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Mistral RAC Equipment Selector - Balance Point Graph now zoomable.
...and maximizable to fit the screen!
  
Something new from Mistral every week. For the past 25 years!
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (4 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News Febuary 2020
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Color matters!
Mistral's legendary 'Coldwind' series of programs deals with containers and trucks as well as all types of cold store, freezer, blast chiller and blast freezer.
Scientifically, varying reflectance as a function of surface color is described under the phenomenon known as terrestrial albedo factor. Lots of people refer to it simply as 'reflectance' and that's fine too.
Over the total exposed surface area of a standard 40' refrigerated freight container, or lighter, reflectance differences due to color can account for as much as 20% of the refrigeration load. In the tropics this can be more than 1kW or 3,412 btu per hour. Not much perhaps. Until an organisation is supplying equipment and power for 40,000 of them!
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The more observant amongst our loyal friends and supporters will probably have noticed the word color above is the spelling more familiar to our American program users.
YES!, Mistral has finally gotten(?) around to recognizing (recognising?) there are some differences between American and English spelling. So we've fixed that. Finally. Automatically.
What's more we will not be drawn into any argument about who is right and who might be wrong. Other than to say of course no one can claim the high ground. Language is a living thing and it is constantly evolving. The important thing for Mistral is that as many people as possible understand what we do. All we ask please is that on the rare occasions when we do get it wrong then please tell us and then we will do our best to fix it.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (4 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News January 2020
Mistral now in Swedish
We know our loyal customers and friends in Sweden all speak English but with Sweden for many years being one of Mistral's most successful markets then as a matter of respect and courtesey we felt we should provide this translation.
No easy task! Tens of thousands of words, sometimes including unavoidable industry jargon and colloquialism, in phrases frequently created 'on the fly', using sophisticated text string concatenation algorithms; often with added 'dynamic' data included. All in the grammatically correct places of course!
Apart from the hundreds of pages of program form text there are all the supporting documents too. Dynamically linked and 'focused' Help pages, hints, cue cards and error messages, database fields and installation instructions.
And no, it isn't a simple Google Traduction exercise! It is a time consuming and very expensive process absorbing months of highly skilled work.
This first release is at the Beta testing stage. There will be errors! Regrettable but unavoidable. When you find a spelling mistake or a grammatical error or even a phrase or word completly failing to translate (from core program Enlish language operation) then please return the courtesy and let us know. In clear, unemotional terms and naturally, including a verifiable correction. We will act upon your advice immediately.
Tell us what you found here. Importantly tell us how to correct it.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (4 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News December 2019
Do yourself a favour! (and everyone else in our RAC industry!)
It simply isn't possible to translate six million words and text strings into seven different languages, across four million programs and databases, without someone making the occasional mistake. Try it for yourself and see!
Blame these guys!
Don't blame Mistral!
We suggest that before getting excited when finding a misplaced or misspelled word in English or German or French or Spanish or Portuguese you first check out ANY of today's on-line news items or pick up ANY printed newspaper. Then try denying they contain any text or spelling errors. Before leaping to condemn Mistral.
Having done that then consider contacting Mistral, pointing out where you saw an error in any one of Mistral's four million program, interactive database or support files and importantly, propose a correction.
If your correction turns out to be right then Mistral, never an organisation to underestimate talent, effort and contribution by others, will send you a reward.
Reward? FREE access to Mistral's multi-million software development for yourself or for the organisation of your* choice, a choice including your employer, for a whole year.
If your company has already paid up it's account for the current term then Mistral will reimburse their payment. As a reward for providing a solution which helps everyone in our industry.
* Who knows, you might look like a hero amongst your colleagues!
Tell us what you found here. Importantly tell us how to correct it.
Cost to Mistral of researching, coding, compiling and proof testing over 6 million words and text strings in 7 languages across 4 million+ databases - Circa:- Quarter of a million Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (4 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News November 2019
Mistral programs for Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Professionals have now reached a staggering 140 countries around the world. Mistral WORKING to reduce Global Warming.
Available from 1 January 2020.
Cost to Mistral of researching, coding, compiling and proof testing over 12 million words and text strings in 9 languages across 4 million+ databases - Circa:- half a million Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (4 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News October 2019
Mistral programs for Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Professionals have now reached a staggering 137 countries around the world.
Quite an achievement and we think you will agree. It doesn't just mean Mistral has reached almost 70% of the world's 196 countries though. Because of the size of the countries reached, compared to those that it has yet to reach, this means Mistral programs are now used by RAC Professionals serving an estimated more than 94% of the world's population! Furthermore, we would argue that of the remaining countries where Mistral does not supply its programs directly then the inhabitants of these countries nonetheless import food products, and also of course refrigeration equipment, from those that do use Mistral's world class programs.
It would be practically impossible for all but a very few people in all of these places to not eat food at some time or another that had been refrigerated, or even that food's ingredients, with Mistral's help. Thus with the involvement of Mistral RAC Programs for Refrigeration Professionals. Ensuring product safety. Reducing manufacturing, energy and distribution costs. All helping to reduce Carbon Footprint.
So, unless living in one of the remotest and most isolated communities on the planet, in the Rain Forests of the Amazon for example, then we feel justified in claiming Mistral software now affects everyone on the planet.
Well almost!
Agents and Distributors sought. Click for list of countries currently served
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Mistral Associates - News September 2019
Mistral 'Prepwind' Food Preproom Refrigeration Load Calculation program has now been added to the 'Corporate' compendium of core programs.
Meaning it is no longer necessary for Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees to download 'Prepwind' separately after installing or upgrading/updating their 'Corporate' program installations.
Cost to Mistral of researching, coding, compiling and proof testing 'Prepwind' using component parts sourced and adapted from existing Mistral software products - Circa 13,000 Euros. (34 year historical development cost of those existing Mistral products - Circa 11.5 million Euros).
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News August 2019
New Embraco Condensing Unit selection databases added.
Both unhoused and also housed easy access 'Sliding' condensing unit ranges with selection data across a wide range of refrigerants including R134a, R290, R404A, R449a, R452a, R513a and R507.
 
Cost to Mistral of compiling and proving 16 new interactive databases: Over 1,500 Euros.
 These databases, part of a collection of more than 17,000 interactive databases in Mistral's complete systems, were sponsored by Hawco Refrigeration of Godalming, Surrey, United Kingdom.
Tel Sales: O1483 8691OO
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News June 2019
Our founder and mentor is retiring.
Mistral is marking a tremendously sad event in the only way we know how. With one of our
founder and mentor's wicked cartoons (with apologies to William Shakespeare!). At seventy years
old Chris Smith is finally retiring. Chris, full name Christopher Ian Latham-Smith, though he rarely uses
his double barrelled birth name, 'Achilles heel' as he calls it. "Unless I'm forced to in Court!"
he whimsically protests, founded Mistral thirty five years ago in 1984. To address a dire need
in our industry for infallible, peer led and above all else, sensible and easy to use software.
Following a heady, meteoric career with Sundstrand Heat Transfer Manufacturing
UK in the 70s, later heading up McQuay-Perfex Europe then BTU Coil Company, Chris has worked
tirelessly helming Mistral ever since to hold its position as the world's undisputed leader
in the computer software genre he was actually responsible for creating.
Strong leadership, fortitude and long, incredibly long hours welded to a sense of humour that
have kept all of us here in Mistral's 'Engine Room' in stitches of laughter each and every day that we
tackle the demanding and serious side of our business. Our industry is going to miss him.
Winter will soon be upon us; though knowing Chris and his legacy then Spring won't be too long in coming.
Signed:-
The Mistral 'Engine Room' Crew
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Mistral Associates - News May 2019
Announcing 'Prepwind' - Dedicated Food Preproom refrigeration load calculation and RAC equipment selection program.
FREE download for existing Mistral 'Corporate Licensees'. Click above image for request form.
'Prepwind' employs the same graphical user interface as Mistral's acclaimed 'Coldwind' program series, with access to the same world meteorological, food product and scores of other indespensable databases but with the addition of merged building construction materials and coldroom insulation panel databases. Switchable between operating to both external and internal dimensions and as with 'Coldwind' runs simultaneously in both Imperial and SI (metric) units. Switchable between English and French language. Complete with 1,920 optional, 'Instant Selection', pre-engineered and fully editable room designs.
Design and size a food preproom, automatically select the refrigeration equipment, save the file for future total recall* if future editing required and print out a comprehensive, plain language and jargon free, customer presentation quality specification to support your quotation through to a contract order. Create a Preproom project in  English then switch it to  French to forward to a colleague, specifier or customer in France.
