Quick Question: kestrel or iPhone app?

[Shanerbanner10]

Just wondering what you guys think about this one. I'm looking at purchasing a ballistic program, my options at the moment are some iPhone apps (shooter, ballistic fte, bulletflight) or a kestrel 4500 with atrag.
I know nothing beats solid dope and the bullet doesn't lie but if you had to choose...

Opinions? Also if you suggest the kestrel, where is a good place to buy that offers a good price for us military/leo guys?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Som3 Dude]

I don't have a kestrel but I use shooter and have no complaints. I like that I can true it at distances. Zero at 100 then fire a couple shots at 500 and enter the corrections and its dead on at 1000. I'd like to get a kestrel with atrag software but that cost a lot more then the shooter app and I already have an iPhone.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

I'm right there with you, I'd much rather spend 10$ and ha e a solid system, but if the kestrel with atrag is THAT much better then hell ill buy shooter for now and save up. I see it only as an investment.

 

[Silvercreekguide]

Last year I bought Shooter and saved for the kestrel. I now have both and I use shooter more than the kestrel... I was shooting yesterday at 1856 yards and it was dead on.

 

[dogge1976]

I havent used the Kestrel Atrag, but I do have shooter on both the iPhone and iPad for 9 months now. The interface is user friendly. This is my go to app for ballistic calcs

 

[Fred @ Bison Tactical]

I have some apps on my iphone and a Kestrel. With the Kestrel you get an operating temperature that is a range you are likely to be in. My iphone shuts off when it gets below freezing, and when it gets too hot. I had the operating range somewhere - but its ridiculously small for the iphone. However, that being said, if your only every using it at the range in good weather - say between 40 F - 85 F then you should be fine with the iphone app. I think the range for the iphone was something like 32F - 90F. While the Kestrel was something like 0F - 120F.

And PM me if you need a line of a decent price for a Kestrel.

 

[TacticalMirage]

I bluetooth my kestrel 4500 to my app. Applied ballistics I'm not sure is its on iphone yet.

 

[Sniper Uncle]

I have some apps on my iphone and a Kestrel. With the Kestrel you get an operating temperature that is a range you are likely to be in. My iphone shuts off when it gets below freezing, and when it gets too hot. I had the operating range somewhere - but its ridiculously small for the iphone. However, that being said, if your only every using it at the range in good weather - say between 40 F - 85 F then you should be fine with the iphone app. I think the range for the iphone was something like 32F - 90F. While the Kestrel was something like 0F - 120F.

And PM me if you need a line of a decent price for a Kestrel.

HHHUUUUUUHHHH???? I-Phone Shuts off when below freezing? I have used mine in -20 degrees last winter without a hitch. Also, don't lay mine in the sun, but works fine in 120 degree heat. Where are you using this thing????

 

[Fred @ Bison Tactical]

I have a iphone 4S, and I was wrong, the actual operating temperature is 0 - 35 C - that translates to 32F - 95F.

Here is what apple has to say:
Operate iOS devices where the temperature is between 0º and 35º C (32º to 95º F). Low- or high-temperature conditions might temporarily shorten battery life or cause the device to alter its behavior to regulate its temperature.

Store the device where the temperature is between -20º and 45º C (-4º to 113º F). Don’t leave the device in your car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.

iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (4th generation): Keeping device within acceptable operating temperatures

Living in colorado, I am often outside in colder temperatures. I always charge my iphone before going out, and often when its cold (but not seriously cold) when I go to check my iphone its off, and won't turn on until I tuck it inside my jacket next to my skin and warm it up. Then it comes back on.

For comparison, the operating temperature of the Kestrel units:

14° F to 131° F | -10 °C to 55 °C Measurements may be taken beyond the limits of the operational temperature range of the display and batteries by maintaining the unit within the operational range and exposing it
to the more extreme environment for the minimum time necessary to take reading.
http://www.nkhome.com/pdfs/Kestrel_specs.pdf

That is quite a significant difference between the two. I only looked up the operating temperature when I started finding my iphone shut down for no know reason - when it powered back on it had battery left, and I wondered why - so I looked up the operating range, and was very surprised at such a narrow operating temperature. Now sure you can keep it inside your shorts or whatever to keep it warm - but I would rather go with something designed to operate in more of a temperature range where I operate.

But, make your own decisions. I am just presenting my experiences.

 

[Fred @ Bison Tactical]

The other thing I prefer on the Kestrel is that it is one device to do multiple tasks well. It also has a much better battery life than the iphone. While the iphone is very flexible in the things it allows you to do - to monitor all the environmental factors you can do in a Kestrel, you still need both the iphone and the kestrel.

You can't measure most of the environment on the iphone - so, you will have to buy a weather sensor anyway. I like to combine these into a single device that many people agree does a very good job for what it was designed. Even better now that you have a choice of Horus Ballistics software or Applied Ballistics software. I think most everyone would agree that the Kestrel unit was designed to be more durable than the iphone, so even with my LifeProof case on my iphone (or my old otterbox) I still think the Kestrel is a better choice.

Does the Kestrel have issue - certainly. I think the GUI could be more user friendly - but I think doing that would be a tradeoff with battery life. I remember when my phone was just a phone, and the standby and talk time was 3-4 times what my iphone is. Once you start adding colored screens, bigger processor etc, you see your battery life drop. I like the KISS principal, and I think the Kestrel does a good job at that. The Kestrel is addressing battery issues - there have been complaints from people leaving batteries in the Kestrel units that have had Alkeline batteries corrode - causing them to have to get a new device. However, for the cost of the unit, I think you get a very robust platform - and to improve on you need to move to FFS on the Trimble with a Kestrel.

 

[clmayfield]

My understanding is that they have Android devices coming out now that have barometric pressure sensors. If that is the case, I think the Android is a no brainer. I use Kestrel to pick up local conditions and to get a sense at the wind, but I would rather manually plug in the wind than have the device read it directly. I use the Kestrel to get a sense of the wind where I am, then I make some adjustments based on what I am seeing happening downrange (mirage, vegetation motion, etc.). With an Android that has a barometric pressure sensor, you can use a cheaper Kestrel for wind and use your smart phone for everything else.

Even without a barometric pressure sensor, if you are not in the mountains, you can get atmospheric conditions at the beginning of the day and use those all day long and be pretty close. Or even reset them every six hours. No need to call up altitude density for every single shot.

 

[finbox]

My Casio pathfinder watch is just as accurate with baro as my kestrel, temp to if its off my wrist....so a watch and shooter on a old iPhone is what I've been running and its been great...kestrel stays in the bag...too scared to put battery's in it, LOL

 

[cjherrman]

I want to make sure you guys are talking about the same app I am looking at. Shooter by Sean Kennedy? Thanks.

 

[finbox]

thats it cjherrman

 

[427Cobra]

I have a iPhone with all the good ballistic apps, and a Kestrel 4000, IMHO get the 4500 with ATRAG, first off keeping track of 2 devices SUCKS, 2nd for the love of god Apple please let all BT devices talk to your GD phone, 3rd the data coming off the 4500/ATRAG is spot on and real time, no looking at the Kestrel and entering the data into the phone.