Frequently Asked Questions
about the KISS High Output wind generator
1. How do you stop it in high winds?
2. What's "freewheeling"?
3. What about during hurricanes?
4. How much noise does it make?
5. How is this wind generator better than the others?
6. What's to stop the wires from pulling loose from the motor?
7. What do I get for $1,195?
8. What regulator do I have to have?
9. What does the 3 year warranty cover?
10. What kind of mount do I need?
11. Can I mount a KISS on my house?
12. Can I use solar panels with a KISS wind generator?
13. Does the electric brake use battery power?
14. How do I keep the KISS from overcharging my batteries?
You have several options:
- You can just let it spin if you've got something
more important to do, like dealing with a dragging anchor! The KISS is guaranteed
to hurricane force winds, and we know of two that have operated through
hurricanes with no damage.
- You can shut it off with the electric break (located on the control box near your
battery) up to 35 knots. It will slow the blades to a near stop. They will turn very
slowly, allowing you to tether a blade to the mounting pole if you wish.
- If it is freewheeling, you can switch the brake to the OFF position which
will slow the blades once the motor has re-engaged.
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Two thermal-sensitive bimetallic circuit breakers are connected to the coils of the stator to
prevent the motor from overheating. Depending on ambient temperature, the
thermal switches will open in winds of 20-25 knots and outputs of 20-25
amps, allowing the motor to cool enough to reset itself and again produce
power.
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Since the KISS does not use set screws to attach the hub to the shaft, it's very
easy to remove the blade assembly for hurricane preparation. The hub and
shaft share tapered threads, with the wind spinning the blades clockwise,
always self-tightening. To remove, simply place the flats of a wrench on
the flats at the forward end of the shaft and turn the blade assembly counterclockwise
by hand. Stow the blade assembly below. The housing itself presents little
windage. After the blow, when you've reinstalled the blade assembly, again
use a wrench to ensure that the blades are a little bit more than hand-tightened.
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Noise is entirely subjective, and all wind generators will make some noise in high winds.
However, KISS owners report that the KISS is among the quietest units available.
Aboard s/v HOTWIRE, we don't hear ours up to 20 knots. Our neighbors and
guests say they don't hear it either. And other KISS owners report the same.
(One KISS owner said she didn't hear hers in 30 knots! But she was down
below in cold weather and perhaps has a better insulated cabin than some
of us.)
Between 20 and 30 knots, it begins to whisper and sigh like the
wind in a pine forest, louder as the wind speed increases.
Above 30 knots, it will be noisy along with everything else on your boat.
Libbie finds it objectionable at 35 knots and just turns it off at the break switch. John
doesn't find it objectionable until close to 50 knots, but he was a drummer
in a rock-and-roll band many years ago, so......... Draw your own conclusions.
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We don't claim that it's better. Just different. The brand you choose should depend on
what you want out of a wind generator. The following are some of the reasons
why the KISS was our #1 choice:
- The KISS is designed to meet the electrical
needs of typical liveaboard cruisers in the eastern Caribbean. (Think in
terms of wind conditions.) The power output is high.
- The KISS is among the quietest wind generators available.
- The KISS is very simply designed to reduce maintenance and repairs.
Maintenance involves basically two things: occasional visual check of the
blades for cracks, chips, and wear; and replacement of the bearings
(standard 6203 sealed metric bearings available worldwide)
every few years depending on how much the unit has been used.
- The KISS uses a rare earth permanent magnet alternator, a more modern, more efficient,
and lighter weight generator design than using a permanent magnet DC motor.
- The rotating mass is lightweight enough to use even while underway. (Other
manufacturers recommend shutting their units off while underway to prevent
vibration, noise and stress caused by the gyroscopic effects of a rocking
and pitching boat combined with a heavy spinning mass.)
- The KISS is a three-phase alternator. The AC is rectified to DC (using a standard automotive
part available worldwide) in the control box located somewhere near your
batteries. There is less voltage drop in AC wiring than in DC, an advantage
if you must install a lengthy run of wire, such as installations on a mizzen
mast.
- The KISS has no brushes or slip rings. Brushes wear out and need
to be replaced. They can also create high frequency radio interference,
especially if you're using an insulated backstay as your antenna. With the
KISS, however, you can charge the batteries at the same time you're transmitting
on SSB or ham.
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A tether connecting the tailfin to the mounting post will allow the unit to turn
no more than 3 revolutions in either direction. We also have optional mercury-contact slip-rings for unlimited 360 degree rotation. ($200.00.)
But think about it: when
you're cruising, how often do you spin in circles? Not often! You might
tack when sailing to your next anchorage. At anchor or on a mooring, you
point into the wind. At a dock, you're probably plugged into shore power
and won't need the KISS, so just tie it off. It's likely rare that you'll
find yourself doing 360's.
