I don't know how much the iPhone windmeter app costs down under, but in the States for $.99 it's quite a bargain. I've used mine half a dozen times and found it to be accurate and consistent. The only downside is you don't want to splash the thing, so using it in the rain or near onshore crashing waves is a bit dicey. That's essentially my review...a few more details here:

www.peconicpuffin.com/the_peconic_puffin/2009/12/the-iphone-99cent-wind-meter-works-well.html

your kidden right ...?
i riged my 4.2 and still didnt go out cause it was hammering and the iphone said 12knots

Yer have to agree with nick couple guys tested them agaist there wind meters and the iphone was not even close.

I've been trying this one:
www.windfinder.com/tools/iphone/index.htm?utm_source=www.windfinder.com&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=redirect
Not a meter, but good for live station readings...

WET FINGER IN THE AIR - CHEAP AND ABOUT AS USEFUL AS A WIND METER.

GO A SIZE BIGGER THAN WHAT YOU THINK IT'S LIKE FROM THE BEACH UNLESS ITS HOWLING AND THEN GO FOR THE SMALLEST YOU GOT AND NEVER RIG FOR "WHAT THE FORECAST SAYS" IS COMING - RIG FOR THE HERE AND NOW

tHATS WHAT I DO THESE DAYS AND GET IT RIGHT A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME

Whats an Iphone besides something I do when I make a call?

Select to expand quote

nick0 said...

your kidden right ...?
i riged my 4.2 and still didnt go out cause it was hammering and the iphone said 12knots

LOL!

I'm not kidding, though...it's quite good (and 99 cents). They say if you had it on the latest model iphone it didn't work (until a few weeks ago when the app people put out an update) but it works quite well for me. The instructions talk about pointing the base of the phone into the wind...I usually point the face of the phone at the wind (see photo in blog post if you care). In any event if it didn't work for you then the hell with it...I'm just saying it works for me and the one other guy I know who has it.

followup blog post: www.peconicpuffin.com/the_peconic_puffin/2010/01/iphone-wind-meter-update.html

I have nothing to do with either Apple or the people who make the meter, btw. I'm just sitting in New York wishing the water was warmer than 40 (f)!

mmmm, the iPhone doesn't actually have any wind measuring parts in it. I presume it uses the microphone to measure... that can't be reliable :)

Call me a pessimist but I suspect the application is just a link to the closest wind station.

Select to expand quote

Architect said...

mmmm, the iPhone doesn't actually have any wind measuring parts in it. I presume it uses the microphone to measure... that can't be reliable :)

That's what I first thought, until I spoke to someone who'd used it. So I spent a dollar to see and found that it is reliable...try it. I first thought it worked on wind noise, but making noise has no effect on measurements. But if you blow into the microphone you get results the same way you do blowing into an anemometer with an impeller, so it may work off of the overall microphone diaphragm pressure. The important thing is that it works.

Anyhow I posted about this to share information, which I have because I actually use the thing.