We installed ours about three years ago while in Port Townsend, WA. Nice piece of
equipment and very quiet. Unfortunately, it doesn't make much power in the wind mode. If I'm lucky, I'll get 4-5 amps in a 20-25
knot wind. As to the water mode, ours only worked well once we hit 6 knots as we did the Puddle Jump across the Pacific last year. We only hit the 6
knot range during the first three days when we were on the trailing edge of a storm front. Once it passed and we slowed to 4-5 knots(entire rest of the voyage) we got just about nothing from it.
As it was, when I first got the unit and tried out the water prop unit, it would hardly spin when I used my hands to spin it. I had to dismantle it and drill our the large yellow
oil nylon bearing as it was too tight to allow the unit to rotate.
I've had the
fiberglass drive shaft crack at the top of the unit(had to buy a new carbon fiber shaft as a replacement and had it shipped to Fiji) and gone through several of the nylon
gear assemblies($99.00 EACH) at the top.
While here in
Fiji, it started making much more
noise than usual and energy production dipped even lower while in 25 knot winds. Eventually, the drive shaft would only rotate about 3/4 of the way around and then bind up. I took the unit off my
boat and took it in for an electrician to examine. Found the main
head with lots of water in it and a good but of mud and rust all every metal part inside. Both bearings in the unit were trashed. All the electronic connections had biodegraded to death in the water and mud. Took a total
rebuild to get it up and running again. If you're in
Fiji, go to Kumar Electric--great guys and did a great job rebuilding it.
To the companies credit, they do offer great customer
service and they will ship you
parts any where in the world but they don't seem to stand behind their product. I never thought I'd find water and mud inside my generator. Figured it to be better sealed.
I've discussed this with other owners that have come through the marina out here in Fiji and some love theirs and others feel the same way we do(not impressed). We're not the first ones we have heard of that found water in their unit.
For what you pay for the unit, buy a bunch of
solar panels and install them where ever you can as you will get more power from them than you ever will with a DuoGen. Nice
concept and it would be great if it actually produced amps as we were lead to believe. Put your
money elsewhere.