April 12, 201610 yr Author 57 minutes ago, jdp said: Wow Mike you have a big pole there Sies......:-)
April 12, 201610 yr Author it needs to be big as i know myself, a viarable pitch blade system of 5kw is coming.....
May 9, 201610 yr Author The tower has reached Cape Town, going to pick up tomorrow and then duco spray it. So hopefully it can go up this week...everything else is ready
May 9, 201610 yr Author i have to test and experiment..... and i know i am getting either a 3 or 5kw variable pitch unit soon, so yes i think so. I have constant wind here in Yzzies
May 20, 201610 yr Author I hope to fit the last 3m of the pole today if i can find some time then it is just the hydraulics to do and raise the thang! The control wall is ready and wired with the 2 x 5kw inverters, the turbine controller and dump unit, soooo near to complete
May 20, 201610 yr Lovely neat job... paving done and ALL... Very keen to see how this goes and also overall cost... I, like Chris, have lots of farm space so if this works well then may be better than 2kw of panels... Good luck today - buy batteries for the head torch
May 20, 201610 yr Author 11 minutes ago, Chris Hobson said: Hi Mike Do you need to raise and lower the pole often? I see you like to braai . Hey Chris, No only for maintenance every two years ( so they say).....I will not be leaving the hydraulics connected, really to use when installing other units for clients, they will not have to purchase that component then... braai wood other side, that be for the combustion fireplace in the house, another truck load coming next week.
May 20, 201610 yr Author 14 minutes ago, Mark said: Lovely neat job... paving done and ALL... Very keen to see how this goes and also overall cost... I, like Chris, have lots of farm space so if this works well then may be better than 2kw of panels... Good luck today - buy batteries for the head torch Thanks Mark, try to be neat on all jobs....I will post a breakdown as soon as complete of all costs, and a video of it raising on my facebook as i don't think we can here??
May 20, 201610 yr On second thoughts you are missing at least a few accessory items on the pole. 1. 1.5 m above ground: 2x hooks for braai tongs and gloves 2. 1.8m above ground: 1x ring for washing line extension for wife, 3. 1.8m above ground: 1x ring for hammock to rear wall (so you can lie back and watch the money pouring in ;).
May 20, 201610 yr 1 hour ago, Chris Hobson said: Do you need to raise and lower the pole often? Probably a little less sophisticated, but I believe farmers sommer raise the windmill with a tractor or bakkie, with a bunch of guys hanging off a rope on the other end to balance it :-) On a more serious note, you almost cannot sell a Windmill for anything more than scrap price these days, caused in part by electrification of farms, but also the severe drop in price of solar panels and hence solar water pump installations.
May 20, 201610 yr 1 hour ago, plonkster said: On a more serious note, you almost cannot sell a Windmill for anything more than scrap price these days, caused in part by electrification of farms, but also the severe drop in price of solar panels and hence solar water pump installations. 1 hour ago, Mark said: Priced a second hand windmill a few weeks ago... 50K. They aren't that cheap... Someone is wanting to make a quick buck. What sized mill are you looking for? They sell for about 4-8K second hand depending on condition. Look at dispersal sales and get an older farmer (or a younger farmer who knows mills) to look it over. I would suggest if you do buy a mill to recondition it unless it is in mint condition. The most common problem is the bushes where the tail attaches. This wears and the tail is pretty close to the wheel when the tail is furled. A gust of wind blows the tail into the wheel (usually at night) and you arrive the next morning to find windmill-chop-suey. I had a mill that self-destructed in a similar manner when the mast bent in a high wind and the sails shredded themselves on the platform.
May 20, 201610 yr 3 hours ago, Chris Hobson said: The most common problem is the bushes where the tail attaches Yup, saw that many times. What many people don't know is that windmills are designed to fold their tails automatically in very strong wind, so in moderately strong winds they tend to exercise that hinge quite a bit. Even in normal operation, that big old spring attached to the tail is the only thing that keeps the tail in place, so any sudden changes in wind direction will also work it a bit. My dad has a windmill head for sale, good condition, saw it myself, hardly any wear on the gears itself. I believe he advertised it for 20k. Absolutely no interest... it is all the way in in Namibia though :-)
May 20, 201610 yr I have a refurbished 12ft Southern Cross head and mangled top part of the tower to swop for some 250W panels. The head is fine but the wheel and sails took a hammering.
May 20, 201610 yr 39 minutes ago, Chris Hobson said: I have a refurbished 12ft Southern Cross head and mangled top part of the tower to swop for some 250W panels. The head is fine but the wheel and sails took a hammering. My dad was more of a Climax man... but there are still a few Southern Cross mills in the area :-)
May 20, 201610 yr 1 hour ago, plonkster said: My dad was more of a Climax man ... Okaayyiii ... is that now how we all got here? (I did NOT open THAT door ... Plonskter did.)
May 21, 201610 yr Author 21 hours ago, Mark said: Lovely neat job... paving done and ALL... Very keen to see how this goes and also overall cost... I, like Chris, have lots of farm space so if this works well then may be better than 2kw of panels... Good luck today - buy batteries for the head torch The John Deer guys out here in the countryside do not like work on a Friday, I can only get my hydraulic pipes made by Monday afternoon, so till then........
May 21, 201610 yr Author Herewith a breakdown of all component costs. A few of the items could be deemed luxury not necessity. all Cost excl of government theft. 2kw auto furling wind turbine with ability for 4kw peaks R28000 turbine controller with pwm for 2kw of PV & dump unit R8500 USB device for turbine monitoring R2500 Monopole fabrication R17400 Hydraulic Piston R4500 Foundation and steelwork R5000 Cable trailink 10mm R1400 Powerpack 2hp 230VAC R4500 Misc Bolts & spraypaint R500 Transport of monopole from up country R2200 20lt hydraulic fluid for reservoir R790 All that is outstanding is the make up of the hydraulic pipes & a flow control. All in all not cheap, but way cheaper for the complete unit against quotes i received from Cape Town and P.E. Also the hydraulic system was not a necessity but rather more for aesthetic reasons, i did not want guy wires and gin bar system. Also i know i will change the head unit to a larger one sooner than later... Was a great learning experience for me on these bigger units as i have 3 10kw units to do soon in Vredenburg area.
May 23, 201610 yr On 2016/05/20 at 8:05 PM, The Terrible Triplett said: Okaayyiii ... is that now how we all got here? (I did NOT open THAT door ... Plonskter did.) Lol. Well, must admit that I'm not sure what Stewarts & Lloyds were thinking when they decided on that name, but then on the other side, it was from a simpler time when that word wasn't so much connected to other forms of... uuuhm... yeah.
May 25, 201610 yr Wow... that looks cool... a nervous moment early on when the tail furled with gravity... assume its windstill... typical when you desperately need to test TTT/Ed: Time to include a Wind Turbine in SolWeb (ready to duck for cover...) Looks great Mike. Keep us updated!
May 25, 201610 yr 58 minutes ago, Mark said: TTT/Ed: Time to include a Wind Turbine in SolWeb Specs of the controller?
.thumb.jpg.b8eb469ddc60c092fb354ff067344ccc.jpg)
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.