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Air-X Wind generator
By BrianEllul, Section Wind Posted on Mon Aug 22nd, 2005 at 12:31:13 PM MST
Air-X Wind generator

Hi
I'm planning to upgrade my system by adding a wind generator. I was thinking of the 400W Air-X generator! Any 'live' experiences on using this generator regarding performance & noise. I've been reading that the preeceding model the 403 was somewhat noiser! was there a true improvement over the 403 or it's just a claim by the manufacturer?
Regards
Brian

Air-X Wind generator | 12 comments (12 topical, 0 editorial)

Re: Air-X Wind generator (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by sandovalch (sandovalch@yahoo.com) on Mon Aug 22nd, 2005 at 06:56:39 AM MST
(User Info)

Hi, search for previous postings on the Air-X here on the board. My personal experience was that it was very noisy, so I had to remove it. Performance is also not that great unless you have high winds.
Christian

Easter Bunny (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by wdyasq on Mon Aug 22nd, 2005 at 06:58:13 AM MST
(User Info)

I think the Tooth Fairy may have a present for you. And, our politicians are there to help the little guy too.

Seriously, the small commercial units are normally rated at a wind-speed few folks ever have. There has been quite a bit written about them on this forum. Teaching folks how to do a good search is beyond me - but use the Google 'search this website' and you should be able to find comments on the Air-X although I don't remember any saying they produce near the rated output.

Except, it does seem they do not break often. But then again - they don't generate electricity often either.

Ron
Adventure is just bad planning." -- Roald Amundsen

Re: Air-X Wind generator (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by henjulfox on Mon Aug 22nd, 2005 at 07:27:05 AM MST
(User Info)

I flew an Air-403 next to a homemade permanent magnet motor turbine for a while in a
poor-wind area (tall trees). The Air rarely spun and even rarer for it to put out any
usable amps. The PM turbine does well even in my location. I eventually took down
the AIR and replaced with another PM turbine.

People complain about the noise from an AIR - personally I liked it.

You can pick up a motor on E-bay, mounting bracket from randysworksop.com and cut
your own blades from PVC for 1/3 the price of an Air. You'll have a machine that
works better and have fun putting it together.

-Henry

Re: Air-X Wind generator (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by olvvlo on Mon Aug 22nd, 2005 at 04:46:07 PM MST
(User Info)

unless you live in an extremely remote windy place I would avoid this turbine like the plague. It is possibly the noisiest wind turbine produced, audible hundreds of metres away. a serious noise pollutant and unfortunately somewhat popular presumably by the glossy specification. But don't be falled, check your average wind speed for your area. Sometimes generating smaller amounts of electricity 90% of the time adds up to considerably more than generating lots of electricity occasionally.
I have just returned from a festival where there were a few of these turbines. Over 5 days they only turned sporadically for one afternoon and you could hardly hear the music over them.
The other mills were spinning for almost the whole duration of the festival and almost totally silent. Had the wind not got up that afternoon the air-x would not have produce any power at all!

Re: Air-X Wind generator (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by rotornuts on Mon Aug 22nd, 2005 at 07:39:00 PM MST
(User Info)

I finally saw an Air-X on display at Canadian Tire last week and the outer third of the blade is smaller than a ruler. I can't see one of those doing anything except in hurricane force winds.

Mike

Re: Air-X Wind generator (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by georgeodjungle (georgeodjungle@hotmail.com) on Mon Aug 22nd, 2005 at 08:21:34 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.serveingplumas.20fr.com

the hornets are the same.
after tweek and peeking them they don't put out like one home brew, at like 1/4th the price and power.
the noise is not a issue for us.

Re: Air-X Wind generator (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by BrianEllul (brianellul@ecenglish.nospam.com) on Tue Aug 23rd, 2005 at 04:12:09 AM MST
(User Info)

Thanks to all four your feedback!

After reading all your comments and more (after searching this fabulous forum) I'm concluding that I win't go for the Air-X. For me 'noise' is a prime concern and I don't want to have problems with my neighbours! Also it seems that the performance is not that good.

I'm therefore going to do more searching. I'm now more interested into the Lakota 900W generator. Being larger, this should produce more power even at lower speed... and also it seems that people use their blandes for building their wind generators which only suggest that the design is better (performance + noise) than the Air-X.... hope that I'm on the right track now :) Regarding noise, I haven't found anything yet, although I can't image a wind generator producing energy without producing noise... one solution maybe would be to use a higher tower.

