Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

[iplumb]

Hello,
I just place my order to NK for a 4500 w/ software and was told it will ship tomorrow for the first 50 units - as kind of a test group. I need to complete an email survey in the next few weeks to recieve a 30% credit back to my CC card.
The units sell from them for $619 no bluetooth, $739 w/bluetooth. They will go into full production begining of January. Just an FYI - if you are in the market it I would call 1-800-784-4221.
Mike
PS - I am in no way attached to or reccomending this, just saying I happened to call 10 minutes ago and did buy one.

 

[Iggy]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

What's different on theses than the the standard 4500?

 

[tuckner]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Built in ballistic calculator. Standing by for full review.

 

[Iggy]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Damn, I knew in the back of my mind when I was buying my 4500 on black friday something new was just right around the corner.

Let us know how it works!

 

[rgrmike]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Hey guys,
I'm new to the hide and have been checking out all of the post for the last week. I'm currently in the market for a kestrel. What is the minimum model I can get away with? I was thinking the big things I need are temp, humidity, and wind. I have other instruments that can measure things such as elevation. I plan on getting a Horus ballistic handheld so I don't need a ballistic computer. I'm just getting into long range shooting so any advice is very much appreciated.

 

[ranger1183]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rgrmike</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="color: #FF0000"><span style="font-weight: bold">I plan on getting a Horus ballistic handheld so I don't need a ballistic computer.</span></span> I'm just getting into long range shooting so any advice is very much appreciated.</div></div>
rgrmike,

Horus Vision does NOT warrenty their software! If the program doesn't work, or as in my case stops working, you are shit-out-of-luck! Exbal or Field Firing Solutions are better ways to go. At least they will talk to you. Horus Vision charges top shelf prices for their software and that's a lot of money to lose if their product ups and quits on you.

Field Firing Solutions

Exbal

 

[vman]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

rgrmike, the model 4500 is the only model that will calculate crosswind for you, based on the direction of fire and aiming the kestrel towards the wind... handy for inputs into ballistics calcs, as you can just leave the wind at 3 or 9 oclock ie full value.

If you dont have the crosswind feature you just need to determine the direction the wind is coming from and its speed and put BOTH direction and speed in your ballistics calculator.

So to be honest you can get away with a cheaper model Kestrel if wind speed is all your after.

 

[rgrmike]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Ranger1183 and vman,
Thanks a bunch for the advice. I can't stand a company that won't stand behind their product. I should've checked more into it. I'll be sure to check out both pieces of gear. I'm trying to get all set for long range shooting and I didn't realize how much research, time, and gear is involved. This site has been helping me out a lot. Thanks again fellas.

 

[JRose]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

I'll prefer my FTE and Kestrel separate if Horus is involved.

 

[mumford]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Is the software integrated into the Kestel or do one still need a separate PDA? If it is not integrated, what is the point of buying the version with software, especially when the bluetooth Kestel can talk to Shooter on Android?

 

[sobrbiker883]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JRose</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'll prefer my FTE and Kestrel separate if Horus is involved. </div></div>

rgrmike-get a kestrel that gives density altitude, one number for everything meteorological that affects the bullet. And then wind is still an educated guess at best-wind at the firing point doesn't do too much downrange.....

 

[mumford]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

I have a similar question about density altitude meter. If I do not care about wind direction and wind speed, do I have other choices beside Kestrel? Does anyone make a density altitude meter watch?

 

[sobrbiker883]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

station pressure and temp will get you pretty much the same in ballistics programs, and those can be had in a watch.

 

[Lindy]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

If you have a watch which gives you station pressure, here is now to get density altitude:

Manual Calculation of Density Altitude

 

[rgrmike]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus


I can tell getting good at this is going to make my brain explode. HAHA

 

[rgrmike]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

So the density altitude is the key factor. I'm assuming that's covering everything that will effect the bullet in flight. Basically humidity, altitude, and air temperature?

 

[edward r homeyer]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

rgrmike, humidity, altitude and temp, are what we input to calculate our holds or data but it isn't everything that effects our bullet in flight. There is wind and angles also. But, no matter how much we shoot and input data there are sometimes little things that effect our bullet that we can't see or don't understand. Things that will make you rack your brain trying to figure how your shot was that screwed up. It just happens sometimes. We can never cover everything that effects our bullet. If we could then no one would miss. Everyone inputting that data would tie for first at every competition around the world. No sniper would miss a shot in combat. But, we all continue to learn and density altitude is a good starting point.

 

[sobrbiker883]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

It covers the most influential environmental factors that will affect the bullet's trajectory.
I don't think anyone's expecting it to account for a pulled shot, yanked trigger, misread wind, unaccounted for angles,bad position, mechanical issue, improperlay adjusted scope, flinch, etc etc....

I was just talking to another shooter this morning that was asking why his POI at 500 yds can shift from week to week. I reminded him (and myself) that there are probably 15-20 individual actions that must be done consistently by the shooter shot to shot for perfect shooting-then there's gear and conditions.

I like your sig line JJ....

 

[edward r homeyer]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Thanks,

And I agree with you whole heartedly. 99.9% of the time a miss is a result of something I have done or havn't done. I am so happy when I can blame something on my gear, makes me feel less 'effed up! Sadly though, it's mostly me.
Shoot on.

 

[rgrmike]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

JJ and Sobrbiker,
Thanks for the advice. I'm learning as much as I can as fast as I can. Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Lindy]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Basically humidity, altitude, and air temperature.</div></div>

Density altitude is computed from humidity, temperature, and atmospheric pressure. Physical altitude is irrelevant, though pressure declines with altitude.

