What do I need to add chimes to my van?
This is a question we often get asked, especially from people starting out with their first ice cream van; but also from established vendors looking to add or upgrade their chimes. Here we explain the parts required for a full installation. We’ll also explain things to check before buying chimes and simple tests you can do on a loudspeaker drive head to check if it’s working.
What parts are needed for a full set of chimes?
A full set of chimes is made up of:
- A chime box that contains the tune or tunes you’re going to play to your customers
- An amplifier that alters the volume so your customers can hear you coming
- A loudspeaker drive head to play the sound from the amplifier. This screws into
- A horn (aka ‘trumpet’) to spread the sound from your chimes far and wide
- Two core cable to connect to your van’s 12V power supply; and to connect the amplifier to the loudspeaker drive head. Connection should always be carried out by a competent person.
Modern versions combine the chime box and amplifier into one unit. Early electronic units and the original wind-up chime boxes used a separate amplifier.
If replacing a broken chime box, you can buy a modern replacement that plugs into your existing amplifier, or replace your existing chime box and amplifier with a modern system with chime box and amplifier combined in one unit. If buying a plug-in chime box as a replacement it is important to check the specifications carefully to ensure compatibility with your existing amplifier. If in doubt, ask, as connecting to an incompatible amplifier could cause irreparable damage to both units.
If you’ve never had chimes before, buying a combined chime and amplifier is the way to go.
Loudspeaker drive head units and horns are sold separately.