one of the requirements for the KGC is a loud horn, for alerting other pilots that you're going to pass. I've bought two cheap plastic horns so far, and both of them broke. last year I made an "air horn" app using HTML5 for my tablet. it seemed plenty loud when I tested it at home, but when I was out on the plaza during safety check it was hardly noticeable at all. the sound just didn't carry, but luckily the Offishul didn't really care and I got the go-ahead.
anyway, I was thinking it over the other night, and it popped into mind: how about a short length of pipe, blown like a trumpet? so I just went out and dug a 6-inch 1/2" IPS pipe nipple out of my project box: it worked great! now if I can just find a piece of plastic tubing that'd be even better, lighter weight and no chance of rusting. I see pieces of 1/2" and 3/4" PVC on the roadside all the time, so it'll be free, and one piece will last a lifetime if I don't lose it.
simplification. it takes a lot of thought sometimes, but is so rewarding. just that cold-brew camp coffee, if I had figured it out years ago, could have saved me burning a few hundred pounds of wood or the equivalent in fossil fuels.
last updated 2017-05-15 23:19:27. served from tektonic.jcomeau.com