Wayne Dowler Posted July 14, 2013 Report Share Posted July 14, 2013 My wind meter is very simple - I tied a ribbon to my stake!! If it moves - wind and direction shown! If it doesn't - go sit and wait!! PS: If all you "gadget geeks" out there really want to lighten your pocket, donations can be sent to me!!! I'll fly a kite in your honor!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted July 14, 2013 Report Share Posted July 14, 2013 You have to position the "fan" type meters exactly perpendicular to the wind or they'll be off a little. With a shifting wind, leaving the unit stationary to monitor the wind introduces a lot of inaccuracy. With the Windtronic 2 unit, it doesn't care where the wind is coming from ... it simply reads it. Dang it ! That makes sense, perfect sense, and I see your point. Ok, I suppose I need to go to Amazon.com, and take another look. Hmm - Windtronic 2. Sheesh.............why did I bring this up? Oh, I didn't. I can blame this one on Michael Well, not meaning to throw water on the fire, but I have done my research. I have been to as many, so-called weather gadget supply houses, as I could possibly find on-line, and not one of them even show the Windtronic unit (?) They all carry numerous other brands and models, every brand you can think of, but none, not one, carry the Windtronic unit (?) With the exception of windtronic.us, and ebay (which also seems to be the windtronic store), and Amazon.com, it's tough to even find the Windtronic unit. I have read about it, and I have heard comments from happy owners, here on the forum, and in principle, it all sounds good, but then I went to Amazon.com, and other places, and started reading the reviews. The Windtronic unit only had two reviews. One review was just so-so, with complaints about the integrity of the unit, a lot of concern about it being very light and "plasticiky", plus some difficulty with the battery compartment (?), and then, there was a second review, that was very good, but that was it, just two reviews. I then checked the Kestrel 1000 unit, as well as Kestrel in general, and found many more reviews, a couple that were bad (sounded like a defective, or probably dirty unit - you do have to keep these instruments, somewhat clean), but mostly, everyone was extremely high, on the Kestrel units, overall. Plus, they are warranted for 5 years, have a slightly better accuracy rating, are military approved and used, plus they are used extensively, by people that do this kind of thing, for a living. Even the guys up on Mt Washington use them as back up units. Bottom-line, based on the reviews that I could find, the Kestrel units are somewhat more durable, than the Windtronic unit appears to be (again, I haven't had my hands on a Windtronic unit). I still like the, "wind from any direction" idea, but after 25 years of sailing, and 12+ years of kiting, I believe I can face the wind straight on, with pretty good accuracy. So, based on my research, I think I'll stick with my Kestrel 1000. It's been doing me a great job, for close to 12 years now. Another thought, for anyone on a really tight budget, you might want take a look at the old tube style (with the ball) wind meter, made by Dwyer Instruments. I've had one of those units also, for well over 30 years, and it still works perfectly today, after many many punishing years, of use on the water (while sailing). It's solid as a dollar, there's really nothing to break, and it is easily cleaned up, if for some reason you get it gunked up. It's really not a bad little instrument, especially for under $30, but probably not as accurate or "hi-tec", as the Windtronic and the Kestrel units. Just saying.............. if you're on a budget, check em out.....it's the exact same principle as the ones that come with the high-end Prism kites....and they are available in MPH, KNOTS, MPS, & KPH. http://www.dwyer-inst.com/Product/AirVelocity/Windmeters/PortableHandheldMeter/Ordering 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepster Posted July 14, 2013 Report Share Posted July 14, 2013 Oh come on Nick ... here, besides Amazon and Sears, are a just few places that sell the Windtronic 2: http://www.windmaster2.de/index-e.htm http://www.novalynx.com/200-960.html http://www.windpowersports.com/wind-gauges/windtronic-2.php http://www.balkowitsch.com/ProductID-959-ProductDetails.aspx http://www.tractionkitesuk.com/windtronic-ii-windmeter-p-463.html http://www.powerkiteshop.com/accessories/windtronicwindgauge.htm http://kiteplace.com/kiteplace%20Windtronic%202.htm http://www.yourdatacenter.com/cgi-bin/ydcaws/index.cgi?Operation=ItemLookup&ItemId=B000WHPL14 You'll notice several kite shops in the mix. Cheers, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted July 14, 2013 Report Share Posted July 14, 2013 Oh come on Nick ... here, besides Amazon and Sears, are a just few places that sell the Windtronic 2:You'll notice several kite shops in the mix.Cheers, Tom Sorry Tom, I stand corrected, but that was just my personal observations. Where do you find these places ?? I don't think I've ever been to any of those websites (other than Amazon), and my normal search engine (Google), didn't seem to find them either, however, I was looking specifically at, websites that specialize in weather instrumentation. I did go and look at each link you provided, but still found hardly any reviews (?), some didn't have them available, and several were foreign websites. I will add, that since my initial search, I have run across the Windtronic unit on a lot of the shooting websites. They were very high on them, specifically for the "wind from any direction" feature. Seems they set them on a camera tripod, and therefore, are able to leave them in place, hands free, making for an