C5 Builds a Category 5 Hurricane Proof Wind Tower. The Windapult

Just a teaser...



I wanted to get this article out to you folks FIRST before it gets around.

It's a bit cheating because I am referring you to my blog but I figure you will understand why.

https://darkgreenmountainsurvivalresearchcentre.wordpress.com/2018/10/07/c5-builds-a-category-5-hurricane-resistant-wind-tower-the-windapult/

It was a hard push for me getting this wind tower... and then the article done... and I am spent.

Translating it to Permies format is too much for me at the moment...

But I wanted to give you folks First Dibs

Very clever idea

You are a funny guy. "Nice blog," I mean. I've got a few technical questions, if you don't mind.
What are the specs of that turbine? Are you collecting data from it? What are the wind conditions where you are?
Did you say Nova Scotia? Is this the your first tower with that used turbine?  What kind of terrain do you have around the turbine?
The reason I'm asking is most home wind turbines are set at sixty or more feet to account for eddies around buildings and trees.
Ours is on top of a hill and like you I built the tower from iron I had on hand or scavenged. I got it up to forty five feet, but it still suffers from spotty wind.  
Nevertheless it still produced up to one kilowatt on days with more than 10 mph winds, until it failed to furrow in a 90 mile per hour wind storm and tore itself up.
Your trebuchet style of tilt up is brilliant and well thought out. Thank you for sharing.
I've got to rebuild mine ASAP as you've inspired me.
Brian

Thanks for the kind words.
We are on a hill so we dont have to go very high. The concept should scale up, but I can also see that the concept could be simplified more. Its the first so I was making it up as I went. It was simply in my head and the materials available dictated what it would be . The counter weight could also be replaced with a simple winch. All that weight was why I had to create a brace for it. Its worth it for the "It raises itself. No, really..." factor, to amaze. I am somewhat of a dramatic guy.  

Soooo..... Is it too soon....

... to point out why I do this stuff. There is a reason I changed my on-line authors name to Category5. I expect we will hear it said a lot more on the news as each year goes by.

Now, onto reinforcing my solar panels as Michael makes its way my way.

I still remember when our whole high school was transformed into a medieval fair (it was our 9th grade project) and they brought in the big ol trebuchet. Thing was awe inspiring. Being it was high school, they flung watermellons and even a toilet across the football field with that thing!

I know there's a difference between catapult and trebuchet, but I honestly don't know the distinction--now I need to look it up! I don't feel too bad about my ignorance, though--my spell check doesn't even think  trebuchet is a word!

Nicole Alderman wrote:I still remember when our whole high school was transformed into a medieval fair (it was our 9th grade project) and they brought in the big ol trebuchet. Thing was awe inspiring. Being it was high school, they flung watermellons and even a toilet across the football field with that thing!

I know there's a difference between catapult and trebuchet, but I honestly don't know the distinction--now I need to look it up! I don't feel too bad about my ignorance, though--my spell check doesn't even think  trebuchet is a word!

This reminds me that I have to do a "C5 goes Medieval on you, Redux" as a proper  blog post now that I have the medium and work it into something better. Low on the priority blog posts though. Dead Hedge Redux is far more important. I've had major fails, minor successes and new strategies for that one.

Your tower absolutely rocks. Putting this on the list of Important Things To Do. Thanks for sharing.

Awesome! I think you solved part of my design problem!
My parameters include being a small female who can't haul stuff up and down a tower to maintain it, and constant wind,which sometimes turns into damaging winds or tornadoes. I have been assuming just putting my turbines at ground level, and getting a bit less power.
I'm SO using this!! THANK YOU!!

I noticed a rapid readership rise since this afternoon. A thousand extra views here. A hundred extra visitors to my blog where much more is described.

This tells me that someone reposted somewhere. I'm just curious where. Please fill me in.

I mentioned it in the dailyish this morning . That might explain the extra views. I have POWERS. Bwahahahahahahahaha!!!

Nicole Alderman wrote:I mentioned it in the dailyish this morning . That might explain the extra views. I have POWERS. Bwahahahahahahahaha!!!

Well, I am a firm believer in sucking up to the right people.

Speaking of the power of positive sucking up....

Some of you will remember my Farmgal post here. Well, she had put up an article on my article. I always find it cute how she gives a big WARNING before sending her readers to me/ LOL.

But I thought I would give the link here so people can visit her. https://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.com/2018/10/10/a-little-c5-update/

Lines that made me smile were "one of the things about C5’s post is that they are long, and they always need a couple readings, spaced apart by days or weeks.. he sends you down rabbit holes on reading.. he makes you snarl, he makes you go.. WHAT?? and then I am off on google "

The folks at The Doomstead Diner also put it as a featured articles. A few other sights presented it.

Youtube is the only one that has been letting me down. Some numbers shenanigans was going on there. Its up to you folks to share it and get it noticed. Like and share it. That is the only way youtube will move it somewhere better.

Thanks again, everyone, for your support, input, long suffering and I am sure, a few arguments and chaos.

So I gave you folks a big shout out on my next article. I needed a break so I dug a cable trench before freeze up... then wrote a fun, distracting article. https://darkgreenmountainsurvivalresearchcentre.wordpress.com/2018/10/22/make-canada-great-briton-again/  

Nice feature! Sure the radio and ham folks would like that one too. I do the climbing for alot of the local radio people though, so i wont be showing them! Kidding.

How is the shading of your main pv array and solar (looks like) dehydrator?

The base section of comercial radio tower would generally be the hardest part to get as scrap, but id like one of these. It would need to be four sections (35ish feet) above the pivot.

We have been considering a telescoping tower and the build would be a bit tougher and would rattle and buck in the wind a bit unless you climb..... defeats the purpose.

Found your site on here last year (bike trucks! Nam! South american scrapper/delivery men!) and read most of them. Good stuff.

I like the blog on home security defenses, its a good window into likely soon to be environmental situations here.

Next time i hear you almost died of dehydration during a water shortage at your vacation home though...... ill cut you off, just like that!

Thanks for the posts and blog.

Im only just building my tower but i have a smaller mill its 500 watt 48v and only 250 bucks but i can get 2 and do.the same thing as the 1000$+ 1+kw turbins and they move with less wind   to simplify the build i used a simple 20 ft 4x4 with cables on all 4 sides i added a beefy hinge about 1 foot off the ground and 1 of the cables is a atv winch i simply lossen the side cables.slightly then hold.a botton and the whole tower comes down  i think my whole tower was 250$ ish   by the way i like your tower its awsome a bit over kill for me but awsome  

Heres 2 pics of the thus far "still waiting in the windmill to show up" thou i have used a very similar windmill already  also sory for the crapy cam  and if this first test run dose well i will be expanding the tower to hole 2 windmills  but i tested the raising and lowering of it this morning and it worked perfect

Ill be adding a housing to keep the winch/batt out of the elements and a lil 5 watt solar cell to trickel charge the batt between uses

Really really beautiful design!!! WELL DONE. (when you got a real hurricane, should you also fold or lock the blades?)