Wind Generator Recommendations?

[sv_makai]

We decided on the Kiss. It is almost as quiet as the fourwinds which after listening in various anchorages was next best. It also has a similar output curve and startup, quality of the kiss and factory support is amazing.

The best is the price. The four winds is close to being twice as expensive as the Kiss.

We have been using our KISS now for 3 months and love it. It is quiet, light wind start up and a great output.

[Alan Wheeler]

The Nov issue of Practicle Boat owners magazine has just done a test on nine different makes and models of Wind generators. Here are some of the results.
Rutland 503, considered best buy in trickle chargers.
Aero4gen, considered best buy in mid-range chargers.
Duogen's D400 considered best buy for high output range.
PLEASE NOTE. Prices are in British Pounds. I don't know how to do a pound sign, so I will use BP befroe the figure.
Test results.
BP378.00 Areo2gen. Comenced charging at 8knts. 9knts=0.3A 15knts=1A, max at 35knts=4A. Quite.

Aero4gen. BP603.00 min. 8knts. 9knts=0.8A Max at 20knts=7A. Quite

Aero6gen. BP933.00 min. 8knts. 9knts=2A Max 18knts=10A. Quite

Air-X BP746.00 had failed and based on Manufacturers specs, 9knts=1A. Was very noisy.

Ampair Pacific 100. BP630.00 min8knts. 9knts=1A. max 25knts=7A slight noise.

Electic energy Duogen. BP1699.00 min 6knts. 9knts=1.5A 30knts=10A. slight noise

Electic energy D400. BP850.00 min 5knts. 9knts=3.8A 30knts and impressive 30A @ 15V. quite.

Rutland 503 BP275.00 min 6knts. 9knts=0.4A 30knts=5A quite.

Rutland 913 BP445.00 min 5knts. 9knts=1A 30knts=14A quite.

There is a lot more infon on each of these in the article. So if anyone wants to know more about a particular make/model, then just ask and I will give more info.

[sv_makai]

Amazed others were not included in comparison. The fourwinds and the kiss among them. As I mentioned previously we choose the kiss for the price, quiet ness, and output. With the exception of the airx most of the wind gen listed are very low output charges.

We have heard many of the ones listed and most are very quiet. But ou reserach both online and various owners showed that most of them were very expesnive for the trickle amps output.

Even the Duogen (we looked at them a few years ago but they were not importing to the US) out is only 10 amps at 30 knots. wow. our kiss generates that at around 15 and cost much less. With exceptions of the Duogen (only know one owner) and the airmarine the price per amp on these is pretty high.

Our 680 amp battery bank per Trojan will take 17 amps trickle all the time without damage. I would rather have more than less especially at the prices paid for the equipment.

The best PS could do is compare all of the wind generator in a breeze off to see what has the best output curve for the dollar....

[Paul Willems]

HI Alan,
Do you still have the test or more info about the test for me?
I have a Ruthland 913, but it started making noise after a 5 hours wind force 11. I think that the bearing has to be replaced. However it is still loading. I want to replace the brearing, but I have to find out how (maybe I put that Q on the forum). I had an AIR-X, BUT THIS ONE WAS REALLY SHOUTING TO ME, THAT HE WANTED ME TO GO OFF BOARD SWIMMING. So now I can buy a D400 for a good price. I found a lot of positive info on the internet. It is hard to interpretate the windgens, because a lot of info is still personal. So I would love to read the PBO test from 2005, It would be great if you still have that or more info.
Thanks
Greetings from France
Paul Willems
SV Zilver
www.zilverzeiler.nl

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by Paul Willems

I would love to read the PBO test from 2005,

If you go to the www.ybw.com you can purchase a copy of that report.

[RBEmerson]

Oddly, John at Hot Wire very specifically talked me out of buying a KISS, saying that north of about the Bahamas, they generally didn't see enough wind to make the KISS a good choice. Given it was KISS' US distributor speaking, I listened. Even though he doesn't sell them, he agreed that the Fourwinds II was a good alternative for further north along the East Coast.

