Any Thoughts On The Fieldpiece STA2 Anemometer?

[cook42]

I'm About To Purchase The Fieldpiece STA2 Anemometer And Wanted To Know You Guys Thoughts On This Test Instrument?

[hvacker]

I'm not familiar with it. I usually bought only dedicated instruments because with T&B cert rules it was often required that an instrument only have one use so a Fieldpiece probably wouldn't qualify. It's not that I never broke that rule though. Wayne wrote that some of the rules have relaxed a bit.
Are you looking for a troubleshooting tool or a T&B tool?

[cook42]

I'm not familiar with it. I usually bought only dedicated instruments because with T&B cert rules it was often required that an instrument only have one use so a Fieldpiece probably wouldn't qualify. It's not that I never broke that rule though. Wayne wrote that some of the rules have relaxed a bit.
Are you looking for a troubleshooting tool or a T&B tool?

Well I Just Pick Up My Fieldpiece Have Not Tried It Yet But I Am Interested In Both Trouble Shooting & Testing & Balancing.

[WAYNE3298]

I'm not familiar with Fieldpiece either. Did you have it calibrated? Until I had full confidence in pressure instruments and calibration quality I double checked with manometers and inclined manometers. The reason I did so is because I sent one company a perfectly good pressure gage and he returned it broken with a certificate of calibration.
You need a good quality gage to balance or troubleshoot. Certified balance also has accuracy standards that have to be met.
Having said that electronic pressure gage readings especially in the low ranges are seldom stable and there is usually a certain amount of guess involved anyway.

[ch4man]

i have no horse in this race Wayne, but a FP STA2 isn't an manometer....................

[WAYNE3298]

ch4man,
What kind of instrument is it? I gave him generic advice but if you know the instrument he could use your advice. Nothing you tell him will upset me.

[ch4man]

not only are we all on the internet so a google search is easy, anemometer was in the OP's title.

http://www.fieldpiece.com/products/d...r/anemometers/

[WAYNE3298]

I looked at the instrument on the internet. I don't have any first hand experience with it. The inclined manometer will check the accuracy for pitot traverse use. Most balancers abandoned the hot wire when the electronic micro-anemometer came out. They are a lot more expensive but almost all balancers think they are a lot better.

[heatingman]

I have one and I like it. That said its a good tool for the average person to perform troubleshooting with. Its not a Test and Balance instrument.

For a service person, its a great tool.


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[Push It]

I looked at the instrument on the internet. I don't have any first hand experience with it. The inclined manometer will check the accuracy for pitot traverse use. Most balancers abandoned the hot wire when the electronic micro-anemometer came out. They are a lot more expensive but almost all balancers think they are a lot better.

Are these just very accurate vane anemometers? How do you testing and balancing guys use them? At the grill face? I have always been somewhat fascinated with T&B.

[Push It]

I have one and I like it. That said its a good tool for the average person to perform troubleshooting with. Its not a Test and Balance instrument.

For a service person, its a great tool.


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Is there a specific reason you say they are not for T&B? On their site it says it is "For HVACR Pros Air Balancing Needs". Just wondering your opinion since you have one. I am interested in purchasing one.

How do you use yours for troubleshooting? Do you usually measure main trunk lines for total airflow to see if a duct system is moving correct system air? When would you warrant using a more accurate or suitable measurement tool?

[WAYNE3298]

An inclined manometer is not a vane type instrument. It is a water or oil filled gage that has a scale mounted on an angle which allows reading small pressures increments such as velocity pressure. If properly used they are as accurate as you can get. The only instrument I would use on grilles or diffusers is the capture flow hood.

[Push It]

An inclined manometer is not a vane type instrument. It is a water or oil filled gage that has a scale mounted on an angle which allows reading small pressures increments such as velocity pressure. If properly used they are as accurate as you can get. The only instrument I would use on grilles or diffusers is the capture flow hood.

Yes I know what an inclined manometer is. I have used them before. I am asking what the "electronic micro-anemometer " are and how you use them.

[heatingman]

Is there a specific reason you say they are not for T&B? On their site it says it is "For HVACR Pros Air Balancing Needs". Just wondering your opinion since you have one. I am interested in purchasing one.

How do you use yours for troubleshooting? Do you usually measure main trunk lines for total airflow to see if a duct system is moving correct system air? When would you warrant using a more accurate or suitable measurement tool?

I use it for troubleshooting mainly. Its simple to use, and seems pretty accurate. For light commercial and residential main duct traverse is what I use it for.

