Sig Kilo3000BDX and Kestrel

[cheyennewyo]

I have a Sig Kilo3000BDX and a 4DOF Kestrel. I would like to have the Sig communicate with the Kestrel so that I can get a distance and the Kestrel gives me the number (slightly oversimplified I know). It is my understanding the two can link through bluetooth, but I can't seem to make it work. Has anybody been able to figure it out and get the two to communicate? I checked and couldn't find a thread on point, but certainly feel free to link if you know of another thread with the answer.

 

[Powder_Burns]

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[cheyennewyo]

Thanks! I am guessing it must be a firmware thing, so I will try to update them both.

 

[DRichardson]

I haven't heard anything about the Sig's working with the 4dof kestrel. I think the Sig's software is based on applied ballistics.

Not sure if it will work, but do you have the Kestrel in Bluetooth device mode and the Kilo in ABX mode?

 

[cheyennewyo]

I haven't heard anything about the Sig's working with the 4dof kestrel. I think the Sig's software is based on applied ballistics.

Not sure if it will work, but do you have the Kestrel in Bluetooth device mode and the Kilo in ABX mode?

I think so,l but I'll double check. I am still kinda learning the Kestrel, so I'll be messing with it again this weekend. The instructions make it seem like the two should work as long as its a Kestrel 5700. The 4DOF is a 5700 model with LINK, so it sounds like it should work. However, I have yet to meet somebody who has used it that way.

 

[DRichardson]

It may be possible, I'm definitely not saying it's not, but I would be surprised. The sig software seems fairly deeply rooted into the applied ballistics system

 

[b6graham]

@Redeye3

 

[dgheriani]

Yeah, pretty sure it needs to be an AB Kestrel. My 5700 Elite and my Kilo 3000BDX work great together.

 

[alwaywatchyoursix]

Has to be an AB Kestrel.

From the owner's manual for the 3000BDX: "BDX also works with external devices such as the Kestrel 5700 and Garmin Foretrex with AB Elite on board."

I don't know where the thread is but I've seen it mentioned before on here. Basically the issue is that while your Kestrel has Bluetooth, the protocol for sending/receiving info to/from an AB device is proprietary to the AB software. So your KILO isn't going to work with a Hornady 4DOF Kestrel because the AB software in the KILO won't recognize the 4DOF Kestrel as an AB device it can communicate with.

 

[cheyennewyo]

Has to be an AB Kestrel.

From the owner's manual for the 3000BDX: "BDX also works with external devices such as the Kestrel 5700 and Garmin Foretrex with AB Elite on board."

I don't know where the thread is but I've seen it mentioned before on here. Basically the issue is that while your Kestrel has Bluetooth, the protocol for sending/receiving info to/from an AB device is proprietary to the AB software. So your KILO isn't going to work with a Hornady 4DOF Kestrel because the AB software in the KILO won't recognize the 4DOF Kestrel as an AB device it can communicate with.

Thanks for the info. That kinda makes sense given what I have experienced, but certainly doesn't line up with their other written materials. I still like both products, but this certainly weights heavily in favor of the AB Kestrel moving forward.

 

[thegrayham]

I asked the Kestrel folk this exact question and got the same answer as what alwayswatchyoursix posted. The link is an AB protocol over bluetooth so it will only work between AB products.

 

[alwaywatchyoursix]

Granted, they could probably be a little clearer about how they phrase it, but all the written material I've come across about the AB external link only mentions it working in conjunction with AB Elite products. Usually when I see someone say something like "X will work with Y with Z feature" I read that as an implied "X will work with Y but ONLY IF it has Z feature."

Since everyone is using the AB software in their rangefinders to make it compatible with Kestrels running AB software, and the communication protocol is proprietary to AB, Hornady is basically stuck developing their own communication protocol if they want people to use their 4DOF software with Hornady's custom bullet curves.

Now, someone with some serious programming chops could probably whip up an app for an Android phone that could sit between the KILO and your Hornady Kestrel and translate the data between the two of them and fool the Kestrel into thinking it's getting the info directly from the KILO. But that's beyond my abilities and whoever did that would probably be violating a few federal laws in the process too.

Sounds like right now your options are to either change your Kestrel or change your rangefinder. Here's a page from Kestrel's website showing which rangefinders are compatible with which windmeters. I'd probably give them a call still just to be sure so you don't end up in a similar situation again.

 

[cheyennewyo]

I asked the Kestrel folk this exact question and got the same answer as what alwayswatchyoursix posted. The link is an AB protocol over bluetooth so it will only work between AB products.

While its a bummer, I guess we all know we were getting into a somewhat expensive hobby. I really appreciate the feedback.

