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Old 15-06-2011, 07:46   #91
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

Prices here.
i like the D-400 i have seen and "Nearly" heard it

Trans Marine Pro - Marine Wind Generator D400
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Old 15-06-2011, 10:43   #92
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I'll second the d400. I bought mine through trans marine and they did a great job. I would highly recommend them. I have 2 on my stern and they are silent. In fact people come up pretty often and remark on how quiet they are, and how nervous they were at first when I pulled up to the mooring!!!!
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Old 15-06-2011, 10:44   #93
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Here's a picture of the 2 d400's
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Old 15-06-2011, 15:29   #94
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

We just had a D400 installed in our Jeanneau 45DS it really does keep the battery bank well charged (we have had a lot of wind in the SW). There is little noise from the generator -we're really pleased with it.
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Old 15-06-2011, 18:22   #95
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bash View Post
unfortunately, the same hyperbole keeps being posted over and over and over and over and over by the same person. he always begins his claim with a simile ("like a weed whacker") and then follows it up with a claim to have done empirical measurement.

a strange approach to empiricism.

You mean me? Are you suggesting I'm not telling the truth Bash?

Our boat has a single skin of 3/8" plywood. Not at all soundproof! It also has a central cockpit with both cabins divided by the cockpit. We have a huge open port in the back cabin, that is 14" tall X almost 4' long, 1' from our heads. In the front cabin we have two 4' wide bunks that has the occupants head within 3' of the open screened companionway, and at the SAME level, not below it. At anchor, we also have 3 open deck hatches.

Besides the way that sound not only travels, but can be magnified over water, we have a lifestyle equivalent to living "outside" of the cabin, sound wise. Our boat is very possibly the LEAST sound proof ever designed. It was intended to be the ideal tropical cruiser in it's ventilation, AND it's closeness to the sea and surrounding environment.

This is "great", except when we are forced into loud marinas, or anchorages with folks that insist on screaming, barking dogs, loud rap music, zooming jetskis, or the 3 wind generators made by Southwest Windpower. All of these are totally antisocial, unnecessary behaviors, and drive us up a wall.

Like so many others... we went cruising for the quiet serenity of bucolic anchorages, NOT to hear the drone of high pitched, rapidly fluctuating weed whackers. (Which is exactly what they sound like).

It always amazes me how much more soundproof monohulls are. They are double walled with a dead air space created by the liner, and 50% of the boat under water level. We live on the "outside", and our boat isn't like that at all. Our largest living space is in the cockpit, sitting in "Sport A Sets", reading, for MOST of the day.

There are about a dozen brands of wind generators out there. I have had a QUIET one on my previous boat, as well as this one for a while, and followed their progress for over 30 years. The AirMarine, Air X, AND to a lesser degree... the AirBreeze, are the ONLY "obnoxiously loud" wind generators made in the world. NO other brand comes close! Also, it is not as much the volume, as the "nature" of the sound. It is like the squeaking of chalk on a blackboard, or dragging foldup auditorium chairs on a linoleum floor... Most people cringe! I have no doubt that a few don't hear it at all.

I have spent over 2,000 nights on the hook, "often" in an anchorage with MANY brands... Wind Bugger, Four Winds, AroGen, LMG, Rutland, AimpAir, Kiss, etc.

None of them were audible for more than 150' or so, and some, like my AmpAir were totally silent, even right under it. The loudest of the larger ones, made a helicopter like, "whop whop whop". It was like white noise, not annoying, and not nearly as loud.

At a SSCA meeting once, I had gotten there 3 days early to get some work done on deck. I later had to move for an encroaching Air X, then I moved again for another. The third day of this, I first noted my GPS position, and then moved far enough away that I could barely hear them, (although I could occasionally hear it). I had the Capn program up, and did a "distance to". It was 1/4 of a mile! This made for such a long dinghy ride, that I haven't returned. And "they" have a motto of "leave a clean wake"!

I'm not making this up! BTW, my wife had often complained that my hearing is NOT as good as it used to be.

I have heard similar comments from sooo many other cruisers as well. Most hate that ONE brand of wind gen. above all others. THEY hear it too, EVEN at great distances. This is why it is a frequent topic on CF. If you look back, you'll see that they offend a lot of folks, although many are afraid to speak up.

It is just that the perpetrators of this offensive behavior don't see it that way. Either they don't know, because it just doesn't bother "them", OR they don't care, (because, like cigarette smokers, they can't "really believe" that NON smokers are genuinely offended by being forced to breath their smoke, these folks can't believe others are annoyed by a noise that doesn't bother them).

Unfortunately... A very few even think: "I gotta right damnit", Screw you!

I suspect that a large number are actually very considerate people, and find themselves dismayed by the noise when they get an Air X installed. The thing is that they need power, the thing works, and they figure "they must all be the same". Besides, it's payed for, what can they do?

What they can do, if they are already stuck with one of these, is get the aftermarket (= "quieter") blades that are available, and buy smarter next time.

It is only MASSIVE advertising and price breaks to West Marine and the like, that have made the catalogs push that brand, and this gives the false impression that they are the best, or the only generator out there. NOT TRUE FOLKS!

Mostly, my comments have NOT been to people who have these already. If those cruisers "care" about the rest of us, who don't like the noise, they can shut them down when sharing an anchorage, or get quieter blades and anchor out of hearing range for them. If my comments have offended anyone, I apologize sincerely. I am only trying to "inform" them of how it effects us and many others.

For those who plan to make this, or any other kind of 24/7 loud noise in the anchorage, and DON'T CARE about the other folks that were there first, just tell us on your way in. If it is not too late in the day, we will move to a "quieter neighborhood". (Although we shouldn't have to.)

