Wris####ch with sensors for ballistic calculation?

[kirill]

Just wondering if I'm out to lunch here. Casio sells a number of watches that have temperature and barometric pressure sensors. Would one be useful as a half-substitute for a Kestrel? Basically take the wrist temperature and barometric pressure readings and input into the ballistic calculator. Naturally the wind speed would need to be estimated, or measured with a cheap wind-only meter.

I figure it's better than just checking the current weather and forecast before heading out to the range, without having to invest into a more expensive device, and yet another thing to carry with you.

Thoughts?

 

[rugbydave]

It would work, I have a Casio Pathfinder, it does elevation, barometric pressure, temp, etc. I've never used it for ballistics purposes (I have a Kestrel) but something to note is that if you read the user manual, it states that you want to have the watch off your wrist for 15 or so minutes so as to measure ambient temp and not your body heat.

 

[VinceMarksman]

I use a garmin fenix 2. I think the sensors are pretty accurate when you leave it beside you on the shooting mat for a couple minutes. It has barometric pressure. Elevation. Temperature. Compass and a ton of GPS features.

Im currently thinking about upgrading to a fenix 3. If you' re interested I could sell the fenix 2.

Cheers

 

[mustang979]

I looked in to myself.... The electronic ones, with GPS' have a good altimeter courtesy of the GPS signal, which can be used to calibrate the barometer and give accurate barometric values, YAY. Analog ones, do not. Just like a kestrel, they need a known altitude, or a known barometric pressure to manually calibrate the other. Can it be done? sure, but it kinda blows for the speed and ease of use perspective.

 

[kirill]

Hmm. I guess it's not as crazy as I thought.

What attracts me to a Casio Pathfinder is the solar power/charging. I can either wear it to work, or leave it at home facing the window, then grab it on a range trip. Not being able to shoot every weekend makes a simple low-maintenance device attractive. No need to worry about charging or batteries, and it's a multi-purpose "investment". I should be able to get decent altitude readings from the GPS on my smartphone, and just estimate the wind.

Good thoughts on the temperature and calibration concerns. I'll make sure to read the user manual before I buy.

 

[Mystic Precision]

Got a LAD style watch off Amazon. Gives a range of stuff... hope to give it a try this spring/summer. If it works, it provides alot of info.

On my watch, the thermometer works when removed from your arm and left to stabilise. The sensor is the metal back plate which of course, reads my skin temp so it doesn't read ambient properly. Take it off, leave a few minutes and it seems to read quite well.

Good, bad..... not sure yet but the watch part works very nicely.

Jerry

 

[kirill]

I just ordered a Casio GW9400-1 off Amazon. Being a watch nerd it already ticked many boxes. If it turns out I can use it with Strelok at the range, I'm set

 

[chrisward3]

Analog ones, do not. Just like a kestrel, they need a known altitude, or a known barometric pressure to manually calibrate the other. Can it be done? sure, but it kinda blows for the speed and ease of use perspective.

Not entirely correct. By setting the reference altitude to "0", the pressure reading becomes the station pressure. So long as it's entered into the ballistic calculator this way, the resulting data will jive with the actual altitude and barometric pressure. Barometric pressure is just station pressure corrected for the altitude.

I'd used a Suunto Core in the past (before getting a kestrel) with good results, but a kestrel that calculates density altitude was quicker for me.

 

[Chargerguy]

I bought the 5.11 Field Ops Watch around the same time I got the iSnipe app on my phone. I never utilized the watch and stopped wearing it. I'll have to throw in a fresh battery and give it another try. I don't think it has temp or ballistic sensors though so probably a waste of a battery.

 

[cr5]

I have a 5.11 Tactical HRT with built in ballistic calculator. I use my phone to access the weather network and just use their barometric info. It's just as accurate as isnipe or Strelok. Goes through a set of batteries about once a year though which is a pain in the arse since I haven't found a place in Canada to get a new back cover o-ring, last time I changed the batteries I used silicone to seal it up. I hope I can get the cover off next time.

 

[kirill]

Well, I tried the wris####ch approach last weekend. Worked fairly well. The watch (a GShock ABC watch) does take a while to adjust to local temperature. I left it off the wrist during the drive to the range and unpacking. By the end of my handgun warmup I took the readings, and the altitude from my GPS app, and plugged them into Strelok. Seems to have done the trick. One way to speed up the reading is to submerge it into cold water until it gets close to the weather forecast temperature, then dry it off and set it on the bench.