Lightning detector

[gabba]

Hotcop65 wrote in the shout box

Good Morning all, I am giving some thought to adding a lightning detector to our system here.Any advise as to what type etc would be grateful.
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[gabba]

Haven't done one myself, but someone here was playing with one a few years back. Seem to remember it worked of extra low frequency signals, a wire strung in an attic and position determination by matching results with other similar stations throughout the world.

Have a feeling it was Tokww playing with it but may be wrong. Looked really interesting tho

[iomkiwi]

Nowadays I don't think you can beat the Blitzortung System.

The Lightning Radar system the Toko (and myself) uses a similar system but has lost momentum due to the untimely demise of it's creator

There is also the Boltek system but it has it's limitations being a single station locator rather than a TOA system. It takes a lot of fine tuning - especially if you are virtually surrounded by water as it is not designed to work over water.

If anyone is interested I have a Boltek system that is surplus to requirements (not compatible with my new PC). You would need to buy software - I used Lightning 2000, you may also be able to convince Relko to transfer the Nexstorm license into your name ( I can supply the discs)

If you want to go the same system as Toko I have a system here that is also surplus to requirements - but you really need to live a long way away from Toko to get the most out of it


......And if anyone is wondering why I have so much surplus lightning detection equipment, I did say you can't beat the Blitzortung system nowadays 

[TokWW]

I think that the centre of town, nearly on a brow as John is, would be ideal for the Blitzortung system.  James had very good results with his Boltek system - being even higher and more proud than I am or John  is and showed results as far south as Canterbury and Westport fairly accurately - the west coast stuff was showing when the ChCh guys could not see it very well. 

The other point being that the system Alan and I used

a) did not like water and
b) did not like electric fences

- Alan had both!!

Oh, I tell a lie - it LOVED electric fences which swamped the amplifier and masked any real lightning strikes out there.  When things were quiet, and we managed to link with another station with the same home built equipment and software, we could see stuff up to 10,000 kms away - ie like up near Japan, west of Perth etc!!!  It was fascinating and needed a very clever mathematician and software coder to make it work, whom as Alan has alluded to, passed away very sadly.

John, I will try and get you in contact with Tim Gunn - or Alan if you use that new Blitzortung GPS system??? as I do believe lightning seeking is very good from this location - if you are away from electric fences!!

Cheers and good luck!!!

Graeme

[iomkiwi]

Yes I have a Blitzortung "green" system - and am about to order the kit for a "red" system.

[gabba]

Now you have got me interested ......

I've requested some info from the website but it doesn't seem to have come through just yet

Ok - newbie question

What's the difference between a green and red system. Is it like chillies perhaps?

[hotcop65]

Andrew, The red system is the updated version of the green one I believe.

Graham,, in reply I am surrounded by electric fences on 2 sides here. Looking towards your home there is that farm at the end of our street and facing north is the other farm behind the houses over the road. So I kinda think that the Boltek system is the one for here and it has compatibility with WD as well.

Cheers
John
ps:  Looks like we may have started a trend towards more detectors going live in the near future.

[TokWW]

Yes - I hope so - even Bolteks are good!  Use an AM portable radio and do a seek with that - walk around, rotate it slowly and see what you can hear.

[iomkiwi]

The "green" system is the older system, don't think it was ever officially called that, just got that name after the new "red" system was developed.
The green runs on your PC while the red is a self-contained mini PC that connects direct to the network.

The only system now available is the Red, it's cheaper than buying a new Boltek - but "some assembly is required" 

And not to put any pressure on anyone to buy a Blitzortung System - but current order window closes on the 29th of THIS month, there will then be a delay while they sort out other stuff and supply other parts of the world.

"We now continue with the shipping of kits. Up to August 29 we accept orders only from countries outside of Europs. After August 29 we do not accept further orders for a while until all ordered kits are shipped. The shipping of the ordered parts start at Augist 29. You can place an order by transfering the corresponding amount by PayPal to "


(and just for the record about the old LR system, I am surrounded by orchards, no electric fences anywhere near me, I had no trouble syncing with the station in Perth and occasionally would sync with a few stations in the East Coast of the USA. For some reason my station and Toko's did not want to play together.)