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This
is important so let's start with a "Marty's note" about
these babies:
When you look at a wind generator for your boat
there are many considerations and what you choose depends a lot
on what kind of sailing you do - and how far off shore you go
- because this determines exactly what you are looking for in
a wind generator. Here are a couple of accurate statistics for
Air compared to Ampair and Rutland for you to think about.
At the time of writing: Over the
last 10 years I have sold only around 15 individual blades for
Rutland and a single blade for an Aerogen 6 and none at all for
Ampair. All the rutland blades were sold to cruisers as spares,
the Aerogen blade was a replacement for a turbine that had an
altercation with an "object".
At the time of writing, Over the past 10 years, I have sold no
less than 950 sets of three blades for Air - that's 2850 individual
blades - that's more than 1 blade per working day. Most of these
have been sold to people who's blades had been broken or simply
failed without apparent reason.
Over the past 3 years there have been around 10 legitimate warranty
claims for Rutland and no warranty claims for Ampair.
Over that same period of time I have performed more than 150 warranties
on Air - that's one each week. That's around 12.5% of turbines
sold have come back for warranty service.
To be fair, there are some Air
out there that have been absolutely trouble free for years - but,
and it's a big but - there is a lack of consistency of quality
and I have had turbines back two or three times, especially when
they are in a windy location such as Tasmania. There are definately
less failures in the more temperate zones. Okay for the Barrier
Reef cruiser but not a lot of good for the more adventurous offshore
types - or people living in Tassie using Air for home power.
Another thing worthy of consideration
is the regulator. If something is going to go wrong with a mechanical
devise where electronics are involved, it will be the electronics
that fail almost every time. The regulator for both Ampair and
Rutland is external to the turbine. What this means is that if
you have the most vulnerable part of the set up go bung on you
- the electronics - you can fix or replace the reg but leave the
turbine up in the air and still giving power. Nice and simple.
With Air, the reg is built in, so if you have a problem with the
electronics, you have to take the whole shebang down. This is
a particularly accute pain in the rear end for people who have
mast head mounted their turbine as they need a cherry picker to
get it down, or land based people who have the turbine on a 50'
tower.
A snippet for owners of the lastest
Air Breeze wind generator with white blades, if it has been in
the air for more than 5 months, Check your blades, there is a
good chance they have been significantly degraded by the sun.
See pic further down the page Air Marine: This is a set of Air
Breeze blades from a turbine I installed on a yacht in Tasmania
last February. And this is only one example. With Rutland you
can buy a single replacement blade in the event of a problem,
whereas Air will sell as a "matched" set. I guess Rutland
have more confidence in their consistency of quality control.
Ampair blades come as a set but I've never had a request for them.
"Made
in the USA" it is claimed on the Air Breeze box. I reckon
it would be worth popping the question to the manufacturer as
to exactly what is "made" in the USA and what is made
elsewhere - and where.
For my money, being an offshore
cruiser myself, I would put reliability over style and "claimed"
output any day. The new boat I am building is named KISS, just
in case you don't know what that stands for, it is - Keep It Simple
Stupid. A good motto for the offshore cruiser and remote land
dweller alike.
"There is hardly anything in the world that
someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper and
the people who consider price alone are this man's prey."
(John Ruskin [1819-1900]).
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There
seems to be a little confusion between Air and Ampair that I would
like to clarify for you all.
There is a similarity with the
names that I should have noticed and addressed earlier because
Air and Ampair are very different animals.
Air are supplied by Southwest Windpower in Arizona, USA. These
turbines, in my experience, are built down to a price.
Ampair are manufactured and supplied
by Ampair Energy Ltd, a part of Boost Enery Systems Ltd, in Dorset,
England. These turbines are built up to a standard - a high standard.
There is no direct comparison to be made between Air and Ampair
turbines except for the fact that they are both wind generators
- there the similarity ends.
I am getting more and more people coming to me with broken Air
who do not want to travel that noisy and unreliable path again,
these people are changing to the quiet and reliable Ampair for
their new power supply.
