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Re: Kestrel set up procedure?
Save your $100, follow the instructions.
Save your $100, follow the instructions.
Re: Kestrel set up procedure?
Thinking of buying one of these. All specs say that the 4500 actually measures wind direction where the other versions don't. Are they saying that it actually has a way of determining the wind direction from the impeller sensors (where the other versions cant) or is it just that the 4500 has a compass and can give you a compass wind reading? Seems a bit misleading to me. How do you determine wind direction with these normally - just what gives you fastest reading, throw grass in the air type approach?
Initially I thought the 4500 was overkill but it actually reads water temp and weather logs which could be pretty useful for outdoors, fishing, sailing, boating.
Thinking of buying one of these. All specs say that the 4500 actually measures wind direction where the other versions don't. Are they saying that it actually has a way of determining the wind direction from the impeller sensors (where the other versions cant) or is it just that the 4500 has a compass and can give you a compass wind reading? Seems a bit misleading to me. How do you determine wind direction with these normally - just what gives you fastest reading, throw grass in the air type approach?
Initially I thought the 4500 was overkill but it actually reads water temp and weather logs which could be pretty useful for outdoors, fishing, sailing, boating.
Re: Kestrel set up procedure?
Not really. you point it downrange and press a button which tells the Kestrel the direction you are shooting, then orient the Kestrel into the wind. It has an internal electronic compass which allows it to then compute your crosswind. Very quick, easy and accurate.
Obviously it can't tell you beyond its immediate area what the wind is doing, so you'll still need to sharpen your observational skills for downrange. For me, that is the hardest part of shooting long range (and I doubt I am alone).
Not really. you point it downrange and press a button which tells the Kestrel the direction you are shooting, then orient the Kestrel into the wind. It has an internal electronic compass which allows it to then compute your crosswind. Very quick, easy and accurate.
Obviously it can't tell you beyond its immediate area what the wind is doing, so you'll still need to sharpen your observational skills for downrange. For me, that is the hardest part of shooting long range (and I doubt I am alone).
Re: Kestrel set up procedure?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Yasherka</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Not really. you point it downrange and press a button which tells the Kestrel the direction you are shooting, then orient the Kestrel into the wind. It has an internal electronic compass which allows it to then compute your crosswind. Very quick, easy and accurate. </div></div>Good call. I was going to dispute your post, but (wisely) I took out my owners manual and found you were correct. Damn it! I've been using it wrong! I thought that all you had to do was point it, period. I guess I missed the part about setting the heading first, then pointing <span style="font-style: italic">into the the wind.</span>
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Yasherka</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Not really. you point it downrange and press a button which tells the Kestrel the direction you are shooting, then orient the Kestrel into the wind. It has an internal electronic compass which allows it to then compute your crosswind. Very quick, easy and accurate. </div></div>Good call. I was going to dispute your post, but (wisely) I took out my owners manual and found you were correct. Damn it! I've been using it wrong! I thought that all you had to do was point it, period. I guess I missed the part about setting the heading first, then pointing <span style="font-style: italic">into the the wind.</span>
Re: Kestrel set up procedure?
and don;t forget to calibrate your compass as well
and don;t forget to calibrate your compass as well
Re: Kestrel set up procedure?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bm11</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Good call. I was going to dispute your post, but (wisely) I took out my owners manual and found you were correct. Damn it! I've been using it wrong! I thought that all you had to do was point it, period. I guess I missed the part about setting the heading first, then pointing <span style="font-style: italic">into the the wind.</span> </div></div>
Don't feel bad. I did the same thing when I first started using it. Couldn't figure out why my crosswind guesses were more accurate than the Kestrel. Then I decided to RTFM...funny how that works
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bm11</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Good call. I was going to dispute your post, but (wisely) I took out my owners manual and found you were correct. Damn it! I've been using it wrong! I thought that all you had to do was point it, period. I guess I missed the part about setting the heading first, then pointing <span style="font-style: italic">into the the wind.</span> </div></div>
Don't feel bad. I did the same thing when I first started using it. Couldn't figure out why my crosswind guesses were more accurate than the Kestrel. Then I decided to RTFM...funny how that works
Re: Kestrel set up procedure?
Have seen a few of them with a little pivot stand that works like a wind vane for pretty accurate wind direction but not very "field" friendly, but would not be to bad "at the range"
Have seen a few of them with a little pivot stand that works like a wind vane for pretty accurate wind direction but not very "field" friendly, but would not be to bad "at the range"
Re: Kestrel set up procedure?
I keep one of those cheep wind checker puffers with me (just a plastic tube with chalk line refill in it) and my ballistic program has the two wind varaiable blocks, one is speed and the other is direction set as 0'clock values. So what I do is look at my target (12 0'clock position) puff some chalk then point my kestrel to face (or into the wind) that direction and input that wind speed at that value in relation to the target(position). This is how I do it. As far as calibration I dont even pay attention to what the altitude says all I worry about is what the barometric pressure reads. As long as you know your altitude you can recalibrate the baro pressure refereance. For me I have my home altitude/elevation and also the elevation of the cabin where we hunt out of so if I need to I can recalibrate the unit. The kestrel altimeter is based off the baro readings so it can change as your baro changes. I have had my kestrel on at home and had over 100 ft elevation changes throughtout the day, so this is my I just ignore the altimeter function of it and rely on the baro reading. When using your ballistic program you should be using either the baro setting or the altitude setting, not both. If using baro then set altitude to zero. I'm new to this as well so if this is flawed let me know, thanks.
I keep one of those cheep wind checker puffers with me (just a plastic tube with chalk line refill in it) and my ballistic program has the two wind varaiable blocks, one is speed and the other is direction set as 0'clock values. So what I do is look at my target (12 0'clock position) puff some chalk then point my kestrel to face (or into the wind) that direction and input that wind speed at that value in relation to the target(position). This is how I do it. As far as calibration I dont even pay attention to what the altitude says all I worry about is what the barometric pressure reads. As long as you know your altitude you can recalibrate the baro pressure refereance. For me I have my home altitude/elevation and also the elevation of the cabin where we hunt out of so if I need to I can recalibrate the unit. The kestrel altimeter is based off the baro readings so it can change as your baro changes. I have had my kestrel on at home and had over 100 ft elevation changes throughtout the day, so this is my I just ignore the altimeter function of it and rely on the baro reading. When using your ballistic program you should be using either the baro setting or the altitude setting, not both. If using baro then set altitude to zero. I'm new to this as well so if this is flawed let me know, thanks.
