Help decide on turbine

[Saltwater]

Looks like getting a turbine will be a little sooner than expected.  I have been reading about the new magnetic braking and the "old" furling designs.  I can't make up my mind.

If I go with the furling design, I can save loads of money initially, but from what I read, will cost money in the long run.  Is this true?  Anyone have experience with the electromagnetic overspeed protection?

The cost difference is around half of what a grid tie inverter will cost.  I am having a difficult time convincing myself to spend the extra for the "new style" turbine.  The current 2 I am debating are both rated at 2KW with 3KW max.  There is about an $1800 difference.  The charge controllers are different, the more expensive package will handle 400 more watts of solar (if I remember correctly, and 1000 more watts of wind.

The inverter I am looking at is the Xantrex hybrid XW4548, does anyone here have one?  I have a few questions about this one, or anyone for that matter.

All the turbines I have been looking at come with a charge controller.  Some come with a wind/solar controller.  When using the Xantrex inverter, is the charge controller even used?  From what I understand, the inverter will charge the batteries for backup.  There lies my charge controller question, it sounds like the inverter is an "all in one" sort of deal.

The inverter only shows 1 connection for wind and 1 for solar.  Can I connect more than 1 turbine to the wind connection, if I don't exceed the input power limit?  I will eventually add the max amount of solar.

To let anyone know, I am looking at the WindMax 2KW and WindMax 3KW turbines.  The ones with the hybrid controllers.

http://www.magnet4less.com/product_info.php?cPath=8_116&products_id=498

http://www.magnet4less.com/product_info.php?cPath=8_116&products_id=489

Any advice?

Jeff

[halfcrazy]

Xantrex's system has a seperate charge controller the XW-MPPT controller if you have no pv panels this would not be needed. the XW inverter has a battery charger built in with 2 ac inputs.

My recommendation on installing a turbine or 2 would be to tie them directly to the batterys (can be done in the xw breaker box) without a controller and set up a dump load. if the controller that came with the turbine is high quality then you could use it but it is either going to shut down the turbine or make lots of heat when the batterys get full with a dumpload you can direct that power where you want it IE water heater etc

A couple things come to mind here. Look this sight over close and think about building one of there 10ft machines. The hosts offer a varying stage of completeion in there kits so almost anyone can assemble one here is a link to a complete kit

http://www.forcefieldmagnets.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22_30&products_id=188&osCsid
ktppuhi2641d09tc3ccp956920


you may have to cut and paste it. These are a very tough stout turbine.


The second though is if you are using the xw inverter check out Midnite solar's XW Breaker box it will save you a bunch of coin here is a link to it


"http://www.midnitesolar.com/productPhoto.php?product_ID=72&productCatName=DR,%20TR%20and%20Xantrex&productCat_ID=6">http://www.midnitesolar.com/productPhoto.php?product_ID=72&productCatName=DR,%20TR%20and%20Xantr
ex&productCat_ID=6


Again you may have to cut and paste the link

1/2

[Boerman]

The WindMax 3KW has just been added to their lineup in the last few days. As such, I would be a little concerned that it might have some bugs that haven't been worked out yet.

But I have bigger concerns about WindMax products. I was speaking with the tech support people at one of the major manufacturers of inverters and associated products. The tech asked me which wind machine I was looking at and I said "Windmax". Her audible groan was immediate sign that something was wrong, so I inquired further. In the past day or two she had been working with one of their customers who had just installed a new WindMax 2KW 48v turbine. His problem was that it would not go over 48v and he was not able to properly charge his batteries. When he called in to the seller for some tech support, they wouldn't help him because they said that he had voided his warranty. How did he do that??? He installed it himself.

If you read the first blurb on each of their turbines, one of the things they always say is "easy to install". That would imply to me that you can probably install it yourself if you have reasonable skills. A good reason to buy, right??? You can save money by installing it yourself. But pull up their warranty document and you will see that the warranty is voided unless the turbine is installed by a licensed installer. That seems like a pretty shady way of doing business. Do you want to buy something from someone who is trying to trick you like that? Can you trust ANYTHING they say???

BTW, I contacted Applied Magnets and asked them specifically about the possibility of charging problems if you can't get high enough voltage. I specifically asked about a 24v system. Their reply was "voltage is always 24."

I will admit that I am still learning about all this and something could easily get by me. But it appears to me that these guys don't have a product that I want to own.

On the other hand, I am looking seriously at the Selsam SuperTwin. If I don't hear any credible negatives about it, I will probably buy one next month.

[Saltwater]

Thanks on the input guys.  Now I'm a little concerned about the windmax line.  Time for more investigating and shopping.

[ghurd]

"the new magnetic braking" sounds to me like a majority of the information came from one sales brouchure.

Air-x has done that for years, by my understanding of both sales brochures.

G-