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The Kestrel 3500 Pocket Weather Meter  As target
shooting becomes more competitive, shooters strive to control as many variables
as possible. Brass preparation has
evolved from simple full length resizing and neck trimming to neck turning,
concentricity gauges and neck bushings in the die sets. Powder is no longer dispensed by simple
volumetric powder throwers. Instead,
very precise throwers like the Harrell Custom Powder Measures are common. Powder charges are commonly measured on
electronic scales capable of weighing to 1/100th of a grain. Add in the use of digital calipers and
micrometers for bullet, case and seating measurements and the reloading of
metallic cartridges rises to a new level of precision. However, ammunition is only one of many
variables impacting our shooting. The quality
and condition of the barrels on our rifles, the precision of our scopes, the
environmental conditions at the range and the immediate physical and psychological
state of the shooter are all major factors.
Environmental
conditions are one of the most overlooked factors in today’s shooting. Most shooters know that their rifles will
shoot a bit better in colder weather than hot weather, and they know that the
wind can play havoc with their scores.
As such, a variety of wind charts and wind correction tables have been
produced by individual shooters to at least compensate for those conditions. But, that is about the limit that most
shooters go in considering the environment around them. Not because they don’t want to “factor” other
variables into their shooting, but because they do not have the equipment
necessary to determine them. That
changed with the introduction of personal weather stations. Unfortunately not that many shooters have
taken advantage of these useful tools. With
the development of micro-electronics, personal weather meters now cost less
than a good cell phone or iPod. Most
sophisticated ballistics programs have provisions for inputting environmental
data such as elevation, atmospheric pressure, temperature and wind
conditions. A pocket or small portable
weather meter will accurately yield that data for input into the program. These variables can and do impact your
ballistics. You can verify this for
yourself by substituting different elevations, atmospheric pressures,
temperatures into your ballistic program and analyzing the results. You will find that the effects are
significant, possibly even explaining why you didn’t shoot as well as expected
at your last shoot. It wasn’t you after all;
it was the environmental conditions which you hadn’t compensated for. But, now you can. The Kestrel
3500 is one of the neatest little devices I’ve come across in several
years. If your goal is accuracy, the
Kestrel takes guesswork out of the equation. It is priced right with an MSRP of
$249, but discounted by several dealers to $179. The 3500 is small, compact, reliable, and
waterproof. It is MADE IN THE USA and comes
with a five-year warranty from the manufacturer. It even floats if you happen to drop it in
the lake while fishing. The Nielsen-Kellerman
company of Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, makes several models of the Kestrel for a
variety of applications. The 3500 was
most suited for hunters and shooters. It
provides very precise current readings for the following weather variables: Barometric Pressure (mb or inHg) –
updated every second with 3 hr trend indicator Altitude (feet or meters) – updated
every second Temperature (F or C) – updated every
second Relative Humidity & Dew Point –
updated every minute Wind Chill – updated every second Heat Stress Index – updated every
minute Wind Speed (current. average &
maximum gust) – updated every second The only
adjustments required to “calibrate” your new Kestrel are for barometric
pressure and altitude. These adjustments
are probably required for any such portable weather station to insure
accuracy. The instructions are very
clear and concise, although I must admit that I had to play with the unit for a
bit before getting it right. But, once
adjusted, it performed as advertised, requiring only a few seconds to readout
the correct altitude. The
important question now is whether the accuracy of the Kestrel 3500 meets the
advertised specifications. I checked the
altitude reading on the Kestrel against my Garmin 60CSx. They were within 35 feet of each other. I compared the temperature reading against a
laboratory calibrated scientific thermometer.
They were within 1oF of each other. The Kestrel’s wind speed reading was within
0.5mph of the wind meter at the university experiment station across the road. And finally, the barometric pressures of my
Kestrel and the university station were within 0.05 inHg of each other. I called the airport weather station for the
relative humidity of our area. The
Kestrel was within 2% of the weather service value. For the
values that I was able to check, the Kestrel was equal to or better in accuracy
than the advertised specifications. That
was impressive. When you turn on the
unit in a new location to obtain an elevation (altitude) reading, you must
allow the unit time to stabilize. This
takes less than 10 seconds, a bit slower than my Garmin gps unit, but quite
acceptable. All things
considered, the Kestrel 3500 is a device that every serious shooter should consider
adding to their equipment inventory. The
auto shutdown feature kicks in after forty-five minutes with no key-press. That is important to me, as I tend to forget
to turn off my electronics, and waste a lot of battery life. The battery life of the Kestrel is estimated
at +/- 300 hours, depending on your use of the backlight feature. The unit takes standard CR2032 coin cell
batteries which are readily available at most discount stores and drug stores. The Kestrel
is also a great tool for hunters, fishermen and backpackers, providing you with
immediate weather conditions. The trend
indicator for barometric pressure will alert you to weather fronts approaching
your area. And, these folks will find
the wind chill and heat stress index features especially useful. Given what we pay for high end fishing,
hunting and camping equipment, the Kestrel is inexpensive, and in my opinion,
virtually indispensable. From now on,
when I venture into the mountains, I will have my cell phone, my Garmin 60CSx
and my Kestrel 3500. Try it and I think
you’ll like it. It even has a clock. Specification
details of the Kestrel 3500:
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