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wind meter app. for I-Phone

SuddenDeath

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 2, 2010
114
0
54
Hartford, Ky.
Has anyone seen or used the app. for wind metering ? it is on goingapps.com it is only .99 cents it looks pretty cool.
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

It actually uses wind as the factor for gauge. The pressure of air against the microphone triggers it. This is the same thing used by the apps that play the flute or the occarina and such. You can blow air into the microphone and watch the air speed change. My advice .... get a Kestrel cause this thing won't work well enough, or at all for that matter, for anything at all that we do. It is a novelty.
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ARPredatorHunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It actually uses wind as the factor for gauge. The pressure of air against the microphone triggers it. This is the same thing used by the apps that play the flute or the occarina and such. You can blow air into the microphone and watch the air speed change. My advice .... get a Kestrel cause this thing won't work well enough, or at all for that matter, for anything at all that we do. It is a novelty. </div></div>

I agree +1. You actually posted something intelligent ARP, what gives?
wink.gif
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

+1 for Lowlight. I'd use Kestrel for weather (actually I <span style="text-decoration: underline">do</span> use Kestrel).

What would be outstanding - is if the iPhone ballistic calculator could intake all the necessary weather data directly from Kestrel via Bluetooth.
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mouse07410</div><div class="ubbcode-body">+1 for Lowlight. I'd use Kestrel for weather (actually I <span style="text-decoration: underline">do</span> use Kestrel).

What would be outstanding - is if the iPhone ballistic calculator could intake all the necessary weather data directly from Kestrel via Bluetooth.</div></div>

This would be awesome. If Bulletflight would get with Kestrel, it could be a pretty good marketing plan to sell both the app and the newer bluetooth kestrels. If this were possible, I would consider a bluetooth model, but I don't see myself having a laptop out during a match.
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

Kestrel interface is quite simple & straightforward - Bulletflight doesn't need to do anything special outside of issuing a few commands over Bluetooth and parsing the responses... So if somebody familiar with iPhone interfaces would lend a hand...
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

To those interested in having your Kestrel with Bluetooth talk to your favorite ballistics program: We're interested, too! Contact the author of your favorite ballistics software and have them contact us ([email protected]) to request the Kestrel Interface documentation. We're already working with a number of developers to integrate this functionality into many ballistics packages, but it never hurts to let your favorite software maker that you're interested in it!

Also: We have a new meter on the way with built-in Horus Ballistics that calculates everything right on the Kestrel- no PDA required. You can find out more info in our blog post and Press Release. It will be available in the early fall with a price around $700. Follow us on our blog, twitter or facebook to find out the exact date and price!
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

i emailed knights about this maybe 6 months ago and they told me that they have been looking into it, but the i-phone currently would not support streaming data like that over blue tooth only audio...didnt make sense to me, audio is data.
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ckirkc</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i emailed knights about this maybe 6 months ago and they told me that they have been looking into it, but the i-phone currently would not support streaming data like that over blue tooth only audio...didnt make sense to me, audio is data. </div></div>

We've spent some time looking into this and found that there are some limitations to the iPhone/iPod/iPad Bluetooth abilities. While the ability to interface with some devices via Bluetooth was released with iOS 3, it appears that in order for this to work, we would have to include an auth chip from Apple and have the device approved by Apple. (The only other option to have any sort of data transfer is to "jail break" the device, thus "unlocking" the protocol needed for the the iOS devices to send and receive data via bluetooth, which we would not recommend.)

We will continue to monitor this as time goes on. There are a good number of developers working to bring in live data to PDA-based ballistics software, and we even have a few Android developers working on this functionality.
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

Kestrel,

I don't think I understand what the problem is. I'm certain that most laptops do not have an auth chip from Apple, and yet they interface with most Bluetooth devices (including iPhone <span style="text-decoration: underline">and</span> Kertrel) just fine.

So what is different that allows i.e. iPhone <-> PC to work? And what would you need to do to look like PC to iPhone (not Apple's approval, I'm sure)?

P.S. I've no clue about Bluetooth - but some protocols assign roles of "host' and "device", where "device" doesn't talk to "device", only to "host". Is it the case here?
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

<span style="font-weight: bold">mrtoyz</span>: Don't worry! We won't stop trying! We really would like to see this happen!

<span style="font-weight: bold">mouse07410</span>: It is a little bit confusing. Bluetooth has many different protocols. Some of these are for streaming audio to special headphones (Eg. Advanced Audio Distribution Profile or A2DP), others are for syncing with your computer's address book (Eg. Phone Book Access Profile, or PBAP). The Kestrel uses Serial Port Profile or SPP. This isn't an odd or rarely-used profile- it's the only way for the Kestrel to be able to send its data to a device. Other profiles allow data to be sent to a device (Eg. Human Interface Device Profile (HID), for keyboard support), but these profiles each serve a unique purpose. The supported profiles (link below) are open, but to use the SPP profile, Apple requires a special chip to have this kind of access to the OS.

You can see the profiles supported by Apple's products here: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3647

You can find more information about Bluetooth profiles from Wikipedia or at the official bluetooth site, which calls SPP <span style="font-style: italic">Service</span> Port Profile, which is the same as Serial Port Profile (as far as we know).
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lowlight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It uses sound, so I wouldn't count it on it being accurate.

Stick with a Kestrel... </div></div>

Actually from some of the reviews I've read, they are fairly accurate..As an example take a look here:

Iphone Windmeter App Review

I think I would still prefer my Kestrel as my primary source of wind speed, but given the price and how well the App works, it certainly worth having as a back up..
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Pete E</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lowlight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It uses sound, so I wouldn't count it on it being accurate.

Stick with a Kestrel... </div></div>

Actually from some of the reviews I've read, they are fairly accurate..As an example take a look here:

Iphone Windmeter App Review

I think I would still prefer my Kestrel as my primary source of wind speed, but given the price and how well the App works, it certainly worth having as a back up.. </div></div>


Really, the Windmeter app has a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5 and most are saying it doesn't work in winds under 12 knots.

So, you're definition of good reviews must be different than mine. Out of 125 reviews 81 are 2 stars or less and only 33 are 4 stars or more.
 
Re: wind meter app. for I-Phone

I went ahead and threw a buck away on the app, just to put it to rest, it sucks, over about 8-10 mph it starts working, held it out the window while driving to check the accuracy, it looks like its within about 3-4 MPH of what my speedo reads, don't bother with it.