Cheap Wind Turbine generators

[MacGyverRI]

If anyone is interested, I bought a 125 watt turbine for $115.00 on EBay, the seller is "Otter5555" for a test. It's been spinning for 2 weeks now and works great. I plan on getting 2 more of these "low" watt units for a total of 375 watts (sm. wind farm) for a total of $345.00. I mounted it on a piece of 1" x 10' EMT tubing and it has stood up to the 60+ MPH winds we've had lately, with 15-20 MPH avg.. I tested it with a "200 watt personal elec. heater" via 110 volt converter, pulling from the batteries for a load.

He also sells 175 and 225 watt units if anyone is interested.

There is no "slip ring" but it hasn't tangled the wires w/ all the wind we've been having from every direction up here in R.I.. Other sellers on EBay have "slip rings for $41 ea. that you could add. 60 MPH gusts hasn't even lifted it out from the EMT mount.

[sailingdog]

125 Watts isn't much and I seriously doubt that the design you've shown is marinized. The marine environment, with salt spray and such, is very detrimental to a wind gen that isn't designed to resist the corrosive effects of the environment.

[MacGyverRI]

The units are sealed and waterproof, painted hub w/ plastic blades. Only about the size of a C cell flashlight.

The cost per watt running 3 of them (375 watts) is very low compared to 1 Air-X for $700+ and if 1 craps out, you still have 2. I didn't want to shell out $700+ and this will be 1/2 of that.

Or just use 2 of the 225 watt units @ $175 ea. (450 watts) and it's 50 watts more than an Air-X.


Edit to add;
For someone who's on a mooring, 1 unit would work like a small charger to keep the batteries up.