[AT] Wind generators, was RE: Snow

[Grant Brians]

Cecil, I would recommend you look at the old Mother Earth News issues 
and other similar sources for information. Commercial units have to be 
built to avoid all lawsuits and also to yield a profit for a relatively 
small production level, so are currently still very expensive. Also 
check with OK State University to see if they have an expert possibly 
in the Engineering dept? That might be a help. Third, check for internet 
plans. Fourth, I vaguely remember a book that was reviewed in someplace 
like Acres USA on how to build your own at some point in the distant 
past. If all of those fail, take a trip to see us in California and 
try to buy one of the unused ones sitting in one of the passes that 
are no longer "technologically up to date" or "need a new generator 
inserted".... Oh, also there are military surplus units out there too 
somewhere I believe, but finding them may be beyond difficult.
           Grant

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com]On Behalf Of Cecil Bearden
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:40 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Snow


You should be around here in central OK, NW of OKC.  Land speculators 
have raised the price of undeveloped land to $7k per acre.  I try to 
lease some land to hay for sale to horse owners.  I got one 160acre 
plot, but the other 40 acre one I lost the hay crop to the owner who 
hired a guy to mow the place before the fourth of JULY.  He was worried 
about fire.  actually he was worried about not selling a lot on the 
place..  I have tried to cut many small 10 to 20 acre fields for hay 
last summer.  These people would rather pay someone to cut it down than 
allow a guy to utilize it for hay.   I even tried to pay a fee for the 
grass and they would rather someone cut it down.

I am waiting on the snow again.  This time I am prepared.  I got my 
Caterpillar 112F road grader in here last night.  It is an ex military 
one and really has had good care taken of it for the last 30 years.  It 
was shedded and only used to grade some access roads on the Veterans 
center in Eastern OK..  If I can get one of the old Hghway Dept 
snowplows mounted on the front of it, I can really have some fun.

In this part of OK, the wind is always 5 to 15mph  and this year it is 
colder than I ever remember.  I have worked outside for many years and 
this time i just can't seem to stand it.  This wind is like a knife 
cutting at the back of your neck constantly.  I have looked at the wind 
generator location map and I am in a very small area that is listed as 
good.  I contacted a small wind generator company and they would not 
talk to me,  The JD dealer near here is selling wind generators but they 
are in the $30k range..  I need something for $5k and do it yourself.. 
If I can get some type of biomass boiler, I can cut a lot of the 
electric bills for this heat pump.

Cecil inOKla