Nielsen-Kellerman Kestrel 4000 User manual

Kestrel®4000
Pocket Weather™Tracker™
Instruction Manual
NK
Kestrel® 4000 Pocket Weather™Tracker™
FRONT
2
MANUAL MEMORY BUTTON
Press to manually store current
conditions to memory.
MEASUREMENT BUTTONS
Press to scroll between screens:
Date/Time, Measurements,
User Defined Screens
POWER/SETUP BUTTON
Hold to turn power on or off. Press
to enter and exit Main Setup Menu.
BACKLIGHT BUTTON
Press to activate
backlight
for 1 minute.
COMMAND BUTTON
In Chart Screens, press
to view data points.
In Setup Menus, press
to make selection.
MODE BUTTONS
Press to change mode of
measurements: Current,
Min/Max/Avg, Chart.
BACK
TEMPERATURE SENSOR
Hermetically sealed
precision thermistor.
HUMIDITY SENSOR
Capacitive sensor.
PRESSURE SENSOR
Monolithic silicon
piezoresistive sensor.
IMPELLER
Sapphire jewel bearings
on a user-replaceable
impeller.
IMPELLER COVER
Swivel cover protects
impeller when not in use.
DATA UPLOAD OPTICAL COUPLER
Software and serial port
interface sold separately.
BATTERY DOOR
Sealed with o-ring to keep
product watertight.
SERIAL NUMBER
2 AAA BATTERIES
3
Kestrel® 4000 Pocket Weather™Tracker™Congratulations on the purchase of your Kestrel 4000 Pocket Weather Tracker! The Kestrel 4000 is
the next generation of weather monitoring. Now, you can instantly measure EVERY major
environmental condition easily, accurately, and right in the palm of your hand.
While the Kestrel 4000 is user-friendly and simple to use, (and the Quick Start Card will help get you
started) reading the instruction manual is recommended in order to use the Kestrel 4000 to its fullest
potential.
NK, manufacturer of Kestrel Pocket Weather Meters, is available to answer questions and provide
support. Contact NK by phone: [phone], fax: [phone], email: [email protected], or web:
www.nkhome.com.
Getting Started
Pouch and Lanyards 5
Battery Installation 5
On/Off 5
Date and Time Set Up 5
Screen Navigation
Measurements and Modes 6-7
Charts 7
Special Functions
User Screens 8
Wind Speed/Chill Averaging 8
Baometer/Altimeter Adjustments 8
Manual Data Storage 9
Backlight 9
Main Setup Menu 9-11
Glossary 12-13
Factory Default Settings 14
Specifications 15 4

Navigation of Charts
The Kestrel 4000 is capable of storing up to 250 data points. To review
the data, press the button while viewing a chart. A cursor will appear
on the most recent data point. Press the button to scroll through
older data points and the button to scroll through more recent data
points. The date and time at which the data was stored will be displayed
at the bottom of the screen. The data value will be displayed at the top of the screen. Hold down the or
button to scroll quickly through the data points.
Press the or button to review the data for the other measurements. Please note that the cursor will
remain at the same date and time. If new data is stored while viewing chart data, the entire chart will shift left
with the new data point charted on the right. The cursor will not shift with the chart.
Press the button to return to the Chart Mode.
Mode Navigation
While in a Current Screen, press the
button to view the Min/Max/Avg for a
measurement. If there is no stored
data, the values will be displayed as --.-
Press the button again to view a
chart for the measurement. If there is
no stored data, the axis will appear, but
the chart will be blank.
Press the button to return to the Min/Max/Avg and
Current Screens. From either Min/Max/Avg or Chart
Screen, press the or button to scroll through the
Min/Max/Avg or Chart Screen for the other
measurements.
Measurement Navigation
Starting on the Date & Time Screen…
…Press the button to scroll to the
Current Wind Speed Screen.
Press the button again to scroll to
the Current Temperature Screen.
Continue pressing the button to scroll through
the Current Measurement Screens, listed on the
previous page, followed by the 3 User Screens. Press
the button to scroll through these screens in
reverse order.
7
Value
Chart
Cursor
Date & Time
In addition to these Measurements and Modes,there are also 3 User Screens, which simultaneously
show 3 current measurements (see pages 8 and 10 for more information);and the Date &Time Screen,
which gives the current date and time.
6
The Kestrel 4000 is set up to display 10 Measurements (some are actually
calculations) in 3 Modes.
The Measurements are listed to the right with their corresponding screen
icon. Using the and buttons will scroll through the various
Measurements.
