Wind Turbine FAQs
-
Summary Checklist for Your Choice
Choose the SR or ST-1200W if you want portability, low noise, and minimal investment for camping or caravans.
Choose the ST-2000, ST-3000, or ST-5000 if you have a stationary house/cabin and want to supplement solar panels at night.
Choose the ST-10kW — the largest turbine we sell — if you have heavy agricultural power needs, acreage, and a budget for proper mast engineering.
The vertical axis wind turbines listed on the BushLine Outdoor Equipment catalogue are categorised by physical design shapes, which dictate their ideal applications.
-
No.Wind turbines generate "wild" 3-phase AC power that changes voltage constantly with the wind speed. Connecting it directly to a battery or a standard solar inverter will instantly destroy your equipment. Youmustwire the turbine into a dedicatedWind/Solar Hybrid MPPT Controller with an integrated Dump Load Resistor. The controller converts the power to stable DC to charge your batteries safely.
-
You must match the turbine and its hybrid controller to the exact voltage of your existing battery bank:
- 12V: Best for compact mobile setups like caravans, 4WDs, and camper trailers.
- 24V: Great for medium-sized setups like off-grid sheds, cabins, and motorhomes.
- 48V: The gold standard for full off-grid home systems. Higher voltage means less energy loss through your wires and allows you to use thinner, safer cables.
-
When your battery bank becomes 100% fully charged, it stops accepting power. If a heavy wind storm hits at night when your batteries are full, a turbine with nowhere to send its power will "free-spin" out of control and physically fly apart. A hybrid controller fixes this by automatically diverting that excess power into the dump load resistor, which burns it off safely as heat and acts as an electronic brake to slow the turbine down.
-
No,that is the main benefit of the vertical design. Traditional horizontal "propeller" turbines create a high-pitched, annoying "chopping" noise. Our ST Tulip and Flower series utilise advanced omnidirectional maglev-style bearings, making them virtually silent and completely vibration-free, all you will hear is the wind. They are perfect for suburban blocks, tight caravan parks, and areas close to neighbours.
-
It will turn, but turning is not charging. The blades start rotating at about 1.5 m/s — a light breeze. Charging starts once the wind clears the cut-in speed of about 3.5 m/s, and output climbs from there — the rated figure is measured at 13 m/s (about 47 km/h). A gentle breeze keeps the turbine ticking over; it takes real wind to push real power into your batteries.
-
You should connect the wind turbine to a battery bank first, via a dedicated charge controller, rather than directly to an inverter. Connecting a wind turbine directly to a standard inverter will damage the equipment or cause the system to fail.
🔋 The Correct Wiring SequenceTo safely capture and use the power, your setup must follow this exact order:
- Wind Turbine: Generates wild, fluctuating 3-phase AC power as wind speeds change.
- Hybrid/Wind Charge Controller: Converts the unstable AC power into steady DC power. It also protects the turbine from over-speeding by applying an electronic brake during high winds.
- Battery Bank (12V/24V/48V): Acts as a buffer to store the energy. It absorbs sudden power spikes from wind gusts and provides a steady source of energy.
- Off-Grid Inverter: Connects to the battery, converting the stored DC battery power into standard AC power for your household appliances.
⚠️ Why You Cannot Skip the Battery
- Unstable Voltage: Wind speeds change second by second. Without a battery to absorb and smooth out these massive fluctuations, a direct-connect inverter would constantly turn off and error out.
- Turbine Destruction: When a battery is full or disconnected, a wind turbine loses its "load" (resistance). Without that resistance, the blades can spin out of control in high winds and physically destroy the unit. The charge controller uses the battery connection to safely dump excess power and slow the turbine down.
-
Wiring & Installation Requirement:This wind turbine generates 3-phase AC power andcannotbe connected directly to a battery, solar controller, or home inverter. To operate safely, it must run through a dedicatedWind/Solar Hybrid MPPT Controller with an integrated Dump Load Resistor. The dump load prevents the turbine from over-speeding and destroying itself in high winds once your batteries are fully charged.
-
It is almost always one of three common installation issues. Check them in order:
1. Your multimeter is set to DC (the most common mistake).
- The issue: measuring the three turbine wires with the meter set to DC volts.
- The reality: wind turbines generate 3-phase AC power directly from the stator.
- The fix: switch your multimeter to AC volts (V~). Testing these wires on a DC setting gives a false reading near zero.
2. The turbine is stalling because of a short.
- The issue: the blades turn heavily and slowly, or lock up.
