LB Healing Products
Mudgee, NSW:
Ph: 02 6373 3419
email: sales@grainmills.com.au 

LB Healing Products
Sydney/Wollstonecraft:
Ph: 02 9436 4772
email: lisa@grainmills.com.au 

International:
Ph: +61.263 733419

This is the account of a personal installation of a Chinese Wind Turbine just off Hill End Road, near Mudgee, NSW by the owner of this web site.

The package was delivered in three boxes, comprising the turbine, the wind blades and the control box/regulator. It appeared to be well boxed and in good condition.
The Sparky, who was helping with the solar installation, agreed to help out with the assembly of the unit, of which he had already installed 12 in the vicinity of Mudgee, he explained that the only way it can be installed in full in one day is by the use of quick setting concrete, of which we needed 4 bags.

Little did I realize that this was going to be a day to remember?
The first thing we did was to pace out the positions of the short star posts as were supplied, dug the holes and started mixing the cement, only to find that it nearly set before we filled the holes, we then quickly drove each stake into the mix, one at the time.

We also filled the centre hole, which takes the support hinge for the whole structure.

Everything appeared to be working well so far, until we got out the 3 lengths of pipe that supposedly fit into each other. 

We fitted the first pipe and things were looking good.........until we tried to fit the second piece into it, no matter  how hard we smashed with the sledge hammer, it would not fit, and it even appeared that the concrete we had just poured was being dislodged by the banging.

So we immediately removed the pipe and positioned one end against a solid nearby boulder, while we tried to hammer the second length in.

After endless banging we could only get it in about 20 mm instead of the obvious 50 mm extrusion, so we compromised. Where there is a will, there is a way.
After this early experience, we thought we had better try the third pipe as well, which also did not fit!

We applied the same technique to attach it to the other pipes, again managing only about 20 mm, but she was going to go up, by hook or by crook.

Next we tried to fit the composite blades, of which there are 3 with predrilled holes to suit the threaded holes, which of cause needed some reaming out with a round file.

The next job was to fit the tail assembly, which not to our surprise, did not fit between the flanges, the Sparky, called Vick was quick to get the sledge hammer and tell it who was boss.
Finally we got the tail into position, though it appeared very tight.

We had managed to call in Ron from down the road, a local bee keeper, and a very solid able man, brought up with hard work in the harsh dry outback.
Ron is one of those men that you are grateful to know, always ready to give a hand, something often hard to come by in the cities.
We then levered it up by pulling on the cable stays, and it was hinged at the base to the support.

Ron’s job was to hold it into position while we two attached all the cables to the star post holes, this was going well until the nuts supplied with the cable tie crimps stripped before too much tightening could be achieved

Ron raced off to his farm and retrieved some "made in Australia" tie crimps, which were then added for security, as the turbine was intended to stay were she was, and stay she would, because this baby was going to produce electricity soon, if she liked it or not.
We adjusted the crimps and up she was, a site to behold, till the penny dropped, the tail was not moving freely, and it stubbornly stayed at 90 degrees to the turbine, and was not turning freely. By this time we also noticed that in the chaos, I had attached the tail upside down.
By this time the Sparky said not to worry, the tail will work its way loose with the wind in time, which reminded me of pants riding up with wear!
So Sparky took off, and we were on our own. Needless to say, the fin did not loosen up after many days.

Again Ron saved the day when he suggested he would drive his pick up Ute underneath it, tie a rope around the blades and hold a step ladder on the back while I went up there with some oil and a spanner to fix the fin. This was one of those jobs I could have done without. Balancing on the top of a ladder positioned on a Ute parked on the side of a hill! But we did it!!  All was well, the turbine immediately produced electricity, and at least we thought it was, but again, we were ahead of ourselves.

On checking the other end of the 100 meter long 2.5 mm heavy duty cable, with the controller box connected, it did not appear to register any power at all, we then concluded that the controller box was faulty, so Sparky was called in again, and as an emergency measure, he fitted a car alternator until the box was returned. This works fine as long as you have a big battery bank, if you didn’t it could result in over charging your batteries.

The new controller box was delivered even before the week was out, and you may be very surprised to hear this, but she is beautiful, the blades turn about 80% of the time and she produces a good number of watts, not bad compared to my two solar panels that produce 160 watt max in peak conditions.

In fact, when the wind really started blowing, the amp meter raced up between 12 and 18 amps, causing the battery voltage to increase to 29.5 volt, from the normal 27 volts average on my system. At which point the solenoid automatically switches the power off the batteries and onto the shunt built into the controller box instead, till it drops about 2 volt and then switches on again.

I Was told by an expert that the unit installation is often associated with difficulties, but the end result is all worth it, the magneto itself, the heart of the unit is a gem, well engineered (or copied) and is a very nice piece of work, and all this for $499. Personally, I think it was well worth it.

So if you want a challenge, and something to talk about for the rest of your life...purchase our wind generator, we guarantee it will be a talking point!!
We do note that the above account should be considered as the worst case scenario!

Most installations are much less painful, in fact according to Sparky, the other 12 he did were fairly pain free..

Recommended tools:

Small ring spanners, shifter, round and square file, some rope, extra cable ties, 100 meter roll of heavy duty 2.5 mm electrical 3 core cable, 2 people to help you, and a qualified Sparky.

Recommend that you place the wind generator as far away from you as possible, 100 metres or a little more, as some noise is audible and changing, depending on wind direction and velocity.
The unit produces 3 phase power at high voltage, till it reaches the controller box, which converts it to DC.