Would you recommend?

[Ianey]

I know there are pro's and con's of having a wind turbine (i'm going to have one...) but other than Rutland, would anyone know of any good marine wind turbines as reliable as the Turland - considering the diameter of blades?

 

Thanks

Ianey

[carlt]

Air-x, imo, are miles better than the Rutland.

 

Quieter and automatically slows, when the batteries are charged or the wind is too high.

[NB Willawaw]

If you've really made your mind up to fit a windgen, then the Rutland is probably the best in its size class.

[Gibbo]

Air-x, imo, are miles better than the Rutland.

 

Quieter and automatically slows, when the batteries are charged or the wind is too high.

 

I have an Air-x under the floor in the back cabin. I'll swap it you for something interesting if you like them (I really have no use for one).

[carlt]

I have an Air-x under the floor in the back cabin. I'll swap it you for something interesting if you like them (I really have no use for one).

I've got a baby hedgehog that is surplus to requirements...

[Gibbo]

I've got a baby hedgehog that is surplus to requirements...

 

That doesn't work for me at the moment... Mrs Gibbo has just adopted a lost homing pigeon that can't find its way home. Damned thing keeps finding its way back here though. It's in the living room tonight. Dining room last night. It'll be in my bed soon.

 

She's already bought a coop on Ebay.

 

Having said that it is kinda cute.

[carlt]

You might get the same reaction that I got, when I suggested the best place for it is a hedgehog sanctuary but, you can reunite a lost homing pigeon with it's owner by calling one of these numbers, depending on its ring prefix:

 

NPA clicky

 

I would add that, despite being a Yorkshireman, I have never kept pigeons. They wouldn't have got on with the whippets and ferrets.

[Gibbo]

We contacted the owner. His response was, very roughly, and slightly paraphrased: "Well it couldn't find its way home so it's actually not much use to me, I don't want it. Plus, it's 100 miles away and I'm not driving that far to collect a 5 quid pigeon. Can you please remove the leg tags".

 

So now we have a coop on its way, and, of course, it's going to be lonely so we have to buy it some friends too.

[carlt]

If you've really made your mind up to fit a windgen, then the Rutland is probably the best in its size class.

 

What changed your mind from this, Mark?

 

 

You can buy the Air X through fleabay for some very attractive prices, but they seem to be grey imports coming from the US.

They are not cheap when compared with the Rutland but as somebody said to me, its like comparing a moped with a 500cc bike.

[DeanS]

 

So now we have a coop on its way, and, of course, it's going to be lonely so we have to buy it some friends too.

 

I suggest you have a bank of batteries, but split them, some feeding the lights, some the water pump etc. If you need any advice, just shout....*grin*

[Gibbo]

I suggest you have a bank of batteries, but split them, some feeding the lights, some the water pump etc. If you need any advice, just shout....*grin*

 

You're a funny guy!

[NB Willawaw]

I have an Air-X too but its much larger than the Rutland I recall.

 

I don't use it very often and have it at home in storage - I don't think there is enough breeze on most canals and tend to use

solar to top the batteries off.

 

What changed your mind from this, Mark?

[ditchcrawler]

We contacted the owner. His response was, very roughly, and slightly paraphrased: "Well it couldn't find its way home so it's actually not much use to me, I don't want it. Plus, it's 100 miles away and I'm not driving that far to collect a 5 quid pigeon. Can you please remove the leg tags".

 

So now we have a coop on its way, and, of course, it's going to be lonely so we have to buy it some friends too.

You don't need to buy friends, just stand the coop on the shed roof and it will find its own friends.

Best little earner me and my mate had when we were kids. Saturday morning take the pigeons to Gt Yarmouth on a bus and sell them to pet shop, week later take same pigeons to same pet shop and sell them again.

[carlt]

I don't think there is enough breeze on most canals and tend to use

solar to top the batteries off.

I agree, about wind generation in general, not just the Air-X.

 

I have sold the lifeboat and bought a Broads cruiser and didn't bother removing the Air-X as the Broads are just too sheltered, compared to the Essex Marshes, to make it worth the bother.

[Gibbo]

You don't need to buy friends, just stand the coop on the shed roof and it will find its own friends.

Best little earner me and my mate had when we were kids. Saturday morning take the pigeons to Gt Yarmouth on a bus and sell them to pet shop, week later take same pigeons to same pet shop and sell them again.

 

|MA|O

 

It kind of is what I'm starting to believe. When Mrs Gibbo got hold of this one it was knackered, worn out. Could only fly for a few feet then landed again. So we took it in, fed it up, watered it, rested it. In the morning she found the owners who gave us the reply detailed earlier. She let it go and off it went, only to return about 5 hours later and came back in the house. It's been here since.

[carlt]

She let it go and off it went, only to return about 5 hours later and came back in the house. It's been here since.

Sounds just like my kids.

[Gibbo]

Sounds just like my kids.

 

My Dad used to say something similar. When I was about 18.

[Evo]

We have just put up my 200w wind turbine on our mooring for my neighbour to use. We are in what must be one of the most appropiate moorings for a wind doodah that there is on a canal. It is always windy and it usually blows straight down the canal at us - and we are on the end and consequently first to get it. The machine so far seems to be doing its stuff and is whizzing round like the clappers most of the time.

 

To date I haven't heard a good thing said about these small turbines, even stuck up on a yatch mast out at sea they only seem capable of charging a single battery over a very long time. I would really like to measure its output, I must put an ammeter in the line somewhere and find out the truth.