All in under three minutes! Do please let us know if you can find another refrigeration load calculation program like it. Indeed coming even close to it. From ANYWHERE in the world! Also made available for FREE download by existing Mistral 'Corporate Licensees' (click image above to download). Supplied bundled with 'Linewind' multi-refrigerant pipe sizing and 'Metwind' interactive world meteorology programs.
* Mistral programs are unique in saving not just project results but every operation that went into creating that result. Meaning calculation files can be retrieved an hour, a month or even a decade later and be studied, edited if needed and re-saved. A major difference and benefit. Other software developers don't (can't) do that!
Cost to Mistral of researching, coding, compiling and proof testing 'Prepwind' using component parts sourced and adapted from existing Mistral software products - Circa 13,000 Euros. (34 year historical development cost of those existing Mistral products - Circa 11.5 million Euros).
FREE download for existing Mistral 'Corporate Licensees'. Click above image for request form.
Between field and plate your food or at least some of its ingredients were refrigerated on average seven times.
If you eat food then Mistral software was used to help refrigerate it!
 Click to discover more!
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Mistral adds new Bioma range of housed condensing units from Embraco
BIOMA Silent unit: A condensing unit for cold rooms with new silent features, meeting environmental requirements, innovative design and easy maintenance. Designed for outdoor applications, such as filling stations, restaurants, fast food and convenience stores. It is available in medium temperatures (MBP) up to 10 kW and low temperature applications (LBP) up to 4 kW. Appropriate for the latest refrigerants with low GWP solutions (R449A, R452A, R513A). With its stackable design, the unit stands out for accessibility, serviceability and compactness.
Set of seven databases, joining more than 17,000 interactive databases in Mistral's complete systems, were sponsored by Hawco Refrigeration of Godalming, Surrey, UK.
Tel Sales: O1483 8691OO
Cost to Mistral of researching, processing, compiling, proving and incorporating these new interactive condensing unit selection databases: 1,550 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News April 2019
 By popular request Mistral has increased the number of Instantly Selectable, pre-engineered pipe size Design Templates to 114. Arranged in refrigerant menus.
Quite simply there is no easier or faster or more accurate way to size refrigerant pipework. An irksome task at the best of times when performed manually with calculator and tables. Especially when your customer asks you to relocate the unit coolers to the other side of the cold room an hour after you had just completed the task! And 'YES', we've all been there haven't we?!
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
Responses to a recent industry wide questionnaire suggest that over 70% of all unit coolers installed in the UK are selected using Mistral software.
The figure might actually be higher but as with all such on-line surveys not everyone responds.
Still don't want your unit coolers featured alongside all your competitors' products in the one RAC Application Engineering software system that more than 85% of the industry uses?
You have your own product selection software?
Of course you do. So does everyone.
Can four and a half thousand RAC contractors, in the UK alone, use your software to select your cooler then compare it with products from your competitors such as Eco, Frigabohn, Kelvion Searle, Küba Kältetechnik, Lu-Ve Contardo and Univap (and vice-versa)? Then balance it against condensing unit ranges from Aspera, Bitzer, Copeland, Cubigel, Daikin, Danfoss, Dorin, Embraco, Frascold, Hawco, Hubbard, J & E Hall, KD, Kelvion, L'Unite Hermique, ManEurop, Marstair, MTH, Profroid, SDM Frigo, and Tecumseh?
Thought not.
Mistral's software does that.
Whose software do you think four and a half thousand RAC contractors in the UK alone are using every day to select their unit coolers, condensing units, compressors, condensers and packaged systems?
Still don't want your unit coolers featured alongside all your competitors' products in the one RAC Application Engineering software system that more than 85% of the industry uses?
I see!
Language
Celebrating Franco-British Exhibition, London, 1908.
'Airwind', 'Cellwind' and 'Coldwind' programs may have their operating language switched between English and (currently only*) French languages by opening the language selector menu by clicking the  icon in each program's top menu bar.
Switching languages completes instantly upon re-starting the program. Switching language back again is achieved simply by opening the language selector menu again.
Quick selection calculations selected in menus will only function in their appropriately set language.
*
More languages are planned. Unlike other software, Mistral's programs are language switchable AFTER program installation and not just selected and thus fixed prior to installation. A far more useful facility.
Cost to Mistral of researching, translating and re-coding over five million words in 19,000+ source code interface pages, including form titles and labels, instructions, cue cards, text string concatenations and error messages; along with linked Help pages and interactive database file text content. Circa 220,000 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News March 2019
Coldroom dimensions - Internal  or
External  ?