- The reality: if any of the three AC output wires touch each other, or the controller’s internal braking diodes have short-circuited, it acts as a magnetic brake — the turbine can never spin fast enough to build voltage.
- The fix: completely disconnect the turbine from the controller. If it suddenly frees up and spins much faster, the problem is a short in the wiring or a faulty controller.
3. Voltage drop from thin cables.
- The issue: thin wire run a long way from the tower to the battery shed.
- The reality: thin solar or automotive cable over a long run (20 metres or more) loses the power as heat in the wire before it reaches the controller.
- The fix: use heavy cable between the mast and the controller on long runs — minimum 8 AWG, ideally 6 AWG.
-
Because the number on the box is a peak rating, not a promise. A turbine’s rated output is measured at a specific wind speed — for these models that is 13 m/s, about 47 km/h — and most sites see far less most of the time. Your display shows what the wind is delivering right now, so it will sit well below the rated figure and move second by second with the wind. That is physics, not a fault.
Where these turbines earn their keep is time: they keep charging through the night and through weather that shuts solar down. If the display shows 0 W while the blades are spinning, that is a different issue — see the 0 W question below.
-
Not necessarily — this is one of the most common questions we get, and it's rarely a faulty unit. It's usually a quick settings check, or (on a first-time install) how the wiring and start-up sequence were done. See our full Wind Turbine 0W Troubleshooting & Installation Guide for the complete walkthrough, or contact us and we'll help you sort it out.
-
Short answer: wire your bus bar and breakers before and after the controller, then power up in the right order — battery first, then solar, then wind. Getting the sequence right prevents almost all wiring issues, including the common “spinning but 0 W” problem.
Correct installation comes down to isolation and the right sequence:
- Fit a breaker before the controller (turbine/solar side) and after it (battery side), landing on a DC bus bar
- Keep the turbine-to-controller cable run to 2–10 metres to limit voltage drop
- Power up in this order: battery breaker first, then solar, then wind turbine last
See our full How to Install & Start Up guide for the complete step-by-step walkthrough and wiring diagram.
20000mAh Solar Power Bank | Qi Wireless Charging & LED Torch
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20000mAh Solar Power Bank | Qi Wireless Charging & LED Torch
Flat phone, no socket, three days from town.
Second night out and the phone is on 4%. That phone is your maps, your photos of the job, your PLB backup and the only way anyone hears from you. Flat, it is a paperweight — and the ute charger only helps if you are prepared to run the engine to feed it.
This is a pocket power bank with two USB outputs, a Qi wireless pad on the face, a small solar panel on the back and an LED torch in the end. It lives in the crib bag or the glovebox, and it means a flat phone is a ten-minute problem instead of a three-day one.
Read this before you buy on the capacity number. The supplier lists this pack at 50,000mAh in the title. But the figure moulded into the case itself reads 20,000mAh. Those cannot both be right, and we have not cut one open to settle it. We have not verified either number, so plan your trip around the lower one — 20,000mAh is the figure printed on the gear in your hand, and it is the one that matches the size of the thing.
What It Does
- Charges by cable: two USB-A outputs, each rated 5V / 2.4A on the case marking.
- Charges without a cable: a Qi pad on the front face, rated 5W. Slow, but it works when you have lost the lead.
- Three at once, not four: the supplier's own image says two USB outputs plus the wireless pad — three devices.
- Refills from mains: USB-C in at 5V / 2.4A, or Micro-USB in at 5V / 2A. Both are inputs.
- Tops up from sun: the panel on the back trickles charge in. It is a top-up, not a charging method — see Limits.
- Lights the campsite: an LED torch in the end cap, woken with a long press of the button.
What It Solves
- Four days on the Gibb: no mains, no town, and the phone still has to hold your maps and your photos when you get back into range.
- Nightshift on a remote pad: phone flat halfway through the swing and the crib room socket already has three chargers in it.
- Kids and a long drive: two devices on cable and a third on the pad, so nobody is fighting over the one 12V socket.
- Lost the charging lead: drop the phone on the wireless pad and get moving again without turning the swag inside out.
- Torch you did not pack: setting up camp in the dark and the head torch is in the other bag — this one is already in your hand.
Key Features
- Two USB-A outputs: marked Output1 and Output2, both DC 5V / 2.4A on the case.
- Qi wireless pad: 5W output, marked on the face of the unit.
- Two ways to refill: USB-C at 5V / 2.4A and Micro-USB at 5V / 2A, both input only.
