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I've got a few Bergeys flying, some have been up for almost 10 years. Yea I've had to work on them, but Bergey has always been responsive. <div>My suggestions: <div>1)ground really well, because lightning is definitely a problem,</div><div>2)If in a high gust area, consider the shorter blades, it lowers the max output to prevent blowing the controller</div><div>3)Do NOT oversize the wires, as at average wind speed the volt drop won't be bad, and at max output it helps lower the surges. Bergey actually had me install a huge resistor in series to mellow out an old XL1, imagine my feelings after putting in 300 ft of oversized wire, to then essentially downsize it.</div><div>4) Don't go too tall, their 50 ft tower is a very nice compromise of height, and workability. I can drop a 50 ft tower as fast as the 30 ft. I did a 125 ft high one once, and that is really getting sketchy both installing, and for lightning.</div><div>5) Get a spare rectifier, and fuses, so if you do have a lighting incident, you don't have to make 2 trips.</div><div>6) Get a receiver mounted winch for your truck, for raising and lowering.</div><div><br></div><div>My 2 pennies,</div><div><br><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div>R. Walters</div><div>Solarray.com<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></div><div>NABCEP # 04170442<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span></span></div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span> </div><br><div><div>On Aug 27, 2009, at 4:33 PM, Kirk Herander, VSE wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"> <o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"> <!--[if !mso]> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline;} span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal-compose; font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" /> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout v:ext="edit"> <o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" /> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> <div class="Section1"><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial">Despite my vow to never install another wind generator, I have been called to action by an old customer who needs my help. We need to replace a ten year old Whisper (Elliot-area) 1500 watt machine 3-blade, 24 vdc battery bank, three phase to the basement rectifier/controller. I am not at all keen on <st1:place w:st="on">Southwest Windpower</st1:place>. Any suggestions based on reliability and a machine actually outliving its 5 year warranty would be most appreciated. PS. Does anyone have experience with the Raum 1.3kw machine?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial">Kirk Herander</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Vermont</span></font></st1:place></st1:state><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"> Solar Engineering</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial">802.863.1202</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial">NABCEP(tm) Certified Solar Installer</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial">NYSERDA-eligible Installer</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial">VT Solar Incentive Program Partner</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> </o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">_______________________________________________</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">List sponsored by Home Power magazine</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">List Address: <a href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Options & settings:</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">List-Archive: <a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">List rules & etiquette:</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Check out participant bios:</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">www.members.re-wrenches.org</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> </blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>