Wind meter for smart phones

S

SkyVoyager

Pre-Flight
Joined
Apr 24, 2012
Messages
57
Display Name
Display name:
SkyVoyager
OK...first, I have no relationship with the people below. I'm just a geek who loves gadgets!

I came across this Kickstarter project that has developed a wind anemometer that plugs into the headphone jack of your smartphone:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vaavud/a-wireless-wind-meter-containing-no-electronics

I thought this would be really cool to add to my flight bag and to have available where wind information isn't readily available. Of course, direction of the wind would be better (but isn't that what throwing grass into the air is for?!)...

Now, if you want OAT, add the below to your phone and then duct tape it to your window:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robocat/thermodo-the-tiny-thermometer-for-mobile-devices

:D
 
Of course, the question is, how much is this little gadget going to sell for. A completely self contained electronic anemometer costs less than $30. Some even contain no electronic parts for $10 (ball in tube style).

I remember watching a video on hang gliders once where someone was using a handheld anemometer and the thing was reading some where about 11-12, but the narrations said "With simple instruments, they measure their intelligence".
 
flyingron said:
Of course, the question is, how much is this little gadget going to sell for. A completely self contained electronic anemometer costs less than $30. Some even contain no electronic parts for $10 (ball in tube style).

I remember watching a video on hang gliders once where someone was using a handheld anemometer and the thing was reading some where about 11-12, but the narrations said "With simple instruments, they measure their intelligence".
Click to expand...

Looks like around 25 bucks, and it doesn't contain any electronics either.
 
images



There's always the tried and true method...
 
I prefer to spend my money on fuel, rather than gadgets that might keep me on the ground :)
 
I've got two of the little ball-in-the-tube wind meters that date back to when my Dad and I were flying R/C planes back in th early 70s. I haven't needed to use one in years, but they still both work just fine with (or without) any brand or model of phone. :) They're also less likely to break.

It's an interesting programming and plastic molding exercise, but it's not like this thing fills some need that wasn't being met before.
 
Sounds like another toy to get lost in the flight bag. If you're into hang gliding, powered parachutes or ballooning it might be useful, but for GA flying, looking at the trees or windsock tells me everything I need to know.

Now if someone could come up with an app that allows you to attach a weather balloon to your unsuspecting friend's iPhone and and report winds aloft, I'd be all for that.
 
If weather from the iphone is important, pushing the Aeroweather app button gives me the same information for all the airports that I've selected.
 
wabower said:
If weather from the iphone is important, pushing the Aeroweather app button gives me the same information for all the airports that I've selected.
Click to expand...

Except it tells you how it was up to an hour ago (or more), not how it is now. Not terribly useful. Even ATIS has such limitations, though you have to use it to determine VFR or IFR minimums if it is available.
 
Not necessarily. It depends on when you hit the button. Now showing a range of 6-12 minutes. I don't need it sliced much finer than that.

MAKG1 said:
Except it tells you how it was up to an hour ago (or more), not how it is now. Not terribly useful. Even ATIS has such limitations, though you have to use it to determine VFR or IFR minimums if it is available.
Click to expand...
 
there is an app that uses wind noise on the mic to measure wind speed.
 
DaleB said:
It's an interesting programming and plastic molding exercise, but it's not like this thing fills some need that wasn't being met before.
Click to expand...

In emergency management and hazmat, I'd love to have an anemometer and temp tracker in my go kit that save to my phone.
For tracking telephone closet or HVAC stuff, the temp sensor and graphing would be great as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top