- Lithium polymer cells: the case reads LI-POLYMER BATTERY, model DW46.
- Solar panel on the back: covers most of the 175 × 82mm face, for trickle top-ups.
- Built-in LED torch: long-press the button to switch it on.
- Pocket footprint: 175 × 82mm — a bit taller and wider than a large phone.
- Charge-status lights: a row of indicator LEDs across the panel face.
- Three colours: black, orange and red at checkout.
Delivery and returns: free delivery to Australia and New Zealand, no minimum spend. Most orders land 10 to 14 days from the day you order — allow up to three weeks in a busy patch. If it turns up faulty or not as described, we sort it out under Australian Consumer Law, and you get a real person, not a ticket number.
Limits
This is the honest bit. Read it before you order.
- The capacity does not add up: the title says 50,000mAh, the case says 20,000mAh. At 3.7V those are 185Wh and 74Wh. A pack of this size — 175 × 82mm and roughly phone-thickness — has about 0.3 litres of internal room all up, and 0.3 litres of good lithium polymer is around 74Wh. That is the 20,000mAh figure almost exactly. A real 50,000mAh pack needs more than twice the volume of this whole device, case and solar panel included. We think the 50,000mAh number is wrong. Buy it as a 20,000mAh pack and you will not be disappointed.
- The solar panel is a top-up, not a charger: a panel this size is a trickle. The case marks it 5V / 300mA — about 1.5 watts. Over a good five-hour sun day that is roughly 7.5Wh gross before losses, which is less than one phone charge. Plainly: it will not meaningfully recharge this pack from flat. Leave it on the dash to hold a charged pack topped up, or to claw back an emergency dribble. Charge it properly off mains before you leave.
- USB-C does not charge your phone: the case marks the USB-C port as an input. Nothing on the unit or in the supplier's images shows USB-C output, so treat it as a refill port only. Your devices go on the two USB-A ports or the wireless pad.
- Three devices, not four: two USB plus the wireless pad. If you saw four somewhere, that was our old copy and it was wrong.
- Wireless charging is slow: 5W. That is roughly a third of what a modern phone will take on a cable. Use the pad when you have lost the lead, not when you are in a hurry.
- No fast charging: every port on this unit is marked 5V. There is no USB Power Delivery and no Quick Charge, so it will not fast-charge a modern phone and it will not run a laptop.
- Not a rated waterproof unit: the supplier states no IP rating and none is marked on the case. Treat it as splash-and-dust-shy — keep it out of the rain and out of the creek.
- Not a camp power station: this runs phones, head torches, GPS units and cameras. It will not run a fridge, an inverter or anything mains. If that is the job, you want a proper battery box, not a pocket bank.
- Charge times unknown: the supplier does not state how long it takes to fill from flat, on mains or on solar, and does not state a cycle life. All marked "Not specified by supplier" in the Specs table rather than guessed.
Q & A
How many phone charges will I actually get?
We will not quote you a number, because the capacity is in dispute. Work it out from the figure on the case: 20,000mAh at 3.7V is about 74Wh, a typical phone battery is 15–20Wh, and real-world conversion losses eat roughly 30%. That lands around two and a half to three full phone charges. If the 50,000mAh figure ever turns out to be real you get more — but do not plan on it.
What ports does it have?
Two USB-A outputs, both marked DC 5V / 2.4A. One USB-C, marked as an input at 5V / 2.4A. One Micro-USB, marked as an input at 5V / 2A. Plus the Qi wireless pad on the front face.
Does it do wireless charging, and how fast?
Yes — a Qi pad on the front, marked 5W on the case. That is slow next to a cable. It will charge through a thin case; a thick case or a metal ring plate will stop it. Whether your phone supports Qi is worth checking — most recent iPhones and Samsungs do.
Can I charge it and charge my phone at the same time?
Not specified by supplier. Plenty of banks in this class do pass-through and plenty do not, and there is nothing on the case or in the supplier's images that settles it. Assume it does not until you have tried it.
Am I allowed to take it on a plane?
Power banks go in your carry-on, never in checked luggage — that is a hard rule on every airline, because a cell fire in the hold is unfightable. Under 100Wh needs no approval. 100–160Wh needs the airline's say-so. Over 160Wh is not allowed on a passenger aircraft at all. On the 20,000mAh figure printed on the case this is about 74Wh and you are fine. On the 50,000mAh title figure it would be 185Wh and it would be banned outright — which is one more reason we think that number is wrong. If you fly with it and get asked, the case marking is what the ground staff will read.
