Frequently Asked Questions

You can obtain a new battery door from our site here: Battery Doors ... Permalink

Please see this video on how to export / download your weather data: Exporting Data

Please watch this video for some troubleshooting techniques

Please see this guidance

Changing Direction of Fire and have Wind Direction Change   (Size: 147.6 KB)

This tutorial will show you how you can now change DOF and have your Wind Direction change. This setting can be found in all 5700s with firmware version 1.41 (or higher).

We currently only have a mount that works on a Picatinny rail (which is included). We are currently looking for partners to help develop different mounting options for customers who do not have Picatinny rail mounts. Hopefully this could be an option at some point in the future

Please see this guide here:

Please make sure to turn off either the Kestrel or the HUD after using them. While both have an Auto Shutdown mode (when enabled), neither unit will turn off when connected to each other. Therefore if you throw a connected Kestrel and HUD into your bag when finished shooting, neither will turn off until the battery dies (or you eventually turn them off).

Please see the attached guidance with Exporting Issues with LiNK iOS.

Var is going to be the magnetic declination of your current location, further information can be found here: Magnetic Declination
Var is not used when selecting Magnetic North. If you choose True North, then it is advisable to add the Var number.
To find your magnetic declination, here is a good place to start Find my Var

Kestrel runs free Zoom training classes throughout the year on different topics. Check out the latest classes HERE

For live training at a shooting site, you can check out some of these options

• Accuracy 1st - Canadian, TX
• Altus - Baker, FL
• Mile High - Fort Morgan, CO
• FTW Ranch - Barksdale, TX

Yes. You can add as many devices as you want to your account and toggle between them.

Please see this quick tutorial:

LiNK (Kestrel)

How to send Kestrel LiNK Legacy Alerts as Text Messages   (Size: 184.1 KB)

This is a quick tutorial on how to send text message alerts in Kestrel LiNK instead of emails.

1. After calibrating the compass, use the left or right arrow buttons to set the range. Holding the button will make the range increase quicker.
2. Press the center button to enter environmental capture. Swing or wave the Kestrel to get airflow over the sensor. Once the temperature stabilizes press the center button again.
3. Next is the direction of fire screen. Point the back of the Kestrel towards your target and press the center button to do a capture.
4. Wind direction and speed follows. Point the back of the Kestrel directly into the prevailing wind. Make sure you capture at least 10 seconds of wind in this direction and when satisfied press the center button to end capture.
5. If inclination was set in the app, enter your inclination angle using the directional arrows.

Berry compliant means that any of the textiles used in the product are sourced and made in the U.S.A.

See chart below:

Barometric pressure is pressure adjusted to sea level. You need a reference altitude to calculate this number. This is used to equate pressures independent of the altitude in order to view pressure changes/storm fronts. This calculation is typically used in meteorology.

Station pressure is used in practical applications outside of weather. For example, ballistics, air flight, and drag racing. This is the unadjusted atmospheric pressure felt at your current location.

This means the humidity sensor needs to be recalibrated. If the unit is less than 12 months old (from the date of purchase), send it back to NK for recalibration under warranty. If the unit is more than 12 months old, it can be returned to NK for recalibration for $40 plus shipping, or can be calibrated in the field using the NK RH Calibration Kit.

This means that the RH was not calibrated(same as E2). This will appear on screens that rely on RH calculations.

This means that the battery is running low. Replacing the battery will resolve this issue.

This message means that your batteries interfered with compass calibration. To solve this issue insert battery shim, rotate batteries, and try again. If this condition persists, try using a different battery brand. NK recommends Made in the USA Energizer® Brand Ultimate Lithium AAA batteries for improved reliability, capacity, cold-weather performance and weight.

Our article Understanding Pressure, Altitude and Density Altitude talks about Altitude and Barometric Pressure in great detail. The article also describes how to utilize your Kestrel to take these measurements.

