I live in Pacific Heights (almost anyway) and my apartment's single bay window faces the direction of the Bay. On a summer night, when my window is open and I turn off the TV, I can hear two or three foghorns, one that is quite prominent (possibly at the Marina) and one or two that are more distant, possibly the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm far enough inland that I can hear them and the loudest one isn't unpleasantly loud. It's very atmospheric and I have been hearing them for 24 years now. I love hearing them.
I love them too, I just wish they kept more of them and the 'old diaphone foghorns. Those are my favorite ones that aren't used anymore and most of SFs foghorns were taken out due to tech advances. I miss the orchestra and falling asleep to that as well. The Bonita one was my favorite hearing from a distance and it really wasn't too loud. A lot of them were miles away that it was a faint clam feeling. There were 51 horns in the bay at once at one point.
My Grandfather (my Dad's Dad) was born in San Francisco. He must have heard these every night growing up. Man, what I would do to experience it with him. *I really miss you. Rest In Piece, Grandpa. ❤*
As a 35 year resident of the San Francisco Marina, I know the 150-110 Super Tyfon on the Golden Gate Bridge south pier is the only foghorn in the video that is still in operation. In 1983, the FT2 diaphone at midspan was replaced with a conventional Air Chime horn. Lime Point had a Leslie 150-255 Super Tyfon "Stereo" array which was also decommissioned in 1983. Alcatraz has an FA232 electronic beeper on the south east corner.
dieselpower1133 A ship ran aground at Lime Point in the 50s or 60s and the Coast Guard upgraded the air whistle to the 150-255 horn which had an audible range of 4 miles.
dieselpower1133 The foghorn at Lime Point was decommissioned in 1984. The reasoning given by the Coast Guard was that the horns on the Golden Gate Bridge (on the south pier and at midspan) were adequate to warn mariners of the limits of the channel. There is still a beacon on Lime Point.
kansasthunderman1 thank you for the knowledge of this interesting topic! I had no idea the coast guard was so keen to ship safety back in those times .
Ah. Wonderful piece. The historic photos are always a delight, and the sounds, especially for a San Francisco expat, are perfect (especially in HD). This recording sounds like real sourdough smells!
Josh S I agree! Lovely sound. Personally, though, my favorite on here is Point Bonita. That two-tone diaphone had a nice rich sound, shame that it's gone forever.
@@joshs4594 I miss diaphone foghorns. My favorite diaphone one was at Bonita. They sound eerie but beautiful at the same time. It gives character and actually calms me, especially when you could faintly hear them from a distance. They took most out and the bay is quiet and doesn't sound like this recording anymore.
Where is this audio track from? It sounds like something you'd hear in a museum display, especially with the way it starts over again at the end. Love it, btw.
There is a fantastic instrumental by The Steve Miller Band titled "Song for Our Ancestors." It begins with a symphony of SF foghorns and turns into an incredibly ethereal song. Definitely worth a listen. I remember the horns from my youth in the Bay. Are they still in use today? I've been away for a long time.
But what is the one that makes a high pitched woody- aspirated sound like "FFFFOPP!!" ? I remember hearing all of these lying on my mom's couch, nice to have them explained!
In the daytime I could cope with these sounds together, but a night they would have me howling like a wolf! I would hate it! Every sound smells, tastes and feels different to me, depending in the weather, time of year and whether it is nighttime or daytime.
You may be a Sythesete, not sure I spelled that correctly. If you associate a word or subject with a color, smell , or taste that may be how your mind organizes things. My daughter is like that, each subject for school was color coded. FOr her English was blue, for example. It just WAS. When you are trying to help someone get organized, it's important that you understand how THEIR mind works to organize things and thoughts so the system works for them. Some of us can use standard color file folders, some people need special colors.
Kansasthunderman, I can't remember Lime Point sounding the way it did at :55. Is it possible that the compress air was reduced at one time after this recording? It sounds to me like one of the 2 smaller horns is a little raspy sounding.I've stood above Lime Point on the GG bridge and even just below the horns on the deck surrounding Lime Point and they never sounded like that, not even at Ft.Point.
