Kestrel 3550FW User manual

www.kestrelinstruments.com
Kestrel 3550FW
Fire Weather Meter
User Guide

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CONTENTS
Out of the Box Instructions ...................................4
Compass Calibration...............................................5
Kestrel KDEX App Connectivity............................8
Connect to Your Mobile Device ............................9
Measurements .......................................................10
In the Field Instructions ....................................... 11
Using The App........................................................13
Setup & Options.....................................................16
Barometric Pressure & Altitude Adjustment....17
Measurement Notes .............................................19
Maintenance & Service Addendum ...................20
Sensor Drift & Calibration...................................21
Wind Vane Mode ...................................................22
CONTENTS
For instruction manuals for all Kestrel products, FAQs, technical
support, instructional videos and more, please visit:
www.kestrelinstruments.com/help

4 |
OUT OF THE BOX
OUT OF THE BOX
Turn the Kestrel 3550 On:
Press the center button to turn your Kestrel on.
Pressing and holding the center button will turn it o.
To conserve battery, the Kestrel will power o 45 minutes after the last button press
unless the Kestrel is connected to the Kestrel KDEX app.

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KESTREL KDEX APP
BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY
Download the Kestrel KDEX app:
Make sure to choose Kestrel KDEX app, NOT the Kestrel LiNK
Ballistics app. Kestrel KDEX app is the only app compatible
with the Kestrel 3550 unit.
KDEX APP

6 |
COMPASS CALIBRATION
Calibrate the Compass
Compass calibration is required before using your 3550. You can calibrate
the compass by following the steps outlined below or by using the
Compass Calibration feature in the KDEX app. The screen will display
"CAL" plus ashing degree and compass symbols on start up, indicating
the Kestrel is in calibration mode:
Hold the Kestrel vertical.
Press the center button to begin calibration.
Carefully spin the Kestrel at about 8 seconds
per rotation while the screen counts down
from 30 to 0.
Troubleshooting Tip: If the calibration fails and returns to the “CAL”
screen, simply press the center button and repeat the calibration.
COM PASS CALIBR AT ION

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COMPASS CALIBRATION
To ensure accuracy of readings,
you must calibrate the compass
each time the battery is changed or
removed. The screen will show “CAL”
plus the compass & degree symbols
on start up, indicating the Kestrel is
in calibration mode.
When calibrated, the display will
change to show the compass direction
screen.
The 3550 display will always show the
magnetic heading.
To initiate a new calibration, remove
the battery for 3 seconds and
then replace it or use the Compass
Calibration feature available in the app.
COM PASS CALIBR AT ION

8 |
The Kestrel KDEX App can be changed
to display TRUE or MAGNETIC heading.
The Kestrel KDEX app can be used to
initiate compass calibration via the
device settings view.
COMPASS CALIBRATION
COM PASS CALIBR AT ION

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CONNECT TO YOUR MOBILE DEVICE
CONNECT
Connect your Kestrel 3550 to your
phone or tablet:
With your Kestrel unit turned on, open the
app and follow the app instructions and
prompts to connect your Kestrel.
Certain permissions are required. User
must select “Allow” on the app.
After scanning and connecting to your
device, the “Realtime” measurements
screen will display the current readings
from the Kestrel. Readings are updated
at the frequency of the Sync Rate shown
in the upper right corner of the Realtime
screen. Use the buttons on the bottom
navigation bar to explore other app
features.
Troubleshooting: Make sure Bluetooth® is
turned on in your mobile device. Do not try to
connect the Kestrel using the Bluetooth menu
in your mobile device settings, but use the
“Connect” function on the “Devices” view in the
app instead.

