I think the hobby as a whole is in decline. I also don't see near as much WVO collection as I used to. All of my restaurant customers have gone back to selling their oil to a protein company and I don't see near the adds on Craigslist anymore.
I was late getting into the game. The EPA was really cracking down on the roids and the horizontals were all but gone when I raised my interest, that's why I ended up with an original Lister. I looked into the horizontals at first but the unknown quality and the question of parts availability in the future made it seem a poor long term plan. At least with the Lister I can buy a bunch of spares and let them sit on the shelf until needed. I admit the higher speed horizontals are probably much more up to the task of smooth power generation but I read a few accounts of changfas experiencing flicker as well so decided I would rather deal with a Lister.
Ultimately I think it is a hobby that is fueled by disposable income and the years of hard economic times really put a damper on the number of people who could afford to play. When both the horizontals and the roids were cheap and available on Ebay and everywhere else they had much more exposure and garnered much more interest. I suspect that the roids have suffered the same decline in interest.
Really though I would say the price of solar coming down is the most likely reason. Currently the cost of an engine, generator head, fuel supply, and whatever else is needed to make the set-up usable is enough to outright pay for a 2-3kw solar array and that is without counting on tax subsidies. The solar requires no fuel, little or no maintenance, comes with a warranty, and provides a return on investment. I know personally other than liking to tinker the only reason I invested in a Lister is for a situation when the grid is out and for times when the sun isn't shining, then again I have a Honda generator sitting in the shed that will do the same thing.