@The Logical Twit Yes, modern fog horn devices aren't the same as past years. A shame it is. As for the 40's or 50's the Lime Point Leslie Chime fog horns were installed about 1932. replaced in 1960-61 by an electric horn run by a 2 rows of about 20 plus batteries, boring mono toned all in part to a the India Bear that ran into the light house destroying the outhouse on June 3rd 1960. Next year the 3 story building of the lighthouse was torn down. This fog horn had different tones at different locations in San Francisco. This recording must have been made from a boat at an angle off the side of Lime Point either east or west . I hear an echo in the recording due to the cliff west of the light house.
Which one of these was the GG Bridge's midspan foghorns? Would have been nice to have placed a photo of each foghorn to go with the recording, but thats just my personal opinion.
Leslie I believe.Three horns, one 17 inches I believe pointing straight ahead and 2 smaller horns one pointing west. The other pointing east. Leslie also made horns for locomotives.@@Mastercheifaprooved1
@@Mastercheifaprooved1 Only the horn located on the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge is still in operation from this video. Lime point doesn't have a horn any more.The others have single tone electric horns.
I live in Pacific Heights (almost anyway) and my apartment's single bay window faces the direction of the Bay. On a summer night, when my window is open and I turn off the TV, I can hear two or three foghorns, one that is quite prominent (possibly at the Marina) and one or two that are more distant, possibly the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm far enough inland that I can hear them and the loudest one isn't unpleasantly loud. It's very atmospheric and I have been hearing them for 24 years now. I love hearing them.
I love them too, I just wish they kept more of them and the 'old diaphone foghorns. Those are my favorite ones that aren't used anymore and most of SFs foghorns were taken out due to tech advances. I miss the orchestra and falling asleep to that as well. The Bonita one was my favorite hearing from a distance and it really wasn't too loud. A lot of them were miles away that it was a faint clam feeling. There were 51 horns in the bay at once at one point.
My Grandfather (my Dad's Dad) was born in San Francisco. He must have heard these every night growing up. Man, what I would do to experience it with him.
*I really miss you. Rest In Piece, Grandpa. ❤*
Love this. Grew up at 45th and Irving. Heard a lot of foghorns!
It's sad a lot of these are gone now. Only 3 remain and they don't sing to each other anymore.😟
As a 35 year resident of the San Francisco Marina, I know the 150-110 Super Tyfon on the Golden Gate Bridge south pier is the only foghorn in the video that is still in operation.
In 1983, the FT2 diaphone at midspan was replaced with a conventional Air Chime horn. Lime Point had a Leslie 150-255 Super Tyfon "Stereo" array which was also decommissioned in 1983. Alcatraz has an FA232 electronic beeper on the south east corner.
Why did Lime point have a horn ? Was it for ship safety?
dieselpower1133 A ship ran aground at Lime Point in the 50s or 60s and the Coast Guard upgraded the air whistle to the 150-255 horn which had an audible range of 4 miles.
kansasthunderman1 ah interesting ! Is it still being used today or is it decommissioned? If so why was it decommissioned?
dieselpower1133 The foghorn at Lime Point was decommissioned in 1984.
The reasoning given by the Coast Guard was that the horns on the Golden Gate Bridge (on the south pier and at midspan) were adequate to warn mariners of the limits of the channel.
There is still a beacon on Lime Point.
kansasthunderman1 thank you for the knowledge of this interesting topic! I had no idea the coast guard was so keen to ship safety back in those times .
Reminds me of "War of the Worlds" with "Tom Cruise ". The giant alien octopus comming out of the ground made a fog horn noise when activated 😣
Ah. Wonderful piece.
The historic photos are always a delight, and the sounds, especially for a San Francisco expat, are perfect (especially in HD).
This recording sounds like real sourdough smells!
That Golden Gate mid-span diaphone is hauntingly beautiful.
Josh S I agree! Lovely sound. Personally, though, my favorite on here is Point Bonita. That two-tone diaphone had a nice rich sound, shame that it's gone forever.
@@gabrielbennett5162 You're right, it is shame. 😔
@@joshs4594 I miss diaphone foghorns. My favorite diaphone one was at Bonita. They sound eerie but beautiful at the same time. It gives character and actually calms me, especially when you could faintly hear them from a distance. They took most out and the bay is quiet and doesn't sound like this recording anymore.
Sounds like Jóhann Jóhannsson compositions from the Arrival soundtrack 🙌🏼👏🏼💨
my late mom who grew up in berkley and san fransisco would hear them in her dreams when she was older . fooooo g. foooo og.