 

[cheyennewyo]

Granted, they could probably be a little clearer about how they phrase it, but all the written material I've come across about the AB external link only mentions it working in conjunction with AB Elite products. Usually when I see someone say something like "X will work with Y with Z feature" I read that as an implied "X will work with Y but ONLY IF it has Z feature."

Since everyone is using the AB software in their rangefinders to make it compatible with Kestrels running AB software, and the communication protocol is proprietary to AB, Hornady is basically stuck developing their own communication protocol if they want people to use their 4DOF software with Hornady's custom bullet curves.

Now, someone with some serious programming chops could probably whip up an app for an Android phone that could sit between the KILO and your Hornady Kestrel and translate the data between the two of them and fool the Kestrel into thinking it's getting the info directly from the KILO. But that's beyond my abilities and whoever did that would probably be violating a few federal laws in the process too.

Sounds like right now your options are to either change your Kestrel or change your rangefinder. Here's a page from Kestrel's website showing which rangefinders are compatible with which windmeters. I'd probably give them a call still just to be sure so you don't end up in a similar situation again.

Thank you for all the information, and it has been extremely helpful. I will probably just sell me 4DOF and pick up a AB model.

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

Just to backup the comments here.

The Sig BDX Devices are in the AB Protocol so they do require the AB Handshake to work. This means you will need an AB Elite compatible device for the 2400 BDX and 3000 BDX to communicate through. So if you pick up a 5700 to use with your 3000BDX it needs to be a 5700 Elite w/LiNK or a 5700X model. If you do happen to pick up the 5700 Ballistics model and you want to use the full engine then you will need to upgrade it to an Elite model.

 

[MarinePMI]

I asked the Kestrel folk this exact question and got the same answer as what alwayswatchyoursix posted. The link is an AB proprietary protocol over bluetooth so it will only work between AB products.

Fixed it for you.

 

[jrsandiego12]

I have a little different issue - I use the Kestrel 5700 Elite with LINK - and the Sig 3000 BDX. I can get them to link and trade data - but only when the Binos are active - as soon as the binos time out the LINK is lost and I have to go back into the Kestrel and re-establish the link again. Tedious and frustrating. How do you get the bluetooth to stay connected? We don't have this problem with the Garmin Forex - it stays connected throughout the day (well, sometimes it looses the connection for a moment but then reconnects on its own).

 

[no#impact]

I have a little different issue - I use the Kestrel 5700 Elite with LINK - and the Sig 3000 BDX. I can get them to link and trade data - but only when the Binos are active - as soon as the binos time out the LINK is lost and I have to go back into the Kestrel and re-establish the link again. Tedious and frustrating. How do you get the bluetooth to stay connected? We don't have this problem with the Garmin Forex - it stays connected throughout the day (well, sometimes it looses the connection for a moment but then reconnects on its own).

Did you ever figure this out? I'm at the same point. Not sure what needs changed to keep link alive through out the match day.

 

[no#impact]

Looks like it was the kestrel being the problem. Kestrel pushed a new update mid July of 2021. After I ran the update in my kestrel, I left my kestrel on for a better part of a week with the binos near by. Every so often I would step out on the deck and get a range and dope. Most of the it was an instant response. Sometimes I would have to hit my range button twice for them to link and give a dope. Matter of sub 5 seconds in that situation.

Speed ahead to the NRL Hunter Grand Slam. I ran the entire match with them linked with absolutely no issues. One thing to note was I kept my kestrel in a pouch on my bino harness. So the binos and kestrel were never more than a few feet apart. I believe that is the key for faster linking. Overall I'm really impressed with my kilo3000's. The speed at which they range and the accuracy is hard to beat. I have played around with just about every version of ranging binos on the market and the glass quality is my only complaint on the sig kilo3000's.

 

[davisag]

Looks like it was the kestrel being the problem. Kestrel pushed a new update mid July of 2021. After I ran the update in my kestrel, I left my kestrel on for a better part of a week with the binos near by. Every so often I would step out on the deck and get a range and dope. Most of the it was an instant response. Sometimes I would have to hit my range button twice for them to link and give a dope. Matter of sub 5 seconds in that situation.

Speed ahead to the NRL Hunter Grand Slam. I ran the entire match with them linked with absolutely no issues. One thing to note was I kept my kestrel in a pouch on my bino harness. So the binos and kestrel were never more than a few feet apart. I believe that is the key for faster linking. Overall I'm really impressed with my kilo3000's. The speed at which they range and the accuracy is hard to beat. I have played around with just about every version of ranging binos on the market and the glass quality is my only complaint on the sig kilo3000's.

This may help.. I was trying to verify some of this BEFORE purchasing a KILO3000BDX...

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