Horntones FX 550 User manual

UG-FX550 Rev A2
HORNTONES
Give your ride a voice!
FX 550
HORNTONES SYSTEM
Owner’s Manual

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Table of Contents
1Introduction 3
2What’s in the Box 3
3Installation 4
3.1 Installation Preparation 4
3.2 Player Installation 4
3.2.1 Mounting the Player 4
3.2.2 The Player Cable 5
3.3 Amplifier Installation 7
3.3.1 Power & Speaker Connection 7
3.4 Sounder Installation 8
4Using Your System 9
4.1 Naming Your Player 9
4.2 Pre- Installed Tones 9
4.3 Adding new tones 9
4.4 Custom tones 10
5Limited Warranty 10
6Legal Disclosure 11

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1Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the Horntones FX-
550 system, the first mobile audio system that allows you
to supplement the sound of your vehicle’s horn function
using virtually any standard audio file!
2What’s in the Box
Your Horntones FX-550 system includes the following
items. Please check to be sure that you have everything.
1. One Horntones Player, Model FX-550, including
mounting bracket and two thumbscrews.
2. One player cable.
3. One audio amplifier, Model AP-150.
4. One Horntones Sounder, Model SR-100.
5. This User Guide.

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3Installation
IMPORTANT: It is recommended that you have a
professional audio installer install your Horntones FX-550
system. Horntones will not be responsible for damaged
components due to improper installation.
3.1 Installation Preparation
Before installing any FX-550 components, disconnect the
positive terminal from your vehicles battery.
3.2 Player Installation
Installing the FX-550 player consists of two steps
described in the following sections:
3.2.1 Mounting the Player
First, determine the location for the FX-550. It can be
mounted on, in or under the dash or any other convenient
location. The U bracket is provided to facilitate securing the
unit to the desired location.

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3.2.2 The Player Cable
The following diagram describes the cable connection of
the FX-550 to the rest of the system:
3.2.2.1 Power Connections
Connect the RED (+12V) wire to a battery voltage source
that is energized when the ignition is turned on.
Note: The player is turned on whenever +12V is
applied to the RED wire. You should not connect
the RED wire to a power source that is a direct
connection to the battery, as your player will never
turn off.
Connect the BLACK (GND) wire to Ground.

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3.2.2.2 Amplifier Connections
Connect the RED JACK (RIGHT) to the amplifier’s Right
Line In connector.
Connect the WHITE JACK (LEFT) to the amplifier’s Left
Line In connector.
Connect the BLUE (REM) to the amplifier’s Remote
(REM) input.
Note: Depending on the installation location of the
Player and the Amp, Extension wires may be
needed.
3.2.2.3 Negative Trigger Connections
NEGATIVE TRIGGER 1 (NTRG1) and NEGATIVE
TRIGGER 2 (NTRG2) can be used to sound a horntones
when connected to a negative trigger source such as a car
alarm or a remote switch. The following diagram shows
connection to a remote switch.

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3.3 Amplifier Installation
3.3.1 Power & Speaker Connection
The following diagram shows the connection to the AP-150
amplifier and SR-100 Sounder.
Note: Once your FX-550 system is installed, it will
be necessary to adjust the amplifier gain to set the
proper volume.
Note: See amplifier documentation for detailed
amplifier installation instructions.

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3.4 Sounder Installation
The sounder mounting is the most challenging part of the
horntones system installation. It is important to select the
proper location for the Sounder. For optimum performance,
the sounder should be located under the hood or
underneath the vehicle with the sound projecting forward.
The SR-100 sounder is complete with a pre-attached
mounting bracket and 4 mounting screws. Although for
most installations the SR-110 will mount directly to a flat
panel, a bit of custom fabrication may be required to mount
your SR-100 in the perfect location.

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4Using Your System
4.1 Naming Your Player
When you first power up your FX-550 you will be prompted
to give your FX-550 a Name. Naming you player will help
facilitate transferring new tones from the horntones.com
website to your player. Please select an 8 character
nickname. You will need this nickname when configuring
your player on-line. For example: HUMMER01,
MACHFIVE…
Note: Use the control dial to select characters; press
the dial to select desired character.
4.2 Pre- Installed Tones
Your FX-550 system is pre-programmed with two Themes:
HORNS and VOICES. To switch between HORNS and
VOICES, choose the Theme option using the control dial.
4.3 Adding new tones
Additional horntones are available from horntones.com.
There, you will be able to select new tones and be able to
configure the buttons on your player on-line as well.
Please go on-line to view instructions on how to add tones
to and configure your FX-550 player.

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4.4 Custom tones
You can use any audio editing program that creates MP3
files to generate new tones. Your new tones are then
uploaded into your horntones account on horntones.com
and are then compiled into a format recognized by the FX-
550 player. Please visit horntones.com for more
information.
Note: Horntones audio files must be compiled for
use in the horntones system. Custom mp3
horntones must be uploaded into your
horntones.com account. There you can assign
them to Themes/Presets. New Tones are then
compiled and saved onto your USB thumb-drive in
a format recognized by the FX-550 player.
5Limited Warranty
The Horntones FX-550 system is warranted for one year
against defects in workmanship and materials from the
original date of purchase.
Horntones will repair or replace any Horntones unit which
proves to be defective in workmanship or material under
reasonable use during this period.

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6Legal Disclosure
The Horntones FX-550 system is intended to personalize
your vehicle with entertaining sounds which may
supplement your vehicle’s horn function.
The FX-550 system creates high fidelity audible sounds
that emanate from your vehicle. Considering that these
sounds can propagate into the near-by traffic and
pedestrian space, the system must be used in accordance
with prevailing state and local motor vehicle codes, as well
as in such a way as common courtesy would dictate.
Bells, sirens and whistles MUST NEVER be used as
horntones, as these are illegal and reserved for
emergency use by police cars, fire engines,
ambulances and emergency vehicles.
The FX-550 is not a replacement for your vehicle factory
horn. Your standard vehicle horn should be used for
alerting of ALL dangerous situations.

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