Kestrel 4200 User Manual

4200

Pocket Air FlowTracker

with Backlight

In a hurry?

Be sure to read pages

5-7 to ensure that

your Kestrel is setup

properly!

Instruction Manual for

Kestrel 4200 Pocket Air Flow Tracker

www.kestrelweather.com 800.784.4221

Revised 07/28/10

1

Kestrel® 4200 Pocket Air Flow® Tracker 3

MANUAL MEMORY
BUTTON Press to manually
store current conditions to
memory.

MEASUREMENT BUTTONS
Press to scroll between
screens: Date/Time,
Measurements, User
Dened Screens

POWER/SETUP BUTTON
Hold to turn power on or
o. Press to enter and exit
Main Setup Menu.

IMPELLER Zytec™
V-bearings on a user­replaceable impeller.

IMPELLER COVER Swivel
cover protects impeller
when not in use.

BACKLIGHT BUTTON
Press to activate
backlight for 1 minute.

MODE BUTTONS Press
to change mode of
measurements: Current,
Min/Max/Avg, Chart.

COMMAND BUTTON
In Chart Screens, press
to view data points. In
Setup Menus, press to

FRONT BACK

make selection.

DATA UPLOAD OPTICAL
COUPLER Software and
serial port interface sold
separately.

BATTERY DOOR Sealed
with o-ring to keep
product watertight.

TEMPERATURE SENSOR
Hermetically sealed precision
thermistor coiled to isolate
from case temperature.

HUMIDITY SENSOR Capacitive
sensor with secondary
thermistor to improve
accuracy and response.

SERIAL NUMBER

PRESSURE SENSOR Monolithic
silicon piezoresistive sensor.
Do NOT insert any objects
into this hole.

AAA BATTERIES

Kestrel® 4200 Pocket Air Flow® Tracker 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GETTING STARTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

NAVIGATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

SPECIAL FUNCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

MAIN SETUP MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

APPLICATION EXAMPLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

MEMORY CAPABILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

DEFAULT SETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

CUSTOMER SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Congratulations on the purchase of your Kestrel 4200 Pocket Air Flow Tracker! The Kestrel 4200 is
our newest and most comprehensive HVAC-specic instrument. It not only measures EVERY major
environmental condition easily, accurately and right in the palm of your hand, but now also automatically
calculates Volume Air Flow (CFM) and Humidity Ratio (grains).

While the Kestrel 4200 is user-friendly and simple to use, reading the instruction manual is recommended in
order to use the Kestrel 4200 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:
[e-mail], or web: www.nkhome.com.

GETTING STARTED

Pouch and Lanyards

Wrist and neck lanyards and a small pouch 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. Using
tweezers can help.

Battery Installation

Use only AAA batteries. Install batteries as indicated on the battery door. After installing
the batteries, the Kestrel 4200 will automatically start in the Date and Time Setting mode. (See Date and
Time Setup below.) Custom settings and chart data will be saved during a battery change; only the date/
time and MMA values will be lost.

Turning the Kestrel Meter ON and OFF

To turn the Kestrel Meter ON, press the button. To turn the Kestrel Meter 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 o.) When rst turned on, the Kestrel
Meter will display a splash screen displaying the model number, the battery indicator, and the code version.
This battery indicator will indicate the percentage of battery life remaining, which is helpful in preventing
unexpected dead batteries.

Date and Time Setup

The rst time that you turn on your Kestrel Meter, 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

Kestrel® 4200 Pocket Air Flow® Tracker 7

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.

NAVIGATION

Measurements use and

Air Flow

Air Velocity

Temperature

Wind Chill

Humidity

HUM

RATIO

Humidity Ratio

HI

Heat Index

DP

Dew Point

WB

Wet Bulb

Barometric Pressure

Altitude

D

Density Altitude

The Kestrel 4200 is set up to display 12 Measurements (some are
calculations) in 3 Modes.

The Measurements are listed here with their corresponding screen
icon. In addition to these Measurements and Modes, there are also 3
User Screens, which simultaneously show 3 current measurements,
and the Date & Time Screen, which gives the current date and
time. Use the

and buttons to scroll through the various
Measurements, followed by the 3 User Screens and the Date/Time
Screen. Any of these screens can be turned o so that you can
customize your Kestrel Meter to show the screens that your application
requires. (See the Measurements section in the Main Menu.)

The Modes are displayed below. Use the and buttons to scroll
through the various Modes. From any mode, you may still scroll to a
dierent Measurement by pressing the and buttons.

  Current - Displays the instantaneous reading.

   Min/Max/Avg - Displays the Minimum/Maximum/Average readings

from stored data. If there is no stored data, the values will be
displayed as --.-.

Chart - Displays a graphical representation of up to 1600 stored data points for each measurement.
  If there is no stored data, the axis will appear, but the chart will be blank. (See the following section
  for information on Chart Navigation.)

Modes use

and

Navigation of Charts

The Kestrel 4200 is capable of storing up to 1600 data points for each measurement. To review the data,
press the button while viewing a chart. A cursor will appear on the most recent data point. Press the
and buttons to scroll through the data points. The date and time at which the data was stored will be
displayed at the bottom of the screen, and 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.

Value

Date & Time

Chart

Cursor

Kestrel® 4200 Pocket Air Flow® Tracker 9

SPECIAL FUNCTIONS

User Screens

The Kestrel Meter has three User Screens that can be customized to display three
current measurements simultaneously. These screens can also be turned o. (See the
Main Menu section for setup instructions.)