10 | MEASUREMENTS
MEASUREMENTS
Only one arrow icon will be displayed on screen to indicate the 3-hour pressure trend.
The table below shows all Measurement screens available with their corresponding
screen icon and“Hint” abbreviation.
Measurement Icon Hint Units of Measure 3550FW
Wind Speed SPd mph |kt |B |m/s |ft/min |km/h •
Temperature dEG ˚F |˚C •
Wind Direction dir ˚ •
Wind Chill chil ˚F |˚C •
Relative Humidity % r.h. % •
Heat Stress Index % H.I ˚F |˚C •
Dewpoint Temp d . P. ˚F |˚C •
Barometric Pressure bAro inHg |hPA |mb •
Altitude Alt m |ft •
Wet Bulb Temp bulb ˚F |˚C •
Pressure Trend •
Backlit Display •
Clock •

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IN THE FIELD
Select Measurement Mode
• Use or to access each measurement screen.
• The instantaneous measurement value will be displayed on
each screen and updated once per second.
• The Kestrel’s compass is intended for measuring wind
direction. The Kestrel must be held vertically with the back
of the unit facing into the wind, i.e. towards the direction
to be measured.
75.2
°F °F
Temperature “Hint”
ashes before
Temperature
Measurement Screen
IN THE FIELD
Each measurement screen will ash a brief “Hint” to clarify which
measurement is being displayed.
The measurement and units of measure will be displayed in the
lower line of the screen.

12 | IN THE FIELD
IN THE FIELD
HOLD Mode
Hold mode can be useful for taking measurements when
you are unable to view the display.
» Double press the center button to enter hold mode
» The word “HOLD”will blink on each screen and all
values will stop measuring and freeze in memory.
» Use or to view each measurement screen in
Hold mode.
» Double press the center button a second time to exit
“Hold” mode.
71.9
%
HOLD
Hold Screen

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USING THE APP
Bluetooth Connection
If the Kestrel 3550 is turned on, it can connect
to the app at any time.
HOLD Mode / App Snapshot
A snapshot of all live measurement values can
be initiated by the Kestrel device or by the App.
Snapshots can be easily exported from the app
as .csv les.
To take a snapshot from the App
Click the “capture”button on the
“Realtime” screen.
Press “View” to review the snapshot
measurements.
You can also conveniently add notes,
location information, and photos to the
snapshot record.
Snapshots initiated by the App will not cause
the Kestrel 3550 to enter HOLD mode.
snapshot details

14 |
USING THE APP
Take a snapshot from the Kestrel 3550
» First conrm that the Bluetooth symbol is
displayed on the 3550 unit. This indicates the
unit is successfully connected to the app.
» Next, be sure that the app is on the
“Realtime” screen.
» Double press the center button on the 3550.
Within 3 seconds, the App will display a
“SNAPSHOT” conrmation pop up and the
3550 will enter“Hold” mode.
The snapshot function has a delay (up to 3 seconds) between
pressing the button and recording the data when it is
initiated in the app. Taking the snapshot from the Kestrel will
give a more instantaneous measurement.
USING THE APP

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USING THE APP
USING THE APP
Take a snapshot from the Kestrel 3550
» In this mode, the word“HOLD” will blink on
each measurement screen, and all displayed
measurement values will freeze in memory.
» Double press the center button a second time
to exit “Hold” mode.
If a new snapshot is triggered from the Kestrel unit while
the app is still displaying the “SNAPSHOT DETAILS” from an
earlier capture, the data from the previous capture will be
automatically saved.
Hold mode does not interrupt data logging in the app.
The Kestrel 3550 unit must be connected to the app and
showing the Realtime screen when “Hold” mode is initiated,
otherwise the “Hold” data will be lost when you exit “Hold”
mode.

16 |
SETUP + OPTIONS
SETUP + OPTIONS
Select the Unit of Measure
Select the unit of measure. While
holding , press to scroll
through the available units of
measure for that measurement.
Adjust the Clock
Adjust the clock. Simultaneously
press and to access clock
setting. While the time is blinking,
press or to change the
time. Hold either button down to
adjust quickly. Simultaneously press
and to exit clock setting.
The unit change function can be
used to toggle the clock between 12
and 24 hour display modes.
Each time a 3550 is connected to the app,
the 3550 clock is updated to match the
time on the mobile device.
Wind Max/Avg Function
To view the maximum wind gust
recorded, press or until
you see “MAX” appear at bottom of
screen. Press again to view average
wind gust. “AVG” will appear at
bottom of screen. Both Max and
Average are reset each time the
unit is powered down. To restart
averaging, simply turn the unit o
and back on again.
The MAX and AVG wind displayed on
the 3550 are independent of the min/
max/avg session data that is displayed
in the app.
The MAX and AVG wind values are not
available on the app.