 

[Hogstooth]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

I just use FDAC, problem solved!!

 

[Lindy]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Which is a great solution - as long as they have a slide which works with the load one shoots.

If not - Making Ballistic Cards Using Density Altitude

 

[Chiller]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Lindy?

Thought in general on ATRAG?

 

[ranger1183]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chiller</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thought in general on ATRAG? </div></div>

I know you're not asking me, but for what it's worth, BEFORE my copy of ATRAG crapped out, I used the heck out of it and really liked it.

 

[Chiller]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

trying to get a feel of ATRAG vs FFS vs Patagonia vs Exbal

tring to figure how the display will work/look

 

[ranger1183]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chiller</div><div class="ubbcode-body">trying to get a feel of ATRAG vs FFS vs Patagonia vs Exbal

tring to figure how the display will work/look </div></div>

Buddy of mine had Patagonia and there was so much work gathering data required to make calculations that he stopped using it. I like Exbal but liked my old copy of ATRAG even better.

Now both me and my buddy are running FFS and I don't have any complaints. PM Tribe here on the hide for his take on FFS and other software.

 

[Lindy]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Well, I haven't used a recent copy of Atrag. The recent stuff is too expensive for me to buy personally, and they haven't offered me a copy for evaluation. The old Atrag I had running on Palm Pilots worked fine.

It didn't have the rich feature set now in Field Firing Solutions, which is my primary ballistic program. It was designed for military snipers.

 

[TnRedneck]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Poster: tuckner
Subject: Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Built in ballistic calculator. Standing by for full review.
</div></div>

Did you ever complete and post the review?

 

[Master Diver]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Any update would be apreciated

Still have not pulled the trigger on this gadget - it is better with the standard 4500 and ballistic FTE powered by JBM on an Iphone 4.

Cheers,

Master Diver

 

[mouse07410]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Ballistic FTE (on iPhone & iTouch-4) is now v2.5.2 and gets better and better (and 2.4.x version that I started with wasn't bad at all!).

If inquiring minds want to know, FTE works with the latest iOS 4.3.2 update.

Oh, and on the OP topic - not knowing how good the ballistic model Horus calculator uses (i.e. how it compares to JBM and Bullet Flight), and being otherwise perfectly satisfied with Kestrel 4500 without Horus - I probably won't pull the trigger on that one.

 

[marshallwk]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

It would be nice if this unit worked however, yes having a seperate computer would work but im not going to take my Iphone to Afghanistan(yes i've seen the frickin knights mount).

 

[jasonk]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

I've got one, so far I've been pleased, I'll try to get around to posting a real review in the next week or so.

It's handy for sure.

 

[Master Diver]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Thanks for all the new input to this thread.
I look forward to the review.
Spending an extra $300 on a back-up ballistic calculator is only justified if the ballistic program is accurate. It would however be neat if the ballistic program is top quality and as good as the JMB based programs out there.

Cheers,

Master Diver

 

[Chiller]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Wish my droid had more battery.

 

[Chiller]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

it would allow me to use the droid with the Kestrel and hae an additional backup

 

[subseauk]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Hi all

I have been given a Horus/Kestrel unit to play with but no manual/software etc.
I have so far downloaded all this from NKs website and have my old 4500 interface to use.
what i am trying to find out is what horus data, such as gun, range cards etc can be up/down loaded to the PC.
NK ( Kestrels ) website seems to infer that horus info/data can be transferred to and from the PC to the Kestrel but i can find nothing on this.
Can anyone let me know if this is the case or just "grey" sales pitch that was never implemented?
Best Rgds from UK
Kev

 

[Hoverp]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

any updates to this combo? Horus and Kestrel...wondering If I should just get a Ipod touch and Kestrel Blue tooth....it would be nice to have one unit do it well.

 

[gits]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

I won a Kestrel 4500NV with Atrag MX at a recent competition. It's a great little tool, we had a couple competitors run them in the competition and they loved it. If a guy isn't spun up on the Atrag program for the PDA prior to use of the Kestrel. He'll have a quite a time trying to figure out all the features. The only thing I can say that I don't like about it is, the range estimation program. It will allow you to do target size every inch but nothing in between. For milling targets it will only mil by the tenth. It would have been nice if it was .05 increments. Of course theres the manual way of doing things and doing it right. It works as advertised, Although I am not sure if all Kestrels have the Atrag MX or the regular Atrag (Non MX) in them.

Update: Just ran the HKgunloader software on my Windows 7 Machine. It works fine as advertised minus the data sources for the gun library. I know in the past some people had major issues with the software. I guess the software works. I can upload and download my gunlists that I create and it will overwrite whatever gun list is stored in the Kestrel when uploading a new gunlist. Other than that it seems to be almost identical to the Atrag MX program. I can say that it pretty much does everything I will need it to do for a ballistic solution.

 

[bas402]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

Had my 4500NV w/bluetooth for about 2 months now have it paired with my Nomad 900L w/FFS IV and it works fantastic,quick and easy to use. I have read nightmare stories about Horus software and with the 4500NV the software had issues and like stated above "your on your own"
Sully

 

[Hoverp]

Re: Kestrel 4500 w/ Horus

So does the Horus use G7 or G1?

also does all the info in the Kestrel just go right into the Horus program for a solution, how about changing wind updates.


also My biggest question is unless you have worked the dope by shooting for each MV at temps in say 10 degree increments from 0 degrees to 80 or 90 how do you know what you drops are going to be? Does this Horus software have MV estimators over and under your input conditions based on the OAT?


Hope all that made sense.