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cabinfun3
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# Posted: 15 Aug 2025 08:18pm
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Anyone have some experience with a vertical wind generator? Just saw them on ebay. Sure they are all over. For charging a battery or 2. Quality? Issues in winter freezing up? Looks like a neat idea.
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spencerin
Member
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# Posted: 15 Aug 2025 08:43pm - Edited by: spencerin
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Personally, no, but my understanding is that they're useful only if you have near-constant wind.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 16 Aug 2025 10:57am
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The units I see online look to be more like cute fun toys that wont make near the inflated claims of power.
Whenever I see something about small scale wind gens the story ends up being not cost or time effective, and it needs a high tower or pole to get away from the ground turbulence. High towers and poles are not inexpensive or easy.
Im thinking if they really worked we'd be seeing and hearing about them all over.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 17 Aug 2025 08:21am
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Thinking about getting one mainly for ‘fun toy’. I don’t have a lot of wind but there is some up in the trees often. What’s the good or bad about vertical vs horizontal? About a hundred bucks either one. Not going to charge my battery bank, maybe light an LED porch light.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 17 Aug 2025 02:09pm
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I encourage you to save your money and time by Not getting one, especially for your treed in situation. There is good reason why wind farms aren't built in forests 
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 17 Aug 2025 03:34pm
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Wasting time is my hobby out here.. good advice though. Years ago before I got 30 free solar panels, I had the bright idea to put a panel in a tree, so I had a tree climber go up and tie a pulley way up one. Well that idea faded out but the pulley and rope are still there running down to the cabin waiting for something. I’ve tried TV antennas, lights, the dog… when the wind blows it does move the tree tops around, but it’s not long lasting or strong. So I guess I’ll go back to fixing the tractor.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 17 Aug 2025 04:46pm
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I think if you put a generator on You while are out and about messing with stuff you could probably make more power than a toy wind-gen would.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 17 Aug 2025 05:39pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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Trees can reduce wind speed at ground level a large amount. That is why, where I grew up in the flat prairies of Canada, most farms had rows of trees planted around the location of the farmhouse and ag buildings. The deeper and denser the more wind that was blocked or shifted. Very good during cold winter weather.
Link to an article on the subject. https://www.env.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/02/How_windbreaks_work.pdf
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travellerw
Member
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# Posted: 18 Aug 2025 11:32pm
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A long time ago I determined that small wind turbines are just a waste of time and money. Even in the trade winds on a boat they didn't produce enough to be worth it. A single 200W solar panel produced more power when averaged over a month. Not to mention the noise. Small turbines need to spin at a speed that can only be described as annoying. We even tried these super expensive blue blades. They produces a sound that I can only describe as "air being ripped".
Now, back to the vertical turbines. They have been around for at least 20 years.... but you never see them anywhere. There is a reason! I never bought on myself, but I know at least 4 people that did. All 4 threw them in the trash within 3 months.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 19 Aug 2025 10:55am
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Quoting: travellerw air being ripped".
Or wallet.. ok I’m over that idea. My solar has been wonderful lately, but when fall comes it will be back to generator charging, the reason why alternative environmental methods get interesting. Not enough creek flow for electrical use either.
Still loving this thermal fan (thermal electric generation) on the wood stove. Get the fire going, it’s spinning. But not enough extra juice to charge a battery. I did buy some cheap TEGs a while ago, they will light an LED, that’s about it. Too bad, that’s the one thing that runs around here all winter.
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cabinfun3
Member
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# Posted: 19 Aug 2025 11:54pm
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ok. Am looking for something to charge a battery in a couple weeks or a months time. Wanted to try something other than solar. Search continues
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 20 Aug 2025 09:05am - Edited by: gcrank1
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Well...what are your elec power Needs? I say needs because many folks have a bunch of wants as if they are grid connected like home. The cheapest is Energy Conservation, most assuredly not Production, so if your needs are modest you could do like we do.
Mostly we run LED lights, first I had it all wired in the prev shack, now in the new cabin we are using USB rechargeable self contained LED lights that can be hung anywhere Without wiring. We do have 2 small ceiling fans c/w LED lights that are hard wired, we dont use them much but are there. They run off a 300W Pure Sine Wave 12vdc to 120vac inverter. That is powered by a 100ah 12v LFP battery that runs us for months with our often 2x/wk visits. If I want to run the toaster I swap to the 750W inverter (MSW because a toaster doesnt care; the fans Hum). We take the bat home home to recharge, it's only about 37# with its own carry strap, easy to move and manage this way.
Since going this way I haven't, and likely wont, put my 600W solar system back up.
For heavy duty electric we have a 2000W Inverter Generator, use like the small microwave, power tools, etc. We have hardly used it this year.
If your use is no more than our typical you may get by well with an 'all in one' (commonly called 'solar generator') that you recharge at home and bring with you. I suggest only getting one with an LFP battery.
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 20 Aug 2025 04:38pm - Edited by: groingo
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You are in much the same situation as me, I have a lot of trees and a small hole straight up, but even with that the bright sky provides ample energy with surplus in spring, fall and summer.... winter with shorter darker days can be a challenge, but for the most part solar does get the job done, just need to prioritize energy needs.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2025 10:00am - Edited by: paulz
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Quoting: paulz Still loving this thermal fan (thermal electric generation) on the wood stove
So the automatic wood stove fan was being blocked by my wife’s fat head. I love the thing, not because it moves the air, which it does, but it’s a great indication of how much heat is going on in the stove.
I pulled the fan motor out of the thermal base and added 20’ of wire to put it above me so I can see it. Still works great, gets about 1 volt and the speed varies by how hot the base gets on the stove. Amazing little motor, must be brushless because it spins with zero push and will stop spinning with one finger. Other use for those motors, can’t think of any.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2025 10:43am
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Now that's a fun toy that actually does something 
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Cath
Member
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# Posted: 14 Dec 2025 08:09am
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I think vertical axis wind turbines deal with turbulence better than horizontal, and they're easier on bearings because they don't sideways load them like a horizontal axis does. The wind has to hit a horizontal straight on to be efficient whereas it can hit a vertical from any angle and still turn it. They also take less space, and don't take up so much height so can be less obtrusive. Not sure why the trend is for horizontal. Seems a much less efficient design to me.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 14 Dec 2025 02:10pm
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Maybe the length the blades (swept area) making more torque to the horizontal gen unit.
If vert shaft turbines were the ticket the power companies would be using them, donchathink?
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