For those simply asking about a choice of wind generator, like this thread ... I am giving you the benefit of decades of "living among them", and telling you, that the Air Marine/Air X are 10 times over the loudest and most irritating pitch and nature, of any other brand. (There is a consensus on this). The new Air Breeze is a big improvement in volume, but not pitch and nature. Rather than being audible for 1,300', they are only audible for about 300'. (I paced it off at a marina until I couldn't hear it). In my installation business, I refuse to install any of them. If you buy one of these Air Breezs, and "care", just be aware that there is a 600' circle of noise around your boat, and anchor accordingly.

There are a LOT of other, quieter, choices out there! Many are almost TOTALLY silent, but have lower output. I like the smaller ones... Of the medium sized ones with GOOD output, I'd go with the Kiss. It will produce as much or more power, and the sound is a non fluctuating, soft, medium frequency whirrr, like a window fan. It can be heard no more than about 75', and very few find it annoying. I anchored right next to one at length.

One last note about your boat/installation. After having a wind gen on my last two boats I have found that the "transmitted noise", which is the vibration heard down below, can vary depending on the boat and installation. We had a totally silent brand, and it was silent down below as well. This was not true when we mounted the same generator on our current boat. It HOWLED down below on this one. The difference was the struts! IF they and the pole go to a sealed away, NON living or "open" part of the boat, transmission is low. If they come down to an aft cabin or quarter berth, it can transmit a LOT!

Also, we found that wind generators give more than we needed 10% of the time, and "0" the other 90%. The 110W solar panel we replaced it with, delivers good power 90% of the year. EVEN on cloudy days, and we get ALL of our amps back. We're 100% solar self sufficient, 90% of the year, and the silence is golden as well.

Seriously... No offense intended to anyone, just telling the truth to those interested, while NOT intending to step on the others toes.

Good shopping,

Mark

BTW... I know nothing about the D400s. They are new to me and may well be the way to go?
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Old 15-06-2011, 18:32   #96
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

only sound i ever heard coming out of an airX was a whooshing sound--is awesome quiet and i covet .....
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Old 15-06-2011, 19:41   #97
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

I looked at the link to the D400. $2200 plus is the boat show special? May be a great unit but for that price it should not only make electricity but cook dinner and wash the dishes.
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Old 15-06-2011, 19:48   #98
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by skipmac View Post
I looked at the link to the D400. $2200 plus is the boat show special? May be a great unit but for that price it should not only make electricity but cook dinner and wash the dishes.


Wind Generators Kiss High-Output Wind Generator

They have the KISS listed for $995
M.
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Old 15-06-2011, 22:05   #99
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Johnson View Post
You mean me? Are you suggesting I'm not telling the truth Bash?
I've suggested that you engage in hyperbole. Hyperbole is a rhetorical device best defined as gross exaggeration for the purpose of propagating an argument.

Dozens of times (on numerous threads) you have framed your claim as an empirical study. You claim to have measured the distance the sound carries using your GPS, and that it's precisely 1/4 of a mile.

I'm trying to picture you conducting your research. Here you are, nearly driven mad by your sensitive hearing (in an anchorage with barking dogs, rap music, screaming, et cetera, as per your last post) zooming around the anchorage in a dink that must be absolutely quiet (since you can hear all this noise at a distance of precisely 1/4 mile while in the dinghy) using a GPS that somehow knows how far it is from a noisy boat.

Ahem.
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Old 16-06-2011, 04:27   #100
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Operators of weed whackers have to wear hearing protection to avoid hearing damage.

I stand right under my Air Breeze and can barely hear it. Especially given the fact that the wind usually creates white noise - and whatever sound it makes gets drowned out.

You know what is so so so much louder than my wind generator? The unsecured halyard line running up the mast on the boat next to me. When the wind blows it bangs and bangs against the mast. It is much louder than my wind generator.

And suggesting people who picked the brands you hate - are doing so to offend anyone else on purpose is uncalled for.

It sounds like you really hate noise. Maybe a submarine would work?
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Old 03-07-2011, 11:03   #101
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

Thanks for the info, Mark. There are a couple of Air X for sale in PR at the moment, but I will now give them a miss based on your comments.
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Old 03-07-2011, 12:08   #102
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

the non-marine air-X i sailed with a coupla yrs ago was quiet-- only made a whooshing sound-- didnt even bother my kat...lol his ears are waaay sensitive....i want one!!!!
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Old 03-07-2011, 12:21   #103
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by zeehag View Post
the non-marine air-X i sailed with a coupla yrs ago was quiet-- only made a whooshing sound-- didnt even bother my kat...lol his ears are waaay sensitive....i want one!!!!
Hey Zee,

Maybe you can get Mark to nick one off of some nearby boat that is driving him crazy and then sell it to you cheap!

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Old 03-07-2011, 16:51   #104
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

there was a guy in Rodney Bay last winter who had aftermarket blades on his air -x that were really quiet compared to the stock blades. Worth looking into, from what I could hear. The boat owner I spoke to who had them said the quiet blades reduced power output a little (he said 5%) but he was happy to trade the power for the silence.
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Old 03-07-2011, 17:08   #105
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Re: Wind Generator Recommendations ?

Thanks for that datapoint. I have been one of those who has routinely moved away from the SWPower (Air-X type) boats and strongly recommended these aftermarket blades, but I didn't know how they affected the power output.


Quote:
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there was a guy in Rodney Bay last winter who had aftermarket blades on his air -x that were really quiet compared to the stock blades. Worth looking into, from what I could hear. The boat owner I spoke to who had them said the quiet blades reduced power output a little (he said 5%) but he was happy to trade the power for the silence.
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