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BAROMETRIC PRESSURE &
ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
Setting Reference Barometric
Pressure & Altitude
The Kestrel Meter measures “station
pressure,” which changes in response
to both changes in altitude and
changes in atmosphere. Barometric
pressure is a measurement of the
air pressure adjusted to sea level. To
obtain accurate barometric pressure
and altitude readings, you must rst
enter EITHER your location’s current
barometric pressure OR your current
altitude.
Station pressure is displayed if the reference
altitude is set to zero.
Starting with Known Altitude for
your Location
• Use or to highlight the
“BARO” screen.
• Press and simultaneously
until the word “REF” starts blinking
on screen.
• Use or to adjust the value to
the correct known Altitude.
• Press and simultaneously to
exit the reference setting mode.
After the Altitude reference is set, place the
unit on a table and allow it to stabilize. The
accurate Barometric Pressure reading will
then be displayed on screen.
Note the correct barometric
pressure reading above and use this
measurement to set the Altitude:
• Use or to highlight the
“Altitude” screen.
• Press and simultaneously
until the word “REF” starts blinking
on screen.
• Use or to adjust the
value to the barometric pressure
measurement noted above.
• Press and simultaneously
again to exit the setting mode.
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE & ALTITUDE

18 |
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE &
ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE & ALTITUDE
Starting with Known Barometric
Pressure for your Location
• Use or to highlight the
“Altitude” screen.
• Press and simultaneously
until the word “REF” starts blinking
on screen.
• Use or to adjust the
reference value to the correct known
Barometric Pressure.
• Press and simultaneously
again to exit the setting mode.
After the Pressure reference is set,
place the unit on a table and allow it to
stabilize. The accurate Altitude reading will
then be displayed on screen.
Note the correct altitude reading
above and use this to set the
Barometric Pressure:
• Use or to highlight the
“BARO” screen.
• Press and simultaneously
until the word “REF” starts blinking
on screen.
• Use or to adjust the
reference value to the correct known
Altitude.
• Press and simultaneously
again to exit the setting mode.
Once these steps are complete, both
screens will display accurate readings.
Be sure to adjust your reference
measurements when you change your
location for altitude and/or barometric
pressure or when there has been dramatic
change in weather conditions.

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MEASUREMENT NOTES
MEASUREMENTS
Barometric Pressure Trend
: indicates pressure is rising quickly (>
+0.18 inHg) in 3 hours
: indicates pressure is rising (within +0.06
and +0.18 inHg)
: indicates pressure is stable (remains
between -0.06 and +0.06 inHg)
: indicates pressure is dropping (within
-0.06 and -0.18 inHg)
: indicates pressure is falling quickly (>
-0.18 inHg)
Water and Snow Temperature
The Kestrel Meter may also be used
to measure the temperature of water
and snow. Submerge the thermistor
portion (curly exposed wire in window
next to impeller) in water or snow
to get an accurate reading. Kestrel
Meters are completely waterproof
and can be safely submerged in water
according to IP-67 standards (up to 1
meter for a maximum of 30 minutes).
Backlight
• Press to activate the backlight for 10
seconds.
• Press again to manually deactivate
the backlight before 10 seconds expire.
Compass Accuracy
The accuracy of the compass can be
aected by:
• Compass calibration: Refer to
calibration instructions.
• Local magnetic elds: Metal
objects and devices emitting
electric signals may inuence the
compass accuracy.
• Rapid Movements
Conrm that the accuracy of the compass
in the measurement environment is suitable
for your purposes.
MEASUREMENTS

20 |
MAINTENANCE & SERVICE ADDENDUM
Replacing the Battery
• When your display becomes dim or disappears,
you need to change the battery.
• Use a US nickel or similar coin to twist open the
battery compartment.
• Replace battery with a new, clean CR2032 coin-cell
battery, with positive side (+) facing up.
• CR2032 batteries are available in most stores that
sell batteries.
When replacing the battery door, be sure to keep the black
rubber o-ring seated in the groove on the case back.
MAINTENANCE & SERVICE