If you need any more information, just contact me - Marty. 02-6679
1234 or martypwt@bigpond.com
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Ampair 100 Wind Turbine - the
tough baby of the family.
The Ampair 100 wind turbine is a rugged, reliable,
install and forget, small turbine.
With a reputation for absolute reliability for charging battery
systems in harsh conditions. Although it only generates up to
100 watts of electrical power in practice it often outperforms
some of the so-called 400 watt machines because of its very
good low windspeed performance.
· Generates up to 100 watts
for 12, 24 or 48 volt battery systems.
· Designed to survive the severest marine environment.
· Heavy duty, all-weather generator, sealed to keep corrosion
out.
· Permanent installation as a fit & forget unit.
"Ampair
100 Specs"
Ampair
100 regulator info - click here
"Quietly Storm
Proof"
Click
Here to See the Ampair difference
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Ampair 100 diagram and sizes
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Amair 100 power curve.
Don't be deceived, this baby of the
Ampair family is tough and puts
out.
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Ampair SM- 1B and SM-3B Regulators
12 or 24 volt (specify) 100 watt.
This little black box is the SM-1B or SM-3B regulator we usually supply with the Ampair 100. It's 155 X 105 X 55mm and nothing special - except in the case of the SM-3B - because it can handle 3 battery banks. I had a guy buy one of these recently and he said to me:
"Do you know how hard it is to find one of these"?
"No, I didn't realise that".
He said, "I have a work boat that has a start battery, a house battery and an electronics battery that I want to keep up with a small solar panel when I am not on board and this is exactly what I need".
While we normally supply these with a wind generator, there is no problem hooking up a solar array so long as the panels do not exceed 100 watt. So if this is wwhat you've been looking for, look no further.
SM-3B Specs |
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Ampair Pacific 300 wind turbine
system.
The Ampair Pacific 300 wind turbine system is a powerful and
reliable wind charger for larger yachts or any stand alone power
system on sea or land. The big brother to the Ampair 100, this
turbine shares the same rugged and reliable characteristics
but with the addition of the revolutionary PowerFurlTM blade
pitch control system, advanced aerodynamic blade design and
a more powerful generator.
· Non intrusive operation with elegant modern styling.
· Accurate aerofoil construction of each turbine blade
optimises performance, minimises noise and vibration, and improves
power-to-weight ratio.
· Rigid blade design avoids "whooping", "motorboating",
or "screaming", vibration, resonance and flutter.
· Integral marine-grade sealing system protects internal
components from condensation and corrosion.
· Operates with no thermal cut-outs, commutator brushes,
or complex electronics.
· Revolutionary simultaneous PowerFurlTM blade pitch
control system reduces turbine speed in high winds whilst maintaining
power output.
· Three phase AC output from turbine minimises voltage
drop and permits use of smaller cables; external DC rectifier
included in system.
"Ampair
Pacific 300 Specs"
"Quietly Storm Proof"
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This is the new Voyager VS 50 regulator from Ampair

The Ampair 300 regulator system comes complete
with meters
rectifier, regulator,
stop switch and dump load.
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Ampair 300 power curve
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The Amair RG VS 50 regulator for Ampair 300 now comes in two versions.
The RG VS 50W for wind only applications. This is great for when you are adding your wind turbine to an existing solar system.
The RG VS 50WS for those of you who would benefit from have an ability to put up to 25 amps of solar input through the one regulator system. This is a great option if you are installing a new system or are adding solar that will overload your existing solar controller.
The other advantage of this regulator, even if you don't use the solar input, is that in the event of a failure of the operational regulator, you have an inbuilt spare. This is something that offshore yachties would really appreciate.
Of course, if you opt for the wind only system but decide to later upgrade to having solar input also, you will be able to do this economically with the upgrade kit. |
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When Ampair say "Storm Proof"
they do mean it.
When a Tornado ripped through
Mackay Harbour a couple of days ago, snapping the mast of this
catamaran like a twig and doing significant other damage, this
owners Ampair Pacific 300 wind turbine is sitting there wondering
what all the fuss is about.