When I say its not a Test and Balance instrument, I mean its not a replacement for a Shortridge or Alnor/TSI set up.

When I say Test and Balance - I mean official certified Test and Balance.

Certified T and B is expected to be repeatable, and have Traceable calibration reports for the instruments used.

This tool is a couple hundred buck
A Shortridge is - a few thousand - obviously there is a reason for the price difference.




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[Push It]

I use it for troubleshooting mainly. Its simple to use, and seems pretty accurate. For light commercial and residential main duct traverse is what I use it for.

When I say its not a Test and Balance instrument, I mean its not a replacement for a Shortridge or Alnor/TSI set up.

When I say Test and Balance - I mean official certified Test and Balance.

Certified T and B is expected to be repeatable, and have Traceable calibration reports for the instruments used.

This tool is a couple hundred buck
A Shortridge is - a few thousand - obviously there is a reason for the price difference.




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Thank you. After your response and waiting Jim at TruTech Tools do an overview of it, it seems worth the money. My main purpose would be for checking airflow in residential systems.

[heatingman]

Thank you. After your response and waiting Jim at TruTech Tools do an overview of it, it seems worth the money. My main purpose would be for checking airflow in residential systems.

Its definitely worth it. If it helps you find a problem one time, it will have paid for itself.


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[LEO ASHRAE]

I'm About To Purchase The Fieldpiece STA2 Anemometer And Wanted To Know You Guys Thoughts On This Test Instrument?

cook42,

First, out of the chute, I do not own the STA2. But, I do have some information you may find useful: I bought the AAV3 anemometer for doing zone balancing and return size checking. I bought it new, from my local APR Supply...never used. Put it on my HG3, set it for CFM...and I'm off to the races. Well, not quite. I could not get two readings within 300 cfm of each other. I got other readings that were consistently, and ridiculously, low. So, back to APR only to find that I had to send it in myself ($8.00 postage) for warranty. The good part of the whole experience is my boss/friend/apprentice (it's complicated) loaned me his Testo 410i (essentially the Testo equivalent of my AAV3). It worked! If you do your part, with holding a consistent distance from the grill, and moving it at a consistent rate, it will provide you with consistent, repeatable, believable readings. So here is the relevant part...I liked the Testo 410i so much I bought it, and I also bought the 405i hot wire anemometer. It works great! Build quality, easy to use, straight forward app, no issues at all...accept for the range. I must keep my iPad relatively close so it doesn't lose contact. So, I can give you first-hand knowledge about the performance of the Testo equivalent...it works great. As for the AAV3...sold the new replacement I got from Fieldpiece. They really have to do something about their QC...it's slipping. Hope this helps.

LEO

[bright1135]

The STA2 is a hot wire anemometer. We tested it at the calibration facility with the Senior Engineer who had a Ph.D. and happened to be at the metrology lab certifying the venturi that day. Her readings with it were showing the STA2 had an accuracy +/- 2%. a pitot tube is just slightly more accurate in general but will give you more accurate measurements in the event that turbulance in the duct is causing airflow in oppisate directions. the hotwire sees air moving, not what direction its moving. a pitot will indicate direction of flow. That being said I keep the STA2 in my tool bag and use it frequentlly.

[klimbo123]

cook42,

First, out of the chute, I do not own the STA2. But, I do have some information you may find useful: I bought the AAV3 anemometer for doing zone balancing and return size checking. I bought it new, from my local APR Supply...never used. Put it on my HG3, set it for CFM...and I'm off to the races. Well, not quite. I could not get two readings within 300 cfm of each other. I got other readings that were consistently, and ridiculously, low. So, back to APR only to find that I had to send it in myself ($8.00 postage) for warranty. The good part of the whole experience is my boss/friend/apprentice (it's complicated) loaned me his Testo 410i (essentially the Testo equivalent of my AAV3). It worked! If you do your part, with holding a consistent distance from the grill, and moving it at a consistent rate, it will provide you with consistent, repeatable, believable readings. So here is the relevant part...I liked the Testo 410i so much I bought it, and I also bought the 405i hot wire anemometer. It works great! Build quality, easy to use, straight forward app, no issues at all...accept for the range. I must keep my iPad relatively close so it doesn't lose contact. So, I can give you first-hand knowledge about the performance of the Testo equivalent...it works great. As for the AAV3...sold the new replacement I got from Fieldpiece. They really have to do something about their QC...it's slipping. Hope this helps.

LEO

thank you

[ferd1942]

I have one, school's out.

SDMN5 for SP should be in everyone's tool bag/box. Love it!