Kestrel Introduces the 5200 Professional Environmental Meter

Boothwyn, PA - January 16, 2016

Weather Instruments, a Nielsen-Kellerman® brand, has launched the Kestrel 5200 Professional Environmental Meter to the construction industry to provide weather and building performance readings critical to delivering results on-time and on-budget. The handy pocket-sized Kestrel 5200 has a price point of $249 and measures and records wind and air flow, temperature and humidity anywhere on-site. More usefully, it provides specialized readings for pouring concrete and commissioning HVAC systems that are unique to the building trades. Made and supported in the USA and carrying a full five-year warranty, the Kestrel 5200 offers great value compared to competing $700 products with only two-year warranties.

The Kestrel 5200 offers direct readout of the American Concrete Institute’s “evaporation rate” formula – a reliable guide to the likelihood that surface cracks will develop in a slab while curing. No more confusing nomographs – just enter the mixture temperature and take a quick reading with the Kestrel 5200 right at the pour location. Knowing when the evaporation rate is high provides the opportunity to erect wind breaks or sunshades, adjust the mix or pour time, or mist or cover the slab – preventing unsightly cracks and costly rework.

When commissioning any HVAC system, balancing air flow is critical to delivering customer satisfaction. Once again, the Kestrel 5200 is a convenient tool – providing instantaneous, average and max volume air flow readouts by simply entering the duct size and shape and traversing the duct opening. Users can even store readings in memory to return to after taking multiple measurements. Complex humidity-related calculations are eliminated with direct readout of moisture content (grains per pound) as well as air density. Built-in logging with user-settable intervals creates a complete history of all measurements that can be viewed on-screen or on a mobile device with the free Kestrel LiNK app (LiNK wireless connectivity option required).

The Kestrel 5200 is built for life on the job site. The display is truly sunlight readable easily viewed large numerals. Simple menus and clearly labeled measurements get any construction or HVAC professional up and running right out of the box. Optional LiNK wireless connectivity provides remote view of readings and fast data log transfer with any iOS or Android device. The optional portable Vane Mount turns the Kestrel 5200 into a sturdy weather station mountable on any tripod. The case is extremely tough as well as water and dust-proof (MIL-STD-810G drop tested and IP67 sealed). The entire unit is just five inches long and weighs slightly over four ounces, and a single AA battery provides months of operation.

The Kestrel 5200 features factory calibrated sensors that provide responsive and accurate readings. Basic weather measurements are all there too -- 13 measurements in all: air density, air flow, air velocity, altitude, barometric pressure, dew point temperature, evaporation rate, heat stress index, moisture content, relative air density, relative humidity, wind speed, and wind chill. The Kestrel 5200 Professional Environmental Meter is available at kestrelinstruments.com and through Kestrel e-commerce partners and resellers.

“The simple, durable, portable and easy-to-use and read Kestrel 5200 Professional Environmental Meter was created specifically for the building and construction trades,” said Alix James, CEO of Nielsen-Kellerman. “This trustworthy little tool provides the accurate weather data critical to many construction-related decisions and adds advanced measurements that can really help get the job done.”

About Kestrel
Kestrel Weather & Environmental Meters are manufactured by PA-based Nielsen-Kellerman, which has been researching, developing and manufacturing award-winning, technically advanced environmental instruments for more than 20 years. Used in hundreds of demanding activities around the world, Kestrel meters are pocket-sized, rugged, accurate, waterproof, easy-to-use and backed by an industry-leading warranty. Available measurements include wind speed, air flow, temperature, humidity, wind chill, heat stress index, pressure, altitude, wind direction, density altitude, wet bulb temperature and WBGT. Advanced models in the Kestrel 5000 series add high-capacity data-logging with on-screen graphical recall and optional Kestrel LiNK wireless data transfer to computers and smart phones as well as built-in calculators for specialized requirements, such as ballistics firing solutions for long-range shooting. Every Kestrel meter is designed, developed, built, tested and supported entirely in the USA. NK is proud to be both a recognized leader in Lean manufacturing and process improvement and an award-winning top workplace.