1-wire Lightning Dector - Actual Attempt

[JaxWeather]

Thanks to all the additional links...

I will report, if and when (IF) I see anything to report  LOL

-Bob

- /me still has a fear of a major bust here Oyyyy...  -

[dcoufal]

I have one of the hobby boards lighning detectors... never could get it to sense a lighting strike (or gas ignition... or anything else).

It's still up on my mast - just unplugged for now since it never did anything.

Maybe I need to pull it down and play with it some more to see what's up!

Hmmmmm...

[JaxWeather]

Welll...

I did get mine to record strikes in tests from the gas lighter deal... but only time will tell about the "Real Deal"  still nothing here, and none of the lightning maps that have been posted so far show anything that should be within 50 miles as of yet...

My hope is if strike within 25 - 30 and I record it good, if within 50 miles Great if within 10 - 20 Ok and if nada... well then "Bust City"  LOL

-Bob

[Ed1]

Here's another Lightning Detection that covers a good bit of Florida.

http://weather.citicom.com/lightning/

[JaxWeather]

Ok I have to post this before I crash, and I do mean crash  LOL



I recorded the first hit when only the very small light green almost due west dot appeared, I would estimate 20 - 25 miles from my house...  Then I recorded two more and when I reloaded the map there were the two additional spots, larger and maybe a bit closer but so far only appearances of strikes anywhere close to me...

If nothing else this does show it works, as far as range that is still up in the air, but at this point I am extremely pleased

The actual counts from the station  are here:
http://www.JaxWeather.net/WeatherImages/WD/lighteninggraph.gif

-Bob

[Ed1]

Seems like you're getting some pretty frequent hits now.   I just looked at your graphs..and one stike occured just minutes ago.

Congratualtions !! 

[carterlake]

If nothing else this does show it works, as far as range that is still up in the air, but at this point I am extremely pleased

Cool. Glad to hear it's working. Excited to get the parts now.

I want to make sure I get the wiring right when I get the detector. Can Bob or Chaz help me out?

Looking at the end of my RJ-11 with tongue UP, I get:

6-blank (left)
5-yellow
4-green
3-red
2-black
1-blank (right)

I cut off the other end and connect to the detector:

2-Black to Earth Ground
4-Green to Data Ground
3-Red to Data Q

Right?

[JaxWeather]

I wish I had taken a picture... grrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Red and green are your two leads for actual connection to the USB adaptor, and it seems to me Red was center (data ground) and Green was right (data).  I didn't connect a lead to the earth ground as I used a dedicated true ground wire...

Which is why i did test on my desk so if I got them backwards i could simply change them around LOL  BTW if testing at your desk you can simply touch the Ground wire connector with anything metal and keep your fingers on it and the gas lighter deal will record hits very easily...

6 Hits was the full extent last night as it appears the heaviest weather (for Florida) dropped further south quicker then anticipated and now the cold front is moving in for us while central Florida got higher winds, at least so far.  BUT bottom line is it appears to have worked at least as well as i could hope for and time will tell but it may actually be able to detect strikes almost 50 miles away...

-Bob

[Chas]

2-Black to Earth Ground
4-Green to Data Ground
3-Red to Data Q

This is the way mine is hooked up.

[carterlake]

This is the way mine is hooked up.

Thanks guys. No word from either company that anything has shipped. 

I did find a box to mount stuff in... I'm going to use a 4x4 plastic junction box.

I think I may have to go to Radio Shack to look for a proper antenna.

[JaxWeather]

Ummm... I just remembered that I crimped my own RJ-12s onto the wire I used so I may have reversed the connector from normal when i crimped them on...

I just took my test set up and tried one combo and when it didn't read the detector I simply switched the two wires and then when i installed outside i crimped the final wire run to match and connected the same wires as I had when i tested...

It is definitely green and red, numbers 3 and 4 wires, from a 6 wire line that are the data and data ground... but which color when using wire already crimped I honestly wouldn't know  LOL

Just wanted to clarify...

-Bob

[carterlake]

Ummm... I just remembered that I crimped my own RJ-12s onto the wire I used so I may have reversed the connector from normal when i crimped them on...
-Bob

I figured as much Bob... I learned that lesson when I made my own wires for the WS-2310... that was loads of fun.

By the way, I'm currently working on a javascript pop-on-page (with animated lightning GIF) for lightning strikes. 

[JaxWeather]

I figured as much Bob... I learned that lesson when I made my own wires for the WS-2310... that was loads of fun.

I don't even think about that aspect when i posted earlier as I did lots of wiring, both telephone and data, in a past life...  Nothing like splicing a 100 pair cut cable  LOL

By the way, I'm currently working on a javascript pop-on-page (with animated lightning GIF) for lightning strikes. 

That would be way cool   It just so happened that I passed a couple of ideas on to Brian today in regards to the lightning data just as food for thought...

If you get something going I would be only too happy to try it out...

That is once i figure out how I am going to incorporate the lightning data into my site  Lol  Oyyyyyyy

-Bob

[carterlake]

Ok... got it all hooked up. Adapter recongized... port 1 as per picture... and I have... NOTHING.

Open box, switch red/green wires.... NOTHING.


(pulling hair out)

[Weather Display]

is at found and allocated in the 1 wire setup?
do you have it earthed?
a BBQ lighter is the best test
(you have to get pretty close to the aerial though)