Brunton Sherpa Atmospheric Data Center, Blue

Unlike most weather watches and portable instruments, the Sherpa includes a finely calibrated wind meter built into its tough plastic housing. Simply hold the Sherpa up in a breeze and the impeller blade--which is mounted on a stainless-steel shaft--will transmit the wind data to the instrument in miles per hour, knots, Beaufort, kilometers per hour, or m/s, with a four percent margin of error. Thanks to the wind meter and built-in thermometer, it's possible to calculate both wind chill and the temperature in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.

The Sherpa also includes an altimeter, which determines the elevation based on incremental changes in the air pressure. However, because weather-related changes in air pressure can affect the altimeter's accuracy, this function is best calibrated using a topographic map. The barometer, meanwhile, measures minute changes in atmospheric pressure in either inches or millimeters of mercury, helping you predict the weather over the next several hours. The Sherpa keeps track of pressure trends over a single 16-hour period, giving you plenty of advance warning of incoming storms.

The information is simple to decipher thanks to the Sherpa's oversized LCD display, which includes large, dark, easy-to-read numerals. Plus, the instrument sits conveniently around your neck for easy access, while its water-resistant body floats if accidentally dropped into a stream or lake.

So keep safe and dry on your next outing with the versatile Sherpa atmospheric data center. The Sherpa measures 1.57 by 3.93 by 0.70 inches (W x H x D) and carries a two-year warranty on parts and labor.

What's in the Box
Sherpa atmospheric data center, lanyard, lithium battery, user's manual.

Although not necessarily connected to weather, one of the features I like best is the altimeter function. I recently took a trip to the mountains and it was very interesting to see how high I was and I kept my eye on it to see how fast we were rising or descending.

It was also very interesting to follow how the barometric pressure was changing, which is why I bought this unit. It records changes in the pressure over a period of time, showing the barometer menu, it's quite obvious if the pressure has been falling or rising. One thing, I never realized is how the barometric pressure is directly connected to elevation.

The Sherpa can also read temperature, which I find pretty helpful when I want to know what the temperature is. As well, the Sherpa's wind gauge is very interesting. I can hold the Sherpa up to the wind and see how strong its blowing. The wind gauge records the current wind speed, average speed as well as the highest gust. If your using the wind gauge, the Sherpa also automatically calculates the windchill, since it shows the wind speed and temperature. This has been a good feature for determining just how cold it really is.

All in all, I give the sherpa a good rating. It does what it says it will do, it is easy to use and to understand. For anyone interested in weather, it really enhanced my knowledge about my surroundings.


If you are looking for barometric pressure - Great Tool   June 6, 2001
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

The unit is very small which is great. I tracks barometric pressure, and temperature like a champ. As far as the wind meter, it always seems low. The altitude meter works fine except everytime you use it, you have to know set you starting elevation to set a baseline. Because there are only two buttons, the menu is much like a Casio wrist watch. This is kind of frustrating because unless you use the thing often, it is hard to set up for each use. Overall, I like the barometric pressure system. The wind speed deal bugs me. But, I guess knowing that it is reading low, atleast you can get a relative idea of what is going on. It probably is not worth the money unless you are a gadget guy or need it often.