Kestrel 4300 User Manual

4300

Construction Weather Tracker

In a hurry?

Be sure to read pages

5-7 to ensure that

your Kestrel is setup

properly!

Instruction Manual For Kestrel 4300

with Backlight

1

www.kestrelweather.com 800.784.4221

Revised: 7.29.10

Revised 09/07

Kestrel® 4300 Construction Weather 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

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 make

FRONT BACK

selection.

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.

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® 4300 Construction Weather Tracker 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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

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

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

MAIN SETUP MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

APPLICATION EXAMPLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

MEMORY CAPABILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

DEFAULT SETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

CUSTOMER SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Congratulations on the purchase of your Kestrel 4300 Construction Weather Tracker! The Kestrel 4300 not
only measures EVERY environmental condition easily, accurately, and right in the palm of your hand, but
now also allows users to input a concrete temperature and determine the evaporation rate.

While the Kestrel 4300 is user-friendly and simple to use, reading the instruction manual is recommended in
order to use the Kestrel 4300 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

A neck lanyard and wrist 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 4300 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 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.

Kestrel® 4300 Construction Weather Tracker 7

NAVIGATION

Measurements use

Wind Speed

Temperature

Wind Chill

Humidity

Evaporation Rate

HI

Heat Index

DP

Dew Point

WB

Wet Bulb

Barometric Pressure

Altitude

D

Density Altitude

and

The Kestrel 4300 is set up to display 11 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 1800 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.)

y

Modos utilizar

Navegar por los grácos

El Kestrel 4300 es capaz de almacenar hasta 1800 puntos de referencia para cada medición. Para revisar los datos, pulse el
botón - mientras está viendo un gráco. Aparece un cursor en el punto de referencia más reciente. Pulse los botones

y para desplazarse entre los puntos de referencia. La fecha y la hora en las cuales se almacenaron los datos se

mostrarán en la parte inferior de la pantalla, y el valor de los datos se mostrará en la parte superior. Mantenga pulsado el

o para desplazarse con rapidez por los puntos de referencia.

botón

Pulse el botón
la misma fecha y hora. Si se almacenan nuevos datos mientras se están visualizando los datos del gráco, todo el gráco se
desplazará hacia la izquierda y el nuevo punto de referencia se verá reejado en la parte derecha. El cursor no se moverá
con el gráco.

Pulse el botón

o para revisar los datos de las otras mediciones. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que el cursor seguirá en

para volver al Modo Gráco.

Valor

Graco

Cursor

Fecha y hora

Kestrel® 4300 Construction Weather Tracker 9

SPECIAL FUNCTIONS

Evaporation Rate

The Kestrel 4300 will display the evaporation rate, based on the instantaneous air velocity, relative humidity,
ambient temperature and concrete temperature. The 4300 eliminates the need to reference the American
Concrete Institute issued charts.

To measure the evaporation rate, you will need to input the concrete temperature. The Kestrel 4300 does
not measure this, you will need to use a separate temperature measuring device to obtain the concrete
temperature.

Once you have measured the concrete temperature, scroll to the evaporation rate screen, then press
the button. Now you can use the and buttons to enter the concrete temperature. Press
the button again to exit the setting screen.

To accurately measure the evaporation rate, a few precautions must be taken. The readings must be taken
into the wind, approximately 20 inches above the concrete. Additionally, it is extremely important that the
temperature reading is not taken in direct sunlight. You may need to shade the Kestrel Meter if the area is
not normally in the shade. For example, hold a notebook or piece of plywood above the Kestrel so that it is
shaded while taking the readings. (Be careful not to obstruct the air ow while doing so.) Failure to shade

the unit may cause inaccurate Evaporation Rate readings, and will not meet the criteria in the ACI

308.

Find the direction that the wind is blowing from and hold the Kestrel 4300 into the wind. You may want
to scroll up to the Current Wind Speed Screen to nd the direction that the wind is strongest. Hold the
unit vertical, and rotate it slightly to nd the maximum wind speed. Then scroll back to the evaporation

rate screen and hold the Kestrel 4300 facing that direction. The Kestrel 4300 will automatically display the
instantaneous evaporation rate.

Since the wind rarely blows at a constant rate, you may notice that the evaporation rate uctuates. For the
most accurate evaporation rate readings, press the
you to average the evaporation rate over a set time. The ACI recommends averaging for 6-10 seconds. On
the average screen, press the button to start the averaging. Position the Kestrel into the wind, 20 inches
above the concrete and shaded, and count 6-10 seconds, then press the – button again to stop. The screen
will display the average and minimum evaporation rate readings. To clear the data, press the – button
again. Press the < button to return to the current evaporation rate screen, or the > button to view the
chart.

Note that you may change the units of measure for Evaporation Rate under the Main Setup Menu (see the
Main Menu setup section instructions). Choices are lb/ft2/hr and kg/m2/hr.

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 Wind Speed & Wind Chill

The Max/Avg values for the wind speed and wind chill values 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 wind-related values (Wind Speed and Wind Chill) will be started and
stopped together.

button to enter the averaging screen. This allows

Kestrel® 4300 Construction Weather Tracker 11

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 wind
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

The Kestrel Meter has a high-visibility green backlight, which makes the display easily read in low–light
conditions. 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.

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”. 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.