D400

Four Winds ii

Four Winds ii

Now get your Four Winds ii Pole Mount in a pre-wired kit! That's right, we do it all for you! No more crimping, soldering or trying to read a schematic you don't really understand. Install your pole, set your Four Winds ii on top and plug in the generator to our ready-to-mount regulator and connect two pair of wires to your battery bank.

Specifications
   • Blades: "Glassflex" solid fiberglass
   • Generator Type: Brushless with Neodininim Magnets
   • Generator Finish: Red Anodized Aluminum
   • Output: 12V DC, 22 Amps (300 watts) 24V DC, 11 Amps
   • Over speed control: Stainless Centrifugal Air Brake
   • Propellor Diameter: 60" (152.4 cm), 2 blades
   • Rudder Material: 1/4" (6.35 mm) Lexan
   • Rudder Length: 32" (81.28 cm)
   • Voltage Available: 12V or 24V
   • Voltage Regulator: 12V or 24V to 60 Amps
   • Weight: 19 - 22 lbs (10 kg)

Starting at $2,350.00 

Red Barron

Red Barron

Now get your Red Barron Pole Mount in a pre-wired kit! That's right, we do it all for you! No more crimping, soldering or trying to read a schematic you don't really understand. Install your pole, set your Red Barron on top and plug in the generator to our ready-to-mount regulator and connect two pair of wires to your battery bank.

Specifications
   • Blades: "Glassflex" solid fiberglass
   • Generator Type: Brushless with Neodininim Magnets
   • Generator Finish: Red Anodized Aluminum
   • Output: 12V DC, 22 Amps (300 watts) 24V DC, 11 Amps
   • Over speed control: Stainless Centrifugal Air Brake
   • Propellor Diameter: 60" (152.4 cm), 3 blades
   • Rudder Material: 1/4" (6.35 mm) Lexan
   • Rudder Length: 32" (81.28 cm)
   • Voltage Available: 12V or 24V
   • Voltage Regulator: 12V or 24V to 60 Amps
   • Weight: 19 - 22 lbs (10 kg)

Starting at $2,350.00 

Air X Marine

Air X Marine

Introducing the latest evolution in small wind turbines.  The Air X Marine builds upon what made Air X Marine the world's #1 selling small wind turbine with new technology previously found only in today's state-of-the-art mega-watt-class wind turbines.

All of these features are primarily found within the body of the turbine. The new microprocessor based speed control results in increased performance, improved battery charging capability and the reduction of “flutter” noise from the machine. The controller allows for peak-power tracking of the wind by optimizing the alternator's output on all points of the cubic curve and then efficiently delivers the energy to the battery. The turbine’s smart controller allows it to actually control blade rotation speed thus eliminating the buzzing noise commonly found with the AIR 403 and 303 in high winds. Furthermore, a new series of carbon-reinforced blades with a modified pitch angle further increases power production.

The new electronics are a considerable improvement over the AIR 403 controller that consists of diode-rectification and a simple off/off voltage switch.

Starting At $850

Air X Brochure   Air X Manual  

NCHC-12-60

NCHC-12-60

The NCHC line of controllers are series type regulators for use on flooded lead acid, gel, or flooded NiCad battery technologies. The regulation voltage is adjustable through a wide range.   Available as an option with this controller is CHARGE DIVERT which allows you to use the excess unregulated energy from your charging source for other electrical jobs. The NC25A Regulates charging inputs from PV, Permanent Magnet Wind and Towed Water Generators,  or any other current limited DC charging source. Standard unit is for 12V systems.  Special order for 24V, 36V or 48V systems.  (1000A max charging current in this configuration).  Multiple battery banks can be charged with the use of a standard battery charging isolators.

$352.00

12V - 600W - Diversion Load

12V - 600W - Diversion Load Resistor Bank

The simplest arrangement is a bank of wire wound ceramic resistors of appropriate ohms resistance to absorb the maximum wattage plus a safety factor the generator is capable of producing. The advantages are simplicity, reliability and durability.  The disadvantage of the resistor bank is that it can get hot. In the case of a wind generator capable of producing 400 watts such as the D-400, if all the batteries are charged and there are no other loads to absorb the produced power it is like having four 100 watt light bulbs side by side. As a practical matter that is only rarely going to occur because there are almost always loads, a pump, the refrigerator lights, propane valves, etc. The most likely occurrence is if the boat is left with the wind generator operating and no loads, but even in that case the worst that can happen if the resistor bank is properly installed and ventilated is that the temperature will go up. Since with most wind generators, wind speeds of 15 knots are only going to produce about 100 watts the temperature effect will be a lot less. Bench tests at 385 watts would produce resistor temperatures as high as 360C (680F.) although the bus bars and heat sinks were considerably cooler. The composite base of the bus bars was 60C. (140F.),or the temperature of hot water in a tank.  Actually they were only barely warm to the touch. It is of course a rare situation when all batteries are completely charged or there are no loads, so there is always some reduction in current available to the diversion load. If a load comes on such as a refrigerator at 5 amps we will reduce the current to the resistors by about 70 watts. On the average boat with a consistent 15 amp load, or about 200 watts, temperatures would fall accordingly. With only 100 watts of power production and usage in excess of that, the diversion load will actually seldom come on.

$185.00

12V 600w Water Heater Element

12V - 600W - Water Heater Element

An attractive solution is to use a low voltage water heater element in your onboard hot water heater. Now if you are making excess power you can use it for something more useful than drying socks. Without going deeply into the math, 300 watts will produce slightly over 1000 BTU/hr. One BTU will raise one pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. A 10 gallon water tank contains about 80 pounds of water. If we wish to raise 80 pounds of water from 70 to 140 degrees, a 70 degree temperature rise,  we will need 5600 BTUs 5600 divided by our available 1000 tells us that we would need 5.6 hours to attain our desired temperature. Unfortunately nothing is free or easy in the world of thermodynamics. The 1 BTU/pound/degree relationship is only accurate at the maximum density of water which occurs at 39.1 Fahrenheit and so the time will be slightly different. More important is tank loss. The average 10 gallon marine water tank will lose about 15 BTU/hour so in 6 hours we have lost about another 100 BTU. But assuming we have 300 watts available which with most small wind generators would require 30 knots or more of wind, it will still have to blow for 6 or more hours before the shower is hot if there are no other loads on the system. With the average wind generator of the size commonly found on boats,  even in the  Trade Winds or the Caribbean with 15 knot winds we would only have about 100 watts (7.5 amps at 13.5 volts), with no other loads and the batteries fully charged. Now we could stand around for 18-20 hours waiting for that 5 minute shower. This is not to say that a water heater element is necessarily a bad idea but we can’t change the laws of physics.

$36.95

Combination AC/DC Water Heater Element

Combination AC/DC Water Heater Element

Most marine water heaters have only one element, so if you replace the AC heating element, with a DC diversion load element,  the only useable power source is DC. If you have an AC generator or are plugged in to shore power, and an adequate battery charger (you will need about 45 amps of charger output to run the element) you can still make hot water from an AC source. If you do not have that charging  capability you cannot.  With the combination element AC can be used directly a much more efficient process

AC/DC - 120v/12v - 500w/300w

$95.00