Regards
Brian

Re: Air-X Wind generator (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by Warrior on Tue Aug 23rd, 2005 at 05:28:44 AM MST
(User Info)

Hi Brian,

I have been doing a lot of reading lately regarding the Lakota Wind Turbine. Not to discourage you, but there has been some discussion regarding the turbine's rated output. Most experienced builders and manufacturer's think that the specs are bogus, and the Lakota owner/designer has never submitted a unit for testing. The generator looks about the size of a car alternator, which usually require high speeds to get the power up.

I can however see a much more positive approach to the Lakota being that it has 7 foot, carbon fiber blades. This will allow it to operate at much lower windspeeds as compared to the Air-X.

Maybe you can be the first to test one!!!

There's a cool guy here on the board named Jerry who is a dealer for Lakota blades, maybe he can chime in and give you much better info than I can.

Good Luck,

Warrior
Warrior__ "Why can't Murphy's Law be used to my advantage??"
[ Parent ]

Re: Air-X Wind generator (3.00 / 0) (#9)
by BrianEllul (brianellul@ecenglish.nospam.com) on Tue Aug 23rd, 2005 at 06:44:39 AM MST
(User Info)

Thanks for your comments!

From what I have been reading, it seems that (all?) wind generator specs are somehow overrated! why? maybe because of different test situations or maybe afraid of competion? or what? It's unfair and it shouldn't be done... the consumer is being tricked into buying something which doesn't perform as stated;)

On the other hand, specs for Solar panels truly reflect the panel performance if not sometimes underrated!

Regards
Brian

[ Parent ]

Re: Air-X Wind generator (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by ghurd on Tue Aug 23rd, 2005 at 07:39:00 AM MST
(User Info)

The government, or UL, or somebody stepped in several years back and kind of standardized how PVs are rated. Some PVs gained or lost a watt or 2.

With wind generators, I think there are too many fly-by-night outfits.
They can make crazy claims, get investors and / or sell a lot of mills, then disappear.
And any mass produced mill for the masses has to be idiot proof. Idiot proof usually means less than perfect.

I can just imagine the same idiot who goes out with a surf board before the hurricane, solidly bolting the furling hinge to charge the batteries before he goes surfing!
G-

[ Parent ]

Re: Air-X Wind generator (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by nothing to lose (nothingtolose175 at yahoo.com) on Tue Aug 23rd, 2005 at 07:58:19 AM MST
(User Info)

The specs are over rated for comercail units nearly always that is true. Not all wind generater specs are over rated though, look at the guys on this board building homebrew gennies. Those are normally TRUE ratings or even below what you might actually get.
Comercail companies want sales and unfortunately will lie any time they can to get those sales. To not get into trouble lying what do they do? They claim an 800watt rating, that is at 70MPH winds. Ok if you get a major storm or live some strange place you might get that wind speed. To rate it as 800watts in bold print is a lie for normall use in normal locations though!
If a standard were set for wind speed and power ratings like 15MPH winds and they were "required" to post power produced at that speed then you would see all those numbers fall rapidly except for the guys here and our guys would still have about the same ratings normally on their mills :)

"It's unfair and it shouldn't be done... the consumer is being tricked into buying something which doesn't perform as stated"

Welcome to the real world guy, you just figure that one out :)
Just joking at you a little, but yes that's the way life is. When was the last time you saw someone buy a NEW car and get the claimed 40MPG, they might get 37 at best if rated at 40.
Wal-mart crap, Cabnet holds most 40" Tv's?? Well get a tape measure! Cabnet is only 20" deep, most normal Tv's are as deep as the screen size or real close, so just how do you put a 40" deep TV into a 20" deep cabnet??? Sit it in the middle of the room and let TV hang over 10" in front and rear and HOPE it don't fall out? Crap I forgot it was a wall cabnet, I geuss I have to put it against the wall and let 20" stick out the front, prop up the TV with a stick or else it WILL fall out!!

Those Holmes window fans false claims! This fan uses 90% less power than a airconitionare. Well duh.... Some really stupid people actually fall for such things. Of course a Fan uses less power, it has no compressor and does nothing at all to cool the air!! Turn the airconditionare onto fan only mode and just blow hot air and then the Holms window fan does not use that much less power as it claims, all it does is blow hot air around, so compare them equally!!!

Can you think of others? I can!
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Re: Air-X Wind generator (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by stargate on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 06:46:38 PM MST
(User Info)

I have one I paid $600 for and it makes a nice way of telling the wind direction but as far as simply charging 12 volts it is worthless. I sent it in 3 weeks after buying it because it completely drained 3 new 12 volt marine batteries. They sent it back and it worked 1 day and ruined another new battery.

I would stay clear of this windmill. there has to be something better out there.

Air-X Wind generator | 12 comments (12 topical, 0 editorial)

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