Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator
Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator
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 List Price: $799.99 Sale Price: $499.95 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Eligible For Free Shipping 
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Product Description
Use the wind to generate power and run your appliances and electronics. Great for cabins, battery charging, remote power, backup power and hobbyists. Delivers up to 400 Watts. U.S.A. Application: Appliances and electronics, Volts: 12, Watts: 400 at 28 MPH, Blade Material: Carbon fiber composit, Speed (MPH): 110, Blade Diameter (in.): 46, Material: Lightweight cast aluminum body, Dimensions L x W x H (in.): 24 x 15 x 9, Overspeed/Overcrank Shutdown: Electronic torque control
Details
- Uses wind to generate power and run your appliances and electronics
- Constructed from lightweight, weatherproof cast aluminum
- Fully integrated regulator that automatically shuts down when the batteries are completely charged
- Maximum power up to 400 watts or 27 Amps
- Measures 15 x 9 x 27 inches (WxHxD)
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I am writing to help people understand about voltage(V), current(I) and power(W). First off, the max voltage and the current that the wind generator is rated at is probably in the form of Voc and Isc which stands for voltage(V)open circuit and current(I)short circuit. Voc is measured in parallel but Isc or current can ONLY be measured in series or in-line with the the source, NEVER in parallel. To get an accurate Isc reading you must “short” or close the circuit with the measuring device as the load of the Generator. Unless you have an AMP clamp, current transformer(CT) or some other way to measure higher current, you can’t get an accurate measurement. Most multimeters can measure current BUT most CAN’T measure more than say 10 Amps. Anything more then that will usually result in a burnt fuse or worst, a burnt meter. This also describes how they got their figures(Watts and Amps). Under Voc and Isc the voltage can be about 21V and the current could be about 20-25 amps. Only under a load will the voltage go down to aprox. 13-14V and the amperage will also drop accordingly. The way they got their voltage, amperage, and wattage figures are in of course perfect wind conditions and typically will be much less on average. Therefore the figures are correct but they will never be seen unless you measure them in the perfect wind conditions under zero load as stated above. As for the Amperage, unless you have all the necessary charging equipment you dont want to see more then say 6-10 amps going to a wet cell battery anyway because you can overcharge or damage your battery or batteries, maybe even explode. I hope this makes scence and helps some people. I dont own this Generator but I would buy it if i had more wind where i live.
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Super. I like to write reviews with little to no context either. We have so much alike.
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First of all, this wind generator’s output is preset to 14.1 volts (for charging batteries, you know. The preset can be adjusted from 13 to 17 volts, by the way). 14.1 volts divided into 400 watts is 28 amps, so the specs are correct as stated in the product description. Remember to always keep in mind the differences between 120 volt AC current and 12 to 14 volt DC current — it’s really important on this alternative energy stuff.
Naturally, you are only going to get close to the 400-watt maximum output with a steady 28 mph wind. But the unit won’t “go up in smoke” at that point as some reviewer said — all wind turbines have built in cut-out system that prevent them from going over their rated output and being damanged. C’mon, folks… the people who make these things are not dummies.
But it’s true that there are not many places in the world where you get 28 mph winds blowing on a regular, continuous basis. The suggestion of other reviewers to figure on getting maybe a 15 mph average wind speed with output from the wind generator of 50 to 60 watts at 2 to 3 amps is a realistic evaluation of what most people can expect out this or any other small wind turbine on a fairly regular basis. On days when you’ve got more wind, you luck out and get more power is all.
That’s why, for most people, the first alternative power choice is amorphous solar panels (they continue to work on cloudy days and with partial shade) because you can rely on the sun on a day to day basis more than you can on having a good steady wind consistently. The manual for this product states that the blades should start turning in a 7 mph wind, which is just a good breeze. The product manual is *outstanding* by the way, the most complete I’ve ever seen for any product and indicates the integrity and honesty of the company who makes these units. They obviously want their customers to have success with their product. You can view the manual in PDF format at the Sunforceproducts.com website at:
http://sunforceproducts.com/prodinfo/manuals/AirXManual.pdf
Anyone considering this purchase or looking into wind power in general should thoroughly check out the manual. Wind power can be wonderful in the right location and in many other places it can be *combined* with solar so that you get power from the sun when it’s shinning and power from the wind when it’s dark (the wind often blows well at night) or when it is really cloudy/stormy (that also usually means good wind).