*Note the broken Air Marine on the boat to the left, one blade
remains.
Placed 13th January 2011
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Pic taken after a Tornado ripped through Mackay a couple of days
ago.
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Ampair 600 - A powerhouse machine.
The Ampair 600 is available in three versions. The battery charge
version for charging 24V or 48V battery banks and the grid-connected
version is available for 230V grid connection.
Ampair 600 is not your average wind turbine.
The Ampair 600-24 and 48 volt are designed for charging high
capacity DC battery banks, typically 800Ah or more. The correct
wind turbine and regulator must be purchased at the outset -
either the 24V version or the 48V version - as it is not possible
to change the voltage at a later date. The wind turbine must
be installed in conjunction with the Ampair 600 regulator which
includes the regulator itself plus the dump load, fuses, rectifier,
stop switch and heatsinks.
Ampair 600 - 230 for grid connection.
The Ampair 600-230 is designed for connecting to 230V 50Hz grid
systems operated by public utilities. It is ordinarily connected
on the client's side of the electrical utility supply meter
and is ideally connected into the consumer unit (fuse board).
Electricity generated by the wind turbine is then used in preference
to electricity supplied the public utility.
The Ampair 600-230 must be installed in conjunction with the
Ampair interconnect set which includes a G83 sine wave inverter;
stop switch; overloads; power conditioning; and isolation.
"Ampair
600 Specs"
Ampair
600 regulator info - click here
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Ampair Aquair 100 Hybrid Wind
& Water Generator
The Aquair 100 is a towed turbine generator for yachts.
can be converted to a wind generator with the wind conversion
kit.
Okay, let's get "Serious".
· Are you a "serious" cruiser?
· Do you have a "serious" problem keeping the
batteries up at sea?
· Do you need some "serious" power?
· Are you "seriously" tired of running the
engine 3 hours each day?
This baby, (Or the UW100) can probably do it for you.
A tow generator is the most effective way to charge your batteries
at sea.
If you average 5 knots, as most cruisers do, you can accumulate
75 amps @ 12 volt over each 24 hour period, probably enough
to run an efficient fridge and an autopilot - two big on board
power suckers.
Generates approx 1 amp per knot boat speed (12v) at average
cruising speeds.
Rope transmits power of spinning turbine to on-board generator.
Gimbal mounting of generator gives fool-proof operation &
long-life.
Simple installation from stern rail - no permanent hardware.
Easily rigged.
Thousands in use worldwide. Hundreds of circumnavigations made.
Highly suitable for use on long distance blue water cruising
yachts.
Wind turbine conversion available for use at anchor.
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The Aquair pedigree
Proven over thousands of miles of ocean cruising. Reliability
is achieved by using a towed turbine on a 30 metre line directly
coupled to the alternator shaft. Totally sealed alternator. Stainless
steel gambol ring provides a simple and automatic alignment method.
Built to professional standards for long term endurance and backed
by full manufacturers warranty. The Aquair 100 is constructed
of marine grade materials for minimal maintenance. Only a spare
turbine is recommended to cater for accidental loss. Electrical
contact is direct to the battery using a simple on/off control
switch.
With the use of the optional wind conversion kit, this generator
can be used as a wind turbine when on anchor.
Able to produce a continuous output up to 7 Amps at 12 volts.
Permanent magnet alternator, has no commutator brushes, windings
cannot overheat so requires no thermal cutouts.
Course pitch propellor available for fast boats - Catamarans,
tri's etc.
Marty's note.
I will be fitting a water generator to my new boat.
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Aquair 100 Power Curve
Made by Ampair
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Ampair UW 100
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Underwater (UW)
100 micro hydro generator
A submerged generator for fast flow zero head streams.
The UW100 is a submerged generator designed for charging 12/24-volt
battery systems from fast flowing zero head streams. Strictly
speaking it is a picohydro generator ideally suited to:
Yachts.
Navigation Buoy.
Water Supply Monitoring.
Remote Homes.
Aquaculture.
This unit stands out from the crowd in submerged generators.
