Recommendations for wind generator

jimi

jimi

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Think I need one of these to keep batteries topped up and fridge running whilst sailing overnight. Any recommendations? Are they easy to fit and wire up oneself or best to get someone to fit?
 
Whatever you do don't invest in an Air Breeze they are utter rubbish . I know to my cost . It's been replaced / repaired 3 times to date . Totally unreliable the sliprings wear out in next to no time and they are extremely noisy.
 
I have a KISS wind generator. They are very simple and do produce good amps up to about 25kts when the thermistors start shutting them down. I am not sure that they are still being produced.

Air Marine X have a reputation for producing amps .... and a lot of noise as well. Not liked in anchorages!

I had good results with an Aquair 100, especially in towing configuration ..... but there's no way that it will meat my needs now.

With good solar panels so reasonably priced and so quiet I wouldn't get a wind gen .... but I don't have a problem with space or battery capacity ...... and I have a very thirsty freezer.
 
I too have had an Aero4gen for around 20 years without a problem - truly fit and forget. I heard they are no longer made but a secondhand example might be worth looking out for.
Otherwise I would go for solar if you have room to fit.
 
I fitted a Rutland 914i last year. Easily keeps the batts topped up when sailing and anchoring etc, never need shore power anymore even if in a marina, runs fridge, quiet even in brisk winds, relatively easy to fit and to wire to the batts via their regulator.

Went for wind rather than solar because of cruising location (UK) and lack of free horizontal space for panels.
 
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apogee said:
I too have had an Aero4gen for around 20 years without a problem - truly fit and forget. I heard they are no longer made but a secondhand example might be worth looking out for.
Otherwise I would go for solar if you have room to fit.
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Aerogens are still made but LVM were taken over by Cleghorn Waring.

We've had an Aerogen4 for years and been very happy with it but, as someone else has said, solar is more cost effective.

A larger bank charged by solar is I think the way to go and look at LED bulbs in cabin and nav lights. Our 200w of solar by far outperform the Aerogen and keep 500+AH charged.
 
Babylon said:
I fitted a Rutland 914i last year. Easily keeps the batts topped up when sailing and anchoring etc, never need shore power anymore even if in a marina, runs fridge, quiet even in brisk winds, relatively easy to fit and to wire to the batts via their regulator.

Went for wind rather than solar because of cruising location (UK) and lack of free horizontal space for panels.
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I've never averaged more than 10Ah/day from a Rutland 913 over the sailing season. My fridge uses around 40Ah/day so wouldn't expect a 914i to manage that every day even though it will produce more than a 913.

Rigid solar panels will easily beat a wind-gen during a UK summer on basis of cost/Ah produced. The killer is of course, lack of space to fit a panel. However, you don't need a very large panel to outperform a Rutland 913 during the summer months.

Worth having both of course, I got about 140Ah in 24 hours last year when it was overcast and blowing strongly for a couple of days.

I'd be interested in seeing some of your data for 914i (e.g. Peak daily output and average over the season).
 
We use an Aero4Aquagen. We also have 250w of solar. The solar is absolutely useless over night (unless you have 600amp/hr of battery) if you want to run nav lights, autopilot (especially if it is rough), fridge, instruments (particularly radar) etc. Sadly the wind gen is not much cop either, especially if you are on a broad reach, or jibing down wind. If you are doing overnight passages we find the only answer is a water gen (and the LVM aqua unit is very good - but I do not think any longer available). Other people make water generators and we would not hesitate but buy another one if needs be. I'd hanker after those French units that fit on the transom - but they cost a king's ransom and are little use when you are at anchor - the best option might be the one from Eclectic (I think that's the name).

You might of course be happy to hand steer and not use radar overnight, but I doubt it - and cannot advise it.

