Kestrel 4500NV User Manual

I NS TR UC TI ON M AN UA L

AVAILABLE WITH

Wireless Data Transfer

Your Kestrel Ballistics Weather Meter is designed to provide accurate measurement

CAUTION

!

of current conditions only. Depending on your location and environment,

Rapid temperature and humidity changes (i.e., moving your meter from indoors to outdoors) may cause inaccurate readings of
temperature and humidity as well as all readings that rely on either of these values. Before relying on a Kestrel Ballistics Weather
Meter readings, use care to either a) force air ow over the sensors by waving or slinging your meter through the air; or b) wait
until your unit’s readings have stabilized, indicating it has equilibrated to its new environment.

To maximize the accuracy and reliability of your readings:

• Ensure that your Kestrel Ballistics Weather Meter is in good repair and within factory calibration.

• Take readings frequently and carefully according to the guidelines above.

• Allow your meter’s readings to stabilize after signicant changes in temperature or humidity (i.e., changing location
from indoors to outdoors).

• Allow a margin of safety for changing conditions and reading errors (2-3% of reading is recommended).

Use extra care and good judgment when referring to your Kestrel Ballistics Weather Meter to make

2

any decisions regarding safety, health or property protection.

conditions may change rapidly.

OVERVI EW

Features & Options .............................................. 4

Getting to Know Your Kestrel ............................ 5

Battery Installation .............................................. 6

Compass Calibration and Setup ....................... 7

Barometric Pressure & Altitude Setup ............. 9

AB MODE

Basic Navigation and Getting Started .............10

Gun Selection .......................................................11

Gun Library & Information Screen ................... 12

Target Screen ........................................................15

Environment Screen............................................ 17

Range Card Screen ..............................................18

Ballistics Screen ................................................... 19

Calibration & Custom Drag Curves ...................19

Bluetooth Setup ................................................... 20

Quick Keys ............................................................. 21

*for BLUETOOTH®-enabled models ONLY

WEATHER MODE

Setup and Options .............................................. 22

Screen Navigation ...............................................25

Impeller Replacement ........................................ 26

Using the Bootloader ......................................... 27

Glossary of Terms.................................................28

Ballistic & Environmental Quick Ref ................. 29

Full Range Card Data Sample ............................ 31

Specications .......................................................33

Choosing & Using Batteries ............................... 35

Warranty ................................................................ 37

NK, manufacturer of Kestrel brand Ballistics Weather Meters
is available to answer questions and provide support.
Contact NK by phone: [phone]; fax: [phone];
email: [e-mail]; or web: NKhome.com

3

FEATURES & OPTIONS

Measurement/ Uni ts of Measure Icon 4500

Wind Dire ction (Cardinal Po ints, Degrees)

Wind Spe ed | Air Speed (mph | fp m | Bft | m/s | km/h | kt )

Crosswin d Calculation (mph | f pm | Bft | m/s | km/h | k t)

Headwin d | Ta ilwind (mph | fpm | Bf t | m/s | km/h | kt)

Temperatur e* (˚F | ˚C)

Wind Chill ( ˚F | ˚C)

Relative H umidity (Gpp | G/kg)

Heat Stress I ndex (˚F | ˚C)

Dewpoi nt Te mp (˚F | ˚C)

Wet Bulb Temp (˚F | ˚C)

Barome tric Pressure (inHg | hPA | psi | mb)

Altitud e, m | ft

Densit y Altitude, m | ft

Pressure Trend

Backli t Display

Data Stora ge Points 2900

BLUETOOTH ®

4

NV Backl ight

Standard • | Optional

w/Applied Ba llistics

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GETT ING TO KNOW YOUR KESTREL

FRONT

REPLACEABLE

HUMIDITY

SENSOR

MANUAL
MEMORY

BUTTON

POWER / SETUP

BUTTON

Even when the Kestrel display is o, the unit will still automati-

cally collect and store data at the dened rate (see “Memory
Options” ). To completely power down the unit, you must
remove the batteries (and lose time / date and other settings)

IMPELLER

BACKLIGHT
BUTTON

NAVIGATION
BUTTONS

SELECT / EXIT
BUTTON

DATA UPLOAD

OPTICAL COUPLER

* All Kestrel Meters with

temperature measurement
allow you to measure air,
water and snow temperature.

