Fr J Hackett
N/A
No such thing as a free lunch if you want the amps you pay the price one way or another.
Air Breeze or Rutland 914???
- Thread starter photodog
- Start date
RogerG
New member
I've only just joined the forum, so sorry to jump in here late.
I have been a liveaboard for 7 years and used a Rutland 913 and 200w of solar for the past 3 years. The Rutland was bought second hand with knackered bearings for £50 and it was pretty straight forward to replace them.
The bearings are readily available from Marlec and cost me about £16 for a pair at the time. I later found that they are a standard bearing that that be bought from any bearing suppler for about £7 per pair. A bearing puller that can pull about 30mm diameter will do the job. The 913 has run steadily since then with no further maintenance. It is pretty quiet externally making a rushing sound in higher winds, but using the pole and guy wires gives a very noticeable drone through the pole and into the boat. We tend to switch it off at night, which negates the advantages of 24 hour possible use.
Our 200 watts of solar cost about £400 and uses an mppt controller which the Rurland controller also goes through. The solar was a lot cheaper than a new Rutland, and in my opinion, is a far better investment if you have the space for the panels. Alternatively walk on cabin top ones if you can afford the 50% more price penalty.
In the Summer in the UK with our solar and mppt controller, we were getting 14ah in bright sunlight and about 100 amps over daylight hours. On bright cloudy days around 40-50% of that. Winter sees a big drop, but still a very useful 5 amps or so output on sunny days for several hours, perhaps 20 amps over the day and obviously a lot less on overcast days.
The Rutland on the other hand needs to have clear access to wind from all directions for best efficiency, giving typically about 2 amps in a steady breeze and perhaps up to 5-6 amps in strong winds. The most we have ever recorded in very high winds was 7.1 amps. At sea the wind generators have the best chance of working most efficiently, but I have never found that the Rutland can match the solar output over 24 hours except when the panels are covered with snow!
Roger
I have been a liveaboard for 7 years and used a Rutland 913 and 200w of solar for the past 3 years. The Rutland was bought second hand with knackered bearings for £50 and it was pretty straight forward to replace them.
The bearings are readily available from Marlec and cost me about £16 for a pair at the time. I later found that they are a standard bearing that that be bought from any bearing suppler for about £7 per pair. A bearing puller that can pull about 30mm diameter will do the job. The 913 has run steadily since then with no further maintenance. It is pretty quiet externally making a rushing sound in higher winds, but using the pole and guy wires gives a very noticeable drone through the pole and into the boat. We tend to switch it off at night, which negates the advantages of 24 hour possible use.
Our 200 watts of solar cost about £400 and uses an mppt controller which the Rurland controller also goes through. The solar was a lot cheaper than a new Rutland, and in my opinion, is a far better investment if you have the space for the panels. Alternatively walk on cabin top ones if you can afford the 50% more price penalty.
In the Summer in the UK with our solar and mppt controller, we were getting 14ah in bright sunlight and about 100 amps over daylight hours. On bright cloudy days around 40-50% of that. Winter sees a big drop, but still a very useful 5 amps or so output on sunny days for several hours, perhaps 20 amps over the day and obviously a lot less on overcast days.
The Rutland on the other hand needs to have clear access to wind from all directions for best efficiency, giving typically about 2 amps in a steady breeze and perhaps up to 5-6 amps in strong winds. The most we have ever recorded in very high winds was 7.1 amps. At sea the wind generators have the best chance of working most efficiently, but I have never found that the Rutland can match the solar output over 24 hours except when the panels are covered with snow!
Roger
chris47
New member
Rutland913
i first bought a 504, totally useless, then i replace it with a 913. at first it was reluctant to spin but marlec said it was new bearings that would bed in. a week later it was spinning but noisy, marlec suggested remounting on rubber(no mention in mounting instuctions), still noisy. its performance for the first season was O.K.but when in winter storage it decided it wanted to be a helicopter destroying itself in the process. contacted Marlec who were as much use as their 504. the past winter 3 more 913s tried to fly but no joy . i hope the 914 has adressed the obvious design flaws of the VTO 913. my sugestion, spend the extra £300
i first bought a 504, totally useless, then i replace it with a 913. at first it was reluctant to spin but marlec said it was new bearings that would bed in. a week later it was spinning but noisy, marlec suggested remounting on rubber(no mention in mounting instuctions), still noisy. its performance for the first season was O.K.but when in winter storage it decided it wanted to be a helicopter destroying itself in the process. contacted Marlec who were as much use as their 504. the past winter 3 more 913s tried to fly but no joy . i hope the 914 has adressed the obvious design flaws of the VTO 913. my sugestion, spend the extra £300
Scotty_Tradewind
Well-known member
Sad you've obviously had bad luck. So many people have had good experiences of the 913.
If it's the mechanicals you doubt in the 913 then you will be just as wary with the 914, 'cos they're identical components. It's only the electrical/electronic side that differs.