Kestrel 4000 Instruction Manual page 2

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 4000 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 4000 ON and OFF
ON: Press the button.
OFF: Hold the button for two seconds. Or, press the
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
After entering the date and time, press the button to exit the Date/Time Setup. Then press the
again to exit the Main Setup Menu.
The Kestrel 4000 is set up to display 10 Measurements (some are actually calculations) in 3 Modes. The Measurements are listed on the
next page with their corresponding screen icon. Use the
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 2000 stored data points for each measurement.
Examples of each of these screens are shown on the next page. Use the
In addition to these Measurements and Modes, there are also 3 User Screens, which simultaneously show 3 current measurements
(see pages 7 and 11 for more information); and the Date & Time Screen, which gives the current date and time.
User Screens
The Kestrel 4000 has three User Screens which can be customized to display three current measurements
simultaneously. (See page 11 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
collecting data for both measurements. Press the
values on the display. Press the button when the screen displays "--clear" 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.
Relative Humidity
The Kestrel 4000 is capable of measuring RH to a high accuracy: +/- 3% RH. To ensure the Kestrel 4000's ability to operate within these
specifications, 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 to a large temperature swing prior to taking a relative humidity reading (such
as when taking a Kestrel stored inside at 70° F outside to a temperature of 40° F), you will need to take additional steps to ensure
that the Kestrel's external temperature sensor is in thermal equilibrium
- Ideally, provide an airflow of at least 1 M/S (2.2 MPH, over the temperature sensor, moving from the back of the unit towards
the front. (In other words, point the Kestrel into the airflow.) With airflow over the temperature sensors and humidity
chambers, readings within specifications will be provided within two to three minutes, even after a large temperature shift.
- If no airflow can be provided, you must allow sufficient 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 4000 to confirm
that the unit has stabilized to a correct reading: Set the memory options to a relatively short logging interval (20 seconds works
well, see page 10 for instructions), select the graphical display of RH, and you can see when the value is no longer changing
significantly. At that point, the RH value is stable and can be relied upon to be within the accuracy specifications.
Barometric Pressure and Altitude Adjustment
The Kestrel 4000 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 4000 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 4000 needs an accurate
reference altitude. Altitude is the height above sea level. In order to correctly calculate altitude, the Kestrel 4000 needs an accurate
button, then press the button with the word OFF highlighted. (Note: your
and buttons to scroll through the setting options.
button
and buttons to scroll through the various Measurements.
and buttons to scroll through the various Modes.
button when the screen displays "--average" to begin
button when the screen displays "--stop" to stop collecting data and hold the
Measurement Navigation
Measurements use
Wind Speed
Starting on the Date & Time
Screen...
Temperature
...Press the
Wind Chill
scroll to the Current Wind
Speed Screen.
Humidity
Press the
H I
Heat Index
to scroll to the Current
Temperature Screen.
D P
Dew Point
Continue pressing the
W B
Wet Bulb
button to scroll through the Current
Barometric Measurement Screens, listed on the previous
Pressure page, followed by the 3 User Screens. Press
the button to scroll through these screens
in reverse order.
Altitude
Density
D
Altitude
Navigation of Charts
The Kestrel 4000 is capable of storing up to 2000 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 button to scroll through older data points and the
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.
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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 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
reference setting mode. Press the button to increase the reference pressure or 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 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 4000 features rapid altitude response. This is why the altitude readings tend to fluctuate by a few feet.)
After obtaining a current altitude from the ALTITUDE screen, move to the BARO screen and enter this value as your reference altitude
by following the same procedure. Both readings will now be accurate.
- Starting with a known altitude for your location: You can obtain your altitude from a topographical map or local
landmark. Set this value as your reference altitude on the BARO screen to determine your barometric pressure:
Press the button to enter the reference setting mode. Press the
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
stabilize, then enter the value from the BARO screen as your reference pressure on the ALTITUDE screen by following the same
procedure. Both readings are now accurate.
When reviewing stored data, remember that changes in pressure AND changes in location/altitude will affect the stored values. When
tracking pressure changes relative to weather, set the reference altitude on the BARO screen and keep the Kestrel in one location. Your
graph history will now show trends in barometric pressure. Your altitude as shown on the ALTITUDE screen will change as the weather
changes, but you can ignore this screen for this purpose.
If you are planning a day hike would like to track your altitude, you'll need to enter the correct reference pressure on the ALTITUDE screen
as described above in "starting with the known barometric pressure." You can now track the altitude changes as you hike. In this instance,
you should ignore the values on the BARO screen, since the pressure changes will be due to changes in elevation far more than to
changes in the weather.
In general, changes in barometric pressure associated with weather changes are small over the course of one day, but they will affect
the accuracy of the altimeter over time. This is why aircraft reset their altimeters at every airfield by entering the field's "altimeter setting"
or reference pressure. Accordingly, if accurate altitude readings are your primary interest, you should reset the reference pressure on
your Kestrel regularly. If you encounter an elevation landmark, you can adjust the reference pressure until the altitude matches the
landmark elevation. This will correct the altitude for any pressure changes due to the weather. (Or, you can obtain an updated reference
pressure from the sources described above.)
Some final notes - If you wish to know the actual or station pressure for your location (such as for engine tuning), simply set the reference
altitude on the BARO screen to "0" . In this case, the Kestrel will not make any adjustment and will display the measured value. And, the
above discussion applies to ALL pressure altimeters, including one you may have in a watch or other device, but not to GPS altimeters
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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
--.-
button to
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.
button again Press the button to return to the
Min/Max/Avg and Current Screens. From either Min/
Max/Avg or Chart Screen, press the
to scroll through the Min/Max/Avg or Chart Screen
for the other measurements.
Current
Value
button to scroll through Chart
Cursor
Date & Time
button to enter the
button to decrease the
button to increase the reference altitude
button to exit the adjustment mode. Again, allow the Kestrel to
or button
Modes use
Min/Max/Avg Chart
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