Designed for us in fast flowing fresh water rivers, mountain
streams & water pipe systems.
Can be used with success on a yacht at sea but is not designed
to do so and may have a limited life span due to galvanic activity.
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The UW100 offers the opportunity to generate up to 2.4kWh per
day from any 400mm deep (15") fast flowing stream. When the
stream flows at 8-knots (7mph; 15kph) the UW100 will produce 8
amps continuously, and when the stream flows at 6-knots (5mph;
10kph) it will still produce 1.5kWh per day. And remember that
a stream can be diverted into a narrow culvert to increase flow
rates.
Technical specs.
Starts charging at flows below 1m/sec (2 knots) - generates up
to 8amps at 12v.
Proven to depth of 10m.
All water joints (mechanical & electrical) are double sealed.
The oil filled housing has a pressure expansion chamber to allow
operation at intermediary depths & in all temperatures.
UW 100 technical description
The UW 100 is a submerged water powered generator for 12/24 volt
battery charging. It is a self-contained unit, (on-shaft propeller,
streamlined housing, sealed alternator with pressure relief chamber),
operating to depths of 10m below the water surface. The UW 100
features low waterspread cut-in (1½ knots) and a high charge
rate (8 Amps) without sacrificing space for weight. The body is
filled with hydraulic fluid to eliminate corrosion and to equalise
temperature-induced pressure changes.
The forward facing 3 bladed propeller drives a permanent magnet
alternator producing up to 8 Amps output current for a 12 volt
system. The shaft rotates in double seals for optimum protection,
backed by twin O-ring static seals at the rear of the casing.
The cable exit is similarly double sealed by an internal moulding
and external gland. The alternator body is filled with hydraulic
fluid to eliminate corrosion and to equalise pressure changes
caused by ambient temperature.
UW100 electrical information
Four metres of 4-core cable connects to two external rectifiers
fixed on a heatsink which should be mounted in a suitable dry
location near the battery. The output control switch and fuse
are wired in the DC battery line. Any connector in the AC cable
needs 4 individual contacts.
Propellor options
There a variety of different propellors available in production
with the following three menu choices:
Shrouded or unshrouded
Shrouded propellors should be slected whenever the water may contain
rope or fishing line fragments, fine weed, or plastic debris.
Clockwise or anti-clockwise rotation
Normal propellors rotate clockwise. The anti-clockwise version
is to balance towed buoys with twin underslung units.
Standard pitch or coarse pitch
Standard propellors are ideal for low speed start-up (1.8-knots)
and thereafter produce approximately 1-amp per knot. Above 8-knots
(4 metres/second) the coarse pitch (low RPM) propellor should
be selected. This also reduces propellor drag at low speeds which
is useful for racing yachts.
Standard, clockwise, unshrouded
Coarse, clockwise, unshrouded
Standard, clockwise, shrouded
Standard, anti-clockwise, unshrouded
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Ampair UW 100 with shield
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Ampair UW 100 dimensions
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The Rutland 913 is designed specifically for marine use on coastal
and ocean going yachts but is equally at home on your home or
campervan. The Rutland 913 has been a common sight in marinas
for many years, thousands are in use worldwide, boat owners like
it's no pretences look, its quiet, continuous and very reliable
operation. This latest marine model accumulates more energy than
any other comparable windcharger available, you'll always see
a Rutland spinning in the lightest of breezes! Below you will
see the performance specification and the dimensions of the Rutland
913.
Rutland special 1 only 24 volt $850.00.
Rutland
913 Spec sheet
Call Marty 02-6679 1234
Mob: 0427-734 026
martypwt@bigpond.com
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Price:
Call for current pricing
Regulator to suit:$175.00
Switchable regulator
for two battery banks
(plus solar panel): $ 399.00
Spare blades: $33.00 each |
· Low wind speed start up of just 5 knots
· Generates 90w @ 19 knots, 24w @ 10 knots
· Delivers up to 250w
· Weighs 10.5kg
· One way only fit fine profile efficient aerofoil blades
· Three phase Rutland "unique" generator design
· Automatic thermostat protection in prolonged gales
· Modern, durable materials for reliability at sea.