How long does it take to charge from flat on mains?
Not specified by supplier. The inputs are marked 5V / 2.4A on USB-C and 5V / 2A on Micro-USB, so it is not a quick job — use the USB-C port and put it on overnight before a trip.
Will the solar panel recharge it if I run out?
Realistically, no. The case marks the panel at 5V / 300mA — about 1.5 watts, or roughly 7.5Wh over a good five-hour sun day before losses. That is less than one phone charge. Treat it as a way to keep a charged pack topped up, or to scratch back enough for a phone call in an emergency. It is not a substitute for charging it properly before you go.
What comes in the box?
Not specified by supplier — we have removed the old claim about an included cable because nothing at checkout or on the supplier's own material confirms it. Assume you supply your own USB-C or Micro-USB lead.
Specs
| Capacity — supplier's listed figure | 50,000mAh (product title). Not verified — see Limits |
| Capacity — figure printed on the unit | 20,000mAh. Not verified — see Limits |
| Capacity bracket in the supplier's listing | 30,001–50,000mAh |
| Battery type | Lithium polymer |
| Model marking | DW46 |
| USB-A output 1 | DC 5V / 2.4A |
| USB-A output 2 | DC 5V / 2.4A |
| USB-C | Input only, 5V / 2.4A |
| Micro-USB | Input only, DC 5V / 2A |
| Wireless charging output | 5W (Qi) |
| Devices at once | Three — two USB plus the wireless pad |
| Fast-charge standards | None marked — no USB PD, no Quick Charge |
| Solar panel output | 5V / 300mA (about 1.5W) — from the case marking |
| Solar panel type | Not specified by supplier |
| Dimensions | 175 × 82mm |
| Thickness | Not specified by supplier |
| Weight | Not specified by supplier |
| Torch | Built-in LED, long-press to activate |
| Torch modes | Not specified by supplier |
| Colours | Black, orange, red |
| Water or dust rating | Not specified by supplier — no IP rating marked |
| Recharge time from flat | Not specified by supplier |
| Cycle life | Not specified by supplier |
| Pass-through charging | Not specified by supplier |
| Case markings | CE, RoHS, FCC, Made in China |
| In the box | Not specified by supplier |
| Warranty | No separate warranty — covered by Australian Consumer Law |
Payment & Security
Payment Methods
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We do not store credit card details or have access to your credit card information.
Wind Turbine FAQs
-
Summary Checklist for Your Choice
Choose the SR or ST-1200W if you want portability, low noise, and minimal investment for camping or caravans.
Choose the ST-2000, ST-3000, or ST-5000 if you have a stationary house/cabin and want to supplement solar panels at night.
Choose the ST-10kW — the largest turbine we sell — if you have heavy agricultural power needs, acreage, and a budget for proper mast engineering.
The vertical axis wind turbines listed on the BushLine Outdoor Equipment catalogue are categorised by physical design shapes, which dictate their ideal applications.
-
No.Wind turbines generate "wild" 3-phase AC power that changes voltage constantly with the wind speed. Connecting it directly to a battery or a standard solar inverter will instantly destroy your equipment. Youmustwire the turbine into a dedicatedWind/Solar Hybrid MPPT Controller with an integrated Dump Load Resistor. The controller converts the power to stable DC to charge your batteries safely.
-
You must match the turbine and its hybrid controller to the exact voltage of your existing battery bank:
- 12V: Best for compact mobile setups like caravans, 4WDs, and camper trailers.
- 24V: Great for medium-sized setups like off-grid sheds, cabins, and motorhomes.
- 48V: The gold standard for full off-grid home systems. Higher voltage means less energy loss through your wires and allows you to use thinner, safer cables.
-
When your battery bank becomes 100% fully charged, it stops accepting power. If a heavy wind storm hits at night when your batteries are full, a turbine with nowhere to send its power will "free-spin" out of control and physically fly apart. A hybrid controller fixes this by automatically diverting that excess power into the dump load resistor, which burns it off safely as heat and acts as an electronic brake to slow the turbine down.
-
No,that is the main benefit of the vertical design. Traditional horizontal "propeller" turbines create a high-pitched, annoying "chopping" noise. Our ST Tulip and Flower series utilise advanced omnidirectional maglev-style bearings, making them virtually silent and completely vibration-free, all you will hear is the wind. They are perfect for suburban blocks, tight caravan parks, and areas close to neighbours.
