Wind genertaor

[irwinsailor]

What is the best choice for a new wind generator? My windbugger has been repaired for the last time (by me) and will be replaced before spring. The Windbugger is for sale.

[Jon D]

Gunner

been a number of other threads on this -- but my choice was a KISS

[irwinsailor]

Kon, do you have a KISS?

[Jon D]

yes - also hotwires water heater heat sink with a charge diverter. thumbs up so far on the KISS not put enought charge in due to not enough wind yet for a report on the water heater heat sink.

[irwinsailor]

Is Air X any good? They are less money than KISS and the power looks like it is about the same.

[Sunspot Baby]

I still like my Four Winds. Quite and effecient.

Sunspot Baby

[irwinsailor]

I'll take a look. Thanks

[irwinsailor]

$1900. for the fourwinds seems like allot to me. The KISS is about $1200. Windbugger about $1400. Air-x $800.

[Jentine]

Gunner, compare the watts you are getting for each dollar and the KISS will look much better. The Air-X is noisy. There is one mounted on a boat moored several hundred feet from me and I have been tempted to use it for target practice.

[Jon D]

Jentine once whispered in the wind:
Gunner, compare the watts you are getting for each dollar and the KISS will look much better. The Air-X is noisy. There is one mounted on a boat moored several hundred feet from me and I have been tempted to use it for target practice.

We were rafted up to a friend who has an Air-X -- both generators were spinning in about 15 knots. Could hear both but AirX was really obtrusive.. KISS was background noise.

At least that was the consensus between the two boats. Also according to the Links on both the KISS was putting out more power.

[irwinsailor]

I must say that my windbugger never bothered me with noise. I don't want to hear very much from my wind generator, quiet is important to me.

[NoTies]

How much for the windbugger?

[Euro Cruiser]

It was interesting to read Jon's "field report" on the KISS vs. Air-X re: noise, as we had an opposite experience. Spent parts of 2 days in the cockpit of a 35' Warrior with their new Air-X pole-mounted about 10' from our ears. The solar panel would keep the line voltage up, which in turn meant the Air-X would only idle along until the fridge kicked in. That dropped the line voltage and the monitoring circuitry in the Air-X would spin it up to generating speed...which would then be reversed when the voltage climbed again. This went on constantly. Everyone in the cockpit (6) was commenting on how unobtrusive the blade noise was; certainly never interferred with the conversation and it wasn't anything like the 403 2nd generation model.

The Warrior's skipper was very meticulous and I wonder if a difference that would explain Jon's group's observation but also mine was the condition of the blades. These carbon fiber blades come from the mfgr. very rough; I've found I can reduce the noise off our first-generation AirMarine 303 wind gen by sanding the blades, blade edges and especially the tips down smooth and then waxing the blades. Perhaps the Warrior's blades were smoothed by the skipper (I never asked) while the boat Jon was next two had older blades and/or blades not 'spiffed up' in any way. Don't know...but when next in the States with WHOOSH, I'll probably be switching to an Air-X (better output, smarter circuitry) in part because of that experience on the Warrior.

KISS gets many positive reviews - and a few quality negatives as their "production line" are a group of Trini teenagers down in Chaguaramas Bay) - and I would consider one if it wasn't for the fact our unit mounts at the mizzen masthead, which makes the AirMarine's smaller size a real advantage.

Jack

[Jon D]

Jack - agree with your logic -- if I was mounting on a mizzen masthead small would win -- our decision was easier as it is on a pole at the stern - weight not nearly as high. Also I should report at under 10 knots the AirX did better than the KISS as the wind increased the delta went toward the KISS and stayed that way up into the 20s.

[irwinsailor]

Am I to take it that Kiss and air x are about the same? Whatever I buy will be above the cockpit and I do not want allot of noise.