avital 2101 horn output to siren?

I had a stereo shop install an Avital keyless entry on my Dad's 2013 Dodge Ram. They hooked up the horn output which honks once for lock and twice for unlock. The issue is that it isn't a quick horn 'beep' but sounds like someone is laying on the horn for 5 seconds. They said I could bring it back and have it disconnected, but I'd prefer to use a siren for the 'chirp' effect. I, as well as my dad prefer to have some sort of lock/unlock confirmation. If I wire up a relay and use something like a DEI 514LM or 514N or some sort of car alarm siren, will it work? I have no issue in the wiring, but I can't find anything with regards to the avital 2101 other than it stating that it has a '200ma Horn output' signal wire. Can anyone confirm that it will work, or possibly explain why it sounds like a 4 year old is sitting on the horn every time it uses the factory horn? It seems really odd - I would expect a quick 'honk' and not the obnoxious 'HOOOOONNNNK'. THanks

I read the installation and owner's guide for the 2101. Here's some random thoughts: There is no programming option for horn honk duration. It is what it is. I don't know why it's so long. You can push * for less than two seconds then lock or unlock, and that cancels the horn honk. If you disabled the horn, you would still have parking light flashes for system confirmation. (This is what I'd do. Your neighbors will appreciate it). The horn output is a (-) trigger. You would have to use a relay to power a siren with this output. 85 = 2101(-) horn trigger 86 = Hot at all times 30 = Hot at all times 87 = (+) of siren Put a 1 amp "Howie" diode between 85 and 86, band towards 86 to protect the 2101 from spikes. BUT: The long output will not make the siren "chirp", it will sound like a car alarm siren. So don't bother. It's not going to be what you want. Disconnect the horn and use the parking light flashes for system indications.

davep. wrote: I read the installation and owner's guide for the 2101. Here's some random thoughts: There is no programming option for horn honk duration. It is what it is. I don't know why it's so long. You can push * for less than two seconds then lock or unlock, and that cancels the horn honk. If you disabled the horn, you would still have parking light flashes for system confirmation. (This is what I'd do. Your neighbors will appreciate it). The horn output is a (-) trigger. You would have to use a relay to power a siren with this output. 85 = 2101(-) horn trigger 86 = Hot at all times 30 = Hot at all times 87 = (+) of siren Put a 1 amp "Howie" diode between 85 and 86, band towards 86 to protect the 2101 from spikes. BUT: The long output will not make the siren "chirp", it will sound like a car alarm siren. So don't bother. It's not going to be what you want. Disconnect the horn and use the parking light flashes for system indications.

Do you have direct experience with this model and can confirm that the horn duration is excessively long? The install shop called to make sure we wanted it connected since it was so long and it appeared to be something specific to the 2013 Dodge Ram and the way the horn works on it. I understand I cannot change the horn duration in the avital programming. I was just confirming that I could wire the horn trigger to a relay and a different siren/horn instead of the factory one. It's easy enough to try it and see how long it beeps/honks for, I was just hoping someone had direct experience with this model to know if it is an idiosyncrasy of the keyless entry or the vehicle. Thanks for the help!

langsbr wrote: Do you have direct experience with this model and can confirm that the horn duration is excessively long?

No, I have no direct experience with either the 2101 or the 2013 Dodge. I was going off experience with DEI stuff, and what I read in the Install Guide.

langsbr wrote: The install shop called [and said] [the long horn pulse] appeared to be something specific to the 2013 Dodge Ram and the way the horn works on it.

I missed this part. I'm sure the shop knows whats-up with DEI stuff and how it normally behaves, and has made the CORRECT conclusion that it's the truck, and not the install or the DEI. If I were the dude trying to figure this out, I'd temporarily hook up an LED indicator between 12v and the (-) trigger horn pulse output. Compare the pulse length on the indicator to the horn sounding. If the LED pulse is very brief, but the horn is sounding long after the LED goes out, it's the truck, and not the DEI. If it's the truck, your siren idea could work. You could also probably use the DEI trigger to pulse a relay with the relay contacts activating the horn directly, instead of through the body controller, or however they have it wired now. And don't overlook that pushing the " * " button before lock or unlock deactivates the horn honk.

langsbr wrote: Do you have direct experience with this model and can confirm that the horn duration is excessively long?

Actually, I will have experience with the 2101 in about a week. Thanks to you and this thread, I became aware of this RKE only and ordered one today for a neighbor's old Lincoln that the factory RKE packed in years ago, but she misses her RKE. I'm giving it to her as a belated Christmas token. I'll play with the horn output, even though I don't intend to connect it to the horn. She can use the park light flashes. If you still want input in a week or so, check back and I'll tell you what I found.

I think Dave P. has the information you need here, but yes the installer is (mostly) right in that it's the design of the car. Take any late-model Chrysler and hit the horn button on the steering wheel really fast---nothing happens. Hold the button a little longer, and it emits a big loud blast. There's no way to "toot" the horn on these cars. Very poor design. You (or the installer) could have the keyless system's horn-honk output trigger a relay, and then the relay would directly power the horn(s) under the hood. Do keep in mind that this is quite labor-intensive (especially fishing the wires out under the hood), and probably takes about as much time as the entire keyless-entry installation took to begin with. So it probably won't be cheap.

Chris Luongo wrote: I think Dave P. has the information you need here, but yes the installer is (mostly) right in that it's the design of the car. Take any late-model Chrysler and hit the horn button on the steering wheel really fast---nothing happens. Hold the button a little longer, and it emits a big loud blast. There's no way to "toot" the horn on these cars. Very poor design. You (or the installer) could have the keyless system's horn-honk output trigger a relay, and then the relay would directly power the horn(s) under the hood. Do keep in mind that this is quite labor-intensive (especially fishing the wires out under the hood), and probably takes about as much time as the entire keyless-entry installation took to begin with. So it probably won't be cheap.

Good to know it is an issue with Chrysler/Dodge. I am going to add a siren and connect the horn trigger to it via a relay. I let the shop do the install on the truck at the time since I didn't have the time to fiddle with it then. Adding the siren will be easy, plus give it a bit of 'cachet' vs. the horn honk.