The argument continues. Well perhaps not so much an argument but certainly a persistent debate.
In the United Kingdom at least cold room designs are generally conducted based upon external room dimensions. At Mistral our programs have followed this practice from the beginning, over 30 years ago. When desktop computers weighed a tonne and ran on steam, or so it seems to us now. We had always assumed this being due to coldrooms, smaller ones in particular, generally being constructed inside another enveloping building space. This is not how they do things on the Continent however. In most European countries cold rooms are usually designed, sold and discussed using internal dimensions. Mistral thus supplied its programs in mainland Europe accordingly.
Debate no more!
Now you can have it both ways. From 1st April* Coldwind Pro will have the facility to switch back and forth between designing with either internal or external room dimensions.
To minimize risk of confusion the program's operating dimension mode is clearly indicated at the top of the Room Designer form. To completely eliminate risk of potential and costly on-site errors calculation results filed in either mode will be respected and effectively 'locked' in whichever mode they were originally created in.
* No, not an April Fool's joke!
Cost to Mistral of redeveloping Coldwind Pro source code dimension routines and associated, linked functions. Circa 120,000 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News February 2019
Copeland R744 (CO2) compressor selection data added.
Surely 2019 is set to be the year CO2 refrigeration installations really take off! No day passes now without Mistral program users asking when we will be adding equipment selection interactive databases from this manufacturer or that manufacturer.
See recent News features below to discover what has recently been added already. The latest are Copeland's ZO and ZOD Copeland Scroll compressor range for CO2 subcritical refrigeration
and also 4MSL Stream range of compressors for subcritical applications where meeting high standstill pressure (90 bar) is needed.
Click image to download update right now.
Cost to Mistral of researching, processing, compiling, proving and integrating new interactive Copeland R744 product selection databases: circa 1,800 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
LINEWIND Quick Selection Template descriptions improved.
Click image to download FREE upgrade.
LINEWIND Quick Selection Template descriptions improved. The simple expedient of adding the refrigerant name to the template file name. Thereby reducing risk of error when previously the only indication of which refrigerant was under consideration was shown only at the head of the active calculation.
LINEWIND & sister program PIPEWIND. Capable of completing refrigerant pipe circuit sizing in just a few minutes. Even just a few seconds for simple, single cooler load circuits. An irksome task that can sometimes takes days when attempted manually!
Mistral 'Corporate Licensees' taking on more staff may now top up contracts on-line.
corporate_fee_scale.html
Organisations wishing to increase their current licence with access by up to 3 additional users. Please click here:- Mistral Corporate Licence Access Top Up
Top-up for up to 3 additional users UK£100 p.a., 115 Euros p.a., US$168 p.a..* Prices indexed to UK Pound.
* Daily Exchange Rate fluctuations may mean the price you pay through Mistral's Secure Server is slightly different to the price shown above. Large adverse differences (above single figures) will be refunded upon request. Would you offer to do the same for us if the difference is in your favour?! If in doubt please contact.
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Mistral Associates - News January 2019
MISTRAL WISHES YOU A VERY HAPPY and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR
In response to ever increasing monitor sizes, coupled with ever decreasing pixel sizes, Mistral has adopted new 'default' size settings for 'Airwind' and 'Coldwind' Room Designer forms.
Mistral Airwind and Coldwind room designer default setting now full screen and 200% zoom.
Both new installations and installation upgrades will adopt full screen format with 200% grid zoom setting as default.
Program users will naturally still be offered instant, infinitely variable form size adjustment from 575 pixel width X 424 pixel height and zoom levels of 50%, 100%, 200%, 400%, 800% and 1600%; along with default re-setting and other options including colour and 'snap to grid' changes via 'Options/Customize/General/Designer' at the top menu bar.
Maximum room sizes (in the absence of Special Feature Code application) remain as before at 100 metres X 100 metres in SI mode and 328' X 328' in Imperial mode.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News December 2018
TELL THEM. NOT US!
'Coldwind' will design a coldroom or freezer and select the refrigeration equipment in less than 2 minutes. As everyone knows. But does everyone know that sister program 'Costwind' will also price that coldroom and generate the complete customer quotation? - Automatically and simultaneously!
Yes. We know prices for coldroom shelving are well out of date in our databases. But tell your preferred shelving manufacturer and not us! Mistral have a strict policy to not publish ANY data without the express permission of the people who own the rights to that data. A policy designed to protect your interests.
