1wire lightning detector

I’m installing a 1wire lightning detector this afternoon and I need advice on how high I should mount it. I’m limited in height to about 15 feet or so, but what is a good height?

Thanks

About 15 feet or so. :slight_smile:

Higher should give more range but with 1-wire you’d have to compare it with a boltec site or some other software that determines range.

I have my on the second floor in the house and only grounded to an outlet. Height is somewhere around 20’. In comparing to other sites it looks to detect strikes of about 20 to 25 miles. I believe they will detect further with it mounded outside with a proper dedicated ground.

–Dave

Thanks,

This will be an interesting afternoon project. The hardest part will be getting the cat5 strung through my shop, basement and crawl space to get to the mast. But at the mast I’ve got dedicated grounding so that part will be easy (yeah right).

Thanks again

Detector mounted. I’m getting some noise (1 or 2 counts per hours at most) but nothing abnormal. I am getting some data I can’t explain. The count rate will start ramping up, then peak out at some point, and go back down. The is no real regularity to the pattern. The nearest storms are 75 mi + away. Is it possible I’m picking them up?

There seems to be a corelation between the distant storms and the counts, but I’m not sure.

Thoughts?

it is surprising how far away it will pick them up

Windy,

I graphing the counts using the extra temp option. I think it says extra temp 3, anyway, is their a way to graph this by itself?

how do you mean by itself exactly?
there are the real time graphs under view, lightning counts

I know, the real question is can I graph the value on WDL?

Just curious.

WDL has lightning information available via nexstorm and has graphs there

but for 1 wire lightning counts, then yes its possible i could get that data made available to wdl
julian would have to work with that new log and set as 1 wire option etc i would say though

Thanks,

The newer builds are looking good.

The newer builds are looking good.
thanks!, you have just made my day :) someone wanted a new feature, to be able to set the minimum lightning start point when plotting on the main screen graph good idea i will add that today maybe that was you?

Not me, but I like it alot.

the idea was to get above background noise levels

Background noise is an issue, but it is with all instruments of this type. In another life, I used to install and calibrate instruments that measured nuclear radiation. We always had to set a certain bias point which would act as a discriminator against noise.

In my installation I usually get 1 or so random strikes about every hour. Not very specfic, I know. The noise levels appear to be single strikes per minute, so that might be something to go on.

All in all, its a great idea, I look forward to seeing it.

Attached is a pic of lightning from a storm that passed to the south and some random noise


lightning.jpg

try this update for the lightning min offset in the view, lightning counts
http://www.weather-display.com/downloadfiles/WeatherD.zip
build 14
i have not had time to test though (for any overscale problem)

will do, thanks

Brian,

New update working well, I set the discriminator to 4 which eliminated noise issue. Something to think about is a way to set the lower scale back to 1. It’s a great addition.

Hi

Brian

Thanks for addng this
it is working great for me ,

mick

www.weather-above.com :smiley: