How high does my falcon fly

[davidfrank]

http://www.westernsporting.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/HRRT0060.jpg

AltimeterOne - A rechargeable digital altimeter for trained raptors, rockets, planes, and kites that reports the peak altitude of each flight on an LCD display using a highly sensitive atmospheric pressure sensor. Its tiny size and ability to ride along make it the most versatile altimeter on the market today. Choose the leather bewit size for your hawk--3 sizes available.

http://www.westernsporting.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=1111&Product_Code=RT0060&Category_Code=A1

[Heru]

Gr8 Item ;)

[sadi74]

Great Item.....

[Montucky]

i have pretty easily been able to get a height using a standard range finder...takes a little practice and a steady hand but if you can target your bird and hit the button you can usually get a reading...harder after they are above 800. Once you do it a few times then you basically can calibrate your eye and you will be close from then on out just estimating. I have found that if you can range find your bird at 200-400ft then you can better estimate any increase in height after that.

[canvibe]

I bought my Jolly Logic Altimeter One from a local hobby shop for my rockets, it's funny I never thought of using these on birds, then again I'm flying a Redtail.
The same company has just came out with the Alitimeter Two. This one will also tell you Decent speed of the rocket being used, would be interesting to see if it could measure a falcons stoop speed.

[haggardgyr]

I love this.....It will put to rest the tendency for longwingers to grossly over-estimate the pitch of their falcons. 500 feet wont be 1000 feet anymore!

[rkumetz]

i have pretty easily been able to get a height using a standard range finder...takes a little practice and a steady hand but if you can target your bird and hit the button you can usually get a reading...harder after they are above 800. Once you do it a few times then you basically can calibrate your eye and you will be close from then on out just estimating. I have found that if you can range find your bird at 200-400ft then you can better estimate any increase in height after that.

Disclaimer: This is not intended to "flame" anyone or start an argument BUT...
Doesn't a decent rangefinder cost as much as (or more) than the altimeter? Why mess around when you can have an accurate number for a reasonable price?

[outhawkn]

I love this.....It will put to rest the tendency for longwingers to grossly over-estimate the pitch of their falcons. 500 feet wont be 1000 feet anymore!

Or prove falcons do fly high.........:D

[davidfrank]

The inventor of the AltimeterOne just sent me an email from one of my customers thanking him for the great gadget. The falconer has been flying Ferruginous Hawks for 20 years and never really knew how high they went. He obviously lives in an area conducive to soaring and is a very good falconer because his male went to 1443 feet the first time the unit was worn.

Kudos to that falconer.

David Frank
Western Sporting

[redtailsrule]

Disclaimer: This is not intended to "flame" anyone or start an argument BUT...
Doesn't a decent rangefinder cost as much as (or more) than the altimeter? Why mess around when you can have an accurate number for a reasonable price?

Don't know if you have ever tried to put a laser rangefinder on a falcon mounting, I have and past 300ft with a decent rangefinder was difficult to say the least. My sponsor has a rangefinder that he can put on a falcon over 1000ft, but I think the list price on that is over $1000.

[calebstroh]

Sweet looking little tool!

Its funny, how bad a judge of range we really are. Some folks get close...but we never really get it right.

I don't know how many times I've said "that hillside has got to be so-and-so many yards off"...only to find it is half that...or double!

And in the birddog world, I would hear all the time "my dog ranges so-and-so far out" only to find when collared with a GSP unit that the dog ranges half of what the birddogger says.

Anywho, cool little thing, and inexpensive.

CJ

[AK Rev]

Estimating range with landmarks and perspective on the ground is tough...very few do it well and everyone gets fooled once they get on unfamiliar ground. Estimating by eye at anything past a few hundred feet with nothing behind the falcon except atmosphere...good luck.

Neat little device and reasonably priced!

[Fawkes]

I bought my Jolly Logic Altimeter One from a local hobby shop for my rockets, it's funny I never thought of using these on birds, then again I'm flying a Redtail.
The same company has just came out with the Alitimeter Two. This one will also tell you Decent speed of the rocket being used, would be interesting to see if it could measure a falcons stoop speed.

Now this I would love to see. What model is it? Would make a great present for a friend of mine.

[rkumetz]

Now this I would love to see. What model is it? Would make a great present for a friend of mine.

The Jolly Logic Altimeter is sold by Western Sporting:

http://www.westernsporting.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=1111&Product_Code=RT0060&Category_Code=A1

[sakerjack]

As I told Clayton Smith a month or so ago,, I don't need one of these, just a tape measure. My birds do not go up high.

[Fawkes]

The Jolly Logic Altimeter is sold by Western Sporting:

http://www.westernsporting.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=1111&Product_Code=RT0060&Category_Code=A1

yeah, but does it do descent speed like the one previously mentioned?

Oh sorry - didn't notice they were the same model.

[jmnucci]

Has anyone bought one of these and tried it out yet? Thinking of buying one. It would be fun addition for the club sky and field trials. Looks like it may be a little heavy/bulky on the leg.

[dwilliamson]

This might work as well :
www.pigeongps.com

[redtailsrule]

I just got the Jolly logic altimeter, pretty cool device! I put it on the kite a half dozen times and on a few of the falcons. I have been guessing how high they are before I call them down, first time I guessed 600ft she was pretty wide and ended up being 434ft lol then I sent the other bird to the kite and with the angle and curve of the line it was right there where I figured at 638ft. Its been fun messing around with, can't wait to throw it on my falcon when she is back in shape, right now she is only able to stay airborne for 2 minutes before she is out of breath. I hope when I think she is at 1500ft the altimeter says higher ;)

[canvibe]

This might work as well :
www.pigeongps.com


Might work well for those who are racing Falcons:D
Would be interesting to try.

[redtailsrule]

Put the altimeter on the peregrine today, she has been flying low recently with the hot weather but we got a cold snap and she went up today... not the highest she has been cause I could still see her

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p63/redtailsrule/2011-10-04_16-01-23_161.jpg

I guessed at 1000ft when I called her down and was pleasantly surprised! I have had a lot of fun messing around with the altimeter

[Chris L.]

Nice! Was that with a kite?

[redtailsrule]

That bird wont fly the kite/balloon and has never needed to, I fly her once a day now cause she is molting still and she is pretty fat, most of the time she flies 8 times a day and will speck out most of the time if she doesn't make something happen with the gulls.