Kestrel or a Handheld Inspeed Vortex

[ericjkelly]

Which is better?

Which is more accurate?


You guys are great!

 

[Ryan Schwartz]

I would recommend a forum search. The comparison has been made in previous threads.

 

[Skip Talbot]

I would recommend a forum search. The comparison has been made in previous threads.

The problem is the search feature was broken during the upgrade to VBulletin 4 except for threads created after the upgrade.

The Kestrel looks like it has more functions, but is significantly more expensive, and you have to point it into the wind it looks like. You just have to hold the Inspeed up for it work. Its larger and more bulky, making it more awkward to store, however. Its also a cheaper design that uses a bicycle speedometer. They are both probably off a few percent in terms of accuracy. Its your call in the end: form and features, or low cost and simplicity?

 

[Bob Hartig]

I love my Kestrel 4500 and would purchase a Kestrel again in a heartbeat. However, I wouldn't buy their top model again--it's fabulous, but it's overkill. Who needs to know cross winds and tail winds? If you get a Kestrel, compare features and buy one that's stripped down to your list of essentials.

Two virtues of the Kestrel are compactness and functionality. The features I use most are dewpoint and temperature, but I also check wind speeds, and probably should do so more often. My Kestrel does it all and does it well.

 

[Ryan Schwartz]

The problem is the search feature was broken during the upgrade to VBulletin 4 except for threads created after the upgrade.

Thanks Skip for the correction. I hadn't played around with the search function post-upgrade.

To go back to the original topic, I own both a Kestrel and an Inspeed. They both have their pro and cons. The Kestrel is great if you want more information than just wind speed and is a very accurate tool. The manufacturer performs QC calibration before shipping the product out the door. It's pocket size, so it's easier to carry around with you on the road and can be used in a variety of circumstances, and not just storm chasing. Want to know the temperature at the start of an outdoor sporting event? Just take it out and turn it on! I agree with Bob that the high-end Kestrels are overkill. The 3000 model should be sufficient for most people unless you want barometric information or want to transfer data to a PC, then you'll need to step up one or two levels. The downside is if you're caught in an HP supercell and want to take a wind measurement, you're going to be soaked unless you are wearing the right gear. That's where the beauty of the Inspeed Mag Mount unit comes in. You can mount it to the top of the vehicle and not have to worry about being wet. It was built using bicycle speedometer parts, but it seems to be fairly accruate within an acceptable level of a couple percent. Users in the past had issues with cups breaking on the Inspeed, but a re-design of the anemometer and wind cups seems to have reduced the occurrences of damage. One area where I like the Inspeed over the Kestrel is that it catches the wind better. The Kestrel has to be held just right to capture true wind speed since it uses an impeller system.