Max/Avg for Air Flow, Air Velocity & Wind Chill

The Max/Avg values for Air Flow, Velocity and Wind Chill are measured independently
from the stored and charted data. This allows the user to start and stop the averaging period in the most
appropriate manner for their application. Averaging on all velocity-related values (air ow, air velocity and
wind chill) will be started and stopped together.

While viewing the Min/Max/Avg screen for any of these measurements, hold the unit into the wind, and
press the button when the screen displays “--average” to begin collecting data for all measurements, and
again when the screen displays “--stop” to stop collecting data and hold the values on the display. Press
the button when the screen displays “--clear” to clear the data. This routine will work simultaneously
for all measurements, regardless of which one is displayed while the routine is run. The Max/Avg for these
velocity values will not aect any other Min/Max/Avg or stored data.

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 o and data log is full), or O (Manual Store button
has been disabled). (See the Main Setup Menu section for more information on memory.)

Backlight

Press the
button within one minute to deactivate the light manually.

Airow

The Kestrel Air Flow Tracker will display the volume airow, based on the instantaneous air velocity
and cross-sectional area of the opening through which the air is passing. If your particular industry
uses a standard of practice for air ow measurements, be sure to adhere to those standards when using
this product.

To set the dimensions of the duct or opening, press the button while viewing the AIR FLOW screen. The
DIMENSIONAL SETTING screen will appear with the word SHAPE highlighted.

The shape of the opening can be selected by pressing the or button. The options are round or
rectangular openings. Press the v button to highlight the dimensional settings. For round openings, simply
set the correct diameter of the opening. Use the and buttons to increase and decrease the value.
Holding these buttons will increase and decrease the value quickly. For rectangular openings, set both the
length and the width of the opening.

When the dimensional settings are correct, press the button to exit the DIMENSIONAL SETTING
screen and return to AIR FLOW screen. The displayed airow value will be the result of multiplying the
instantaneous air velocity by the area of the programmed opening.

Note that you may change the units for setting opening dimensions under the Main Setup Menu (see the
Main Menu setup section instructions). Choices are inches, feet, centimeters and meters.

The Kestrel Air Flow Tracker also features an averaging function that allows you to traverse a duct and the
unit automatically averages the CFM. This method may yield more accurate results, especially in ducts
with variable ow or with registers on them. To do so, from the current Air Flow screen, simply press the

button to activate the backlight. The light will remain activated for one minute. Press the

Kestrel® 4200 Pocket Air Flow® Tracker 11

button to enter the Max/Average screen. Press the button to begin averaging, and traverse the
duct. When nished, press the button again to stop the averaging. Press to clear the data. See the
“Applications Examples” section for more information.

Relative Humidity

The Kestrel Meter is capable of measuring RH to a high accuracy: +/- 3% RH between 5 and 95%. To ensure
operation within these specications, please follow these recommendations:

• Avoid taking measurements in direct sunlight, which will heat the air inside the humidity sensor

enclosure and cause inaccurate readings.

• If your circumstances force you to expose the Kestrel Meter to a large temperature swing prior to taking

a relative humidity reading (such as when taking a Kestrel Meter stored inside at 70° F outside to a
temperature of 40° F), you will need to take additional steps to ensure that the Kestrel Meter’s external
temperature sensor is in thermal equilibrium.

- Ideally, provide an airow of at least 1 M/S (2.2 MPH), over the temperature sensor — point the
Kestrel Meter into the airow. If there is no airow, simply wave the unit back and forth so air
passes over the sensors. With airow over the temperature sensors and humidity chambers,
readings within specications will be provided within two to three minutes, even after a large
temperature shift.

- If no airow can be provided, you must allow sucient time for the RH value to stabilize. This can
take as long as 20 minutes — the greater the temperature change, the greater the time. You can
use the logging capability of the Kestrel Meter to conrm that the unit has stabilized to
a correct reading: Set the memory options to a relatively short logging interval (20 seconds
works well), select the graphical display of RH, and you can see when the value is no longer

changing signicantly. At that point, the RH value is stable and can be relied upon to be within the
accuracy specications.

Barometric Pressure and Altitude Adjustment

The Kestrel Meter measures “station” pressure — the actual air pressure in the measurement location —
and uses this value to calculate barometric pressure and altitude. Station pressure changes in response to
two things — changes in altitude and changes in the atmosphere. Because the Kestrel Meter is constantly
changing location and altitude, it is important to enter adjustments or “references” when accurate pressure
and altitude readings are needed.

Barometric pressure is station pressure corrected to sea level. In order to make the correction, the Kestrel
Meter needs an accurate reference altitude. Altitude is the height above sea level. In order to correctly
calculate altitude, the unit needs an accurate barometric pressure reference, also known as an “altimeter
setting”. Fortunately, you only need to know ONE of these values (current barometric pressure or current
altitude) in order to set your Kestrel Meter up to show accurate readings.

Starting with the known barometric pressure for your location

You can obtain your current barometric pressure by checking an internet weather site
for a nearby location, or contacting a local airport. Set this value as your reference
pressure on the ALTITUDE screen to determine your correct altitude: Press the button
to enter the reference setting 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. Set your Kestrel Meter down on a table and allow the altitude reading to stabilize. (Note: very small
changes in pressure generate noticeable changes in altitude. In order to provide meaningful readings for
activities where altitude changes quickly, the Kestrel Meter features rapid altitude response. This is why