<div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Hi Nathan, thanks for the update after your site visit. Instead of emailing you directly, I'm responding here in the hope this info might be of help to others (now or in the archives) See my responses (some more helpful than others, I'm afraid...) below, after each of your questions:</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br><font face="arial, sans-serif">- Shock absorber appears in good shape other than the blown out polyurethane bushing. I can easily find complete replacements for the whole shock absorber, but haven't found anyone selling just the bushing, you wouldn't have any ideas where one could find that?<br>
<br>Sorry, no help on this. I don't have any specs on that bushing, such as the durometer rating. But, I don't think the specs are particularly critical so (hopefully) you can find something at the auto parts store.</font><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">- The SOOW cable coming from the brush assembly is cracked in several spots (picture attached.) Any chance for a field repair on this or replacement assembly from somewhere at this point? Or am I better off just sealing it up the best I can? The actual wires appear fine, just the outer layer is damaged.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br>This cable should be connected, at each end, with standard wire nuts. If you cannot wrap it, to protect the inner conductors, it should not be a huge deal to replace it and the cable itself should be available at any electrical supply house or even a big box store. It's got 3 conductors. At one end, it's connected to the alternator output wires (grouped according to voltage configuration) and at the other it's connected to the three yaw brush wires. It should pass through a watertight cord grip fitting at each end.<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">- The blade edge tape is basically intact except for a couple of inches of hanging flap, which the customer has told me has been that way since the original install. How bad does it have to get before you would worry about it? Any source for replacement?</span><div>
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That tape should be a 3M polyurethane protective tape, also called blade (or helicopter) leading edge tape. I did a quick search on Amazon and found some similar products, but they aren't cheap. About $25 for a 2-inch by 12-foot package. But that's par for the product. The leading edge tape isn't really critical except in areas where the turbine blades are impacting hail, freezing rain, etc. Or, in Vietnam... but that's another story. I don't think I should post directly links to sales here, but if you search for "amazon helicopter leading edge tape" you'l find some.<br>
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">- This is a 48V system. Turbine wiring is confirmed correct, battery wiring is correct, but the diversion load is wired differently than in the manual. The diversion load is 4 ea. 0.75 Ohm resistors, looks like 2 x 2 series/parallel. It looks like the original installer removed the factory dump load wiring and installed their own. Do you have or know where I can find a more detailed wiring diagram for the diversion load? The manual is a little vague and doesn't anywhere show the actual diversion load wiring.</span></div>
<div><br></div><div>First, did you check the DIP switch settings on the controller card too? That's one of the three configuration locations, plus the turbine alternator wires and the diversion load. Can you email me, directly, a photo of the diversion load? The manual is, indeed, vague. Having said that, though, this is the least critical of the three settings. And if the customer hasn't burned up the controller so far, it's probably just fine and not worth changing. The two indicators of improper configuration are either a burned controller or diversion load (if those are set too low compared to the voltage configuration of the turbine). For example, having the turbine alternator wiring set to 48 volts but having the diversion load and/or controller set to 24v. In this case, you'll get good low-wind-speed output. But you'll burn something in the stronger winds when they occur. And, they will occur. On the other end, a complaint or observation that the controller only shows a green charge light in very high winds, could indicate that the turbine alternator's set to a low voltage compared to the controller.<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Thanks so much Ross, it is really generous of you to answer being off of the SW payroll as it were. If you find yourself in Fairbanks, Alaska anytime, give us a call and we'll show you around and take you out to lunch!</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">All best,</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">-Nathan</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
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