BACK

AMBIENT
TEMPERATURE
SENSOR

SERIAL NUMBER

WIDE RANGE
PRESSURE
SENSOR

AAA BATTERIES (2)

(Lithium recommended)

STABILIZING
BATTERY
ORIENTATION SHIM

5

BATTERY INS TALLATION

• Insert batteries into bottom of
Kestrel unit as shown on battery
door.

• Snap door closed.

Turning ON an d OFF

to turn on the meter.

• Press

• Hold for 3 seconds to turn o
the meter.

You can also select “O” on th e
Main Setup M enu options.

Date & Tim e

to enter the Main Setup

• Press

Menu.

• Use

or to highlight Date

& Time.

• Press to enter the Date & Time

Screen.

or to change each value.

• Press

6

KESTREL 4500:

AAA batteries have a magnetic signature strong
enough to aect the Kestrel 4500’s compass
readings. Please follow this extra step to ensure
the batteries stay in proper orientation.

Before closing the door, push the plastic shim
(provided with unit) between batteries and place
clear ring on end over positive battery “bump.”

When replacing batteries in the Kestrel 4500, always keep

the shim and re-insert with new batteries as described.

COMPASS CALIBRATION AND SETUP

In addition to Wind Speed and Wind Chill, the Kestrel
with Applied Ballistics Software also measures

Direction, Headwind/Tailwind and Crosswind.

Digit al Compass Cali bration

The Kestrel meter's digital compass must be calibrated

to correct for the AAA batteries’ magnetic eld. It must
be re-calibrated every time the battery door is opened,
and it will not display or log any direction values until
calibration is complete.

**Impeller should be removed during calibration for best
results.

• Remove the impeller by pressing the edges to pop it out
(reinsert after calibration is complete).

To Calibrate :

• In Main Setup Menu, use
“System”, then press

to highlight “Compass Cal”, then press .

• Press

Follow the prompts on screen:

to start.

• Press

• Slowly spin the upright meter around three (3) full times.

• Each rotation should take approximately 10 seconds.

• When calibration is nished, the screen will read
“Cal Complete”.

to exit to Main Menu.

• Press

To verify the digital compass’ accuracy, test it against a

or to highlight

.

compass; the Kestrel meter readings should be within
±5° of the reference compass or better. If readings appear
incorrect, simply run the calibration routine again.
Unit should be held vertically with the back facing the
direction being measured.

Calibr ation Error Me ssages

There are three error messages that the meter may
display during calibration. Press
screen and run the calibration again.

• Magnetic Batteries: The magnetic eld of the Kestrel’s
batteries is interfering with calibration. Try opening
the battery door, rotate one or both batteries, and run
the calibration again. If
error persists, try using a
dierent brand of battery.

• Too Slow: The unit was
spun too slowly during
calibration.

• Too Fast: The unit was
spun too quickly during

calibration.

Figure 1

to exit the error

3x

7

COMPASS CALIBRATION AND SETUP CONT.

Measur ing Direct ion

The Kestrel 4500’s digital compass must be vertical to
achieve accurate readings. Keep the unit positioned as
close to vertical as possible when using any compass­related feature. After opening the battery door, you
must re-run the calibration routine or readings will not
register. For maximum accuracy, the impeller should be
spinning while measuring to eliminate its magnetic pull.

True Nort h vs. Magnetic N orth Readi ngs

The Kestrel 4500's default Direction display mode is
Magnetic North.

To view Direction in True North mode:

• Go to weather mode in the Direction screen, press
or to choose your mode.

• Use

• If you choose True North, use

tion”, then use
location.

To measure Di rection:

• Hold the unit vertically and point the BACK of the unit

toward the direction you want to measure.

• The unit will display the cardinal direction and degrees.

The Direction measurement does not record Max and
Average and will display N/A on that mode screen.

8

or to input the Variation for your

to highlight “Varia-

Measur ing Headwind /Tailwind & Cros swind

The Kestrel 4500 automatically calculates Headwind and
Crosswind with respec t to a runway or target direction.
You must rst set the “Heading” to view these measure­ments:

while on the Headwind or Crosswind screen.

• Press
or to choose “Auto Set” or “Manual Set”,

• Use

then press

In Auto Set: Point the unit down the runway or target,
then press

In Manual Set: Use
or target heading, and press

.

Both screens will always display the Magnetic Nor th
heading at the top (even if the Direction screen is set to
True North mode).

• After setting the heading, scroll to the desired

parameter and orient the Kestrel so the wind blows
directly through the impeller.