Assembling a large, interactive and often complicated database does not cost a few hundred Pounds. It costs thousands! Nonetheless, if your preferred shelving manufacturer really is afraid they'll end up selling more of their product by sending us their data for inclusion then we'll make it really easy for them. Mistral won't charge them a penny! That's right. We will crunch the numbers for them for FREE!
All we ask is that they send us the data before Christmas and our slack period. Where we can get on with work relatively quietly. While everyone else is enjoying their traditional Christmas break.
If they won't listen to us then perhaps they'll do the right thing and listen to you - their customer!
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Mistral significantly increases R744 (CO2) Product Selection Databases
Until recently refrigerant R744 has been the preserve of larger commercial and industrial refrigeration installations. That appears set to be changed. Beijer Italian subsidiary SCM Frigo S.p.A. have added a range of smaller critical low temperature, high pressure operating CO2 condensing units named Cubo2 Smart.
No point though in having smaller R744 condensing units without a range of matching HP (85 Bar) coolers. Leading RAC manufacturers Lu-Ve Contardo provide the solution with their ranges of R744 coolers. From small coldroom Panel Coolers, to larger (standard coldroom design) Unit Coolers to specialised application, Eg., food 'Prep Room', Dual Discharge Coolers. A formidable, high quality product array from this highly respected RAC equipment manufacturer.
Mistral Associates are delighted to be honoured with access to comprehensive application engineering data for all the above products for addition to its already world's largest (probably) RAC equipment, interactive, database resource.
Cost to Mistral of researching, processing, compiling, proving and incorporating new interactive RAC R744 product selection databases: circa 12,500 to 13,000 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News November 2018
New CUBO2 Smart housed CO2 condensing units.
New interactive selection databases added.
CUBO2 Smart condensing units by SCM Frigo, are inverter driven and available for both medium and low temperature applications. They range from 0.6kW-8kW in medium temperature and 0.7kW-7kW in low temperature.
CUBO2 Smart condensing units are manufactured by SCM Frigo S.p.A. in Italy.
Cost to Mistral of researching, compiling and proving databases: Over 600 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral 'Definitions' & 'Scientific Factors' pages improved and restyled.
A boon for teachers and trainers in our industry.
So many Mistral program users are unaware the 'Mistral Definitions Index' even exists. Both on Mistral's website and also supplied with every program issued. Which is a shame! The link is found on the top menu bar of the Help Pages for 'Airwind', 'Cellwind', 'Coldwind' and other core programs. However, the few that do refer to it will welcome recent improvements and additions to this valuable educational and technical reference tool.
Text has been made easier to read (in line with the process described in the News feature below) and page navigation made simpler. A minor detail but the irksome earlier version not centering on the screen has also been resolved.
 Finally, similar improvements have also been applied to 'Mistral Scientific Factors'. One of the largest and easiest to use (jargon and verbosity free!  ) resources of its kind on the Internet.
Over 1,050 useful scientific conversion factors. All gathered together in one easy to use alphabetically arranged resource. Next time you have to convert Btu/lb/Rankin to kilojoules/kilogram/Kelvin or vica-versa you'll know where you can find a reliable answer!
We hope you like the improvements and would also welcome your ideas for any further changes and additions.
Feedback
Cost to Mistral for just a day of editing work on two of Mistral's 19,000+ code pages:-
Just 250 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Help page font change and text reset
"The impossible we do at once. Miracles take a little longer."
We have all smiled at that sardonic comment at some time or another.
It is a fact though that seemingly simple things to achieve in computer programming can cost literally thousands, even tens of thousands. Whilst the jaw droppingly impressive can often be put together in seconds and for next to no cost at all. A paradox.
Deciding to upgrade fonts (the letters that make the words) in just a small part of our programs falls somewhere between the two.
Due to another paradox created by the recent advent of larger, high resolution, flat screen monitors; actually resulting in smaller and more difficult to read text, Mistral has been forced in some instances to abandon its favoured and Microsoft recommended font of decades, Ariel, in favour of the more modern and legible Segoe.
We hope you like it. It cost us more than we were expecting!
New Help pages 
Cost to Mistral editing illustrated Help pages to accomodate new font: 6,500 Euros.
At the same time we overhauled our website too. Cost 11,000 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News October 2018
Interactive Meteorological Database additions
The United Kingdom is a renowned world leader in food 'Cold Chain' technology. Refrigerating food from 'Field to Plate'.
