1- Wire Lightning Detector Installation

This is written specifically for the use of the LD3-R1 Lightning Detector from Hobby-Boards.

For a 1-wire aptaptor I decided on using the USB 1-Wite adapter from AAG Electronica. Eric from Hobby-Boards, also mentioned adapters as being available from www.ibuttonlink.com or www.maxim-ic.com as well.

Step One: Install the adaptor…

The 1-wire dirver, required for the USB adapter has to be downloaded: 1_Wire_Drivers_V400b3
http://www.aagelectronica.com/aag/en-us/pg_8.html#TAI8515

The adapter cannot be connected during installation.

At some point, during the installation, you will be told to go ahead and connect the adapter. Note: Do_Not have your 1-wire lightning detector connected at this point…

Using the Autodetect settings the computer located the USB adapter and asked if I wanted it permanently assigned USB1, which I did.

Step Two: Connecting the 1-wire detector and getting WD to read it.

I set up a test install, just hated to set up everything outside and run wire until I knew it was going to work.

I happen to have RJ11/12 connectors and crimpers from an earlier lifetime… I cut about a 2 foot piece of twisted pair telephone cable (available from Radio-Shack in the US) and installed a RJ12 on one end…

As was pointed out by 41South in this post: Build a lightning detector - #107 by 41South - Home Built/Kit Weather Stations/Sensors - Weather-Watch Forum

1-wire needs 2 wires Rolling Eyes data and data ground. CAT 5 is fine and dandy, but you need to use it with RJ11/12 connectors - not RJ45s

The USB 1 -wire adapter uses the middle 2 pins of the connector - 2&3 for the RJ11(4pins), 3&4 for the RJ12(6pins).
Pins 2 is data and pin 3 is grnd on the RJ11, pin 3 is data and pin 4 is ground on the RJ12.

He also provided a very helpful link in figuring out the wiring…
http://www.aagelectronica.com/pdf%20docs/DS9490R.pdf

So… I proceeded to solder a 16" 12 gauge shielded wire to the antenna connector on the LD3-R1 Lightning Detector, I connected the two correct leads from the twisted pair telephone cable to the “data” and “data ground” connector and then plugged in the RJ12 to the USB adaptor.

Now its time for WD…

First open “Control Panel - Comm Port setup” and tick both

“I want to use a Dallas 1-wire temp or hum sensors as well”
and
“I do not have a 1 wire temperature sensor in use”

Then (if using the USB adapter) Tick “USB Port” and set the Port (probably “1”) next to “Dallas 1 wire extra temp/hum sensors comm port”

Then “Close”

Note: Depending on your station type you may need to make sure that “My normal weather station has a humidity sensor” and “My normal weather station has an indoor humidity/temperature sensor” are both ticked or you may lose the display of these sensors on your main graphs.
Vantage Pro users, especially, refer to this post for details http://discourse.weather-watch.com/

Then go to “Setup - Control Panel - Dallas 1-wire setup/info”

Then select the Lightning Setup tab and tick “I have a lighting detector”

Then click on the “Main/save setup” tab

Click Save/reset and the Detector should be “Detected” :slight_smile: The screen shows the following:

“Switch (windspeed or rain or lightening counter) i-button found ID 0A000000065CC51D”

Then Copy the ID # as shown above and go back to "Lighting Setup tab and paste the ID # into the top text entry box.

Then return to the “Main/save setup” tab and click Save/reset again and you should see:
“Lightening detector found and allocated: 0A000000065CC51D”

Next Test:

Click Close from the Dallas 1-Wire setup screens and close Control Panel…

Click “View - 1-Wire / Nexstorm Lighting Counts”

Then using a spark source, like a gas fire lighter as shown here:

Click it a number of times (right next to the end of your Antenna wire) wait a few seconds and you should see your count increment…

Tick “Upload to my web site (lightninggraph.gif)” and then go to “Customize internet file creation and upload” and locate “Lighting count graph” and set update and upload times…

Happy Lighting Detecting…

Ohh yeah after all the above you need to set it up in it’s final resting place along with the proper earth ground, which many have recommended as being a steel rod driven about 3 foot deep into the ground and is where you attach a lead to the final connector on the LD3-R1, the Earth Ground… Home Depot, in the US, has professional Electrical Ground Rods, Copper and Galvanized, 10’ long 5/8" diameter for 9 - 12 dollars US, so if you have to get something for a ground rod might as well get professional stuff :wink:

[size=66][b](Footote: At one point during my original attempt to install I got prompted to install the following:
.NET framework 1.1 Microsoft Learn: Build skills that open doors in your career

Visual J# .NET

However on a subsequent install, from scratch on another machine I was not prompted, so YMMV (your mileage may vary…[/b][/size]

Please see the latest Generic 1-Wire Setup FAQ here: http://discourse.weather-watch.com/t/55402

This now uses the dallas1wriereader.exe program contained within Weather Display to fetch the sensor data.