The Modes are:
Current - displays the instantaneous reading
Min/Max/Avg - displays the Minimum/Maximum/Average readings from
stored data
Chart - displays a graphical representation of up to 250 stored data points.
Examples of each of these screens are shown below. Using the and
buttons will scroll through the various Modes.
Modes use
Current Min/Max/Avg Chart
Measurements
use
Wind Speed
Temperature
Wind Chill
Humidity
Heat Index
Dew Point
Wet Bulb
Altitude
Density
Altitude
HI
DP
WB
Barometric
Pressure
D
Pouch and Lanyards
A soft pouch and wrist and neck lanyards have been provided. To install
the lanyard, feed the thin end of the lanyard around the metal post on
the battery door (as shown in diagram). Feed the thick end of the lanyard
through the loop on the thin end.
Battery Installation
Use only AAA batteries. Install batteries as indicated on the battery door. After installing the
batteries,the Kestrel 4000 will automatically start in the Date andTime Setting mode. (See Date and
Time Setup below.) Custom settings and chart data will be saved during a battery change.
Turning the Kestrel 4000 ON and OFF
ON: Press the button.
OFF: Hold the button for two seconds. Or, press the button, then press the button with the
word OFF highlighted. (Note: your unit will continue to automatically store data when the power is
turned off.)
Date and Time Setup
The first time that you turn on your Kestrel 4000,as well as after a battery change,
you will need to set the date and time. The Introduction Screen will appear for 3
seconds, followed by the Date/Time Setup Screen. Press the and buttons to
scroll through the settings. Press the and buttons to scroll through the
setting options. After entering the date and time, press the button to exit the
Date/Time Setup. Then press the button again to exit the Main Setup Menu.
5
8
User Screens
The Kestrel 4000 has three User Screens which can be customized to display three current
measurements simultaneously. (See page 10 for setup instructions.)
Min/Max/Avg for Wind Speed and Wind Chill
The Min/Max/Avg values for Wind Speed and Wind Chill are measured independently from the stored and charted
data. While viewing the Min/Max/Avg screen for either Wind Speed or Wind Chill,press the button to begin
collecting data for both measurements. Press the button again to stop collecting data and hold the values
on the display. Press the button a third time to clear the data.This routine will work simultaneously for both
measurements, regardless of which one is displayed while the routine is run. The Min/Max/Avg for Wind Speed
and Wind Chill will not affect any other Min/Max/Avg or stored data.
Barometric Pressure and Altitude Adjustment
The Kestrel 4000 will measure air pressure in order to calculate barometric pressure and altitude. Changes in
either air pressure or altitude will affect these readings, so it's important to make adjustments as necessary.
Altitude Adjustment
Obtain a barometric pressure reading from a local weather source to use as your reference
pressure. From the Current Altitude Screen, press the button to enter the adjustment
mode. Press the button to increase the reference pressure or the button to decrease
the reference pressure. You will notice that the Altitude will change with changes in the
reference pressure. Press the button to exit the adjustment mode.
Pressure Adjustment
Obtain your altitude from a topographical map or landmark to use as your reference altitude.
From the Current Barometric Pressure Screen, press the button to enter the adjustment
mode. Press the button to increase the reference altitude or the button to decrease
the reference altitude. You will notice that the Barometric Pressure will change with
changes in the reference altitude. Press the button to exit the adjustment mode.

Manual Data Storage
To manually store data, press the button. One of the following will appear: Data Stored (data has been
captured and will appear on chart), Full (Overwrite is off and data log is full), or Off (Manual Store button has been
disabled). See below for more information on Memory.
Backlight
Press the button to activate the backlight. The light will remain activated for one minute. Press the button
within one minute to deactivate the light manually.
You can customize your Kestrel 4000 in multiple ways. Press the button to access the Main Setup Menu. Press
the button to select the highlighted setting.
Off - Press the or the button to turn the display off. Even when the Kestrel’s display is turned off, the unit
will continue to automatically store data at the defined Store Rate. Wind speed will NOT be stored when the unit
is off.To continously measure wind speed, turn the auto shutdown off (pg. 12) The battery life is decreased if data
is stored frequently. The only way to completely shut off the unit is to remove the batteries.Custom settings and
data will be stored when the batteries are removed.
Data Log - These settings control the data storage properties. Press the button to return to the Main Setup Menu.
Setting Description Operation
Auto Store When On, data is automatically stored at preset Store Rate. When Press or to toggle
(On/Off ) Off, data is only stored when manually captured with the button. between On and Off.
Clear Log All stored data is cleared.This will also clear Min/Max/Avg data. Press or to clear the log.