What is perhaps less well known is just how much of this advanced refrigeration technology is exported to other countries. From Afghanistan to Zambia along with all points inbetween.
Click... 
Professional Refrigeration Engineers recognize that all new refrigeration projects start
with the heat load calculation. Hence the reason Mistral's 'COLDWIND' load calculation
program began its life over a third of a century ago. What is also often not appreciated is that
'COLDWIND' is under constant, daily development. Not just to
maintain it so as to keep abreast of unrelenting advances in computing technology but
also to reflect changing needs and new challenges in the commercial refrigeration
industry the program serves.
One of these challenges is constantly updating and adding to 'COLDWIND's vast interactive
database of actuarial, meteorological data. 'COLDWIND' is capable of calculating
not just 'worst case' results for refrigeration projects, but also energy profiles at 15
minute intervals for every day of the year, in tens of thousands of world locations.
With no more than a couple of mouse clicks on thousands of world maps, or alternatively
by simple to follow, alphabetically arranged, country by country menu selections.
Research in meteorological data is a surprisingly complicated and generally quite
expensive process. Official sources that have invested huge amounts of money
gathering and formulating reliable, certified meteorological data don't often hand it
out freely to just anyone that comes along and asks for it! And not unreasonably they ask to
be paid for it.
Good to know then that over the preceding nine months Mistral has found,
purchased and added meteorological profiling data for another 200 or more
primary world locations. Thereby further helping refrigeration companies involved
with designing refrigeration installations in locations all around the world.
'COLDWIND's meteorological interactive database is shared by both 'AIRWIND' and 'CELLWIND' and also Mistral's Shareware program, 'METWIND'.
See:-
 'AIRWIND'
 'CELLWIND'
 'COLDWIND'
 'METWIND'
Cost to Mistral researching & compiling Meteorological database edits: 1,300 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News September 2018
New account PRICE CHANGES
Following the huge and sustained fall in value of the UK Pound against other leading world currencies trading has proved increasingly difficult for Mistral Associates.
It comes as a surprise to many people, especially those adhering to the myth that software developers have a 'Licence to Print Money', but the fact remains that software development is an extremely hazardous business to be in. Margins are very small and the risks very high. Explaining perhaps the reason why over 90% of all software companies cease trading or go bust within their first five years following start-up. There are exceptions of course. Microsoft Corporation, (and with no fear of accusations of libel!) with their dubiously ethical trading practices are one. Social media software companies are others. Though many of these are actually only supported by overly optimistic stock brokers and have actually yet to make any profit at all! Just to remind everyone. The 'Dot Com' crash of the late twentieth century was no myth. That was FACT!
Mistral Associates are different though. Although occupying a clearly even more hazardous 'niche market' sector Mistral has been successful since inception over a third of a century ago, and where its imitators and plagiarists have all largely since disappeared. Why? Lots of reasons. Not the least of which is the high quality of its product and service but also its dogged refusal to diversify and finally its celebrated very fair pricing policy.
Do you remember Mistral's promise?
Mistral's prices are 'FIXED IN PERPETUITY' (subject only to inflation).
Well we are afraid that the 'subject only to inflation' time has come. A whole twenty five years after our last major price review, and in the light of the disastrous effect the Brexit debacle has had on the value of the Pound, we now have no choice but to increase our selling prices if we are to remain in business.
However there is still good news for our large number of loyal customers, many of whom have accounts going back with Mistral for twenty five years or more. We will still not increase our prices to you. For the time being at least. And even when we are ultimately forced to do so it will still be by amounts well below cumulative inflation rates for the time period.
For new accounts see Mistral's new Price List here:- 
Please also do note that even with these new prices access to the world's most comprehensive Expert Software System for the Refrigeration & Air Conditioning industry, and certainly the best maintained and easiest by far to use, remains at only a few pence/cents per day, or even less, per user!
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Yes. We've all heard the joke.
Boss: "I feel as though I'm a mushroom."
Boss's PA: "Why?"
Boss: "Because I'm kept in the dark and everyone keeps throwing s**t at me!"
Well now you don't have to be kept in the dark. At least not as far as how to help mushrooms keep their cool.
Resulting from a couple of recent requests for help from valued clients a piece of research conducted by Mistral revealed that more than just a few users of Coldwind Pro have helped mushroom growers' businesses over the years. And whilst the thermal properties of mushrooms have been included in Mistral's Coldwind Pro's 'Food Products' databases for decades, the medium mushrooms are cultivated in has not.
