I would like to purchase a wind generator very soon. The Air X appears to be the most popular however I have heard complaints on noise. I am motivated tword quiet first and power output second. Which is my best alternative?
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Your First Motivation
If it's noisy then no matter how much power it puts out you probably won't be happy. On the other hand, many people ignore the noise of their generators but apparently you're concerns are of a different persuasion. With regard to noise, though, there are two components: one which is made by the blades and the spinning generator, and the other which CAN be made by the support structure as vibrations are transmitted. My first "temporary" solution for mounting a Rutland 910 was really a bailing-wire setup on a pole - just wanted to see how things worked while I thought about how it could mounted in more permanent setup. The mast was attached and braced to the pushpit and the noise vibrated into the aft cabin. After re-rigging the setup, call this "Temporary II", the mast portion was very quiet. The generator itself makes a slightly audible high-pitched noise in winds over, say, 12 kts or so but when down below you can't even hear it. The Rutland 910 is about 1m diameter with six plastic blades. For reference, I don't even like the noise made by a fixed-blade prop when under sail so if that should give you an indication of where I'm coming from re: noise threshold.
If it's noisy then no matter how much power it puts out you probably won't be happy. On the other hand, many people ignore the noise of their generators but apparently you're concerns are of a different persuasion. With regard to noise, though, there are two components: one which is made by the blades and the spinning generator, and the other which CAN be made by the support structure as vibrations are transmitted. My first "temporary" solution for mounting a Rutland 910 was really a bailing-wire setup on a pole - just wanted to see how things worked while I thought about how it could mounted in more permanent setup. The mast was attached and braced to the pushpit and the noise vibrated into the aft cabin. After re-rigging the setup, call this "Temporary II", the mast portion was very quiet. The generator itself makes a slightly audible high-pitched noise in winds over, say, 12 kts or so but when down below you can't even hear it. The Rutland 910 is about 1m diameter with six plastic blades. For reference, I don't even like the noise made by a fixed-blade prop when under sail so if that should give you an indication of where I'm coming from re: noise threshold.
Wind Gen
Due to my being away and not being able to prep my boat, Katrina got my wind generator. Broke the mounting mast and gen. ended up in the water. Before hitting the water, the generator itself seemed to not be effected by 125+ winds. I had one made in small quantities made by a gnetleman in Canada. This only used a two bladed fiberglass prop and was virtually silent in anything below 25 knots. Absolutely loved it. Now I can't locate a new gen. motor for it, and can't find the guy who built it. So am now looking at replacements. My understanding of the Air X is that the new models are much more silent than the older ones, and I am more than likely going to buy an Air X.
Due to my being away and not being able to prep my boat, Katrina got my wind generator. Broke the mounting mast and gen. ended up in the water. Before hitting the water, the generator itself seemed to not be effected by 125+ winds. I had one made in small quantities made by a gnetleman in Canada. This only used a two bladed fiberglass prop and was virtually silent in anything below 25 knots. Absolutely loved it. Now I can't locate a new gen. motor for it, and can't find the guy who built it. So am now looking at replacements. My understanding of the Air X is that the new models are much more silent than the older ones, and I am more than likely going to buy an Air X.
3 vs 6 blades
Several years ago a Japanese guy stopped by my boat at Shilshole Marina in Seattle and asked me how I like my Rutland. Apparently he had just arrived from a non-stop trip from Japan. After talking to him for a bit I learned he had a three-blade wind generator where one of the blades shattered on impact with a bird when he was only a few days out so it had to be shut down. The blades, I think, were carbon fiber. The 6-blade units wouldn't have this problem because the broken blade and the opposite blade could be removed and it would be balanced again. This is just a side note - chances of that hapening are probably remote. And besides, being close to cities one could easily go home and order a new blade but on a longer trip - who knows.
Several years ago a Japanese guy stopped by my boat at Shilshole Marina in Seattle and asked me how I like my Rutland. Apparently he had just arrived from a non-stop trip from Japan. After talking to him for a bit I learned he had a three-blade wind generator where one of the blades shattered on impact with a bird when he was only a few days out so it had to be shut down. The blades, I think, were carbon fiber. The 6-blade units wouldn't have this problem because the broken blade and the opposite blade could be removed and it would be balanced again. This is just a side note - chances of that hapening are probably remote. And besides, being close to cities one could easily go home and order a new blade but on a longer trip - who knows.
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