Homemade Wind Power-IV

When mounting the alternator, you want to make sure you have a way to adjust it from the ground. You will want to disconnect the alternator when the batteries are fully charged to save wear and tear on the alternator. First you need to build a platform. I used a rectangular wooden box of two-by-fours with one inch lumber for the bottom. Leave a six inch gap in the center of the bottom between the one inch boards. Using a screw jack or scissors jack, mount it to the 2x4 that is going to be farthest away from the bike tire. Mount the bottom of the jack to the 2x4 in such a way that the handle attachement device points toward the ground. Now mount the alternator, with the pully pointing up, to an eight inch wide board. Make sure it is an exact fit inside your wooden box and set it directly in front of the jack. Use a couple of 1x2's just above that board to keep it in the box but allowing it to slide back and forth. When the platform is in place, you will be able to use the screw jack to move the alternator. If your tower is next to a bulding as mine was, you can just mount the box on the roof of the building. If not, you will need to find a way to hang the box from your tower. Before you start your alternator, wrap the pulley with a rubber tape or a piece of old inner tube or bike tire glued in place. This will keep the pully from cutting into the bike tire. You may need to make an extension for your jack handle to reach the jack from the ground so you can crank the alternator against the tire and wait for the wind to blow. A little practice will tell you how much pressure you want against the tire. You should have run your wires from the alternator to your batterey(s) so that when the alternator starts up you will be charging them. Now just keep adjusting your alternator and you will brobably always have some power. Sometimes it may not be a lot and you will have to cut back on usage, but you will always have some.