D400 Wind Generator

Hi all,
Looking to put a wind generator on the mizzen. Would love to put a D400 up but am concerned about the weight.
I saw one previous post which mentioned a D400. Anyone else have one? Any issues? My biggest concern is the weight (appx 40 pounds, so significantly heavier than the others on the market).
Anybody using a different brand which they are really happy with?
TIA.
Debi

I have nothing to offer other than I definitely want to follow this thread! A google search showed me this: globotools.com/best-wind-generators-for-sailboats/

I have no hands-on experience within the last 20 years..Anything from back when I was playing with wind generation is antique at this point...

dj

We installed a D400 on our Whitby, Creola (hull 200), in 2011. We sold the boat in 2016 and so I don’t have any current photos. We were very pleased with the performance and quiet operation of the generator. The D400 is a heavy unit, but we had no issues with the mount over the period we owned the boat. We could not find any mounts at the time for the D400, so we designed our own and had it fabricated and powder coated. As I recall, 1/4 inch aircraft grade aluminum was used by the fabricator. Because of the weight of the unit, we had a yard install the mount and unit. I had run the wiring into the mast and wired the D400 before hoisting and mounting it. The mount was bolted onto the mast after drilling and tapping.

Thank you for responding. I have been doing more research and wonder if you can tell me what your approach was to stopping the generator? I know there is the breaking switch but understand this doesn’t actually stop the rotation, just slows it down until you can stop it manually. Unless you have a different solution, this would mean climbing the mast. Did you have a different solution?

Thank you again!

The unit can withstand significant winds without damage. I seem to remember a figure of around 60 knots, but don’t hold me to that. We installed the brake switch, but I don’t recall ever using it other than to test it to verify it was functioning. We left the boat in Jacksonville, FL during hurricane season and I would go up the mast and tie it off before leaving. I always picked a day with calm winds and manually turned it out of the wind before securing it. While we were actively cruising, I never had to deal with it. We also installed a heat sink to dissipate any excess energy created above what was needed for charging the batteries.