Why do bike bells stop working when they get wet?

[Vantage]

Headphone/earphone users are rare here. No idea why it's such a problem in the rest of the UK.
I did use my airzound on a ped once by accident. I meant to use the bell. He shat himself. I apologised and we both laughed about it.
I do think it is serious overkill to use on peds and unnecessary. If they don't hear the bell, just yell at them. They'll hear that.
I retired my airzound some time ago as I just found no use for it.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Headphone/earphone users are rare here. No idea why it's such a problem in the rest of the UK.
I did use my airzound on a ped once by accident. I meant to use the bell. He shat himself. I apologised and we both laughed about it.
I do think it is serious overkill to use on peds and unnecessary. If they don't hear the bell, just yell at them. They'll hear that.
I retired my airzound some time ago as I just found no use for it.

The Hornit has 2 sounds, a quieter ‘honk’ and the scare the crap out of everything shrill whistle. If the honk doesn’t work, they get the other one. The trick is to use it at a distance where it doesn’t make them jump. It’s only if they ignore it they get it at close quarters.

 

[Vantage]

Aahhh

 

[Nigelnightmare]

The Hornit has 2 sounds, a quieter ‘honk’ and the scare the crap out of everything shrill whistle. If the honk doesn’t work, they get the other one. The trick is to use it at a distance where it doesn’t make them jump. It’s only if they ignore it they get it at close quarters.

The problem is the shrill warbling whistle sound is usually ignored because it sounds like a car alarm!

Also when tested using a decimeter at the same distance from the front of the trikes the 'Airzound' (with the metal air reservoir) is actually louder.
The newer models with the plastic reservoir are not quite as loud.
Not sure why as I put the same pressure in each.

 

[Racing roadkill]

The problem is the shrill warbling whistle sound is usually ignored because it sounds like a car alarm!

Also when tested using a decimeter at the same distance from the front of the trikes the 'Airzound' (with the metal air reservoir) is actually louder.
The newer models with the plastic reservoir are not quite as loud.
Not sure why as I put the same pressure in each.

It’s not “ignored” per se, they often don’t know what it is, that’s sufficient, because they tend to look around to see what it is. I’ve had everything from “I thought it was a train” when using it next to a railway line, to “I thought it was a bird” in a park, and “I thought it was a rape alarm” in Richmond Park.

 

[silva]

A bell?
I just give a yell. That's handsfree.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

They don’t stop working. It’s just that the sound waves are reflected off the rain drops so the vibrations do not reach your ears.

 

[Nigelnightmare]

It’s not “ignored” per se, they often don’t know what it is, that’s sufficient, because they tend to look around to see what it is. I’ve had everything from “I thought it was a train” when using it next to a railway line, to “I thought it was a bird” in a park, and “I thought it was a rape alarm” in Richmond Park.

That's the point NOBODY thinks BIKE/CAR/LORRY horn.

 

[mjr]

Headphone/earphone users are rare here. No idea why it's such a problem in the rest of the UK.

They're not rare here, but problems are. I think it's because most of our cycleways are wide enough to pass lone walkers and they're who usually uses headphones.

If they don't hear the bell, just yell at them. They'll hear that.

They're often wearing headphones so they don't hear the A road alongside, so in my experience yelling won't cut through when a bell doesn't

 

[silva]

They're not rare here, but problems are. I think it's because most of our cycleways are wide enough to pass lone walkers and they're who usually uses headphones.

They're often wearing headphones so they don't hear the A road alongside, so in my experience yelling won't cut through when a bell doesn't

The only headphones I see sit on people waiting for the bus.
Those that ride without hearing either live in the middle of nowhere either don't get old.