the story of my late father, when he was in his mid-80s, needing a new vehicle. His greatest fear was that the location of the headlight switch on the new vehicle would be different than it was in his old vehicle: “But what if I can’t find the lights?”

“Dad,” I reminded him, “You don’t drive after dark anymore!” “Oh,” he replied, “That’s true. But what about when it rains?” “The lights come on automatically when you use the wipers, Dad.” “Oh,” he replied, and bought a new vehicle the following day.

[Greek]

There are things that sometimes are better left as universal. Not because you can’t learn when driving a vehicle exclusively, but the fact in a panic or quick maneuver it would be intuitive. Do you rent cars, do you switch vehicles at home or borrow a vehicle, I would like to think that certain things are attainable quickly when needed. I’m not opposed to the yoke, let’s also see the final iteration, since there is so little functionality coming off the steering, I wish that the horn was centrally located.

[jonah-jorgenson]

Tell me what in the world is universal? Nothing. Everything changes over time. If not we would still be going around in animal skins and killing our food with clubs. Even that would be a change from what went before. That mind set is just an excuse for not willing to adopt to something different. Surprises me a little since the Aptera has a lot of new things and people want Aptere.

[Greek]

Right pedal accelerate…left pedal brake….that’s universal or do you want to change that too? I have no issue with things evolving or if it’s a complete redo, then it must be substantially superior. A button for horn use on a wheel/yoke is not a breakthrough for me. If you have a hand over hand wheel turn…that button is lost if needed. Not a deal breaker but an annoyance for me.

[jonah-jorgenson]

Actually that is not universal. The first cars made and driven in the U.S. did not have that configuation. So you example is really my example. 😁

[Greek]

Electric vehicles were the first…being the first doesn’t make it universal. Think of universal as the standard…Even right hand drive vehicles have accelerator pedal on the right.

[ROMAD]

Ah, John, on my car it is: right pedal accelerate, left pedal clutch! 😆

And for the trivia buffs: the first car to have the standard pedal arrangement was the 1916 Cadillac Type 53

• This reply was modified 2 months, 3 weeks ago by  Dennis Swaney. Reason: Added triva

[Greek]

Yes…manual transmission universal set up.

[BUG]

@ Philip, et al: There are versions of a (Fairly New) Device that can be made as a “Flat panel Transducer”: Used for Area Danial/ Crowd Control in the Higher Powers. Prolly already cobbled up somewhere up the World as a Circa 100Watt version.

Look Up “LRAD”

[george-hughes]

I think you’re speaking of a hypersonic wave machine which has the unique ability to essentially focus soundwaves in a much higher frequency that when it interacts with more typical masses, vibrates the objects with the selection of HHS frequencies all notable because they excite sympathetic vibrations in the range of normal hearing.

I ran across them when they were tentatively marketed to those in marketing for use in cola machines or for directed communications.

One of the unique aspects is it directs its ‘sound’ in the form of a ‘beam’ – i.e. you could have three people standing in a line and you could communicate in an audible level to the one in the center from 30-feet away. The other two people would not hear anything.

The ‘subject’ or target of the sound ‘hears’ the sound because sympathetic vibrations in the bones of the persons head resonate the sound and the subject hears it.

This is weaponized when the db are cranked up to 2-300 (normal humans experience ‘pain’ at about 110 db) and used experimentally after the USS Cole incident as a tool to dissuade any small craft approaching a naval vessel. It is can effectively make a space uninhabitable for humans in a specific space. Imagine your innards vibrating like a bass speaker.

My commercial unit has a 12″ x 12″ grill and you actually have to ‘aim’ it as the transmission is in a wave pattern more like a flashlight beam.

I don’t think this tech is suitable for application in Aptera.

[craig-merrow]

I wrote them awhile back about the horn. Aptera has such a happy personality that it needs a horn to match, like the purple Plymouth Roadrunner horn I used to have

🙂