Raven News

January 2008:The Blackbird is now available in a 7,000 watt 120/240 volt configuration. The 7,000 watt system provides even more power for lights, tools and electronic equipment and uses the same renowned underhood mounting systems as the current 5,000 watt model.  Like all our installations you don’t have to remove a stock alternator. 

Underhood mounting for both models of the Blackbird is currently available for a variety of  popular emergency and utility platforms including the Ford F-Series, GMC medium duty diesels, Chevy Tahoe/Suburban, and selected International and Freightliner chassis.  A PTO drive version is available for custom chassis and larger diesels.

 

April 2007: Installation kit now available for the 2008 Ford F series with the 6.4L diesel.  Raven has a new under hood install kit for the new 6.4! Come see for yourself at the New England and Baltimore shows.

March 2007: See the Blackbird at FDIC 2007!  Raven's Blackbird under hood generator will be on display on a GMC5500 Mini Pumper at the KME Booth (#6551) and on a BRAT at the Firematic Booth(#3232).  Raven personnel will be available to provide product information at our booth (#4640) in the White River Ballroom.

 

February 2007: Installation kit now available for Freightliner M2- MBE900.  Raven now supports the MBE900 in the Frieghtliner M2 chassis.  This chassis has become very popular with builders of commercial pumpers and tankers.  On this chassis the Blackbird

will provide 5kW continuous duty from idle to redline to support fireground and commercial operations.  For a complete list of supported platforms click here.

January 2007:  Raven files Patent for new class of Three Phase, Variable Speed Generators. This new class of generators brings the advantages of variable speed generation to three phase, grid connectable systems in the 15-250kW range.  To read a white paper describing the benefits and applications for these new generators click here.

 

January 2007:  Blackbird recvieves Freeman K. Pittman Award from Sail Magazine. The awards are granted annually by the editors of Sail to recognize the finest and most innovative new products on the market."

November 2006: Blackbird introduced to Marine idustry at IBEX

The Blackbird system was introduced to the marine industry at the International BoatBuilders Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), November 1-3, in Miami.  Raven had been urged to consider the marine market to expand on our success in the emergency services.  The marine industry has its own unique set of requirements and IBEX is a great place to begin a dialogue with boat builders about how we can help them serve their customers better.

June 2006: Installation kit now available for F-series Triton V-10!:  Raven has an underhood installation kit for the Triton V-10 in the Ford superduty F-series vehicles.  With the increasing premium for diesel powered trucks, the V-10 gasoline engine is an increasingly attractive choice for many budget concious users.

March 2006: See the Blackbird at the FDIC!  Raven's Blackbird generator will be on dispaly on a GMC5500 Rescue at the Horton Emergency Vehicles Booth (#1930) and on a International 4400 Series, Pierce pumper in the International Truck Booth(#6328).  Raven personnel will be available to provide product information at our booth (#4641 in the White river Ballroom.)

March 2006: Raven was the feature article in Fire Apparatus Magazine!

To read the article click here.

January 2006:  Raven has agreed to cooperate with Natural Currents LLC. to demonstrate the use of its variable speed generator coupled with a heleical turbine provided by Natural Currents.  The system is expected to be installed and tested in the outflow stream of the North River Waste Water Treatment Plant in New York City later this year. 

September 2005: Raven Introduces PTO Drive! In response to customer demand Raven has developed a PTO drive.  This fully gear driven system will provide full 5kW from idle to redline on larger diesels and is designed to be driven by a standard 1:1 hot shift PTO. It offers functionality superior to exisitng hydraulic systems at a fraction of the cost. The The system wasl featured in the “New Product Spotlight” at The International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE), September 27-29 in Louisville.  For details refer to PTO spec sheet.

August 2005: Raven Achieves NTEA MVP Status- Raven is among the first wave of companies to achieve NTEA Member Verification Program (MVP) status.  MVP participants have demonstrated that they have the knowledge and processes in place toprovide a high level of quality as well as meet certain regulatory requirements.  Established in 1964 the NTEA is the leading association supporting the truck and transportation equipment industry.  For more informaiton abouth the NTEA and its MVP program contact www.ntea.com

March 2005:  Raven is pleased to announce it has added the Chevy/GMC 3500-5500 Duramax powered vehicles to its list of supported platforms.

