Good morning Listees,
Here's the followup on the Nicro solar Powervent 3000
I bought Sunday at West Marine in Sausalito, Ca.
Many of you on the list asked that I report on the project--

Since this vent is designed for use on sailboats & is commonly
installed in hatches similar to our Westy skylights, installation was
a snap!  I took the hatch off my Westy in the parking lot of
Tap Plastics in Santa Rosa & showed Jeff where to cut the
3 & 3/4 diameter hole.  Jeff drilled a small pilot hole, then made
the final cut using a router.  Three other small screw holes were
drilled in the top layer of acrylic.  Then I popped the unit in place
& drove home, preferring to do the final bedding in clear silicone
at home in my leisure.

The unit looks great!  It adds only an additional 2" to the height
of the skylight.  It's stainless housing comes with removable insect
screens.  There is an on/off switch for the fan from below & the unit comes
with two fan blades, quickly changed, for exhaust or
intake.  Once fully charged, the unit operates 48 hours without benefit of
light.  The little motor is whisper quiet.  It exhausts 900 cubic feet of
air/hour, which will be helpful in keeping my Westy's
interior comfortable in warm, sunny climes.

Nicro makes a large line of solar vents, some passive, several active, like
the one I chose, & several active 12 volt units, the
most powerful of all, which are hard wired to the battery.

I am pleased with the unit I chose.  It serves my purposes & since it
operates independently, I can use it with impunity!
For any of you who continue to be interested in this project,
you can find Nicro vents at:  www.westmarine.com
I paid $145 for the unit, plus another $22 for the optional stainless
housing & a few dollars to have the hole drilled.
Phaedra
'85 Westy-Wolf