For those times when you do, the KISS has a light
spring which tends to turn the unit back to the forward position when the wind stops. If you
are thinking of a mount at the top of your mizzen, please reconsider. It's
extra weight up there, and you won't be able to use the halyard to support
the unit during installation or removal for servicing. Both are safety issues.
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The KISS comes with the
control box (containing the rectifier and the brake switch) and thirteen feet
of heavy gauge wire.
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Aboard s/v HOTWIRE, we
don't use a charge controller. We use a digital e-meter to monitor the state
of our batteries. On those windy days when our batteries are fully charged,
we'll plug in the watermaker, transmit on the SSB/ham, make popcorn and
watch a video, whatever uses the power as it's being made. (If we can't
keep up, we've been known to feather the unit at an angle to the wind, reducing
the blade speed and the charging rate.)
If all this sounds too complicated
to you, we have charge controllers and divert loads (for excess power) to
make your system fully automated and prevent overcharging, especially important
if you're using AGM or gel cell batteries.
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Defects in material or manufacture. We have a warranty repair facility in the US. Or, if you are
out cruising, contact us for authorization to have someone else do the repairs.
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Basically, you want the blades out of accidental reach. The pole cap will fit either
1 1/2" Schedule 40 aluminum pipe or 2" stainless steel tube. We make a mizzen bracket, pole kit,
archtop bracket for a Manta cat, and (if you must) a hoisting bracket, or we can provide you with diagrams
and dimensions to have a mount fabricated locally.
See photos & info by clicking MOUNTS.
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Yes, but.... Do you live
in a location with steady winds of sufficient strength to make wind power
cost-effective? Is your location free of trees or structures that would
create "wind shadows"?
The Danish educational site on wind power, www.windpower.dk, offers information on choosing a
site for a landbased windmill. We now have mercury-contact sliprings for unlimited 360 degree rotation.($200.00.)
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Absolutely! We recommend supplementing wind power with solar because the wind doesn't always blow.
Use the link below to take a look at some of the solar modules available
from Hotwire Enterprises.
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No battery power is used to keep the generator from turning when the switch is in the off position. What happens
is that when the blades start to turn, all of the power they produce goes into stopping them from turning. So, you'll
notice that they will turn a little (slowly enough that you could reach up and grab one to stop them). If you want
to ensure that they're stopped, just tether a blade to your mounting tower.
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A typical cruising sailboat will use most of the power the KISS makes, most of the time, without overcharging
the batteries.
When the batteries become charged, you can turn off the KISS at the switch. If the boat has "wet"
(flooded) cell batteries, they can withstand some overcharging without damage. In fact, they need a
controlled over charge (equalization) about once a month to stay healthy.
Wet cell batteries have a higher self-discharge rate as well, so a little charging is needed
to keep them topped off, compared to gell and AGM batteries that can go for several months with
no charge.
However, a small battery bank can absorb less power before being damaged. Gell and AGM batteries
are more sensitive than wet cells, and will be more likely to be damaged by overcharging.
Or, you can add a charge controller. The only down side to the controller is the extra $260
it will cost, but it would mean you can leave the boat with the KISS running, and not have to
get up in the middle of the night when the wind picks up to check on the battery state of charge.
If you elect to go without a controller, you'll need a battery monitor to tell you when the batteries
are charged. A voltmeter is not sufficient. A battery or system monitor will tell you the state of
charge, instantaneous amps, amp hours, and more.
We sell the TriMetric system monitor.
If you elect for the charge controller, we have been
using the Trace/Xantrex C-40 with good results.
The way it works is; when the batteries reach the charging voltage set point (it is adjustable),
the controller sends current to a diversion load, which turns the excess power into heat. The
C-Series controllers can be used with wind or solar. However, if you have more than 150 watts of
solar there are better choices (see MPPT controllers).
We have available two diversion loads:
One is the HWDL, a set of wirewound ceramic power resistors
mounted on a phenolic plastic board, about 8 X 11 inches. This can get very hot, and needs to be
mounted such that sailcloth, plastic, fabric, etc. cannot be in contact.
The other diversion load is our 12/120 volt water heater element. It replaces the element in
your water heater. It has two loops of heating wire; one is 12 volts (to dump the excess power from
the wind generator) and the other is 120 volts (so you can still make hot water from shore power or
a genset.
The 120 volt side is only 600 watts, so it will take at least twice as long to heat a tank of w
ater from shore power. We have these made to fit just about any kind of marine water heater, but
we'll need to know the manufacturer to get you the right one. Isotherm and Quick water heaters have
larger diameter threaded holes and need an adaptor.
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