Rutland 1200 wind gen

[GTom]

A 265W panel is not an extreme piece of kit nowadays, I hope they'll upgrade their controller soon... AFAIK the controller is the bottleneck for the wind power (480W) as well.

Speaking of controllers, does the Rutland charge LiFe(Y)PO4 now? Or at least all kind of lead (foam - Firefly, Gel, AGM, Crystal...)

[vagrant]

After well over 20 years of use my Aerogen 6 has gone to the recycling bin. Yesterday I took delivery of a Rutland 1200 complete with pole kit and fixing kit. I will give a review when it's up and running. At the moment I am impressed with the thought that's gone into the fittings. Even the box it came in is an amazing design.
Having lived on board and cruised for 41 years and nearly always had a wind turbine, it will be interesting for me to see how things hopefully have changed over the years.
One thing that I have learned is not to skimp on wiring sizes.
My solar panels go through a Victron mppt regulator so I will continue to use that for the panels. The wind turbine will then have sole use of the supplied mppt regulator that came with it.
I have 6 aerogen 6 blades and a dump regulator for sale which work perfectly.

[GTom]

Originally Posted by vagrant

After well over 20 years of use my Aerogen 6 has gone to the recycling bin. Yesterday I took delivery of a Rutland 1200 complete with pole kit and fixing kit. I will give a review when it's up and running. At the moment I am impressed with the thought that's gone into the fittings. Even the box it came in is an amazing design.
Having lived on board and cruised for 41 years and nearly always had a wind turbine, it will be interesting for me to see how things hopefully have changed over the years.
One thing that I have learned is not to skimp on wiring sizes.
My solar panels go through a Victron mppt regulator so I will continue to use that for the panels. The wind turbine will then have sole use of the supplied mppt regulator that came with it.
I have 6 aerogen 6 blades and a dump regulator for sale which work perfectly.

Thanks in advance, looking forward! If you have a chance, please check wind speed vs power generation at sea. I suspect some differences when a boat is dancing with the waves vs tied up to a pontoon...

[vagrant]

You're right of course and I will do. However I found my last wind turbine very useful at sea, especially when the wind was forward of the beam when the apparent wind speed increases. When the wind was after the beam in a Biscay swell, I would have to tie it to stop it doing a 360 around the pole. This one has completely different blades. Less of them and lighter. Hmm? We'll see.
Update on the fitting of it. The supplied poles in the stay kit are 130mm too short for my application. I think that I will shorten the main pole..
Another thing is the remote display. It uses a single cable for data and power. Marlec told me that they are not using Bluetooth as advertised as an option because of the cost of the license!

[vagrant]

Update.The Generator is up and running. Fitting was easy and I didn't need to shorten the pole. Be careful when tightening the bolts that go through the pole to attach the stays. The pole is thin walled and you can flatten the curve when tightening. My previous Genny had a gas pipe which was thick walled.
I didn't like the chocolate-box connector for joining the 3 core cable to the turbine, a bit of a cheap effort so I fitted a waterproof connector from Screwfix .
I fitted a thick rubber pad under the pole mount where it sits on the deck.
The 3 core cable is 4 mm sq. Arctic cable on a 8 metre run to the control box and a 10 mm sq. cable from the control box to the battery on a 0.7 metre run. No fuses or switches, but direct to the battery as per instructions.
It's been three weeks since I've finished it an I have mixed feelings towards it. It's quiet outside, so won't annoy the neighbours. However the hum transmitted via the push-pit has made the after cabin a no go area for sleeping in if it's running. I will be trying to sort it out and will report on it later. Marlec replied to my query with the following....

I am sure you are aware that wind turbines generate an electromagnetic vibration when charging and this can be amplified by the boat. When the turbine is generating current it is not fixed but variable with the wind and thus the voltage, you could note this as a ripple. The rippling load causes a vibration proportional to frequency and speed of rotation, it is this ripple or vibration that is transmitted to the boat and the boat hull which amplifies the sound. Without sufficient isolation from the boat this rippling vibration will result in the sound you are perhaps experiencing, each boat and mounting is different hence why it is not possible to accurately advise what one needs to do in order to negate the sound.
Isolation is the answer I'm afraid. Isolating the generator mounting structure from the boat via rubber padding is the only way you will achieve this and to note that bolts passing through structures will require isolating if possible too. It may be that anti vibration pad will work, we do not supply these however, the main thing as noted is to try to isolate the turbine from the boat as best as you are able.....


Anybody know where I can buy suitable isolators?