easy check, while shooting. I thought this to be a really nice feature, for this purpose, however, I normally just whip my meter out for a quick look, and then it's back into my pocket. Either way, I didn't mean to be too critical, but from what I saw, and I did a lot of looking, the Kestrel simply seems to have a better reputation, overall, it has an extended warranty, somewhat better accuracy, and seems to be built a bit more robustly. Again, the one thing I did like about the Windtronic, was the "wind from any direction" feature, but again, I can figure that out for myself. I would really love to be able to compare the two units, side by side. I will definitely be on the lookout for someone with a Windtronic unit, because I always have my Kestrel with me when flying (not that I need it so much, just out of habit). Still some strange websites........... (oh, and I was initially looking at websites, that specifically sell weather instruments) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael E. Allen Posted July 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2013 You have to position the "fan" type meters exactly perpendicular to the wind or they'll be off a little. With a shifting wind, leaving the unit stationary to monitor the wind introduces a lot of inaccuracy. With the Windtronic 2 unit, it doesn't care where the wind is coming from ... it simply reads it. Dang it ! That makes sense, perfect sense, and I see your point. Ok, I suppose I need to go to Amazon.com, and take another look. Hmm - Windtronic 2. Sheesh.............why did I bring this up? Oh, I didn't. I can blame this one on Michael I really like this comment made me laugh. I do think It is a great idea to see if John might be able to contact them. Who knows it might be next months drawing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makatakam Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 Check e-Bay. I saw 6 listings, all around $100.00, all new --- nothing used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Australian Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 My Windmeter is the Windtronic 2. Very nice unit, Very happy with it. I have had it a long time too. My 2.2 cents AU (About 2cents US) I usually only take wind readings so I have some stats to put in my Kite Blog. I have gotten used to feeling the wind and checking the trees. A wind meter is interesting and fun but not a requirement. It can help you learn what each wind speed feels like though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makatakam Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 Prism kites packs a wind meter with some of their higher-end dualies, one came with my Zephyr. Light green graduated plastic tube with a BB-sized bead inside and instructions. Just guessing, but it should be under $20 US. May be available seperately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
--Pete Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 Well, my Windtronic has held up well, thrown (in its Cordura case) into my kite bag with stakes, mallets, ground stakes and other impedimenta for quite a while and it has survived. It is indeed light and plasticky, but the anemometer has to be light to turn easily in very light winds, which limits the kinds of impact it can withstand. If the anemometer spinner has to be protected from that kind of abuse, why make the rest of it any stronger? I certainly would not put it anywhere "lumpy" without its case. I have one of the Dwyer wind meters (It was my first), and never found it to be reliable. For me, it always seemed to have either a static charge or something sticky in the tube where the little ball rises and that made it unreliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 You have to position the "fan" type meters exactly perpendicular to the wind or they'll be off a little. With a shifting wind, leaving the unit stationary to monitor the wind introduces a lot of inaccuracy. With the Windtronic 2 unit, it doesn't care where the wind is coming from ... it simply reads it. Dang it ! That makes sense, perfect sense, and I see your point. Ok, I suppose I need to go to Amazon.com, and take another look. Hmm - Windtronic 2. Sheesh.............why did I bring this up? Oh, I didn't. I can blame this one on Michael I really like this comment made me laugh. I do think It is a great idea to see if John might be able to contact them. Who knows it might be next months drawing. I'd be willing to bet that he has almost never used a meter! Maybe someone in his group pulled one out, but I'd be very surprised if he's used one himself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 Again, I've never had my hands on one of the Windtronic units (maybe I should), and my comments were based purely, on what I read, as I researched the item, on-line, plus the very few comments left by people that had taken the time to write reviews. I was simply saying, that IMHO, the Kestrel units (and there are a whole series of them), appear to be very well known, and seem to carry a very good reputation, especially from the non-recreational sector, which usually speaks pretty well, for any kind of scientific instrument. The Kestrel units likewise carry the extended warranty, as well as great customer service, and yes, the units are contained within a pretty sturdy housing, along with a slide-on shield, which I would assume serves to help protect the electronic and mechanical workings within, eliminating the need for a dedicated carry case. Many of the Kestrel units, have multiple other functions built-in, in addition to wind speed, although, the wind speed function/impeller, found in the $75 model, Kestrel 1000, is the very same as that found in the $850 model, Kestrel 4400 (which has a whole bunch of other stuff, that I wouldn't even recognize) I'm in no way saying that the Windtronics unit is bad, just quoting second hand information, which I suppose I shouldn't have done. After a bit more research, I may even try one, myself (?). Again, I do like the "wind from any direction" feature. As for the Dwyer tube & ball unit, I agree with Pete. Probably not the most accurate unit you can find, but "low cost". It's just something to get you in the ball park........