Who's rocking a tower?

[Deleted member 783]

I have a chance to buy a 60' tower for $300. The top is set up for a turbine. I'm not sold on wind power, but holy crap do I want a 60' tower in my yard. How would I erect it though? It's in 10' sections and has a hinge at the bottom. It's heavy duty. I'm thinking that 60' is excessive and maybe I'd just bury the first section in concrete for a stable base. They I guess I'd have to lift up one section at a time. Anyone done this? Please post pics if you have! PS-I have no code issues where I live. No permitting, etc.

 

[Ped]

Im no expert but i think 60' is too short from what I've read. You want about double that ideally.

How high should your small wind turbine be?

A tall tower is the single most important factor in the economic viability of a small wind system. Tall towers enable turbines to access faster in better quality winds, and even small increases in wind speed translate to exponentially more energy the turbine can generate. In other words, a...

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[Deleted member 783]

Yeah, that ain't happening. I doubt I'll end up using all the sections to get to 60. I don't really care about wind. Mostly I just want a tower, for the same reason I once bought a fire truck. If you have to ask, you won't get it!

 

[Picasso]

Lifting is easy after you get the first part in, Rohn is the leader in them and makes most. It rents a little arm the bolts to the first section and you raise the next section. search youtube or just check out the Rohn catalog.

DO NOT TRUST any of the controllers that come with the sub 600watt airx clones. You will want to get a KID controller. I have had a china airx clone destroy it's self when battery disconnected from it....wind NEEDS a dump load. any design that uses power to brake/slow can be a problem....

 

[Deleted member 783]

Ahhhh this is the wisdom I was hoping for! I believe it is a Rohn. I will search!

 

[Deleted member 783]

I found the "erection fixture" (stifiling myself) and it's $900!! Guess I'll be rednecking it! It is indeed a Rohn 25G, and I just agreed to buy it for $250. It's missing the base plate, so I think I'll drop the first 10 feet into about 6 feet of concrete and start from there. I'm going to erect it right next to my cabin, so it will be anchored to the building at about 12'.

 

[Deleted member 783]

Pretty cool though

 

[MisterSandals]

I'm going to erect it right next to my cabin, so it will be anchored to the building at about 12'.

Have you heard a wind turbine in action?
Have you been on a 60' tower?
And from my scary experiment... have you been really close to a wind turbine when its spinning?

You have the advantage of being in the high desert where you can put this at a safe distance from EVERYTHING. I am very jealous, that's an awesome project!

I recommend getting a handle on things at the 10' height. And cementing a section in concrete will create a flex/failure point at the surface. Think of it as an exercise in managing flexure than keeping it rigid.

Wondering about the side loading of the tower with wind pushing on a turbine - a 60' tower will need someone with experience to figure out how to secure it (the guy lines and stresses from any/all wind directions).

Dang that sounds fun though!

 

[Deleted member 783]

Have you heard a wind turbine in action?
Have you been on a 60' tower?
And from my scary experiment... have you been really close to a wind turbine when its spinning?

You have the advantage of being in the high desert where you can put this at a safe distance from EVERYTHING. I am very jealous, that's an awesome project!

I recommend getting a handle on things at the 10' height. And cementing a section in concrete will create a flex/failure point at the surface. Think of it as an exercise in managing flexure than keeping it rigid.

Wondering about the side loading of the tower with wind pushing on a turbine - a 60' tower will need someone with experience to figure out how to secure it (the guy lines and stresses from any/all wind directions).

Dang that sounds fun though!

Don't worry, I found an expert!

 

[Deleted member 783]

Good point about it creating a flex point. I'll need to weld on some reinforcement if I go that way.

 

[Deleted member 783]

Have you heard a wind turbine in action?
Have you been on a 60' tower?
And from my scary experiment... have you been really close to a wind turbine when its spinning?

No one has ever done anything...until they do it.

 

[April]

On mine I assemble it on the ground . Lift it to about 30 degrees (hinged on bottom) assemble whatever i want on it . Then I gradually lift a bit at a time and prop it ,move in closer for another lift and prop it . and so on . Restrain it when it gets to upright . Got a 300 watt wind gen at about 20 foot just now. Works fine but it howls.

 

[Deleted member 783]

On mine I assemble it on the ground . Lift it to about 30 degrees (hinged on bottom) assemble whatever i want on it . Then I gradually lift a bit at a time and prop it ,move in closer for another lift and prop it . and so on . Restrain it when it gets to upright .

How tall is it? At 50-60 feet that becomes logistically very difficult without a crane or something?

 

[April]

Yeh only about 40 foot but two or three people lifting can do more . Boyfriend lifts this one on his own .The prop system has to work right though too. Normal steel triangular pipe structure.

 

[MisterSandals]

No one has ever done anything...until they do it.

I love the attitude!

Be smarter than I was and understand that once the wind starts spinning it, it ONLY stops when the wind stops or the turbine/blades disintegrate (video please!).

I got super lucky and the wind stopped. I know the wind in NM can blow hard for days on end (my parents live on a hill in T or C, all their patio furniture (well their second set anyway) is bolted down).

 

[Deleted member 783]

Yeh only about 40 foot but two or three people lifting can do more . Boyfriend lifts this one on his own .The prop system has to work right though too. Normal steel triangular pipe structure.

I'm guessing mine at just shy of 400#. I think Ill have to get creative.

 

[Supervstech]

Sitting in my mothers driveway is a 4 section 100’crank up tower, my father bought in the early 80’s and never opened. I have moved it from 4 states, never set it up... still has the factory shipping bands on it... instructions called for a 6’ square 2’ deep concrete pad for it...

 

[Deleted member 783]

Sitting in my mothers driveway is a 4 section 100’crank up tower, my father bought in the early 80’s and never opened. I have moved it from 4 states, never set it up... still has the factory shipping bands on it... instructions called for a 6’ square 2’ deep concrete pad for it...

Wow that actually seems a bit shallow. Why haven't you set it up? Thats worth big money. I just picked mine up and I also scored an 18' crank up tower. Pretty cool. I see a massive solar chimney in my future...

 

[Deleted member 783]

I love the attitude!

Be smarter than I was and understand that once the wind starts spinning it, it ONLY stops when the wind stops or the turbine/blades disintegrate (video please!).

I got super lucky and the wind stopped. I know the wind in NM can blow hard for days on end (my parents live on a hill in T or C, all their patio furniture (well their second set anyway) is bolted down).

Yup, spring winds are nutty here. Monsoon season can do some damage too. Don't those things have brakes?

 

[Deleted member 783]

On mine I assemble it on the ground . Lift it to about 30 degrees (hinged on bottom) assemble whatever i want on it . Then I gradually lift a bit at a time and prop it ,move in closer for another lift and prop it . and so on . Restrain it when it gets to upright . Got a 300 watt wind gen at about 20 foot just now. Works fine but it howls.

Howls like in a loud obnoxious way? I definitely dont want anything loud because it will be right next to my cabin. This is actually the safest place for it, because if its right next to it, it can't fall on it. I guess I could set it up in the middle of property if there was a compelling reason not to secure it to the cabin.