Kestrel 4250 (Racing) - Manual (Page 13)

Kestrel ® 4250 Racing Weather ® Tracker
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Think the weather conditions at the track are the same as the information
you are getting from back at the trailer? Think again.
Even slight changes in air density, water grains, and density altitude can dramatically affect a machine’s
performance. With the added ability to easily measure and track these and other critical factors, such as
absolute pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed and barometric pressure, the Kestrel 4250 Racing
Weather Tracker arms racers with the accurate weather data needed to make those last minute jetting or
tuning decisions.
Conditions on the track can often vary greatly from those in the pits. The rugged, portable and easy to
use Kestrel 4250 Racing Weather Tracker quickly provides racers and pit crews with the most accurate and
up-to-date data available where you need it most — at the track. It allows tuners to determine what last
minute changes need to be made based on the current local conditions, even immediately before the first
lap around the track or pass down the drag strip — giving you that competitive edge at a fraction of the
cost of other systems on the market.
The Kestrel 4250 Racing Weather Tracker also features an automatic and manual data storage function,
allowing you to easily keep logs of race day conditions from track to track, year to year. The Kestrel PC
Interface and Communicator Software allows data to be easily transferred directly to a PC or laptop —
making long-term storage, in-depth analysis, and detailed charting of stored data a breeze.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is it important to know the weather conditions, and how can the Kestrel 4250 help me win races?
Weather affects your performance. Period. If you are not using something to measure the weather conditions
then you are missing a piece of valuable information that can help you win races. Environmental conditions
such as relative humidity, density altitude, dewpoint and wind speed all influence your car. By monitoring
these conditions and analyzing how weather patterns from previous races change your car’s performance,
you are able to make more informed dial-in and tuning decisions. Since the Kestrel 4250 Pocket Weather
Tracker is portable and accurate, it enables you to monitor the weather conditions that concern you right at
the track, not at the trailer miles away.
Any suggestions where and when is the best time to take readings? Before or after a run, or both?
We don’t claim to be racing experts, but here are some tips that will help. The one thing we can say is
that consistency is a must. Pick a system and stick with it. It’s often easier to record the weather data
immediately after returning from a run. That way it won’t matter if you get delayed at the start. Also, you
can set the Kestrel to automatically store data every five minutes, and then just coordinate times with the
timeslip. Lastly, for the most accurate readings possible, it’s best to keep the Kestrel 4250 in the shade, and
make sure air is circulating through the temperature sensor (the curly thing), either by holding it in the
breeze or by waving it around.
I have E.T. prediction software and I want to make sure I am imputing the correct readings for my
dial-in.
· If your software asks for station or raw pressure, use “pressure” screen displayed on Kestrel.
· If your software asks for density altitude, you can use the value that your Kestrel 4250 automatically
measures.
· If your software asks for barometric pressure and altitude, make sure you know your track’s altitude ahead
of time and enter it in as the “reference altitude.”