-
It will turn, but turning is not charging. The blades start rotating at about 1.5 m/s — a light breeze. Charging starts once the wind clears the cut-in speed of about 3.5 m/s, and output climbs from there — the rated figure is measured at 13 m/s (about 47 km/h). A gentle breeze keeps the turbine ticking over; it takes real wind to push real power into your batteries.
-
You should connect the wind turbine to a battery bank first, via a dedicated charge controller, rather than directly to an inverter. Connecting a wind turbine directly to a standard inverter will damage the equipment or cause the system to fail.
🔋 The Correct Wiring SequenceTo safely capture and use the power, your setup must follow this exact order:
- Wind Turbine: Generates wild, fluctuating 3-phase AC power as wind speeds change.
- Hybrid/Wind Charge Controller: Converts the unstable AC power into steady DC power. It also protects the turbine from over-speeding by applying an electronic brake during high winds.
- Battery Bank (12V/24V/48V): Acts as a buffer to store the energy. It absorbs sudden power spikes from wind gusts and provides a steady source of energy.
- Off-Grid Inverter: Connects to the battery, converting the stored DC battery power into standard AC power for your household appliances.
⚠️ Why You Cannot Skip the Battery
- Unstable Voltage: Wind speeds change second by second. Without a battery to absorb and smooth out these massive fluctuations, a direct-connect inverter would constantly turn off and error out.
- Turbine Destruction: When a battery is full or disconnected, a wind turbine loses its "load" (resistance). Without that resistance, the blades can spin out of control in high winds and physically destroy the unit. The charge controller uses the battery connection to safely dump excess power and slow the turbine down.
-
Wiring & Installation Requirement:This wind turbine generates 3-phase AC power andcannotbe connected directly to a battery, solar controller, or home inverter. To operate safely, it must run through a dedicatedWind/Solar Hybrid MPPT Controller with an integrated Dump Load Resistor. The dump load prevents the turbine from over-speeding and destroying itself in high winds once your batteries are fully charged.
-
It is almost always one of three common installation issues. Check them in order:
1. Your multimeter is set to DC (the most common mistake).
- The issue: measuring the three turbine wires with the meter set to DC volts.
- The reality: wind turbines generate 3-phase AC power directly from the stator.
- The fix: switch your multimeter to AC volts (V~). Testing these wires on a DC setting gives a false reading near zero.
2. The turbine is stalling because of a short.
- The issue: the blades turn heavily and slowly, or lock up.
- The reality: if any of the three AC output wires touch each other, or the controller’s internal braking diodes have short-circuited, it acts as a magnetic brake — the turbine can never spin fast enough to build voltage.
- The fix: completely disconnect the turbine from the controller. If it suddenly frees up and spins much faster, the problem is a short in the wiring or a faulty controller.
3. Voltage drop from thin cables.
- The issue: thin wire run a long way from the tower to the battery shed.
- The reality: thin solar or automotive cable over a long run (20 metres or more) loses the power as heat in the wire before it reaches the controller.
- The fix: use heavy cable between the mast and the controller on long runs — minimum 8 AWG, ideally 6 AWG.
-
Because the number on the box is a peak rating, not a promise. A turbine’s rated output is measured at a specific wind speed — for these models that is 13 m/s, about 47 km/h — and most sites see far less most of the time. Your display shows what the wind is delivering right now, so it will sit well below the rated figure and move second by second with the wind. That is physics, not a fault.
Where these turbines earn their keep is time: they keep charging through the night and through weather that shuts solar down. If the display shows 0 W while the blades are spinning, that is a different issue — see the 0 W question below.
-
Not necessarily — this is one of the most common questions we get, and it's rarely a faulty unit. It's usually a quick settings check, or (on a first-time install) how the wiring and start-up sequence were done. See our full Wind Turbine 0W Troubleshooting & Installation Guide for the complete walkthrough, or contact us and we'll help you sort it out.
-
Short answer: wire your bus bar and breakers before and after the controller, then power up in the right order — battery first, then solar, then wind. Getting the sequence right prevents almost all wiring issues, including the common “spinning but 0 W” problem.
Correct installation comes down to isolation and the right sequence:
- Fit a breaker before the controller (turbine/solar side) and after it (battery side), landing on a DC bus bar
- Keep the turbine-to-controller cable run to 2–10 metres to limit voltage drop
- Power up in this order: battery breaker first, then solar, then wind turbine last
See our full How to Install & Start Up guide for the complete step-by-step walkthrough and wiring diagram.