In this era of everything-is-made-in-China it’s great to see a solid product that is price-competitive like this one which is actually made in the USA by Southwest Windpower Inc. of Flagstaff, Arizona. When I get around to adding some wind capability to my existing solar panel setup, this product would be a good choice because a 60-watt solar panel will run you around the same price. So you can add 60 watts of wind for about the same cost as adding 60 watts of solar — and with a hybrid system you get to take advantage of both alternative technologies. Think outside the oil barrel!
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I have this wind generator hooked up to
8 6 volt deep cycle batteries powering my 2 bedroom
off grid home. we run 2 televisions dvd players and compact
flourescent lights for bedrooms and kitchen without
having to turn on our generator. We dont have a microwave,
and our refrigerator runs on propane. But after using our loud
generator for 2 months at $15.00 for gas on a daily basis, The machine
will pay for itself quickly, The noise is minimal.The sounds it makes reminds me of birds chirping. You could not use it to run vacum cleaners
washer dryers and things like that but if you need a little energy for
lighting and small appliances this wind generator is great.
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made my own tower and installed windmill on top, have it about 30 feet and it works great, runs my ice box just fine, would buy more if i had the money
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I have had one of these generators for a while. It did not work for me so I bought 6 blades and put them on and it works great now. I have found that by adding a battery at the base of the tower it works the best. My main battery supply is about 125 ft from the tower and by putting a battery at the base of the tower the generator will fill the battery at the base and that battery will tranfer the power to the other batteries. If one has their batteries far away from the tower,then the lost in the wire when the generator reads the battery will keep it from completely charging the far away batteries. Hsydrogen appliances sells the 6 blade kits to add to this generator, and gives advise on how to make a better tail for it. They have there blade kits on ebay under wind generator. The tail can be built from information on their web site.
I have not tried hydrogen appliances wind generator yet, but will one day.
My remote cabin uses the dc power to run lights and radio. One can even buy dc light bulbs that work great.
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This is my 2nd one that I purchased for saving electrical power.When it moves, you don’t hear it.it is Just a wisper.One windy day can charge my 12 volt batterys.Follow the instructions and you have it made.I give it a 5.
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I mounted my wind generator to the top side of the house that I am renting. The house happens to be in an area where there is a lot of wind on windy days. I did have some problems finding materials to mount to the side of the house. I could not find a 2″ O.D. tube that the generator would fit onto. I did find a 1-3/4″ O.D. tube that is used for electrical purposes. The tube is galvonized steel, light weight. I used some gasketing to make up the 1/4″ that was needed to securely fasten the generator to the tube. I then cut an extension cord and wired one end to the leads on the generator. I ran the remaining 50′ into the basement through a hole in the foundation that I drilled. The generator spins up and works! I am waiting for a windy day to start generating some electricity
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Well I bought this for my fish house and it works great. I bought the stop switch and AMP meter as a extra purchase, but it was a great add on. The product directions are quite detailed and explain everything excellent.
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I hate windy days. But now i can capture some of energy blowing about so its a good trade off. As for the the wind mill its self it is all that it claims to be.
Don’t depend on it keeping up with demand on an off grid system unless you live in a vary windy zone or on top of a mountain. Keep in mind the tower kit can be made from standard supply’s found at the local building supply or lumber yard it will save you a bunch of cash. I have added a solar panel to the battery bank just to keep the energy flowing.OK its not much bigger than those lawn ornament wind mills but at least its doing some good, so in my mind I’m doing good things in the battle of energy needs –DJJON