(Go/Done)
Reset MMA All Min/Max/Avg data is cleared.Chart data will remain intact. Press or to clear the MMA.
(Go/Done)
Store Rate* The frequency at which data sets are automatically stored. Press or to increase or
(2 sec - 12 hr) (Battery life may be shortened if data is stored frequently.) decrease Store Rate frequency.
Overwrite This setting only applies when the data log is full. Press or to toggle
(On/Off ) When On, oldest data point is discarded to allow memory for between On and Off.
the new data point. When Off,new data points are not saved.
Man Store When On, data is stored when the button is pressed.When Press or to toggle
(On/Off ) off, the button is disabled. between On and Off.
* When unit is off, data is NOT stored for 2 sec and 5 sec Store Rates.
System - The display Contrast and Auto Shutdown an be reconfigured as required. Press the and buttons
to highlight either Contrast or Auto Shutdown, and the or button to adjust.
The Contrast can be adjusted for better visabiltity depending on the ambient lighting conditions. Press the
or button to increase or decrease the contrast from 0 to 20 (0 is lightest, 20 is darkest).
The display can be set to automatically turn off in order to conserve the battery life. Auto Shutdown will only
occur after the preset time has elapsed without any button presses. Press the or button to scroll through
the Auto Shutdown options (15 minutes, 60 minutes, Off ).
The percent of full battery power is also shown in this menu.
Press the button to return to the Main Setup Menu.
Date & Time - The date and time, as well as date and time formats, can be adjusted.
TheTime Formats available are:12 hour and 24 hour. The Date formats available are day/month/year and month/
day/year. (See page 5 for instructions on how to set the date and time. ) Press the button to return to the
Main Setup Menu.
Language - Displayed text can be set in one of three languages: English, French or Spanish. To choose a
language, use the and buttons to highlight the desired language. Press the button to select the
language and return to the Main Setup Menu.Otherwise,press the button to return to the Main Setup Menu
without changing languages.
Restore - Factory default menu settings can be restored. Press the or button on either Metric or Imperial to
restore the factory settings. (See page 12 for a list of the Factory Default Settings.) Press the to return to the
Main Setup Menu.
Baro Cal - Please contact NK for information about recalibrating the barometric pressure sensor.
Humidity Cal - Please contact NK for information about recalibrating the humidity sensor. 11
9
Graph Scale - These settings control the chart limits of your meter. Depending on the conditions, the lower
and upper limits of the chart scale may need to be adjusted in order to get the best view of the data.
Highlight the desired measurement by pressing the or button. Select the highlighted measurement by
pressing the button. Press the or button to increase or decrease the value of the limits. Press the
or button to change between the upper and lower limits. Press the button to exit and return to the
measurement selection screen. Press the button to return to the Main Setup Menu.
Units - The units of measure can be adjusted to best suit the application. The following units are available:
Wind Speed Temperature, Pressure Altitude,
m/s meters per second Dewpoint,Wet inHg inches mercury Density Alt.
km/h kilometers per hour Bulb Temp, Wind hPa hecto pascals m meters
kt knots Chill & Heat Index psi pound per ft feet
mph miles per hour °C Celsius square inch
ft/m feet per minute °F Fahrenheit mb millibar
Bft Beaufort
Highlight the desired measurement by pressing the or button. Press the or button to scroll
through the available units. Press the button to return to the Main Setup Menu.
User Screens - The three User Screens can be reconfigured to display the most appropriate information for the
application. Only current measurements can be selected for the User Screens - Min/Max/Avg and Charts are not
available.
Highlight the desired User Screen by pressing the or button. Press the button to select the highlighted
User Screen. Press the and buttons to change lines,and the or button to scroll through the available
measurements for each highlighted line. Press the button to return to the User Screen Setup Menu. Repeat
above process for the other User Screens or press the button to return to the Main Setup Menu.
10
12
The below definitions have been greatly simplified in order to keep this section brief. We strongly
recommend that anyone who wishes to make use of these measurements refer to one of the many
excellent weather references available for a more in-depth definition. On the internet, visit
www.usatoday.com or www.noaa.gov. Or, locate the USA Today publication, The Weather Book.
Please note that any words in a definition printed in italics are themselves defined in this glossary.
Altitude: The distance above sea level. The Kestrel 4000 calculates altitude based on the
measured station pressure and an assumed or known barometric pressure.
Barometric Pressure: The air pressure of your location reduced to sea level. Pressure will change
as weather systems move into your location. Falling pressure indicates the arrival of a low pressure
system and expected precipitation or storm conditions. Steady or rising pressure indicates clear
weather.