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepster Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 Hey Nick, no problems ... really. The two reviews on Amazon that you read were both accurate. Relative to the Kestrel units, the Windtronic does seem like it's fragile. But, if my Windtronics unit ever wears out, I'll buy another one. I used the search label "Windtronic wind speed meter anemometer" in Google. Didn't filter any out ... simply grabbed an assortment of websites to pull your chain about your limited "research". Wayne, you better change your posting to clarify that you're talking about John never using a wind meter ... or else sleep with one eye open at WSIKF. I thought the "he" referred to me when I first read it. Cheers guys, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 Hey Nick, no problems ... really. The two reviews on Amazon that you read were both accurate. Relative to the Kestrel units, the Windtronic does seem like it's fragile. But, if my Windtronics unit ever wears out, I'll buy another one. I used the search label "Windtronic wind speed meter anemometer" in Google. Didn't filter any out ... simply grabbed an assortment of websites to pull your chain about your limited "research".Wayne, you better change your posting to clarify that you're talking about John never using a wind meter ... or else sleep with one eye open at WSIKF. I thought the "he" referred to me when I first read it. Cheers guys, Tom And I thought it referred to me, when I first read it............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 OK, I meant John!! Yes, I do sleep with 1 eye open sometimes, not by choice!! Leftovers from the stroke!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barresi Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 You have to position the "fan" type meters exactly perpendicular to the wind or they'll be off a little. With a shifting wind, leaving the unit stationary to monitor the wind introduces a lot of inaccuracy. With the Windtronic 2 unit, it doesn't care where the wind is coming from ... it simply reads it. Dang it ! That makes sense, perfect sense, and I see your point. Ok, I suppose I need to go to Amazon.com, and take another look. Hmm - Windtronic 2. Sheesh.............why did I bring this up? Oh, I didn't. I can blame this one on Michael I really like this comment made me laugh. I do think It is a great idea to see if John might be able to contact them. Who knows it might be next months drawing. I'd be willing to bet that he has almost never used a meter! Maybe someone in his group pulled one out, but I'd be very surprised if he's used one himself! I did use a wind meter occasionally, ummm, maybe 1990-1992? Since then, I just use the fuzz on my ears - I generally estimate within 1-2 mph. That being said, there have been a few years where I spent nearly as much time in the wind as out of it. Truly, there's no shame in using a meter - whatever's clever, it's all about the smoothest route to the sky. Race you there! <grin> 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 I'm thinking that over 20 years ago exceeds the statute of limitations on that!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 I decided to get a windmeter to give me some idea of the guessing I am doing at the windspeed, to see if I am close or not. I purchased this one for $20 and it seems pretty accurate, and works well, and is easy to use. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007P10OQC/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I got it in about a week, even though it said it would take a month. The instructions aren't that clear, but in the reviews on the Amazon website, there are explanations on how to set it up. Not very difficult. Anyway , it turns out my estimation of the wind speeds was off, especially at the lower end. I was estimating the wind as higher than it actually was. Took the meter down to a local airport to check it out, and it was pretty close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Gadgets are cool ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
--Pete Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Gadgets are cool ! +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 I decided to get a windmeter to give me some idea of the guessing I am doing at the windspeed, to see if I am close or not. I purchased this one for $20 and it seems pretty accurate, and works well, and is easy to use. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007P10OQC/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I got it in about a week, even though it said it would take a month. The instructions aren't that clear, but in the reviews on the Amazon website, there are explanations on how to set it up. Not very difficult. Anyway , it turns out my estimation of the wind speeds was off, especially at the lower end. I was estimating the wind as higher than it actually was. Took the meter down to a local airport to check it out, and it was pretty close. Been using the meter I bought a great deal. It is pretty accurate. Well worth the very low price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_(on-light)110px.png.f871ac6915a5dfb149c2fb26bbaf0493.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.