I think that like all wind turbines the power curves advertised are not reproducible in the real world. In storm Caroline I had 20 amps showing for a second in 30 knots of wind,but it averaged twixt 3 to 15 amps. In very light airs the generator spins but puts in nothing. It seems slow to start up. Having said all that, it still is better than my Areogen 6 so I will live with it. I think the power curves supplied are like broadband speeds quoted in ones home. They sound good on paper but not achievable in reality.

The control box seems ok and you can shut the turbine off from it and also the remote display that I've fitted will also turn it off.
More to follow soon.

[GTom]

Many thanks Vagrant for the real-life bits! Please keep us posted. I am very much interested on the business case vs solar panels. To me, solar seems to be a strong competition, modern panels push out 10-20% of its rated capacity in cloudy weather. Of course, if you do a lot of night sailing, solar won't help...

[vagrant]

I carry solar panels as well. However when I am sailing and all the electrics are up and running, I'm appreciative of my wind generator.
I live on board and extensively travel on the boat and have only three or four times in the last 20 odd years used my engine for charging. It helps having LED lights, a low consumption fridge and windvane steering as well.

[vagrant]

An update... Now that I have had the turbine for a little while I feel that I can make a more honest appraisal.
Firstly, I am glad that I purchased it. It puts out far more power than any other I have owned.
It's noise whilst running is not going to annoy anyone on the anchorage, unlike some I could mention.
The humming in the after cabin I am yet to tackle as I am getting used to it. However I will do it when the weather gets warmer. Honestly!
The regulator works well, but I'm not sure that I like the constant change of noise from the turbine as the speed rises and falls as it regulates itself in absorption mode. I reckon I will get used to it, but at the moment I shut it down.
It makes me laugh when I read on the box that it's free energy considering what I pay for it. However it does, with the help of solar energy, free you up from the shore. A must for a live aboard.

[Bleemus]

Take the pole off, seal one end and pour a can of rubber truck bed liner paint in and roll it around till the inside is coated and dump out excess. Wait till it cures and reinstall. You will notice a nice difference.

[vagrant]

What a good idea. I can visualise that working. I'll await the weather getting a bit warmer first. In a house a garage would be a good place to do it. The only garage I have is the one my hatch slides into.😁 Thanks for the tip.

[Franziska]

Hi,

after a question on the forum regarding best windgens I narrowed my choice down to

Rutland 1200
D400
Superwind 350

Plenty of comments on the latter two. Both seem very good units, but have a hefty pricetag.
From a money perspective I lean towards the Rutland.

Any more recent experience updates on the Rutland 1200?

Question, how does the housing stand the test of time? UV resistance? What is it made of?

My mounting pole is aluminum and part of the aft arch. Will that work with the mounting part of the genset? I prefer to not combine aluminum & stainless if possible.

Thanks.

Franziska

www.ladyrover.com

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Hi,

after a question on the forum regarding best windgens I narrowed my choice down to

Rutland 1200
D400
Superwind 350

Plenty of comments on the latter two. Both seem very good units, but have a hefty pricetag.
From a money perspective I lean towards the Rutland.

Any more recent experience updates on the Rutland 1200?

Question, how does the housing stand the test of time? UV resistance? What is it made of?

My mounting pole is aluminum and part of the aft arch. Will that work with the mounting part of the genset? I prefer to not combine aluminum & stainless if possible.

Thanks.

Franziska

www.ladyrover.com

I'd not over worry about your aluminium pole.. they use that in the body as well..

Materials
We construct our Rutland wind turbines using a range of modern and traditional high quality materials which are designed to endure in a marine environment. We have innovated in our field by introducing light weight but robust high density nylon and glass reinforced materials that are UV stable alongside marine grade aluminium, stainless steel, sealed for life bearings and other carefully selected and precision worked materials in our UK factory.

More info.. all you may want here...
https://www.marlec.co.uk/product/rut...v=35357b9c8fe4

[Franziska]

Thanks Boati,

I saw their spec but somehow overlooked that phrase.
Sorry about that.

Anyone on recent usage updates?

I also like that it comes with a solar&wind regulator combination.
The other two machines are considerably more expensive and need a regulator on top of that.

[boatman61]

Its a Brit machine on a US forum so doubt there'll be many if any know about them.. especially as solar has become the 'In' thing despite the short comings.. including the few Brit members in the forum.
Its on a par with the now obsolete Aerogen 6 which I had on my Longbow.. very quiet and very efficient.. was never short of power in the 4years I had the boat.
They have been in business for decades and this is their latest upgrade so will likely outperform the old Aerogens..
I am looking at the smaller Rutland 914 if I decide to go ahead and buy a 23-27ft boat this year..
The best wind gen's I know out there.. for me.. on a par with Duragen.. but quieter.

[Bleemus]

Since they all have about the same rated output I would go to a marina and listen to all them in 15+ knots of wind.