Info for Wind Speed & Direction of re for ballistic
solutions can be found on pg 16.

.

to automatically set the heading.

or to enter the known runway

to save.

BAROME TRIC PRESSU RE & ALTITUDE SETUP

Setting 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.

Station pressure is displayed if the reference altitude is
set to zero. This is needed for ballistics solutions as well.

Be sure to adjust your reference measurements for
altitude and/or barometric pressure when you change
your location or when there have been dramatic
changes in weather conditions.

Obtaining Station Pressure

• In the Main Setup Menu, use or to highlight
“Weather Mode”, then press .

• Use or to scroll to highlight the “BARO” screen

• Press to enter the “REF BARO” screen

• Set the reference altitude to zero for station pressure.
Set it to your current altitude if you want barometric
pressure

Baro—Displays current Barometric Pressure
Ref Alt—Use
Sync Alt—Use or to switch “On” and sync the Baro

reading to the “Altitude” screen

When “Sync Alt” is turned “On,” the current

“Density Altitude” screen data is calculated from the

absolute values of station pressure, relative humidit y
and temp., and is not aected by the reference values
entered in the “Baro” and “Altitude” screens.

to set the known Altitude

or

Barometric Pressure data is automatically used as a
reference for Altitude, and both screens will show
accurate readings.

REF ALT

Alt 877
Ref.Baro 30.97

SyncBaro On

adjust exit

Setting Altitude

• In the Main Setup Menu, use or to highlight
“Weather Mode”, then press .

• Use or to highlight the “Baro” screen

• Press to enter the “REF ALT” screen

• Set the reference altitude to your current altitude.

When “Sync Baro” is turned “On,” the current Altitude
data is automatically used as a reference for Barometric
Pressure, and both screens will show accurate readings.

REF BARO

Baro 30.15
Ref.Alt 115

SyncAlt On

adjust exit

syncs

syncs

REF BARO

Baro

Ref.Alt 877

SyncAlt

adjust exit

REF ALT

Alt

Ref.Baro 30.15

SyncBaro

adjust exit

9

BASIC NAVIGATION & GET TING STARTED

THE KES TREL HAS SEV EN NAVIGATION KEYS:

Capture

Left-Arrow

Power On/
Escape Key

Quick Tips:

Your Shooter's Weather Meter with Applied Ballistics
(AB) can operate in Weather mode or AB mode. For
instructions related to Weather Mode, see page 23.

Compass must be calibrated in order for directional
features to work in AB mode. Compass calibration can be
done from the main menu screen. See page 7.

Pressing
When a ballistics parameter is underlined, this indicates

that the value cannot be changed manually on the
current screen. This is either because it is a calculated
value or determined by the sensors. Press and hold for
2 seconds to power down the Kestrel regardless of current

10

Up-Arrow

Down-Arrow

Backlight

Right-Arrow

Center Key

will allow you to exit out of a particular screen.

screen. Press twice in rapid succession to instantly
change between Weather mode and AB mode.
Any changes in information are automatically saved
upon exiting the current screen. There are four
exceptions to this rule where an “accept” screen appears
upon exiting: the Target Range estimator, the Target
Speed estimator, and the MV and DSF Calibration
screens.

Getting started with AB Mode

The three main data input groups are gun, target
and environment. The aiming solutions for Elevation,
Windage and Coriolis are displayed on the Main AB
screen.

1. Gun Information 2. Target

GUN Laru308

MV 2550FPS

DC G1

BC 0.475

BW 175gr

BD 0.308in

BL 1.240in

ZR 100m

BH 2.75in

ZH

ZO

RT 11.25in

RTd Right

EUNIT mil

Eclck n/a

Wunit mil

Wclck n/a

Cal MV

Cal DSF

View DSF

Clear DSF

TARGET

Active

TR

DoF

g

Ide

Icos

TS

TD

WD

WS1

WS2

A box indicates amount of
data shown on display.

Data below box indicates
additional information
available by pressing .

*Note: Please see p. 28 for
abbreviation glossary.

1.000º

0mph

5mph

10mph

Yes

1000

000º

0˚

L-R

12oc

GUN SELECTION

3. Environment

ENVIRONMENT

Lat

Temp

SP

RH

Dalt

store up to 16 guns. A user-created gun is dened as a
gun that has been modied for one or more parameter
values of the New Gun or any of the precongured guns.
A precongured gun is any gun loaded onto the Kestrel
using the AB Gun Loader software.

