Hard drive magnets

[WineGuy]

I'm a newbie with some questions.

1) Has anybody tried using hard drive magnets?

I've seen comments that they are "really good" magnets, but never any articles about anybody using them to make a wind generator.

2. I was also wondering about the relationship between the magnet size and the winding size. In most of the pictures I've seen, the windings look about twice the size of the magnets. Is this true?
   
3. Seen any good (read easy) designs for commutators to bring the power down the pole? I've seen a lot of pictures with wires running down the pole without a commutator. What are the thoughts on this? Planning on a 200 - 500 watt system.
   
4. I just saw pictures of a tip-up furling system, but could not find any calculations (weight vs front of center) to determine what speed the wind mill will furl. Any links ?
   
   

I wonder if anybody can answer the above questions in 500 words or less.

[wooferhound]

 1) Yes, many have built gennys from hard drive magnets. a super simple search came up with these examples

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/10/8/112046/572

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/9/27/112728/576

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/2/8/124610/0181

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2005/9/24/152446/359

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2005/5/26/19555/4968

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2007/4/2/184318/3223

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/10/4/181345/402

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/2/9/13128/15117

 2) The hole in the coils should be just smaller than the shape of the magnets. The outside edges will end up to be about double the magnets size

 3) Slip rings are used in home brew installations but generally the wire just hangs from the genny to the ground where there is an electrical connector. Every month or so the connectors are unplugged and the cable is unwrapped from the tower and guy wires and then replugged together

 4) can't help you on Tilt Up Furling

[kurt]

umm usually the wire goes down the center of the tower and twists and untwists with changes in wind direction they usually put a 3 prong locking plug at the bottom of the tower to untwist the wires when necessary.