· No radiated interference - complies with EEC directive
89/336/EEC
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Air
Breeze and Air X Marine Wind Generator.
At the time of writing, Air Marine wind generator had been around
for 13 years or so. Unfortunately, despite all their previous bad
experiences and many hassles with the Air range, the lastest turbines
are a long way from being hassle free.
If you are the type of yachtie who sits in a marina and does the
odd coastal passage, always in striking distance of a service point,
and want a turbine that looks "pretty" on your boat, then
Air Breeze may be for you. Certainly the best looking wind generator
currrently on the market. However, if you are a more serious cruiser
who is looking for a wind generator you can put up and forget about
for a few years, then, in our opinion, you will be better off to
forego the "good looks" aspect of your wind turbine and
go for something like an Ampair Pacific 300 and sleep at night when
the wind blows.
Too many problems with Air Marine so
we no longer sell or recommend them. |
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Blade Diameter... 46"
(1170 mm)
Weight:..................5.90 kg
Mount size............48mm OD
Start up windspeed 6 knots
Voltage.................12, 24.
Rated output..........200 watts*
* @ 28 knots wind speed.
Replacement regulator when it packs up. About
$250.00
Set spare blades when they fall to pieces, our price - $220.00
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Something to think about!
Air Breeze blades after only a few months in the
air
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And
more to think about!
This slip ring came off
an Air Breeze turbine after being installed only six weeks. |
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Even
more to think about!
This completely burnt
out Air Breeze was a result of some heavy winds, nothing real serious,
50 knots in the gusts. The coating and insulators have completely
burnt off the stator so you can rattle the windings like a tamborine.
And this is not an isolated case. |
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See below for mounting kits for
Rutland or Air Wind Chargers.
While it lasts.
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Clearance Special
Guyed Tower kit 27' (8M) suit Ampair, Rutland or Air turbine.
Normal retail $400.00. One only to clear. $100.00 including
GST.
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Targa mount kit
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This is how it works
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The Targa mount kit has been
specifically designed for mounting a wind generator on the Targa
bar of catamarans or, as shown here, on the Targa frame of a mono
hull. This will almost completely isolate your boat from vibration
transmission. Suitable for Ampair, Rutland or Air.
Made from polished stainless steel, comes complete with rubber mounts
and washers. Bolts are not supplied.
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Ampair 100 replacement blades
Ampair 100 blades are supplied as a matched pair.
Haven't actually sent many of these as they are too robust but
you never know, we keep a few on hand just in case you need them.
You will need to specify whether the turbine is pre or post 2001
when ordering.
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Ampair 300 replacement blades
Ampair 100 blades are supplied as a matched set of three.
I have yet to send out a set of these but, again, I keep a set here
just in case you need them.
Note: The pic above of the Ampair 300 shows white blades and a
red hub. Just so you know, the hub is now white and the blades are
now made from a completely different, stronger, compound but are
now basically black. The white fleck is the reinforcing. |
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Rutland 913 blades.
Genuine, rugged, Rutland 913 blades.
Sold individually with fixing screws.
Six in a set.
Just $33.00 each or $192.00 per set.
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Air 403 blades or Air X blades or current Air Breeze Wind
Turbine Blades
Manufacturer supplied blades.
Come in sets of 3.
We now have these in stock.
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Air Breeze Wind Turbine Blades
Genuine, manufacturer supplied, blades.
Come in sets of 3.
Marine - Black.
White blades are shown but the stock blades are the latest black ones.
We now have these in stock. |
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Air Marine nose cone
All gone
Air nose cone to suit:
Air 403 or Air X Marine - White
Air 403 or Air X Land - Grey
Air Breeze Marine - White
Air Breeze Land - Grey
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Precision Wind Technology.
Ph: 02-6679 1234
Fax: 02-6679 1634
Mobile: 0427-734 026
Email: martypwt@bigpond.com
Updated 12th January 2012
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