Rutland 504 or LVM Aero2Gen

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RabT

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Thinking about installing a wind generator to top up the batteries (2 x 110mh) as I am going to fit a GPS chartplotter, an autopilot and spend longer periods cruising. Boat is a Vega.

I am thinking about Rutland 504 or LVM Aero2Gen (with their respective battery regulators). They are about the same price but I am keen to get the most silent one. Any views? Should I consider any other brands?

I have browsed old PBO magazines but can't find any tests. Any advice most welcome.
 
Find boats with them fitted, and have a listen, particularly from inside when there's a decent breeze. Noise is a real issue with wind generators and it's very difficult to make them quiet, although some later designs are better; consider a solar panel first, you get more potential power for less cost and better reliability. You may argue that you can run a wind generator overnight, but if it's so noisy that it keeps you awake, you'll soon turn it off!
 
the Rutland would be the better of the two imho, but if you are intending to spend longer onboard cruising it may be worth going for the 913/914 instead, that way you will be recharging your battery bank instead of just about keeping up with usage at best.

Do consider a combination of solar and wind that way you will get some power even when there is no wind.
 
I'd agree with ScillyPete, I have a 504, quiet it is not and when sailing I tie it up to enjoy the peace and quiet of sailing!

As has been mentioned, go for a bigger version as the 504 just about keeps things ticking over but not suitable for extended cruising IMHO.
 
it is all relative...

thanks everyone for their feedback.

Perhaps I should have mentioned that "extended" for me means going from long weekends to maybe 10-14 days afloat in one go, usually a marina/buoy stop at least once a week to get a shower and properly cleaned up... not planning to go very far: Clyde, NI, West Coast, etc.

Quiet and silence more important than anything, my consumption requirements will be very low and the GPS is more as a safety back up than actual navigation device. I don't have one just now and quite enjoy doing it manually in the charts.

The difference between the 504 and the 913 is about £200.
Is it worth it?

I look at the solar panels and... their output seems low, the boat is small (shadows?) and I am based in the Scottish west coast....not the sunniest of places.
 
Not much to choose between the two: they're both quiet and both feeble. They'll add almost nothing significant to a live-aboard (even briefly) energy budget. Aero4gen or the larger Rutland are much better. Both are quiet.

Understand your difficulty installing solar panels conveniently and without shadows on a small boat, but their effectiveness is possibly more than you imagine. You might rarely get the full rated whack, but those long Scottish summer days pump electrons for a long time.
 
I look at the solar panels and... their output seems low, the boat is small (shadows?) and I am based in the Scottish west coast....not the sunniest of places.
Click to expand...

Solar panels will always give some output, even on an overcast day, although obviously they are better when it's sunny. These days, you can get a good quality 30W panel for around £100 with a regulator - and it will be totally silent.

Wind generators will give more output once the wind gets up, but generally very little if the wind speed is under 10 knots.
 
Rutland v Aerogen

Hi RabT. I think youwill be disappointed with either of these smaller windmills as your current draw from that kit will exceed their average daily output on even a well sunny day. The chartplotter will be on all the time presumably, except at anchor, the autopilot will pull the power out of your battery in no time at all without re-charging - add in a few nav lights and your little wind mill does not add up. The little windmills are really only good for keeping a battery topped up when the boat is not in use. Answer is I think the bigger Rutland 513 or the Aerogen 4 and better still fit a small shadow tolerant solar panel as well with a regulator. Oops I see Macd has said much the same...

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5
 
My daily average with a Rutland 913 in Clyde and West Coast has been around 10Ah/day during the sailing season. I don't have figures to hand but think that's probably around the same average as a 30W solar panel. The panel is a lot cheaper but is more difficult to site without a gantry. Cheaper models suffer more from shadowing and output drops dramatically. Usual compromise between cost and effectiveness I'm afraid.

So even with the 913 you'll only cover a fraction of daily power use. However, it does keep batteries topped up on a mooring.
 
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