Frequently Asked Questions

KestrelMet 6000

KestrelMet 6000
Support questions for the KestrelMet 6000 Cellular Weather Station
Instruction Manual for the KestrelMet 6000 WiFi Weather Station

Product specifications for the KestrelMet6000.

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Important Update: The Online Dashboard for KestrelMet Station Owners is Moving to Ambient Weather Network platform

We are excited to announce a significant improvement to your KestrelMet weather station experience.

The new online platform and app, Ambient Weather Network (AWN), will soon replace the existing KestrelMet.net portal. This upgrade brings improved functionality, accessibility, and convenience to all KestrelMet weather station owners and registered KestrelMet.net users.

Key Changes: What Do I need to Know?

  • AmbientWeather.net is now the primary portal for accessing station data
  • AmbientWeather.net is the new online portal for accessing your KestrelMet weather station data.
  • Enjoy a revamped and more user-friendly interface for monitoring your weather data.

AmbientWeather.Net Online Portal and AWN App

The Ambient Weather Network (AWN) App Replaces KestrelMet App

  • The Ambient Weather Network app will become the primary application for accessing your KestrelMet weather station data via mobile devices.
  • Get real-time data on the go with enhanced features and functionality.

Online Account Transfer

Same Log In Information

  • A Smooth Transition for Existing Users
  • AmbientWeather.net uses your existing KestrelMet.net username and password have already been integrated into AmbientWeather.net and the AWN app.
  • NO NEED to create new accounts or remember additional credentials; this is a hassle-free transition.
  • Same User Name and Password on AmbientWeather.net and the AWN app!
  • CTA Button Sign in Now
  • Access Your Historical Data

    • All your valuable KestrelMet station historical data remains accessible at AmbientWeather.net.
    • Easily reference and analyze your past weather data whenever you need it.

    Manage Your Cellular Data Subscription

    • If you have a KestrelMet cellular data subscription, you can conveniently manage your payments and renewals at https://AmbientWeather.net/account.

    When is this happening?
    December 1, 2023

    • On December 1, 2023, KestrelMet.net will redirect you automatically to AmbientWeather.net.
    • Mark this date in your calendar to ensure a seamless transition to the enhanced platform. Contact us for questions: Email support@kestrelmet.com or call 1 (800) 784-4221.

    We are committed to providing you with the best tools to monitor and understand your weather data. The introduction of the Ambient Weather Network marks an exciting milestone in this journey. We look forward to your continued support and hope you find this upgrade to be a valuable enhancement to your weather monitoring experience.

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This video demonstrates the installation procedure:

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To change your station name or location name, go to the devices panel:

https://ambientweather.net/devices

and enter change it by tapping on the station name field:

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.net

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AmbientWeather.net not only features a mobile friendly and responsive dashboard that works well on any platform (desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile device) but also features apps for iOS and Android Devices as well as third party apps.  You can bookmark your dashboard here:

https://ambientweather.net/dashboard

or download apps here:

Community

For programmers:

We developed an Application Programming Interface (API) that will allow you and others to write applications and integrate with other products (above and beyond the current features like text alerts, email alerts, IFTTT, Google Home and Amazon Alexa).

You can learn more here:

API

To view apps developed using the AmbientWeather.net APIs and Wunderground.com, visit our Community Page:

Community

You can keep track of what is happening at our Ambient Weather Network User’s Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ambientweathernetwork/

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.net

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To add or delete a device, go to the Devices panel:

https://ambientweather.net/devices

To add a device, tap the + button next to Connect a New Device:

To delete a device, tap on the Ambient Weather icon, and tap Delete this device.

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.net

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To expand a specific tile and move it to the top of your dashboard, press the + icon  at the bottom of each tile, and additional detailed information will be displayed.

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.net

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Data is stored at AmbientWeather.net at a rate of once per 5 minutes.

After one month, data is stored at a rate of once per 30 minutes.

Archived data is stored for one year. All data is removed after one year.

