DA on a Budget?

[Hiketohunt]

I would like to purchase a reliable device that will give me DA (density altitude). But I don't want to drop $5-$800 on a Kestrel.
Anyone have experience with a cost effective unit that is reliable? Thoughts on the Kestrel Drop 3?

 

[Devildog]

I know a lot of guys are upgrading from the 4500 Kestrel to the 5700. I've seen them for around $300 in the px, Bison Tactical had a buy back program on the 4500, might give them a call. Just a thought. Good luck.

 

[Sheldon N]

Used kestrel 4000 will give you DA.

 

[stevenc23]

If you phone has a barometer there are apps that will work. i.e. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dens...994402197?mt=8

 

[Raptor005]

Kestrel 4000 can be found for very reasonable prices.

 

[eicas]

I use a weather meter gizmo I picked up at REI that gives me raw, uncorrected barometric pressure, temp and altitude. It was about $50 I plug those into a free weather app called inDense. Vollia'! Density Altitude. The app nor meter need connectivity to work so you can be in the boonies without issue. I have checked the calibration of this meter on aircraft at altitude and its spot on.

 

[Nik H]

Get a Kestrel as others have said. The drop requires your smartphone to access the data. Phones in the field don't work for me due to battery life and ruggedness issues. Battery life with a smartphone is short if using Bluetooth to connect to the DROP.

The Kestrel is rugged and works in any environment. Battery life is awesome plus you get wind information. A new Kestrel 5000 is $259 retail versus a $129 retail for the DROP 3.

Really a simple decision.

 

[GSD84]

I mentioned it in another thread but I highly recommend the Geo Ballistics weather station with their Ballistic ARC app. Plenty of PRS shooters are using it with great success. I use mine nearly every week and it's always been spot on for me.

 

[bkincaid]

I bought one of these after I got my kestrel 4500, just for a backup:
http://www.ambientweather.com/spwm350.html#caption
​​​
When side by side with the kestrel, they read quite close to one another. Works quite well for my uses

 

[eicas]

You dont need to spend a ton of money to get an accurate DA measuring tool. If you make yourself some drop cards you'll see the error caused by even relatively basic instruments is pretty small. Nothing against the folks that buy top-of-the-line bluetooth gizmos....its just that they arent giving you huge increases over more basic stuff.

 

[Clearlight]

G shock watch .

 

[MarkCO]

Anyone using the Kestrel Sportsman Weather Meter with Applied Ballistics? Just over $400 and seems to be a pretty solid unit.

Like Nik said, I have had phone issues at matches and hunting and have had to scramble and get cards and use my backup Caldwell for atmospherics at times. An extra $150 over a 5000 is not much in the grand scheme of things to have a simpler all in one unit.

 

[Nik H]

I got a great deal on a like new Sportsman from another Hide member. I paid $360 with the wind vane and case. Looked like it came out of the box. I loved it. Eventually, I upgraded it to an Elite because it gave me more rifle profiles 16 versus 3.

The Sportsman is more than enough if you only want to set up 3 rifles and don't shoot at distances long enough where the CDM is of benefit

 

[MarkCO]

Thanks, just pulled the trigger on the Sportsman from the group buy.

 

[Sendit6.5]

I mentioned it in another thread but I highly recommend the Geo Ballistics weather station with their Ballistic ARC app. Plenty of PRS shooters are using it with great success. I use mine nearly every week and it's always been spot on for me.

^^THIS^^ is what I'm using! It's more convenient, and much more affordable, than a Kestrel. Battery issue with smartphone? That's silly - there are lots of ways to insure your battery lasts as long as you want to be in the mountains.
1. Don't turn your phone on until you may need to plot a solution. 2. Keep your phone on airplane mode and don't play games or music on your phone - your battery will last for days and days. 3. Carry a small external battery. I have one that will charge a iPhone 4 times from empty.

I'll never own another Kestrel. If anything, I'll invest in a Sig Kilo 2400. My Kilo 2000, Weatherflow meter and iPhone with apps works as well as any Kestrel; and I can use MULTIPLE ballistic apps including StrelokPro. It's a Kestrel killer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[phlegm]

iPhone w/ Internal Barometer + iStrelok = Success.

 

[Hardpan]

Does anyone use a weatherflow precision weather meter? If you do does it work with ballistic ae by any chance?

 

[MilDot1960]

I have a kestrel 4000 but I also have a Suunto Vector, I will be buying the new latest and Greatest Kestrel soon so I might send my 4000 to a new home.

John.

 

[Drew9299]

If you are close to any airports (especially municipal employees airports) you can call or look up their weather. Most report the density altitude.

 

[eicas]

If you are close to any airports (especially municipal employees airports) you can call or look up their weather. Most report the density altitude.

Very rarely, even with AWOS. You'll get the adjusted barometric pressure, dewpoin, temp and magnetic winds. At high altitude airports on hot days they may put "check density altitude" in the remarks, but thats about it. It is a good source for raw data though.

 

[Sheldon N]

If you want to do it yourself the day before you go shoot, do this...

Go to this link, get the physical altitude of where you will be shooting at. Use the "Satellite" option at the top left of the map. Click on your location and look at the elevation shown at the bottom of the map.

https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm

Then go to weather.com, look up the weather for tomorrow. What is the barometric pressure and is it rising or falling? A rough number is fine here. Look at the hourly forecast. What temp range will you be shooting in and is it forecasted to have large swings from morning to afternoon? Temp swings > 20 degrees really start to matter. What is the humidity?

Go to this link and calculate your DA or range of DA's. Halfway down the page.

http://www.dragtimes.com/da-density-altitude-calculator.php

Use that DA or range of DA's in your phone's app.

Or instead of converting to DA, just take the raw data and go to JBM and build yourself a printed drop chart good for your location and forecasted shooting conditions.

http://jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj_simp-5.1.cgi

I use the Kestrel and a phone app for my shooting. However, any time I'm going to a match I'll also print out a drop chart using the above approach so that I've got an accurate hard copy backup if my phone/kestrel dies on me.

 

[bab029]

I've made DA cards using JBM that I trust more than ballistic AE at this point. For DA, I can SWAG it within 500 or so most of the time which is good enough for most shots, even in a match. Pull your phone out a few times and look up DA and you'll get a feel for it.

For reference, you can look up the manual for the Tubb DTR reticle and print out the Air density chart. Staple it in you notes and away you go. The kestrel is really hard to beat in the real world, and if my shooting really mattered, I'd have one. I, however, am a hobbyist, non-jersey-wearer. For that purpose, I think making the corrections manually as much as possible (especially early on) gives you a more nuanced understanding of what affects POI as the range gets longer. And FWIW, you are less reliant on fragile technology.

Edit: Here it is:
https://www.davidtubb.com/index.php?...download_id=30

 

[Drew9299]

Very rarely, even with AWOS. You'll get the adjusted barometric pressure, dewpoin, temp and magnetic winds. At high altitude airports on hot days they may put "check density altitude" in the remarks, but thats about it. It is a good source for raw data though.

just an idea. Most airports near me report DA