The previous owner may have even damaged the cable reel and jury-rigged wiring to get the horn working again.

When you turn the ignition to 'ON', does the SRS bulb even light up? If not, the previous owner may have even taken the bulb out to hide the problem(s).

 

nope, everything else seems to light up for a few seconds but nothing from the srs light

 

Then it is very possible you have a broken cable reel/clock spring.

 

what does this cable reel/clock spring do, connect to, etc?

 

A cable reel also known as a clock spring is located behind the steering wheel.

Per wiki:
"A clockspring or clock spring is a special rotary electrical connector which allows a vehicle's steering wheel to turn while still making an electrical connection between the steering wheel airbag and/or the vehicle's horn and other devices and the vehicle's electrical systems. The clockspring is located between the steering wheel and the steering column."

See picture of cable and installation instructions.

 

Is there a way to check the clockspring to ensure that is the problem before replacing it?

 

There are ways to test the clock spring; but, as shown in the Honda service manual, it involves using a special Honda test harness and connectors with the SRS system.

Go to the sticky at the top of this forum for links to download the service manual.

You can get used clock springs through salvage yards and ebay.