AmbientWeather.net includes an API, so developers can automatically retrieve your own real-time and historical personal weather station JSON formatted data, or build 3rd party apps and get data from multiple devices.

To learn more about our API, visit: www.AmbientWeather.com/api.html

You can also use one of the third party apps to automatically download data:

Community

 

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.net

 

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The white dot next to the left is the lowest recording. The white dot on the right is the highest recording, and the yellow dot is the average.

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.net

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To view API documentation, visit:

https://ambientweather.docs.apiary.io

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.net

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What is an API?

API stands for Application Programming Interface, and allows programmers to easily develop programs and applications that communicate with weather stations at AmbientWeather.net.

RESTful And Real-Time APIs:

Developers, retrieve your own real-time and historical personal weather station JSON formatted data, or build 3rd party apps and get data from multiple devices.

Features:

  • JSON Formatted Data
  • Secure Data Retrieval
  • Community Support

Full API Reference:

      Visit

API Docs

    to learn more.

Facebook API Group:

.

      Join the private Ambient Weather API User's Group, and ask questions and get answers from other programmers familiar with the Ambient Weather Network API -

more info


API Keys:

What is an API key?

The API key acts as both a unique identifier and a secure, secret token for authentication.

There are two types of API keys:

  • Developers: An Application Key is required for each application that you develop. To create a device key, login to your account at AmbientWeather.net and visit: AmbientWeather.net Account Settings.

  • Users: A Device Key is required to connect your weather station to the application created by the developer. To create a device key, login to your account at AmbientWeather.net and visit: AmbientWeather.net Account Settings.

    The video below can assist in the API creation process.

 

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To add a tile back to the dashboard, scroll down to the area below the tiles and tap on the icon next to Add Back to Dashboard:

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.net

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To change the graph to a different day, or change the graph scale to week, month or year, tap on the appropriate button at the top of the graphs.

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.net

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To delete an alert, go the alerts panel:

https://ambientweather.net/alerts

and tap the Trash Can icon  next to the specific alert you wish to delete.

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.net

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To switch between the graph view and data view on the dashboard, press the graph or data buttons to toggle between the two views.

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.net

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Please uninstall the app you are having an issue with(Ambient Tool, awnet app or Ambient Dashboard), restart the phone, then reinstall the app. If the phone asks for location services please select either ‘always allow’ or ‘allow while using’

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Q: How do I measure snowfall?

 

A: Please refer to the link for the National Weather Service: https://www.weather.gov/jkl/snow_measurement

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KestrelMet Soil Sensor Array Web References

Watermark installation manual

Available Water Conversion Tables for Soil Moisture Monitors

Irrigation Scheduling Strategies When Using Soil Water Data

How to use Watermark sensors for irrigation

Moisture Sensor Agricultural Irrigation Design Manual

Soil water tension irrigation criteria for various crops

Watermark Granular Matrix Sensor to Measure Soil Matric Potential for Irrigation Management

KestrelMet Soil Sensor Array Video References

KestrelMet Soil Sensor Array Installation

KestrelMet Soil Sensor Array Installation from Nielsen Kellerman on Vimeo.

U of Nebraska Watermark probe installation:


MMM consultants Watermark probe installation:


U of Nebraska irrigation scheduling basics:


U of Georgia irrigation scheduling:

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Every KestrelMet weather station is checked against a precision NIST-traceable reference pressure sensor in our manufacturing process at the Boothwyn PA plant, and the pressure sensors that we use in the KestrelMet 6000 exhibit minimal drift over the 2-year warranty period. For these reasons, we have not engineered a pressure calibration interface for the KestrelMet 6000.

To compare pressure conditions from one location to another, meteorologists correct pressure to sea-level conditions. Because the air pressure decreases as you rise in altitude, the sea-level corrected pressure (the pressure your location would be at if located at sea-level) is generally higher than your measured pressure.

Thus, your absolute pressure may read 28.62 inHg (969 mb) at an altitude of 1000 feet (305 m), but the relative pressure is 30.00 inHg (1016 mb).

