Tell Us About your Wind Generator

[resilientg]

Hi there,

I have a Rutland 913/4 one of the earlier models.

It is run straight into the battery bank so it just tops up everything, i wanted it mainly so that it can catch wind at night or overcast days and top the banks when there's no sun.

Its always spinning and doesn't make bugger all noise and 95% of the time is always producing some power.

Dislikes would be the low output, but then again i feel most wind generator have low output unless the wind is howling.

I have it hooked up to an amp meter and when the wind blows gusts it produces good power (5-6 amps), but in general its hovering around 1/2 to 2 amps, the specs reckon that it can go to about 15 amps (yet to be seen until i see some serious wind mind you)

Would i get one again, yes for sure, might get the newer version though.

What did i pay for it, nada, nothing, zero, zilch, but then i am a professional master scrounger (insert gloating giggle).

It needed a paint job, and a rear cowling and the regulators were buggered, and old washing machine supplied the regulators, add 1 x cheap spray can and a nice round plastic bowl and that was all i invested

Matthew

[ReMetau]

*What model do you have?

KISS.

*What do you use it to power?

Assist in house bank charging.

*What do you like about it?

High output over 12 knots, quiet, and simplicity.

*What don't you like about it?

Low output in low winds, but we have solar too.

*Would you buy it again?

Yes. We have been very happy with it.

*ADDED: About what did you pay for it?

It has been over 6 years, but I think around 1k.

[Redcoat]

Sorry for being blunt. My Airx has had the same problem that they all have. Bad bearings bad mother board and a company that wants you to take it down and test it before you get any kind of result. You can't get parts for it just anywhere and they won't tell you what to go buy at the parts house in bumfissel to fix it you have to ship it to them. Hard to do in Mexico or where ever it goes out. Worked great untill warranty ran out. My link 10 wouldn't pick up the charge .I guess it's ok if you live in Flagstaff. But for all the shipping cost and time in and out of Mexico I wish I had spent the money.

[tamicatana]

Boat came with a Aero4gen. Guy I bought the boat from said it was on the boat when he bought it, so it's something like 10 or more years old.

It's quiet, has good output (19v at 20kt IIRC, but i'm not remembering that well these days) and is simple - the brochure doesn't have any sort of maintenance schedule. I guess it runs till it dies...

[kiltym]

If you can afford the cost, and the weight, the D400 is the best unit on the market. Quiet, and very good output.

Other good option is the AirX with the blue aftermarket blades. Makes the AirX very quiet, which is really it's main negative.

I have an AirBreeze. Am happy with it, but more power is always better when you live aboard full time.

[Mahaila]

I use a Gudcraft 400 watt. Never heard any other opinions about them so I have no comparison but I have no complaint. Can be had for ~$1/watt including controller, 6 blade so starts easily, has internal protection but there is a slightly annoying clicking sound, compact, average vibration. I watch the ammeter and it puts out as others have said - average a few amps, 6 or so with good wind. Bonus to have charging at night. I'd buy another - actually I have, use one at an off-grid location. I'm not sure but the protection may preclude using other controllers.

Ron

[Dsanduril]

*What model do you have?
KISS

*What do you use it to power?
Charge the house bank when the sun is less than bright. Fridge is the big load (40-60Ah/day in the tropics), then your typical lights, SSB, ...

*What do you like about it?
It really is pretty simple, and pretty robust.

No controls to go bad.

Puts out a fair amount of power when the wind blows (3-10A in the anchorage when the trades are blowing).

*What don't you like about it?
Vibration. When we got it it was worse. Balanced the blades as instructed. Took the rotor to a machine shop, they had to remove 3.5oz from the rotor in order to get it to balance. So, the original machining was not so high quality. (on the plus side, it was easy to pull the rotor from the housing and have that done).

Has no controls, so you have to pay attention (it's a two-edged sword).

It overheats too easily and causes the cut-out switch to engage, which in turn causes the blades to freewheel, which in turn causes the crew to go running to get it turned away from the breeze before it self-destructs.

*Would you buy it again?
Probably. Would look into the D400 and see if I was willing to pay the price, and would try to listen to one of the newer AirX's to see if the noise was acceptable.

*ADDED: About what did you pay for it?

About US$1000 about 12 years ago.

[highseas]

I would echo what Resilientg said about the Rutland.

[NorthPacific]

Surprised no one mentioned the 4winds? Anyone use these, I am just fitting a new to me model. PArts will be a problem but I hope it works lol.

[Cheechako]

I had one on the HC38 shown in my avatar. worked well. Still had to run the engine often in the Caribe.

[Vasco]

Efficient, relatively quiet, good output. Eight years, still going strong, original bearings. No maintenance required so far.

[George DuBose]

*What model do you have?
SuperWind 350 Great German quality.

*What do you use it to power?
Keeps five big Optima AGMs topped up. Allowed us to charge a flat battery bank in the middle of the Atlantic.

*What do you like about it?
Extremely quiet, yet the most powerful wind generator on the market. Great factory service. Designed by sailors for sailors.


*What don't you like about it?
I have to physically look at it to see if it is running. I like everything about it. I researched all the brands, reading and eyeballing...SuperWind was the most expensive, but the most powerful and after living with it for four years, it's paid for itself.

*Would you buy it again?
Definitely, without a second's hesitation, but these units are so robust and designed specifically for the commercial/marine environment, I will be surprised if I ever have to replace it.

*ADDED: About what did you pay for it?
The custom 2" S/S mast that supports the SuperWind 350 and the Raymarine 24" radome cost around 900 USD from JSI. I bought all the regulator and shutoff components for somewhat less than 2000 USD. I don't have the receipts and this purchase was part of a total overhaul of a 1973 Pearson 36-1.

[Jim Cate]

Here's another AirX owner that is happy with the unit. Now 8 years old, paid ~750 USD on internet. Has been reliable... replaced bearings after about 5 years as suggested by manufacturer). They cost six bucks each even here in expensive Australia. Replaced blades when one got busted by encountering a wayward halyard. Internal regulator has worked fine, no electronic problems. Noise is tolerable to us, but will buy the "blue blades" if I need to replace them again. Output is pretty much as advertised. I think that many of the complaints of low output are caused by folks reading their masthead wind speed and believing that it is the same at the wind gen location... and it isn't nearly as high nor as consistent down there!

I don't know if I would buy another one... would have to do the research at that time to make a rational decision.

Cheers,

Jim