Further research revealed that right across Europe and North America, what is described as Mushroom Compost generally consists of similar ingredients. That is:- Alfalfa hay, Cattle or horse manure, Corn stalks, Oat straw, Poultry litter, Sawdust and wood shavings, Silage, Soil, Soybean, Wheat straw. Naturally there are regional variations and also varying proportions of ingredients. However the basic principal and composition of the compost mixture is roughly the same.
Mass (weight in kilograms per cubic metre) turns out to be generally around 370 kg/m³. Much lower than for damp soil for example and which can be as high as 1,700 kg/m³
Mistral has therefore been able to estimate 'mean (high) average' properties for mushroom compost and which should be safe for all practical commercial purposes. This data has now been added to Coldwind Pro's Food Properties database; under the 'Miscellaneous' group heading.
Cost to Mistral of researching, compiling and proving database edit: Over 800 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News August 2018
Improved flexibility in Coldwind Pro Product selections
For more than 25 years Coldwind, along with its later professional feature enhanced version Coldwind Pro, have had minimum Product turnover limits set at 2 kg per cubic metre room volume per cycle. This of course to protect program users from inadvertently or mistakenly including product loads far too low to reflect likely usage. However, the lower limits, as low as they were nonetheless frustrated attempts to add and accumulate a mixture of additional products from which the overall calculation result might benefit.
As shown in the above example where although the principal product load might be attributed to wine, calculation accuracy would be enhanced by simultaneous calculation of the load for the bottles in which the wine is contained, the cartons in which the bottles are contained and finally the pallets or stillages upon which the wine cartons are placed. There are of course hundreds more product storage situations where this applies.
Although probably not making much difference for a 1,000 cubic metre cold store, experience has shown this calculation enhancement becomes much more important in examples of super sized distribution centres of 40,000 cubic metres, 80,000 cubic metres and more recently some of even more than 120,000 cubic metres.
Mistral's expert system software is constantly evolving to meet new challenges in the industry.
Cost to Mistral of researching, compiling and proving database edit: Over 3,300 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News July 2018
Tecumseh New Wintsys housed condensing units.
New interactive selection databases added.
Tecumseh claim their New Wintsys range of housed, outdoor condensing units will bring benefits of:-
 On-site time saving
Productivity
Economic operation
High efficiency
Refrigerant compliance
Improved competitiveness
Visually pleasing housing design
Tecumseh's New Wintsys condensing unit range are assembled in France.
Cost to Mistral of researching, compiling and proving databases: Over 1,300 Euros.
This database, one of more than 17,000 interactive databases in Mistral's complete systems, was sponsored by Hawco Refrigeration of Godalming, Surrey, United Kingdom.
Tel Sales: O1483 8691OO
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News June 2018
PIR Fire Resistant insulation materials added
PIR Fire Resistant insulation materials added to 'Coldwind Pro' Quick Selection 'Pre-engineered' cold room and freezer designs databases.
Cost to Mistral of new 'Quick Selection' database update development and proving: Over 2,000 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News May 2018
Database templates software. A reminder!
Mistral has offered database templates of in-house developed multi-relational databases from the firm's earliest days. Along with free access to Mistral's Treedb32.exe database creation and editing tool.
Exactly the same tools Mistral uses to create and maintain the tens of thousands of program interactive databases distributed with every issue of Mistral software.
These are supplied with rudimentary* Help pages outlining critical code that is need to enable user created databases to be recognized by and run in Mistral programs. For example for selecting refrigeration and air conditioning capital equipment or for coldroom cost estimation and customer sales quotation generation.
Mistral will happily provide developers a limited amount of advice and support at no charge. Providing developers have suitable qualifications or demonstrate aptitude in programming.
*Prospective code developers are assumed to already possess necessary programming skills. Mistral Associates cannot be expected to provide basic training. Novices are also warned that acquiring such skills comes neither easily nor quickly and can, indeed usually does, take years! Proprietary RAC equipment selection databases supplied with Mistral programs are locked and cannot be edited.
Manufacturers and distributors wishing to promote their products by reaching the vast majority of prospects already using Mistral's legendary RAC Application Engineering programs and relishing the chance to try their hand at programing therefore need look no further than the links below:-
 RAC Equipment Selection Databases - Notes for Programmers.
RAC Equipment Selection Databases - zip file of sample Mistral database templates.