💕💖I left my heart in San Francisco 💕💖
Great images in this from the past and the sounds
Where is this audio track from? It sounds like something you'd hear in a museum display, especially with the way it starts over again at the end. Love it, btw.
Thank you, Beachdog...I, too, am an expat, 30 years in CR, but its in the blood after 4 gens...
There is a fantastic instrumental by The Steve Miller Band titled "Song for Our Ancestors." It begins with a symphony of SF foghorns and turns into an incredibly ethereal song. Definitely worth a listen. I remember the horns from my youth in the Bay. Are they still in use today? I've been away for a long time.
The Mile Rock foghorn sounds like it might have been the inspiration for the old KFOG signature jingle.
It was, Greg. Make no mistake about it.
0:48 type F2T diaphone. My favorite.
mine too
I love the 2 toned ones
@@2minniegirl listen to song for our ancestors by steve miller band
Ok
Grew up with those musical sounds.
But what is the one that makes a high pitched woody- aspirated sound like "FFFFOPP!!" ? I remember hearing all of these lying on my mom's couch, nice to have them explained!
The Bay Area will forever be my home even though I left it in August 1991
What a wonferful choir of foghorns San Francisco Bay has!
I like the Mile Rock horn the most.
Most of them are the ones I grew up with.
I cant stop thinking of the time when I told the operator to open the gates in Little Inferno XD
In the daytime I could cope with these sounds together, but a night they would have me howling like a wolf! I would hate it! Every sound smells, tastes and feels different to me, depending in the weather, time of year and whether it is nighttime or daytime.
You may be a Sythesete, not sure I spelled that correctly. If you associate a word or subject with a color, smell , or taste that may be how your mind organizes things. My daughter is like that, each subject for school was color coded. FOr her English was blue, for example. It just WAS. When you are trying to help someone get organized, it's important that you understand how THEIR mind works to organize things and thoughts so the system works for them. Some of us can use standard color file folders, some people need special colors.
Love this, thank you!!
Childhood memories
Great !
Kansasthunderman, I can't remember Lime Point sounding the way it did at :55. Is it possible that the compress air was reduced at one time after this recording? It sounds to me like one of the 2 smaller horns is a little raspy sounding.I've stood above Lime Point on the GG bridge and even just below the horns on the deck surrounding Lime Point and they never sounded like that, not even at Ft.Point.
@The Logical Twit Yes, modern fog horn devices aren't the same as past years. A shame it is. As for the 40's or 50's the Lime Point Leslie Chime fog horns were installed about 1932. replaced in 1960-61 by an electric horn run by a 2 rows of about 20 plus batteries, boring mono toned all in part to a the India Bear that ran into the light house destroying the outhouse on June 3rd 1960. Next year the 3 story building of the lighthouse was torn down. This fog horn had different tones at different locations in San Francisco. This recording must have been made from a boat at an angle off the side of Lime Point either east or west . I hear an echo in the recording due to the cliff west of the light house.
What year was this recorded? I really wish I could travel in time to go to SFO and hear these in the fog!
I'm betting before 1958 and more like mid 50's. Pt.Bonita's diaphone was replaced approx.. 59 by super tyfons..
And forgot o mention Lime Point's chime diaphragms were replaced in 1960.
SFO airport is NOT in San Francisco, it is in Millbrae. Several cities away from San Francisco proper.
Which one of these was the GG Bridge's midspan foghorns? Would have been nice to have placed a photo of each foghorn to go with the recording, but thats just my personal opinion.
Still trying to track down the source of this. Playland? Cliff House? Anybody know?
0:38 Diaphone Type F.
1:17 sounds A LOT like a Gamewell Diaphone Type B with a brass piston lol
What kind of horn did lime point have?
Mastercheifaprooved1 Not sure. Definitely more than one though.
@@TheChachLINY How many of these have been decommissioned? I heard the horns on the golden gate are the only ones still operating.
Leslie I believe.Three horns, one 17 inches I believe pointing straight ahead and 2 smaller horns one pointing west. The other pointing east. Leslie also made horns for locomotives.@@Mastercheifaprooved1
@@Mastercheifaprooved1 Only the horn located on the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge is still in operation from this video. Lime point doesn't have a horn any more.The others have single tone electric horns.
how many foghorns are in use today?
Dennis Dunne pretty much 90% of them
Plenty
They aren't the same ones as in the video sounds here though. They've been replaced
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