[orion1]

We have a Rutland 913. Output is modest but it starts at very low speed, and is super quiet, and compliments our solar via same controller. It puts out less but works 24 - 7 at some level. Our needs are very modest. Trying to keep it simple.

[Curmudgeon]

Do any folks here have experience with the Rutland 913 and the smaller Rutland 503?

[Southern Star]

Alan, how did the AirX 'fail'? From my experience they are pretty reliable. Further, is anyone here using the new Airwhisper? Designed to have better output at lower windspeed and to produce less noise (albeit only half the output at 3o knots).

Brad

[RBEmerson]

Um, but that's what I don't get about the new Air[whatever] models - sure, they're quieter (IMHO, even that's relative to an old "ripping silk loudly" Air Marine) but less output? Isn't the whole idea to get as much output as possible?

[lannen]

I have been using a Rutland 913 for several years. I'm very happy with it, super quiet. Good low wind output.

I sat on the hook for 4 days in a steady 10-15 kt breeze. Never started the engine or gen. Watched TV a couple of hours every night and the reefer (12 v) ran like a champ. Used our normal anchor lights and such.

My only negative was where I mounted it. I have a CC aft cabin. The wind gen is over my head when I'm sleeping. There is an annoying harmonic noise at about 17 kts. Up over that it gets quiet again. My location for mounting was the problem... I'll be moving it when I put my solar panels in some time in the next few months.

I really do like it. Everyone in the marina has commented at one time or another at how quiet it is...

[skipperaris]

Originally Posted by Paul Willems

I want to replace the brearing, but I have to find out how (maybe I put that Q on the forum).

Maybe I can help you a little with this Paul.
After about 10 years of service I had to replace the blades on mine and also the plastic parts of the housing because they were perished probably by the sun.
I did this a couple of years ago so my memory is fairly vivid.
I took the whole thing apart and then reassembled it easily enough.
I got replacement parts from MARLEC (they were very helpful!) by post.

To replace the bearing you do the following:

1. Remove front cover (three easy plastic screws)
2. remove blades - this needs removing all 24 s/steel Phillips set screws. 12 from the front and 12 from the back. Blades come off with an intuitive twist in the sense of rotation.
3. You are left looking at the fixed magnets - rotor - which are in two halves (fore and aft) screwed together with 5mm (I think) nuts and bolts. To undo these you use a screwdriver on the bolt head. The nut is held in place as it sits in a moulded recess. It is a good idea to remove the nuts as well so as not to lose them.
4. Now comes the only somewhat difficult part. You need to prise apart the front half of the rotor which is held in place with the force of the press fit between the two halves. First of all you need to see where the two halves meet! Then you need to insert progressively thicker wedges (knife blades, screwdriver blades) to prise the two halves apart.
5. The bearing stayed on the shaft as I recall.
6. Re-assembly is the reverse procedure with the only tricky part being to persuade the magnets to come together. Their tendency is to repell each other. My solution was to buy extra long 5mm bolts in order to screw the two halves together. Then I replaced them with the correct lentgh bolts one at a time.

Hope I have not left anything out but if you have any difficulty I will help.

Good luck!

[Celestialsailor]

I had an Air-X and have observed other models on other vessels. My opinion is to save your money and put it in solar or a larger Alt.

[claire]

We finally went for the Air-X as the easiest to procure and install, as well as by far the cheapest...
That was over 2 years ago now.
The Air-X has been producing satisfactorily for 2 years, albeit very noisily, and then stopped working.
We are now in Australia and awaiting their response to exercise the advertized 3 year warranty.
The noise level, when it was working, was so bad, that we had to install a remote switch by the captain's berth.
The only advantage of the noise was during passages: we would know instantly when the wind came back after calm periods.

[RBEmerson]

We were in Elizabeth City recently (by land, alas) and stopped at the waterfront to check out whatever cruising boats, coming down the ICW, were tied up there. One of the boats had a Superwind wind turbine and it was just plain noisy. The wind was probably gusting up to 15+ (based on how flags and the water were moving) and in the gusts the noise was the same "ripping silk" noise associated with AirMarine, etc. I thought Superwind was supposed to be quieter. Not that sample...