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Stowe's new Super PoleCat Fan Snow Guns

Nick

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These things look intense, I saw the install pics on Stowe's FB page

Each of these new fan guns can rotate 360 degrees and are fully automated.

What does "fully automated" mean? like they can be remotely repositioned? Or do they automatically turn on and off / angle themselves / etc.

544592_10150916552277382_60304182_n.jpg
 

steamboat1

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Stowe made a ton of snow last year. Even Spruce Peak had a good base right up to closing day southern exposure & all. I mentioned in another post that I saw a lot of new snow making pipe being stored in one of the parking lots when I was there a few weeks ago. I guess this is what it's being used for. If only Stowe was a little closer to my VT. house I'd ski there all the time.
 

jimmywilson69

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These things look intense, I saw the install pics on Stowe's FB page



What does "fully automated" mean? like they can be remotely repositioned? Or do they automatically turn on and off / angle themselves / etc.

It means they can be turned on and off and adjust to humidity and temperature changes without running someone up and down the hill all night. Most new fan gun systems operate this way. As long as the hoses are hooked up and the lines charged, the fan guns run themselves without any "human" ineraction.
 

drjeff

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These things look intense, I saw the install pics on Stowe's FB page



What does "fully automated" mean? like they can be remotely repositioned? Or do they automatically turn on and off / angle themselves / etc.

View attachment 6316

It means they can be turned on and off and adjust to humidity and temperature changes without running someone up and down the hill all night. Most new fan gun systems operate this way. As long as the hoses are hooked up and the lines charged, the fan guns run themselves without any "human" ineraction.

Having had the great pleasure of skiing on the finished product that the super polecats produce at Mount Snow for the last 5 or so seasons now, those fanguns :fangun: really do produce a light, dry product with some serious throw from where they're mounted!

Jimme hit the nail on the head with the fully automated part. Basically someone in the mountain ops building can sit infront of a computer screen and turn on/off/adjust the water flow rate/number of the nozzle rings receiving flow/oscillation of the gun, etc with just a few clicks of the mouse, instead of having to manually do it. Unless the gun sends a warning message to the mountain control ops center (if you've ever seen a super polecat with the yellow "police light" flashing on top of it it means that the gun itself has sensed a problem such as a nozzle freeze up, etc) and then mountain ops can dispatch a snowmaker to that specific gun to fix the problem. Just another tool that allows a ski area to make snow in the most efficient way they can, and given what it costs to make snow, just an increase in efficiency by a few percent can net a significant amount of cost savings!
 

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Those put out a really good product vs the traditional air/water guns. They're a helluva lot quieter too.
 

millerm277

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What does "fully automated" mean? like they can be remotely repositioned? Or do they automatically turn on and off / angle themselves / etc.

They're computer/remotely controlled. So it depends on how they set it up of course, but yes they can generally automatically turn themselves on and off in response to conditions, automatically adjust themselves for optimal snow output, etc.

They can also oscillate, which is helpful for spreading out the snow instead of making huge piles that then need a lot of grooming work.
 

Nick

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Thanks guys, that's what I figured. I assumed they were just remotely controlled. Sure beats zipping up the mountain at 2am, pending any line or nozzle freezes.

I should get some for my backyard. They will probably work better than what I had going last winter

 

gostan

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Those put out a really good product vs the traditional air/water guns. They're a helluva lot quieter too.
They are also a heeluva bit more obtrusive and in your face.....and I do not necessarily mean snow, when I say this. I am sure that they add more snow which helps the skiing conditions, but don't you think that these big behemoths adorning the sides of ski trails take away from the views, vista and karma of the ski run? How do we balance both?

Stan
 

jimmywilson69

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In my opinion, unless they are running, I typically don't notice them. My local hill hear in PA has the slopes lined with them and I don't pay much attention to them unless they are laying down snow. When they are on, you know it.

I would imagine a place like Stowe, isn't going to start lining their trails with these. They will likely use them in high traffic or wide areas where they need a lot of snow.
 

Nick

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They are also a heeluva bit more obtrusive and in your face.....and I do not necessarily mean snow, when I say this. I am sure that they add more snow which helps the skiing conditions, but don't you think that these big behemoths adorning the sides of ski trails take away from the views, vista and karma of the ski run? How do we balance both?

Stan

That's a good point, although I don't think they are as obtrusive as a ski lift.

They do look like they are shorter than trees. About 18 or 20' in height maybe?

Definitely more obtrusive though than a simple small black pipe running up the hill.
 

deadheadskier

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I could give a crap about views if I'm skiing down the trail and get deafened and glazed over like a donut from an old school snow gun that is marginally less of an eyesore.
 

millerm277

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They are also a heeluva bit more obtrusive and in your face.....and I do not necessarily mean snow, when I say this. I am sure that they add more snow which helps the skiing conditions, but don't you think that these big behemoths adorning the sides of ski trails take away from the views, vista and karma of the ski run? How do we balance both?

Stan

Eh. Most places where a fan gun is going in were probably already lined with fixed towers, and are generally already going to be a wide trail with lots of infrastructure around.
 

gostan

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Eh. Most places where a fan gun is going in were probably already lined with fixed towers, and are generally already going to be a wide trail with lots of infrastructure around.
All of which, are the types of trails that I try to avoid.:lol:

Stan
 

Glenn

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I've never really noticed them from a view persepective...but that's just me. I can see how fixed poles could be viewed as in the way to some.
 
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