 Download Mistral Treedb32.zip
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Mistral Associates - News April 2018
Another 21,948 new 'Quick Selection' coldroom & freezer designs
Mistral has added another 21,948 new 'Quick Selection' coldroom & freezer designs to 'Coldwind Pro's' grid size room optional operating procedure.
Bringing the number of almost instantly selectable pre-engineered coldroom & freezer designs to a total of 102,256!
Anyone claiming computer programs aren't necessary and that they can do the job faster is willing to try. Providing they can conduct over 175,000 intricate and inter-related calculations per second then they might stand a chance. If able to prove they are both faster and more accurate than 'Coldwind' Mistral will reward them with free program access - FOR LIFE!
Each design is in effect a complete 'pre-engineered' cold room or freezer design file and which has been created reflecting current industry specifications and design standards. These files can be opened, edited if required and re-saved. Behaving in exactly the same way as using 'Coldwind Pro' to produce a custom design.
So astonishingly simple and quick to select that most experienced 'Coldwind Pro' users generally take just ten to fifteen seconds to click on the 8 to 10 buttons needed to design a new coldroom or freezer from scratch. Then another ten seconds if they wish to automatically print out a detailed, presentation quality, illustrated summary report. Even users totally new to the program manage to unambiguously locate exactly the design they need in only a few seconds more.
The best that an equally experienced and qualified refrigeration engineer could match 'Coldwind Pro' for accuracy and completeness of a similar design, armed only with a calculator and a few pages of tables, took a little over two hours! An even more interesting fact to emerge from Mistral's extensive field trials is that if the same engineer is asked to repeat exactly the same manual calculation exercise a second time around just a few hours later then they will invariably come up with a different result to their first attempt!
'Quick Selection Charts' published as aids by many RAC equipment manufacturers and distributors have also been shown to overestimate refrigeration loads by anything from 10% to as much as 30% when compared to Mistral's proven computerised calculations.
click above image to discover whether you're wasting money!
Cost to Mistral of new 'Quick Selection' database update development and proving: Over 4,000 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates - News March 2018
Reduced rate annual subscription for sole traders
Mistral's trial reduced rate annual subscription for sole traders and single user licensees has now been made permanently available.
Following a highly successful trial launch in December 2017 Mistral's new 'Subscription' licence product, offers identical benefits to the long established and popular
'Corporate Licence' except it is now offered for smaller business users, sole traders, independent consultants and students.
A substantial 67% saving against previous price!
Click here:- Annual Subscription for immediate purchase and same day* complete system download and access.
* Within 24 hours. Please be aware of international time zone differences from CET.
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Mistral Associates - News February 2018
Refrigerant R513A (Opteon TM XP10) non-ozone depleting, low global warming potential (GWP) added to Pipewind Pro - Professional RAC pipe sizing program.
Ideal successor to R134a for medium/high temperature applications.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
R513A interactive database. Cost to Mistral of data processing, compilation and proving: 1,750 Euros.
One of more than 17,000 independently verified, interactive databases available to Mistral Corporate Licensees. World's largest independent collection.
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Mistral Associates - News January 2018
New interactive database for Lu-Ve Contardo commercial range of coolers
 A world leading and highly regarded refrigeration equipment manufacturer.
Mistral's proposed new interactive databases for selections from Lu-Ve Contardo's commercial range of coolers will be an operating conditions sub divided grouping comprising 'drill down' to 138 individual product sub-databases. By the time all options and currently available refrigerant data are considered.
All levels accessible through maximum of three button clicks from opening of main database.
Estimated databases total size from 3.0 to 3.4 mBytes.
Following successful proving Mistral's release date is aimed for mid February 2018.*
*Now released. Sunday 18 February 2018.
Free download from this page for all Mistral 'Corporate Licence' subscribers.
Cost to Mistral of Lu-Ve Contardo databases development and proving: 8,500 Euros.
No charge update for all Mistral 'Corporate' Licensees:- Corporate Update link
A new Corporate Access Registration Code may be required for older installations (8 weeks +) but this will be automatically forwarded when required.
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Mistral Associates -News 01 July 2016 to 31 December 2017
2017 saw the culmination of an 18 month critically important recoding project. Affecting all 12 Mistral main program engines. New program families were rolled out from early July to end of December 2017.
 Changes to program installation and to file and database saving procedures.
Mistral Associates - Really old news
 Real Mistral sales story from 1998.
Sometimes friends need a little help before they can see the wood for the trees!
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