QE2 Whistles

[Bob van Leeuwen]

This might seen to be a strange topic, but I could not find a satisfactory answer on Google, what is precisely the difference between a horn and a whistle? Ore are they the same?


Bob

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Have a look here, Bob :

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,206.msg11318.html#msg11318

-- and indeed you might find the entire topic fascinating!

[Twynkle]

Hi Bob

Hope you will enjoy the posts on this topic.
It's one of the best!

A car has a horn, and ship has a whistle
Or - the horn is for land, the whistle for sea!
As jungle James mentions here
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,148.msg13898.html#msg13898

Good listening!

[Bob van Leeuwen]

Thank you so much for the replies, sadly I didn't have time to read it as thorough as I have wanted to do before, a lot of school work this week. But I just made the time right now to read it, and the link provided answered  my question, again thank you so much

[June Ingram]

What maintenance and/or repair would need to be done to QE2's whistle for it to function well again ?  And what would need to be done to operate her whistle off of shore power ?

[skilly56]

This might seen to be a strange topic, but I could not find a satisfactory answer on Google, what is precisely the difference between a horn and a whistle? Are are they the same?

Answer - Basically, a ship's horn forces compressed air through a hole in a diaphragm and makes it vibrate at a particular resonant frequency, thus creating sound waves that we hear (except for some of us silly buggers that have stood in front of too many horns, and are now deaf!).
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_horn

A whistle passes high pressure steam or air out of a square orifice cut into a tuned tube (a bit like blowing down into a straw or pipe,but much more powerful). A whistle can also be created by a pea spinning around inside a little drum with a square opening on top. By blowing through the little drum, we are passing air under pressure out the little square orifice on top, and the pea makes it resonate. Think rugby referee!

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_whistle

Maintenance would involve stripping & overhauling the compressor, cleaning the diaphragms, checking for cracks, & reassembling with new joints.
Some ship's horns are run from the engine starting air or auxiliary system air receivers, and some are self-contained with the motor, air compressor, & horn in the one unit.
To run on shore power the compressor motor voltage must be compatible with the shore power voltage as supplied, whatever the configuration of the horn.

Skilly

[Twynkle]

Thanks so much, Skilly
As a matter of interest - can the Fog-Horn be varied in length of blast as well as the frequency that it sounds - is this a legal maritime requirement?
Is it regulated and set from the Bridge, or do the mechanics happen down in with the ECR etc?

(Hoping the topic here is OK?)

[June Ingram]

Thanks, Skilly, for all of this information.  So, conceivably, QE2's whistle (horn) could be sounded from shore power if configured correctly.  I wonder if those is Dubai would consider doing that.

Very good point and question, Rosie.  I too would be interested in learning about the fog horn and its operation and regulations for use.

June   

[Thomas Hypher]

Thanks so much, Skilly
As a matter of interest - can the Fog-Horn be varied in length of blast as well as the frequency that it sounds - is this a legal maritime requirement?
Is it regulated and set from the Bridge, or do the mechanics happen down in with the ECR etc?

(Hoping the topic here is OK?)

I know I'm digging up an old topic but the fog horn could be changed in frequency of sounding on the Bridge with no involvement from the ECR as visible in Rob's photo from his Flickr and almost visible in my photo from July 2008 (second photo).

The controls for QE2's mighty whistles by Rob Lightbody, on Flickr

QE2 Mediterranean cruise, July 2008 (my last trip on QE2) by Thomas Hypher, on Flickr

On another note (see what I did there  ) QE2's signal mast horns appear to be of the D and D# (sharp) notes respectively from my research (non scientific with my MIDI keyboard playing at a similar octave through my Hi-Fi speakers).

Thomas

[Trevor Harris]

Am I the only one who really just REALLY wants to press a button and hear the horns?

[Thomas Hypher]

Am I the only one who really just REALLY wants to press a button and hear the horns?

Haha no, I would have and do want to!

[Pete Hamill]

Other than at the noon tests, I believe, as shown in the photo, the switch was left at the "both" setting meaning that when  the button was pressed, the air and electric whistle/ horns sounded together and being slightly different frequencies gave rise to the characteristic beat frequency we all came to enjoy.

[Thomas Hypher]

Hello Everyone,

It has just occurred to me despite studying QE2 quite closely since a young child, that she didn't have a bow mounted fog horn when completed in 1969. I seem to recall reading on this forum that it was fitted due to complaints from passengers in the penthouses caused by the main horns having to be used as fog horns prior to the retrofitting. I was wondering when the original bow foghorn was installed (seems to have been around 1977 from studying photos)?, noting that it occupies some of the space that was taken up by the bow anchor until it was lost in a severe North Atlantic storm sometime in the 1970s (when?).

I am aware that the small mast like structure the foghorn sits on was ripped from the deck by the September 1995 freak wave/s but remained onboard (by some miracle it seems!) and was put back in place. However, the dark painted, round shaped original fog horn seems to have subsequently been replaced by today's vertically orientated rectangular shaped fog horn during her mid 1996 (last) KGV drydocking which repaired the foredeck damage caused the previous September?

Would anyone have any further details/information on my above questions and statements?

Thank you, and please excuse my thoroughness and lack of conciseness!

Thomas

[Lynda Bradford]

Hello Thomas, there are some good photos of the bow foghorn on the Foredeck Layout topic

See photo of the foghorn posted by Chris in reply 5 https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,2074.msg22732.html#msg22732

Captain Martini asks what happened to the original tall foredeck mast that was probably replaced by the Foghorn and he thinks it was post 1977 after the addition of suites.   https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,2074.msg76417.html#msg76417

[Lynda Bradford]

Hello Everyone,

It has just occurred to me despite studying QE2 quite closely since a young child, that she didn't have a bow mounted fog horn when completed in 1969. I seem to recall reading on this forum that it was fitted due to complaints from passengers in the penthouses caused by the main horns having to be used as fog horns prior to the retrofitting. I was wondering when the original bow foghorn was installed (seems to have been around 1977 from studying photos)?, noting that it occupies some of the space that was taken up by the bow anchor until it was lost in a severe North Atlantic storm sometime in the 1970s (when?).

I am aware that the small mast like structure the foghorn sits on was ripped from the deck by the September 1995 freak wave/s but remained onboard (by some miracle it seems!) and was put back in place. However, the dark painted, round shaped original fog horn seems to have subsequently been replaced by today's vertically orientated rectangular shaped fog horn during her mid 1996 (last) KGV drydocking which repaired the foredeck damage caused the previous September?

Would anyone have any further details/information on my above questions and statements?

Thank you, and please excuse my thoroughness and lack of conciseness!

Thomas

I still cannot find a date when "the foghorn" was installed, although around the time of the penthouse installations is a reasonable estimate.   

The QE2 Whistles has some interesting discussions and mention is made of the foghorn:

Chris Casino mentioned "The Foghorn on the fore-deck was installed to reduce the noise levels in the penthouse cabins."
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,206.msg12849.html#msg12849

Wonderful photo from Isabelle in the QE2 Whistles topic
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,206.msg47548.html#msg47548