I use a 1-meter "Rope Light", the kind used at road works and construction sites, to check for leaks in my horns. You can buy one at Ace hardware or Handyman for less than Php 250 (USD 5). Obviously, leaks are best checked in a dark room.
Assuming your horn has been certified "playable" by your repairman, this is meant as a do-it-yourself periodic maintenance routine to check for leaks and hopefully correct them.
The principle is simple: no light around the pad means no air leaks, which is our objective. The procedure, however, is not: lightly press down on each cup (the round metal where the pad is mounted) and check for light around the hole from all directions. Start at the top pad and work your way down to the bottom. Sounds simple? Oh yes, each leaky pad has to be CORRECTED before proceeding down to the next. Adjoining key mechanisms further complicate matters.
Correcting leaky pads?! Uhm...now that's a different story.
Just as in learning how to play, patience and practice in maintaining your horn will reap rewards.
- vince
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