The standard sea-level pressure is 29.92 inHg (1013 mb). This is the average sea-level pressure around the world. Relative pressure measurements greater than 29.92 inHg (1013 mb) are considered high pressure and relative pressure measurements less than 29.92 inHg are considered low pressure.

The pressure measurement displayed on AWN is relative pressure. To determine the relative pressure for your location, AWN locates an official reporting station near you, and sets your weather station relative pressure calculation parameters to match the official reporting station. Note that absolute pressure and relative pressure are both included when station data is downloaded.

Pressure details for CWOP MADIS L3 spatial failures:

Based on experience, MADIS failures come and go and are not necessarily an indicator that there is anything out of calibration, especially when barometric pressure is the measurement in question. For MADIS L3 spatial failures, it is very unlikely that your pressure sensor is the cause. This forum thread provides some useful perspectives on the L3 spatial failure, including one user who tried recalibrating their pressure sensor seasonally in an attempt to make the L3 error go away:
https://groups.io/g/wxqc/topic/chasing_the_calibration_tail/21375996

If you have already confirmed that you are sending the correct altitude to CWOP, then it may be one of the nearby stations that is causing the L3 error. Alternatively, you could try changing the altitude in the CWOP interface which will effectively adjust the relative pressure calculated by CWOP.

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Text or Email alerts can be sent when a specific parameter is out of range.

If the value exceeds (greater than or less than) the alert amount, a text or email is sent.

Once the value falls within the normal range, the alert is reset, and an alarm can be sent again once outside the range again. This prevents repeated alerts for the same parameter.

The Notification Time Window is the minimum time after an alert can be repeated for the same condition. This is useful for parameters like wind speed, that change often and rapidly.

Here is an example scenario with the Notification Time Window set to 10 minutes.

If Wind Speed is greater than 20, send an alert.

  • Time: 2:00 pm. Wind Speed is 24. Alert is sent.
  • Time: 2:03 pm. Wind Speed is 12. Alert is reset.
  • Time: 2:05 pm. Wind Speed is 26. Alert is not set because 5 minutes ago, the alert was already sent.
  • Time: 2:12 pm. Wind Speed is 24. Alert is sent.

More than one alert can be set for the same parameter. Here is an example

Wind Speed > 20 mph

Wind Speed > 30 mph

Wind Speed > 40 mph


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A clogged rain bucket on your KestrelMet 6000 Cellular Weather Station can prevent accurate rainfall readings. Follow the steps in this video to easily unclog the rain bucket and keep your unit working properly.

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Please try refreshing the cache on the webpage. To do this, press Ctrl-F5. If that does not work, then please try opening the order in an incognito window (Shift-Ctrl-n) . For MAC users on Safari, you can use [CMD] + [ALT] + [E]

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Please see this video on installing the KestrelMet 6000 WiFi station:

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Transmission up to 1000 feet line of sight. Obstructions will affect the transmission range.

Recommendations for KestrelMet Wi-Fi Installation:

  • The station should be mounted in a location with strong Wi-Fi signal strength.
  • The KestrelMet 6000 Wi-Fi weather station can ONLY connect to a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network.
  • You can use third-party tools such as a Wi-Fi analyzer app to plan an optimal location for your station. After your station is registered, you can use the signal indicators on AmbientWeather.net/Devices for live Wi-Fi signal readings.
  • Avoid obstructions like buildings, trees, and structures in between your router and the KestrelMet Wi-Fi installation site.
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How Ambient Weather Uses Cookies

A cookie is a small piece of text sent to your browser by a website you visit. It helps our website remember information about your visit, like your preferred units of measure, and login credentials. That can make your next visit easier and our site more useful to you. Cookies play an important role. Without them, using the web would be a much more frustrating experience.

Google Analytics

We also use Google Analytics for tracking our website performance. It is Google’s analytics tool that helps website and app owners understand how their visitors engage with their website properties. It uses a set of cookies to collect information and report site usage statistics without personally identifying individual visitors to Google. The main cookie used by Google Analytics is the ‘_ga’ cookie.