Density Altitude: The altitude at which you would be,given the current air density. Often used by
pilots in order to determine how an aircraft will perform. Also of interest to individual who tune
high performance internal combustion engines, such as race care engines.
Dewpoint: The temperature to which air must be cooled in order for condensation to occur. The
difference between dewpoint and temperature is referred to as the“temperature/dew point spread”.
A low dewpoint spread indicates high relative humidity, while a large dewpoint spread indicates
dry conditions.

13
Heat Index: A practical measure of how hot the current combination of relative humidity and
temperature feels to a human body. Higher relative humidity makes it seem hotter because our
ability to cool ourselves by evaporating perspiration is reduced.
Relative Humidity: The amount of water vapor actually in the air divided by the maximum amount
of water vapor the air could hold at that temperature, expressed as a percentage.
Station Pressure: The air pressure of your location, NOT reduced to the sea level equivalent.
Temperature: The ambient air temperature.
Wet Bulb Temperature: The lowest temperature to which a thermometer can be cooled by
evaporating water into the air at constant pressure. This measurement is a holdover from the use
of an instrument called a sling psychrometer. To measure wet bulb temperature with a sling
psychrometer, a thermometer with a wet cloth covering over the bulb is spun rapidly through the
air. If the relative humidity is high, there will be little evaporative cooling and the wet bulb
temperature will be quite close to the ambient temperature. Some exercise physiology guides
use wet bulb temperature, rather than heat index, as a measure of the safety of exercise in hot and
humid conditions.
Wind Chill: The cooling effect of combining wind and temperature. The wind chill gives a more
accurate reading of how cold it really feels to the human body.
METRIC IMPERIAL
Automatic Data Store On On
Data Store Rate 1 hour 1 hour
Data Overwrite On On
Manual Data Store On On
Wind Functions m/s mph
Temperature Functions °C °F
Barometric Pressure hPa inHg
Altitude Functions m ft
User Screen1 wind speed, temperature, humidity
User Screen 2 humidity, dewpoint, wet bulb
User Screen 3 pressure, altitude, density altitdue
Display Contrast 10 10
Automatic Shutdown 15 minutes 15 minutes
Time Format 24 hour 12 hour
Date Format day/month/year month/day/year
Language English English
14
15
ACCURACY (Within OPERATIONAL RANGE stated below)
Wind Speed ±3% of reading
Temperature ±1°C
Wind Chill ±2°C
Wet Bulb Temp ±2°C
Dewpoint ±3°C (above 20% RH)
Heat Index ±3°C
Relative Humidity ±3%
Pressure ±3hPa
Altitude ±30m (at standard atmospheric conditions)
Altitude Resolution 1m
Density Altitude ±75m
UNITS AND OPERATIONAL RANGE
Units Low End High End
Knots 0.6 78
Meters per Second 0.3 40
Kilometers per Hour 1.0 144
Miles per Hour 0.7 89
Feet per Minute 59 7877
Beaufort Force 1 16
Celsius -29 70
Fahrenheit -20 158
Percent Humidity 5 95
Meters -500 9000
Feet -1500 30000
Hectopascal (or mbar) 870.0 1080.0
Inches Mercury 25.70 31.90
RESPONSE TIME
Wind Speed 1 Second
Temperature,Relative
Humidity,Wind Chill, <1 Minute
Heat Index, Dewpoint
DISPLAY
Update 1 second
Temperature Range Normal operation from -20°C to 60°C [-4°F
to 140°F].Below -20°C [-4°F], accurate
readings may be taken by keeping the unit
warmer than -20°C [-4°F] and exposing it
for the minimum time necessary to take a
reading (less than one minute).
Storage Temperature -30°C to 60°C [-22°F to 140°F].
PHYSICAL
Battery Two AAA alkaline batteries (included).
Impeller 25 mm. [1in.] diameter, sapphire
bearings, light weight. User-replaceable
impeller/housing assembly.
Temperature Sensor Hermetically sealed precision thermistor.
Humidity Sensor Capacitive sensor.
Pressure Sensor Monolithic Silicon Piezoresisitive sensor.
Dimensions 12.7 x 4.5 x 2.8 cm. [5 x 1.8 x 1.1 in.]
Weight 102 g.[3.6 oz.]
For more information or more detailed specifications, please visit
www.nkhome.com.
Nielsen-Kellerman
610.447.1555
www.nkhome.com
[email protected]
Instruction Manual for Kestrel 4000 versions: 1.04 EFS 1A, 1.05 EFS 1A