Kestrel 4000 Weather Tracker
The Kestrel® 4000 Weather Tracker™ (shown here
actual size) is Nielsen-Kellerman's latest pocket-size weather
meter, providing measurements of wind speed, temperature, wind
chill, relative humidity, dew point, barometric pressure, altitude,
density altitude, wet bulb temperature and heat stress, plus a
clock and calendar. The weather station's memory "allows
users to log the environmental data for entire trips, expeditions,
outings or flights," NK says.
Nielsen-Kellerman (NK), manufacturer of the Kestrel® line
of pocket weather meters, has released "the next generation
of weather-monitoring instruments - the Kestrel® 4000 Pocket
Weather Tracker™," the company announces. "A complete
hand-held weather station," NK says, "the Kestrel 4000
measures every major environmental condition: barometric pressure,
altitude, density altitude, temperature, humidity, wind speed,
wind chill, dew point, wet bulb temperature and heat stress."
And the new weather meter does more than just display the current
conditions. "The Kestrel 4000 is a tracking device that allows
users to log the environmental data for entire trips, expeditions,
outings or flights," NK points out. "The 4000's extensive
memory and recall functions give anyone playing or working outdoors
the ability to accurately watch and predict weather trends."
How often the unit will take regular measurements is set by
using the easy-to-use customization menu, according to NK. "Once
programmed, the unit 'wakes up' at the predetermined interval
to measure and store all the readings," NK notes. "The
data can then be reviewed in a graph with a scrolling cursor that
tells the date, time and value for each reading."
The Kestrel 4000 has memory storage for 250 data points, recording
up to 4 months of data, depending on the storage interval, according
to NK. Other features of the 3.6-ounce Kestrel 4000 Pocket Weather
Tracker include:
* Full portability
* Guaranteed accuracy specifications that ensure precise and reliable
readings
* Large back-lit display for easy use in any conditions, day or
night
* New humidity sensor that yields ±3% accuracy, and offers
greater stability in extreme low-humidity conditions
* Unit can automatically store measurements (even when it is turned
off), or you can manually store measurements with the press of
a button
* Optional PC interface to upload data to a personal computer
* Flip-top impeller cover that protects the user-replaceable (without
tools) 1-inch impeller while still enabling all other weather
readings
* Rugged waterproof case
* Clock and calendar providing day, date and time of every reading
* Three user-defined screens that can combine readings for quick
and easy reference
* Minimum/maximum/average screens that provide the historic minimum,
maximum and average values for every measurement
* Automatic shutdown, either after 15 or 60 minutes of no button
presses. "This feature can be disabled," NK says.
* Multiple language capability - English, Spanish and French
* Neck and wrist lanyard, soft carrying pouch and two AAA batteries
are included. "Battery life is at least 400 hours,"
NK says.
* Assembled in the USA, with a 1-year warranty
Specifications include:
* Windspeed is measured in miles per hour (mph - range
is 0.7 to 89 mph), knots (kt - range is 0.6 to 78 kt), meters
per second (mps - 0.3 to 40 mps), kilometers per hour (kph), feet
per minute (fpm) or Beaufort scale (Bft - a scale on which successive
ranges of wind velocities are assigned code numbers from 0 to
12 or from 0 to 17).
* Temperature is measured in Fahrenheit (-20° F to
+158° F) or Celsius (-29° C to +70° C), with an accuracy
of ±1° C for temperature, ±2° C for wind
chill, ±3° C (above 20% relative humidity) for dew
point, and ±3° C for heat stress. Temperature range
for normal operation is from -20°C (-4° F) to +60°
C (+140° F). "Below -20° C (-4° F)," NK
adds, "accurate readings may be taken by keeping the unit
warmer than -20° C and exposing it for less than a minute
- the minimum time necessary to take a reading."
* Relative humidity is measured in percentage (5 to 95%),
with an accuracy of ±3% and a calibration drift of ±2
% over 24 months (can be field calibrated).
* Barometric pressure is measured in millibars (mb) with
a range of 870.0 to1,080.0 mb, inches of mercury (inHg) with a
range of 25.70 to 31.90 inHg, pounds per square inch (psi) with
a range of 12.66 to 15.72 psi, or hectopascals (hPa) which is
a measurement in hundreds of pascals (1 pascal is equal to 1 newton
per square meter). Accuracy of the barometric pressure measurement
is ±3 hPa (between -10° and +60° C).
* Altitude and density altitude are measured in
feet (range is -1,500 to +30,000 feet) or meters (range is -500
to +9,000 meters) with an altitude accuracy of ±30 meters
(98.4 feet) at standard atmospheric conditions, and a density
altitude accuracy of ±75 meters (246 feet).
* Dimensions are: 12.7 by 4.5 by 2.8 centimeters (5 by 1.8 by
1.1 inches).
Retail price of the Kestrel 4000 Weather Tracker pocket weather
meter is $329, "available at national retail and catalog
outlets or directly from NK," Nielsen-Kellerman notes.
"Nielsen-Kellerman is known worldwide for waterproof speed
measurement, timing and audio systems for competitive rowers,"
the company says. "Virtually every rowing shell at the 2000
Olympic games in Sydney, Australia carried NK equipment."
- Buzz Chalmers
Info: Nielsen-Kellerman, 104 W. 15th St., Dept. UF,
Chester, PA 19013.
Phone: (610) 447-1555 * Fax: (610) 447-1577 * e-mail:
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