Gareth J
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I wouldn't worry about it. Islander has repaired his now, should be good for a decade. And I don't intend to do a DIY replacement unless I really have to.
- Thread starter Islander71
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Gareth J
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At ~20yrs, how are the leading edges of the blades holding up? Mine get really pitted. Most years I fill the worst of them with body filler and paint something over the worst bits. Last summer I gave the whole of the blades a rub down, after ding repairs and gave them a coat of clear lacquer. It's surprising how much quieter it is a low speeds with cleaned and smooth blades.
I don't hold out a lot of hope for the repairs, as experience says there are always more to do the following year. This summer I int6to try some 2k clear lacquer. May be a little more hard-wearing.
A repair I had to do ~5 years ago was to repair the tail boom tubes. The mounting point for the fore end of the tail fin had rusted very thin. I repainted the tail at the time and replaced all the bolts on the tail and cowling with stainless as the rust staining everywhere wound me up.
I don't hold out a lot of hope for the repairs, as experience says there are always more to do the following year. This summer I int6to try some 2k clear lacquer. May be a little more hard-wearing.
A repair I had to do ~5 years ago was to repair the tail boom tubes. The mounting point for the fore end of the tail fin had rusted very thin. I repainted the tail at the time and replaced all the bolts on the tail and cowling with stainless as the rust staining everywhere wound me up.
Islander71
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The blades are in good condition, but are not the original ones. My turbine was the first put up on an exposed Scottish site within a mile or so from the sea, and was used to some extent as a testbed. Improved blades with an small anti-stall strip were later fitted complete with a narrow protective film on the leading edge, as was the rubber bush mounted tail fin replacing the rigid earlier fin which could cause fracture of the tail booms where they bolt to the top yaw box. Another later improvement was changing the earlier steel yoke end of the torque pitching mechanism to having ceramic bushes. The early ones had to be religiously greased, yet still wore quickly. I was given the connecting cable to connect the inverters to a computer with the necessary computer program to be able to adjust the inverter parameters - there are hundreds of them that can be altered! Periodically I would be asked to alter a parameter and note any change. Some I understood, like cut-in voltage or ramp-up speed or maximum output, but much was above my head.
The guys who set up Iskra were extremely enthusiastic about small scale wind power. They had all previously worked for Carter Wind Industries an American outfit I believe who were developing a large turbine which I think had some problems ,in the early days of wind development. This was taken over by an Indian owner who received large grant funding from the UK government to fix the problems. He simply shipped the entire works and development to India, leaving the group of engineers here without a job. They determined to build a worthy small wind turbine, and spent several years with grant funding computer designing what became the Iskra AT5-1. It went into small scale production, but the firm was driven by enthusiastic engineers rather than businessmen, hence getting into financial problems and having to get involved with a venture capital group who re-organised it into Evance Wind Turbines. The original founders are all now retired, but keep in contact and advise Britwind in its current iteration.
The guys who set up Iskra were extremely enthusiastic about small scale wind power. They had all previously worked for Carter Wind Industries an American outfit I believe who were developing a large turbine which I think had some problems ,in the early days of wind development. This was taken over by an Indian owner who received large grant funding from the UK government to fix the problems. He simply shipped the entire works and development to India, leaving the group of engineers here without a job. They determined to build a worthy small wind turbine, and spent several years with grant funding computer designing what became the Iskra AT5-1. It went into small scale production, but the firm was driven by enthusiastic engineers rather than businessmen, hence getting into financial problems and having to get involved with a venture capital group who re-organised it into Evance Wind Turbines. The original founders are all now retired, but keep in contact and advise Britwind in its current iteration.
500e
Always buy fire insurance a flood is a hard start
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Paint will not last any time on leading edge of blades if helicopter ones are anything to go by they use Nickle or SS caps to cut down wear. It eats the alloy without (much higher edge speed though)
There is a Lord glue / filler that wont abraid when used as a filer , will get part No , it is expensive.
The amount of Salt in the air at your location makes it like fine sand paper
There is a Lord glue / filler that wont abraid when used as a filer , will get part No , it is expensive.
The amount of Salt in the air at your location makes it like fine sand paper
Gareth J
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- North Cornwall
I do like the design of them. We chose it over the slightly larger Proven because I thought it looked better engineered.
Mine stopped again overnight. Replaced the box connector there with wagos but I didn't don't think they were loose.
Yea, I don't know what the tip speed would be. Not up to helicopter standards but they're up there whirling for a long time. Any coating only has to last a bit more than a year but longer would be better.
Mine stopped again overnight. Replaced the box connector there with wagos but I didn't don't think they were loose.
