How a Type F Diaphone Fog Horn Works

Harry Barry explains how his Type F Diaphone fog horn works. His fog horn is mounted on the shore of Lake Erie and is powered by a 1000 gallon air tank. The Type F and (two-toned) F2T horns were the standard for lighthouse fog horns for much of the 20th century.

Harry's horn is the only privately owned Type F that's in working condition that I'm aware of.

[TeddysOutside]

My 4 year old son loves listening to sirens and fog horns. He loves the ending of this video thankyou.

[joeearley]

Yes that's it that's the sound. When I was about 6-10 years old and it was run by the coast guard. Just fantastic excellent job. I thought I would never hear that sound ever again. Thanks.

[thisisus.]

Brighton Marina, West arm, circa 1983. There were no public loos so you had to shimmy onto a ledge surrounding a white round building at the end of the arm. So, 12 yr old me shimmy around, mid pee and unknown to me .the damn fog horn came on. I must have jumped about 30 feet in the air and how I didnt fall into the sea is still a mystery to me. I came off that thing, shaking like a leaf, covered in pee!!! Fun times.

[rtqii]

I came here hoping to hear it sound! Thank you for posting!

[jamesmoore]

Never knew the technicals on the source of that sound but I've heard it many times from light houses around here as a kid and love it.

[DC]

I find it fitting that there was a train horn going off in the background for part of the video.

[TheRobWay]

This piqued my curiosity of lighthouses. Great information here!

[opentrunk]

I dunno, maybe it sounds better from a long distance over water? We had one a few miles away in Lake Superior back in the '50s/'60s that had such a deep mournful sound. I loved going to sleep with it.

[milesyork-vr]

Music to my ears. lived at Biddeford Pool Maine a while and always looked forward to the foggy days to hear the Wood Island horn as well as the bell buoys and whistle buoys, especially if the seas were rolling right. It was a delightful concert in the 50's & 60's

[Stefanakos]

I bet your neighbors. Love you 😁. Thanks, great video.

[SpridiumJono]

This is fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

[nm]

Very much enjoyed this! Thanks for sharing!

[erickborling]

Yes he plays that horn at the end of the explanation!

[supertyfon]

Fun fact Harry Barry who owns this fog horn owns 2 functional Chrysler Air Raid Sirens.

[jameshowell]

wow look how the bushes about 10 feet ahead move and shake when he turns the horn off, that is sheer pressure waves.

[justme]

So just imagine back over 100 years ago in some major manufacturing city the cheapest rents in town were next to the fog horn factory.

Here’s another thought, back then the workers may have been called to work by steam horns, then work all day building steam horns, then end a work shift by yet another horn.

[ANDREWLEONARDSMITH]

The Diaphone fog horn is an adaption of the Diaphone used in the pipe organ which produces the 64ft sounds a famous example being in the worlds largest pipe organ in Boardwalk hall which has a 64ft Diaphone.

[rogerbivins]

I'd love to have one of those to sound off at noon every Saturday as the tornado sirens are being tested.

[jondoh]

Sounds like an A-10 Warthog ripping of a strip. Haha Thanks

[JBF-GST-Tanda]

Would it be possible to drive the piston with some sort of powerful solenoid actuators, which are modulated by audio signals, and therefore turn it into a electro-pneumatic megaphone speaker with earth-shattering SPL?