December 2004:

Raven is pleased to announce that it has added the new International DT570 to its list of supported platforms. 

August 2004:

Raven is pleased to announce that it now has installation kits available for the Ford 5.4L Triton V8 and both the single and dual alternator cofiguarations of the Ford 7.3L Powerstroke diesel.  These additions complement exisitng kits for the 6.0L Powerstroke and provide complete coverage of the Ford F-series and Excursion vehicles.

May, 2004:

The Marine Corps Systems Command will test Raven’s new Blackbird™ generator as part of a comprehensive program to evaluate commercially available options for under hood power for its multipurpose HMMWV (Hummvee) tactical vehicle.  To support the test process, the Marines provided Raven with a vehicle and Raven personnel are engineering an installation at its Brunswick facility.  In early June, the vehicle will be retuned to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland where the generator will be subjected to extensive operational testing in a wide range of challenging environmental conditions.  Test results will guide the direction of a program to equip a significant portion of the 19,000 vehicle Marine HMMWV fleet with under hood power.  Procurement is expected to begin in 2005-6.  Marine Corps personnel are working closely with the US Army on this initiative and the Army is expected to follow the lead of the Marines when it chooses an under hood power solution for portions of its 120,000 vehicle fleet.

February, 2004:

Odyssey Automotive, a leading builder of specialty vehicles, purchased a Blackbird system for its new F-550 demo vehicle.  This truck will be on display at a number of 2004 shows including FDIC, Harrisburg, Wildwood.

January, 2004:
Raven Technology has reached a joint marketing arrangement with the Will-Burt Company of Orrville, Ohio. Will-Burt is a leading manufacturer of mast and lighting products used by fire departments and other emergency services as well as military and commercial customers. Under the arrangement, Raven will install one of its Blackbird™ 5kW generators on a Will Burt demonstration vehicle , and Will-Burt will install a Night Scan Chief lighting system on a Raven truck.

The Will-Burt vehicle is scheduled to be on display at a number of important trade shows including the Fire Department Instructor's Conference in Indianapolis in April and the World of Asphalt in Nashville in March. These conferences are the top trade shows in the fire service and paving industries, two of Raven's key target markets, and attract industry leaders from across the US. Raven personnel will team with Will-Burt representatives to demonstrate their products' features at these venues.

July 2003:
Raven hosted a booth and demonstrated its Blackbird™ unit at the Tri Service Power Expo, Norfolk Virginia, July 15-17, 2003. The conference showcased innovative portable power solutions for decision makers from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.

June 2003:
The Blackbird™ appeared on the cover and was featured in the "New Products" section of the June issue of Fire Apparatus Magazine, a national monthly magazine that is the industry's reference guide to vehicles and equipment.

June 20-22, 2003:
The Blackbird™ made its debut at the New England Fire Expo in Springfield. Massachusetts, June 20 - 22, 2003. Hundreds of Firefighters and equipment dealers visited our booth and were able to see a live demonstration of the Blackbird going through its paces.

June 20, 2003:
Raven was featured in the Friday Business Section of the Portland Press Herald.

June 3, 2003:
The US Patent Office granted Raven Patent #6570370, titled "Apparatus for Automatic Tuning and Control of Series Resonant Circuit." This patent is the fifth in a series of technical innovations that work together to provide a completely new approach to generating clean AC Power from variable speed sources. This latest innovation allows the generator system to automatically adapt to a wide range of operating conditions. Raven co-founders, Chris Tupper and Duncan Wood developed this technology with the support of a series of grants from the US Army and other agencies of the Department of Defense.

May 20, 2003:
Raven held a live demonstration of its installation on the new Ford 6.0 liter Powerstroke diesel at Maine Tech 2003 at the Augusta Civic Center, on May 20th. The event was a gathering of Maine's innovative companies who are developing cutting-edge products and technologies. MaineTech 2003 was hosted by the Maine Technology Consortium including the University of Maine, Applied Technology Development Centers, Maine Technology Institute, Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership, University of Southern Maine, Technology Law Center and Market Development Center.

May 17, 2003:
Raven appeared at Fire Expo 2003 in the sprawling Farm Show Building in Harrisburg. This is perhaps the largest show of its kind and we made the most of the opportunity to meet some new faces and introduced our Blackbird unit to a number of companies who expressed significant interest.