# Tower for wind turbine



## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

I just purchased an old Dunlite BP wind turbine and hope to get it up and back working soon. Weight will be about 475 lbs, so I know it will need quite a strong tower. It needs to be one that can be tipped up and down for maintenance. Those of you who have wind turbines, what kind of tower do you have? Where did you get it? I am also curious if anybody has a Dunlite and how you like it. Location won't be a problem, I have a large clear open field on a hill just calling for a wind turbine. The location is about 200 -250 ft. from the house. 
Here's a picture of it, I know it doesn't look like much "yet" . A friend of mine found this deal for me for 56.00, just couldn't pass it up.


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

That is an awfully heavy unit for a tilt down tower. Check with Lake Michigan Wind and Sun and see if they make a tilt down tower that would work.


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## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

I'm wondering if I would need to look into a tower that has space on top to get around it when doing maintenance. The other big job will be getting it on the tower in the first place if it's not able to be tilted.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Good luck Wendle,thats awesome!


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## SolarGary (Sep 8, 2005)

Hi,
Here is a good description of a 140 ft homemade tilt up tower for a heavy wind turbine -- maybe five you some ideas:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Wind/TomTurbine/Main.htm


Gary


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## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

Thanks Gary, that's exactly what I was looking for. 
Thanks MightyBooBoo, I'm pretty excited about this as it's been a dream of mine for some time. It's going to take some time to get it done right, but it will be a good day to see it up and running again.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

If your on a *hill* you will have issues with a tilt up tower.

Easy way to go is a guyed lattice and a crane. 
That would be less expensive than a tilt up.
On one hook you have the turbine.
On the second hook you go up in a *man basket* to attach the turbine.

Interesting site Gary . . .
For the 60 meter (197' ) towers I have installed we use a gin pole to raise the main gin pole. . . .lots of fun.


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## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

Jim-mi said:


> If your on a *hill* you will have issues with a tilt up tower.
> 
> Easy way to go is a guyed lattice and a crane.
> That would be less expensive than a tilt up.
> ...


I was thinking lattice and crane too.
I've worked up and down several 60 meter MET (meterological) towers for a wind survey group. Takes at least 3 guys to man them and the guy wires, 4 is better. Gin pole and grip hoist, things can get scary , need reeeeeal good anchoring to raise these and keep them up, especially in northern climes.
I'm not sure how a 450 lb. gen/turbine would act on a pole type tower, probably be a beast if you had to go very high w/it.. The 60 meter MET towers(10"dia.i think) are beasts w/o any weight attached to the top of them. These weighed about 1 ton laying on the ground but took 2 tons of torque getting them off the ground if i remember correctly.
And like Jim said, if you're on a hilltop, tilt-up could be very difficult if the top of the tower laying on the ground was below horizontal position.
However, the height of the tower makes a big difference too in what you can get away with.


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## DMD Farms (Jun 8, 2008)

Just wondering how this worked out???


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## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

It will take some time and more money to restore the turbine. Then the tower. I plan on going with the tilt up design . Seems like hiring a crane for install and maintenance sort of defeats the purpose. On the hill there is plenty of flat land, so that won't be an issue.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

The additional hardware to 'tilt up' is more than the cost of a crane.


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