Edited August 18, 2011 by Evo

[AjW]

I know there are pro's and con's of having a wind turbine (i'm going to have one...) but other than Rutland, would anyone know of any good marine wind turbines as reliable as the Turland - considering the diameter of blades?

 

Thanks

Ianey

 

I have a Wren. Been up for 4 years with no maintenance until this week when I checked the slip rings and one needs replacing as its getting a bit thin.

http://www.bettergeneration.com/wind-turbine-reviews/samrey-wren-wind-turbine.html

[Evo]

Have you any idea what its been doing in those 4 years...? are you happy with its charging capabilities..?

 

I'll add to above and ask does anyone on here have any idea just what exactly (or near enough) their turbine is doing.

It frustrates me because no one seems to know...we buy all this shit and dont know what its doing or wether its appropiate.

 

 

I struggle with this - my mate fires up his 9kva genny and his inverter proceeeds to bulk charge the 4 110 ah batteries at an indicated 70amps (reduces obviously) for a minute or so then drops into absorbtion or float. The little wind genny is zooming away barely able to light up a 21w light bulb, it would take a month to have the same effect, not much use if you are a liveaboard and want power on demand everyday. Is this right..??

Edited August 18, 2011 by Evo

[NB Willawaw]

I wired our Air-X with an ammeter. I don't remember the exact numbers now but I think it would do about 6A on a windy day.

However it's very large and needed substantial supporting and anti vibration measures.

The smaller ones like the Rutland does IRO 2-3A.

 

The trouble is it all depends on how much breeze you can get to flow through it's vanes.

 

TBH I can get more over a week from solar.

[Nick The Greek]

I have a Rutland 913 Windcharger and one of there Charge Controllers a HRDi. Into this Controller I have wired in two 80w Solar Panels on the Boat roof. I live aboard my boat and my mooring has no Hook up so thats why I went that way. I do live on the edge of the Fenns so wind 9 times out of 10 is not a problem. Hope this helps.

[Evo]

My problem is that wind or solar can only trickle charge. I dont know what is best for battery longevity...a constant trickle charge or a short daily baulk charge back to float. I just want to know wether having all these trickle charge gadgets hanging all over the boat is better than just firing up a big genny for 20 mins.

 

Is it better for the batteries to be trickle charged or not..?? The boat I'm talking about has a fridge and a freezer and is all electric (no gas) so cooker/kettle etc are all heavy loads...big chunks of charge go out in a short time, would slowly trickle charging be a good thing or a bad thing. Does it matter how the battery is re-charged or just that charging of some sort takes place...??

[by'eck]

I wired our Air-X with an ammeter. I don't remember the exact numbers now but I think it would do about 6A on a windy day.

However it's very large and needed substantial supporting and anti vibration measures.

The smaller ones like the Rutland does IRO 2-3A.

 

The trouble is it all depends on how much breeze you can get to flow through it's vanes.

 

TBH I can get more over a week from solar.

 

Having recently spent seven years in the Caribbean I would say that around 60% of boats had wind generation.

 

Despite having a high power demand I could never get excited about it though, although trade winds blew almost constantly. Maybe having a 6kVA genny made me lazy but when I did get around to providing alternative power, solar was my choice for which I had no regrets.

 

2 x 130 watt panels with MPPT controller gave at least their spec output on a good day providing a lot more than just keeping the batteries topped. They saved me having to run the genny every day despite having two fridges running. Again this was in the Caribbean though so not sure what the UK weather would provide.

[blodger]

My problem is that wind or solar can only trickle charge. I dont know what is best for battery longevity...a constant trickle charge or a short daily baulk charge back to float. I just want to know wether having all these trickle charge gadgets hanging all over the boat is better than just firing up a big genny for 20 mins.

 

Is it better for the batteries to be trickle charged or not..?? The boat I'm talking about has a fridge and a freezer and is all electric (no gas) so cooker/kettle etc are all heavy loads...big chunks of charge go out in a short time, would slowly trickle charging be a good thing or a bad thing. Does it matter how the battery is re-charged or just that charging of some sort takes place...??

 

Any amphours you can get in by wind/solar reduce the time needed to charge or top up in other ways using increasingly expensive fuels/lecky so the pay back time is reducing considerably.

 

The sooner you get your batts up to 100% charge within the charging 'rules' the better but long low charge rates are also beneficial since 100% SOC is noy achievable by short bursts, etc.

 

I sometimes wonder how boats without solar/wind augmentation manage without other than managing without modern encoutrements and, regularly replacing batts and/or running gennies endlessly.

 

You can get wattmeters for 25/40 GBP from Ebay China devised for radio control model enthusiasts which will total the amphours gained from any source by wiring them in line to the batteries. I use one (IIRC they can handle up to 100 amps) to monitor the volts, amps & amphours input by lawnmower engine driven alternator/dynamo contraptions that I mainly use for the odd equalisation charging.

 

Wind is contrary but at a remote smallholding windchargers I have made, two of them from sturney archer dynahubs, one from a pm washing machine motor, have kept 2 90ah & a large caravan leisure battery charged up. This winter I might try an ampair I have there to see how it compares. I have a Rutland 913 on the boat and I guess from the experience I would not go to the expense of ever replacing it for new. I thing they are best at a suitable permanent mooring erected ashore especially for the winter when solar is doing its minimum