Even if you have a big battery bank you would need a solar panel assembly that is enormous and taking up more space than available on most yachts and good sunshine to replenish what you will use for overnight sailing. Solar might appear cheap - until you consider the cost of the high rise development you will need on the transom to support it all. However I would not ignore solar, it can be sunny lots of time with no, or not enough, wind when you are at anchor - and when its sunny and no wind the fridge comes into its own.

Jonathan

Edit: Additional power draw, the desalinator!

Our 250w of solar will keep all the domestic requirements supplied when we are at anchor and we have good sunshine. The wind gen is a 'bonus' as we try to anchor where there is minimal wind. But it cannot cope with the increased demand of all those same units plus those of sailing the yacht overnight - which was the OP's original query. We would not swap the wind gen for the water gen for short passages - but once you go beyond 12 hours and overnight there is no other way of producing sufficient power.
 
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I have a R 913 which copes with the st6000 autopilot OR the fridge all night ( led tricolour), downwind being weakest of course..
Edit: above 5kn sailing speed it seems to cope with both demands at the same time. I ce the first flattener reef is in, power up all yer whatevers as well!

It is surprisingly heavy and you will want it above decapitation height. Mine has a strut to the toerail and another @90 and I would think that is a minimum requirement .

Good design places the unit inboard slightly for docks and locks and coming alongside mobos etc..
Easy to damage the cable or deck gland when erecting such weight, that's all I would say..
In conjunction with my 'grey days' 75w solar charging seems 'covered' at all times.

Some of the other designs are sexy looking but one hears quite a few tales of woe of poor provenance, design and factory back up, etc. Perhaps look at the US cruisers' forums to know who you will be dealing with, down the line?

Btw I have had trouble free Ampair generator b4 that just went on and on and on ( quietly)..
 
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clyst said:
Whatever you do don't invest in an Air Breeze they are utter rubbish . I know to my cost . It's been replaced / repaired 3 times to date . Totally unreliable the sliprings wear out in next to no time and they are extremely noisy.
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+1.

Many repairs and when it does work very noisy! They do however produce a good output.
 
Sorry to drift this slightly.. Where would you buy a 'service kit' for an old aerogen? Might only need bearings of some sort but mine takes a f7 to get it going. It's only got a small output but it's inherited/free so worth keeping I think
 
I had an Aero4gen on the previous boat which was easy to fit and good for topping up the batteries from one weekend to the next but not much good at providing power on a day to day basis.

Now have a towed aquagen for passages and solar for anchorages. A much better solution.
 
SimonP85 said:
+1.

Many repairs and when it does work very noisy! They do however produce a good output.
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Agree with the output but you need a lot of constant wind to produce it . The worse place to mount 'em is above the aft cabin !!:)
 
pyrojames said:
I had an Aero4gen on the previous boat which was easy to fit and good for topping up the batteries from one weekend to the next but not much good at providing power on a day to day basis.

Now have a towed aquagen for passages and solar for anchorages. A much better solution.
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I had heard that ITT had taken over LVM, or had taken over the Aero/Aqua Gen side of the business. We contacted them some 2 years ago, did not match the LVM service, nor personal touch, but eventually did advise how to get spares. The next bit of news was they had transferred production to China (no problem with this as long as some of the benefits flow through to the consumer:)) and then that they had shut down the Aqua gen part of the business (which seemed daft as the Aquagen (in our opinion is magic) - but there again we suspect a really niche bit of activity).

So James - if you now have a towed Aquagen where and when did you get it - can you add to the less than encouraging history.

Jonathan
 
I have a KISS and love it. Now 20 years old, rebuilt it a couple of years ago with new blades and hub. Just to smarten it up as no mechanical problems. Provides all the power we need when on the hook. Highly recommend it.
 
clyst said:
Whatever you do don't invest in an Air Breeze they are utter rubbish . I know to my cost . It's been replaced / repaired 3 times to date . Totally unreliable the sliprings wear out in next to no time and they are extremely noisy.
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+1 and then the company/agents have the cheek to say that they've 'never heard of that problem before'! Ours has been back for repair/replacement three times in the last three years too.
 
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