Stay updated about wind conditions with a Handheld Anemometer

‘Anemos’ means wind in Greek and that is where the Anemometers get their name from. Anemometers are instrumentsthat measure wind speed and direction. The first anemometers were huge equipments and were mechanically driven. With the advent of technology, handheld anemometers have shrunk to the size of a mobile and cost almost the same. They all use electronic equipments and digital display meters. All the anemometers have some sort of mounted instrument to measure the wind speed. Though the majority of meteorological anemometers utilise hemispherical cups mounted on horizontal arms of a vertical shaft for measuring the wind speed, most of the handheld anemometers use propellers or fans to do the same. This makes the whole equipment compact and easy to carry around. In addition to wind speed, most of the digital anemometers available in the market measure wind pressure and direction too.

The mechanism of anemometer operation is same irrespective of the type of instrument used to measure the wind speed. The fan or propeller or cups rotates when they come in contact with blowing wind and generates electric pulses every time they complete one rotation. Counting the number of pulses per minute gives an approximate wind speed. The method of counting the electric pulses vary from magnetic reed switches to optoelectronic measurements. Since the calculation of speed is done by electronic circuits, the data a=is available as soon as one switches the device on

Due to the ease of use, low weight and increased accuracy, they have improved weather sensing at remote areas. The handheld anemometers are available in water proof and anti-fragile quality, which makes it ideal for travellers and naval purposes. The digital display can be adjusted according to your requirements. It is one of the striking features that can be used when located in rough weather. Handheld anemometers can be used for both public as well as personal intentions. There are several types of anemometers available in the market at a reasonable price.

Wind speed varies with time. Thus one can only measure the wind speed with only certain accuracy. The usual accuracy of a handheld anemometer is 5% and that is usually far more accurate than anyone needs. Unless it is an air tunnel or ventilation shaft, where the wind speed remains constant, an accurate reading is impossible to get. So any measurement obtained from a handheld anemometer is at the very best a rough estimate of how fast the air is moving.