When a New Gun is modied, the name instantly
changes to UserGunX (where X is a number sux to
ensure the name is unique). If a precongured gun
(whose name ends in a letter) is modied, a number
will appear at the end to create a unique name. If a
precongured gun (whose name ends in a number)
is modied, a letter will appear at the end to create a
unique name.

• Turn on the unit. From the Main AB screen,
press to access the Main Setup Menu.

These three main data groups

No

determine an accurate ring

42˚

solution. The rst step in getting a

75˚F

ring solution is selecting your gun.

29.48inHg

50%

Gun Selection

1729ft

The Gun Selection screen allows you

Yes

to choose a precongured gun or

Onetgt

build your own. You may create and

• Press to highlight “Gun
Selection.”

• Press to enter Gun
Selection Screen. Here, you
may choose a precongured

exit

gun or build your own.

To Choose a Precongured Gun:

• Press or to scroll through the dierent guns.

• Press to turn your selected gun “on” or “o.” “On”
means the gun is available to be selected in AB mode.
“O” means the gun is not available to be selected.
For example, setting multiple guns to “On”
allows you to quickly switch gun congurations
without going back to the Main Setup Menu.

Laru308

User Gun2
User Gun
300WinMag2

• Use to highlight New Gun and press .

• This will take you to the gun information screen
where you may adjust all gun parameters. Press up or
down to highlight the gun parameters.

MaruGun308
AR15a
300WinMag1

New Gun

GUN New Gun

MV

BC

BW

11 Gun select

• Pressing on a gun gives you
the option to edit or delete this
gun.

To Build A G un:

You can build and name your gun
on the gun selection screen.

• Use and to adjust each

11 Gun select

value.

• To name your gun, scroll up to
highlight “Gun” and press .

• You will see a cursor appear
under the rst letter of New
Gun.

• Use the and buttons
to scroll through the alphabet

ps

2900f

and numbers 0-9 and several
symbols. Pressing inserts a

0.533

space between characters. You

g

190

r

can choose between upper and
lowercase letters.

11

GUN LIBRARY & INFORMATION SCREEN

• Once you’re on the desired letter, use to move
the cursor to the next space in the gun name.
Continue until the gun name is complete.

• When gun name is complete, press button to
save. (Gun will also automatically save upon
exiting screen.)

• Press to exit from the current screen.

Gun Library

There is room in the Kestrel for up to 16 guns. While it
is possible to copy a precongured gun to your Kestrel
and modify the parameter, you should use New Gun
and input all the parameters to ensure MV and DSF Cal
are accurately inputted. You can build a gun library on
a computer using the AB Gun Loader software, and
download the new gun library to the Kestrel (either via
Bluetooth® connection or the Kestrel wired interface).
Downloading a new gun library will automatically
overwrite the previous guns in the Kestrel.

*Note: You should upload any user-created guns to the AB
Gun Loader software that you want to save before down­loading new guns. The new guns will overwrite current
stored Kestrel guns.

Gun Information Screen

Once you have selected your gun, you’re now ready to
enter or modify all relevant parameters pertaining to the
set-up of your rie. These parameters include muzzle
velocity, drag curve, ballistic coecient, bullet weight,
bullet diameter, bullet length, zero range, zero height,
zero oset, bore height, rie twist, rie twist direction
and sight adjustment (click).

• On the Gun Information screen, use buttons to

12

highlight the gun parameters.

• Use and to adjust the value.

• Press to enter the highlighted parameter’s
screen. Here you are also able to adjust the
parameter’s value as well as the unit of measure.
(For example, meters per second to feet per second.)

• Press to exit to Main AB screen once all values are
correct.

See below for more information on Muzzle Velocity, Drag
Curves and Calibration.

Muzzle Velocity

• Use and to highlight “MV.”

• Press to enter MV screen.

• Use and to adjust the value.

Notes on Muzzle Velocity

• When a bullet is in the transonic range, a small dot
will appear to the left of the muzzle velocity value
(gure 1).

• When a bullet is in the subsonic range, a larger dot
will appear to the left of the muzzle velocity value
(gure 2).

GUN Laru308

MV

BC

BW

• In cases where the bullet is supersonic, there are no dots

Figure 1 Figure 2

next to the muzzle velocity value.

•

1360fps

0.470

175

GUN Laru308

MV

BC

g

r

BW

1103fps

•

0.470

175

g

r