Help in Buying a Wind Generator

[Celestialsailor]

I had an Air-X. The sound was disturbing to me. I'm a lite sleeper. I look at some of the units mentioned, like the D 400 and see a price tag of over $2200 for something that puts out 40 watts at 10kts. of wind. For $2200 you could have 1000 watts of solar if you could find the room.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I had an Air-X. The sound was disturbing to me. I'm a lite sleeper. I look at some of the units mentioned, like the D 400 and see a price tag of over $2200 for something that puts out 40 watts at 10kts. of wind. For $2200 you could have 1000 watts of solar if you could find the room.

Yes when you sail in an area where 10 kts of wind is the norm, go solar. But here in the Caribbean, where my ears are currently blowing off my head, wind generators are well worth that price tag.

ciao!
Nick.

[landonshaw]

Great comments, thanks. I will be making notes to keep track once I am back to Grenada. Still rainy here off and on, but yeas the winds are great. Sailing in 25 to 30 knots yesterday. One other thing I have been reading that some of the models you need to shut down during high wind. I need to be able ot leave the gen running all the time. Which ones would this be a problem with.

[mbianka]

I've been using a Marine Air-X 48 volt unit (2008) to charge my electric propulsion battery bank. I don't find the noise objectable. Maybe I'm just not that sensitive to it. I'm also using the Southwest pole mounting system and don't notice any vibration through the hull. I do find that during the day the unit is usually stopped because my solar panels are keeping the bank above the set point of the wind generator. Had some paint chipping after three years of 24/7 operation. Could have easily touched it up myself. But, the company handled it under warrenty.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

Great comments, thanks. I will be making notes to keep track once I am back to Grenada. Still rainy here off and on, but yeas the winds are great. Sailing in 25 to 30 knots yesterday. One other thing I have been reading that some of the models you need to shut down during high wind. I need to be able ot leave the gen running all the time. Which ones would this be a problem with.

The Marine Air-X will automatically shutdown if winds get too high. I think the spec is 35 knots but, not sure on that. But, it will resume normal operation once they winds drop below that point. I have had no problem operating while underway in a good blow:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: HAPPY AT THE HELM!
I especially like it because it helps to make fuel (energy) for the electric propulsion system even while under sail.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I had an Air-X. The sound was disturbing to me. I'm a lite sleeper. I look at some of the units mentioned, like the D 400 and see a price tag of over $2200 for something that puts out 40 watts at 10kts. of wind. For $2200 you could have 1000 watts of solar if you could find the room.

Buy the Spreco replacement blades and all the noise will go away.

Mark

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by mbianka

I've been using a Marine Air-X 48 volt unit (2008) to charge my electric propulsion battery bank. I don't find the noise objectable.

Ah, but it's not so much how you feel about it than how your neighbours do. The Air-X windgens are the loudest, horrible machines out there and subject of many nightly plans to shut them up. I have also see them explode (incl. parts flying out to hundreds of feet and even right through a polyester deck!!).

In Grenada in 2003 or 2004 a cruiser got his arm mauled by a windgen so treat these machine with respect!

Yes, replace blades at least but I much rather see every owner toss it and replace with the D400 kind of silent windgens.

ciao!
Nick.

[landonshaw]

In my search I have found that the Air Breeze has a built in regulator and the aerogen has an external regulator. Does this make a difference. The store salesman said if it goes bad, the Aerogen is easier to repair. Yes, but is this really an issue?

[savoir]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

The D400 is great; I'm buying one in a bit. A couple friends have them and the reviews are almost universally positive. I had an AirX that seized up on me and getting it repaired was going to cost as much as buying a new one. When it ran it was really noisy. It makes a helicopter noise. The reliability on the AirX models is really all over the place but there's a lot of folks with problems (beyond the noise).

You can check the KISS ones as well. I don't have any firsthand experience with them but I'd certainly take my chances with one of those before another AirX.

Wind Generators Kiss High-Output Wind Generator

One more vote #1 for the D400 as far as noise goes. I remember well the AirX on a boat 6 slips down the dock from me. From my bunk I couldn't hear my own D400 at all, but I could sure hear that other guy's AirX.

I have read several positive reports about the SuperWind but have never owned one.

[levm]

Does anyone have experience with a "Silent Wind" wind generator?

[landonshaw]

It is never easy. Sometimes options just get in the way. It seems like the D400 has the best responses, although at $2,200 it might be a bit much. The Air Breeze looks like it might be the second choice.
I have found at
Marine Wind Generators
They have advertised Air Breeze and New Generation Air Breeze. I copied both specs and it looks like the New Gneration is lighter, 13 vs 24 lbs and more $, $1,095 vs $795. I am assuming that the Air Breeze is an older version. Does anyone else have any idea what the differences are. The spec on the Air Breeze are minimal. The Specs on the New Generation are much more complete.
It seems that the weight is a good way to determine which system you are buying.
I am interested because I might buy the system through Defender, $929, and have it shipped to Grenada and want to look at apples to apples. They do international shipping.

[s/v Jedi]

If you don't look at price, both the D400 and the Superwind at battling for the #1 position, so if you consider one of those, you need to look at the other too.

I believe you can buy the Kiss locally in Grenada? Another contender when price becomes a factor.

cheers,
Nick.

[landonshaw]

Budget is Aerogen, the add says not to leave unattended. Not comfortable with that.
Budget is also Air Breeze

Island Water World is Silent Wind, D400, Air Breeze

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

Budget is Aerogen, the add says not to leave unattended. Not comfortable with that.
Budget is also Air Breeze

Island Water World is Silent Wind, D400, Air Breeze

How about the men in black, Enza/Enzo, what is their name?

cheers,
Nick.

[landonshaw]

I hadn't thought of them. Enza. I'll check on monday. I believe the Kiss is made in Trinadad, not sure why they are not available in Grenada. I have not heard much about it though.