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  1. The KestrelMet Wi-Fi weather station will not connect to a guest account.
  2. The KestrelMet Wi-Fi connects to the 2.4 GHz band on your router. Make sure the 2.4 GHz band is operating and connected to the Internet.
  3. If you own a Mesh Network or multiple repeaters, power off all of the secondary nodes and leave the primary node (connected to the Internet) on.
  4. Reboot the router.
  5. Use the Hidden SSID feature to enter your SSID (whether it is hidden or not). Be careful, the SSID and password are both case-sensitive.
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Please see here for mobile devices:

Please see here for handling on the website:

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You can only download data to a PC, Mac, or Linux Desktop or Laptop computer. You cannot download data to a tablet or smartphone due to device limitations.

To download data from AmbientWeather.net

  1. Switch to Data View by selecting the Data icon
  2. Pick a data range by selecting the calendar
  3. To download data for the date range, tap the download icon

You will be prompted to export All Data (5-minute), or the Daily Summary Data:

A status bar will provide the percent-download completed:


Save the CSV files (comma separated value) to your computer.

For more information on csv file definittion, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values

csv files can be read by most data management programs, such has Excel, MySQL, and more.

Here is the format for the time and date field:

The Time Format follows ISO Standard 8601:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_8601

The date and time are expressed in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) with a marker for the user’s Time Zone.

Here is an example:

2019-05-21T00:00:00-07:00

The date for the example is May 21, 2019

The time is midnight (00:00:00).

The time zone is -7:00 (US Mountain Standard Time).


If you are a programmer, see the following article: Accessing data via the API

To view your data via third-party apps, please see the following article: Apps for Ambient Weather

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You should choose the mobile carrier that has the best coverage for your area. It does not matter which carrier you personally use as you can see the data without having an AT&T or Verizon account.

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The Cellular version uses cellular data. The Wi-Fi version transmits via Wi-Fi up to 1000 ft line of sight.

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The cost is $50 per year to continue the coverage which is the lowest plan on the market today.

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Sun coverage is important to keep the unit powered. So choosing a place with adequate sunlight will help keep it powered in low sun / cloudy conditions. The other consideration is in a unsheltered area and higher up to help catch the current wind conditions, bearing in mind that you may have to clean the rain gauge occasionally. Lastly, if you mount it next to something that radiates heat (i.e., a black fence), this could slightly raise the temperature readings. If you are using a tripod mount, you may want to secure it to the ground or weigh it down in higher wind areas.

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Yes. You can add as many devices as you want to your account and toggle between them.

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Radar

Radar – rain (dbz)


Radar – ice (dbz)


Radar – Snow (dbz)


Temperature

Temperatures (°F)


Wind

Wind(°mph)


Lightning

Lightning strikes are displayed on the map for 15 minutes, with the following shading characteristics:

Wind(°mph)


Official vs. Personal Weather Stations:

If the station has a black circle around it, it is an official weather station. All other stations are personal weather stations.:


WeatherCams:

WeatherCams are displayed on the map. They are signified by the camera icon:


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WSWeather (or PWSWeather.com) is a free, public weather data hosting service.

PWSweather.com is a program to bring together data from personal weather stations worldwide, display it and make it available for other purposes.

They specialize in product integration, like integrating Rachio Sprinklers with Personal Weather Stations (PWS).

  1. To create a free account, visit: https://www.pwsweather.com/register.php
  2. Tap the Add new station button:
  3. After you create the station, enter the Station ID and your PWSWeather password into AmbientWeather.net from the Devices Panel: https://ambientweather.net/devices
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The KestrelMet 6000 cellular weather station can ONLY connect to a cellular network (typically Verizon or AT&T according to your station’s SIM card for US customers), and cannot connect to a Wi-Fi network. You can use provider coverage maps, FCC maps (https://fcc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6c1b2e73d9d749cdb7bc88a0d1bdd25b), or third-party tools such as the Open Signal app or RootMetrics app to plan an optimal location for your station. After your station is registered, you can use the signal indicators on the device's screen for live cellular signal readings.

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