Here is comprehensive overview courtesy of Todd Hodnett:

Kestrel 4 Series Instruction Manuals (Ballistics)

Kestrel 4500 Applied Ballistics Setup and Use Tutorial   (Size: 1.8 MB)

Overview of the setup and use of the Kestrel 4500 Shooter's Weather Meter with Applied Ballistics

The Kestrel impeller IS balanced, and to a very high degree. It APPEARS to be imbalanced because of the tiny magnet incased within the impeller. The force acting on your impeller blade is magnetic, not gravitational. If you want to test this out, simply hold your Kestrel horizontally, and then rotate the entire instrument in the horizontal plane. PIC You will see that the impeller does not rotate. It acts like a compass and remains stationary. This is how it SHOULD act when properly operating.

Looking at the issue more technically, there are no known effects from either the weak or strong forces. The earth’s magnetic field has a vertical component everywhere but the equator, and this component creates a torque on the magnet mounted on the impeller shaft. Although the earth’s field does provide a weak aligning force, which causes the impeller to oscillate as it comes to a stop, there is NO effect on the accuracy of the windspeed reading. This is because the force acting on the impeller is “conservative” – it has no effect on the rotation speed. The conservative force causes acceleration of the impeller in equal and opposite measure to the deceleration every time the impeller completes an entire rotation.

Rest Assure that any new impeller from NK has been calibrated and tested to be well within the specified accuracy of plus/minus 3%. The impeller needs NO ADJUSTMENT. If your Kestrel® application involves hours of intense high-speed use, you may want to consider purchasing a replacement impeller ($15.00) once a year to ensure that your Kestrel maintains factory specified accuracy.

• They are lighter
• They offer much longer life with Bluetooth® low energy applications
• They offer better cold weather performance
• They WILL NOT leak in storage application, even with the low level power drain of data-logging.
• They protect and expensive Kestrel Weather Meter from internal damage due to inexpensive and leak-prone alkaline batteries.

Set the logging rate to the max, 12 hours. You could set the data refresh rate to its max, 1 minute, but that will only have an effect when connected to the DROP. Also if you connect to the DROP in colder weather, this will affect battery life more than in warmer temperatures. If possible, warm up the DROP before doing a data upload to Kestrel LiNK to help with battery life.

If the humidity sensor housing (located above the rear label) is wet, the Kestrel cannot take an accurate humidity reading. If the sensor does become wet, shake the unit vigorously to remove the water, and then let it dry completely before use. If the sensor comes in contact with salt water, rinse it thoroughly with clean water, then shake it and allow it to dry.

The humidity sensor has been factory calibrated to be accurate to within ±3%. If your Kestrel appears to no longer meet this specification, it may need to be recalibrated. NK now offers an RH Calibration Kit for your home use.

First, make sure the unit is ON. The Kestrel must be ON in order to record any measurements related to Globe Temperature(TWL, WBGT, TnWB). If your unit is ON and you are still reading *** on the Kestrel measurement screen, there may be an issue with your black globe, and it may need to come in for repair. Contact us at Techsupport@nkhome.com or 1-800-784-4221.

• NK Bootloader- This is used exclusively for updating the firmware on the most recent Kestrels. This Bootloader will work with serial numbers 686705 and above. Serial numbers below 686705 cannot be updated.
• AB Profile Loader - This is the application used for creating and uploading gun profiles for the Kestrel Shooter's Weather Meter with Applied Ballistics.
  • Build 24 - used for firmware version 4.76 or below
  • Build 33 - used for firmware versions greater than 4.76
  • Build 70(or higher) - used for firmware version 4.93
• HK Gunloader - This is the application used for creating and uploading gun profiles for the Kestrel Shooter's Weather Meter with HORUS Atrag.

NK has put together a list of resolutions for common issues when connecting the Kestrel with Bluetooth® Classic.

K4

Bluetooth_Checklist   (Size: 401.2 KB)

A checklist to help troubleshoot bluetooth classic connection issues.

There is no barometric pressure reading on the DROP D3. Currently only station pressure is provided. Station pressure is the pressure felt at the current location without adjusting for altitude. Station pressure is used in applications like ballistics and auto racing. Typically barometric pressure is only used for weather related phenomenon. Barometric pressure may be added in a future release.