Jump to content
Snow?
Local
Radar
Cold?
IGNORED

What Kind Of Lightning Detector Do You Use.


Recommended Posts

Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

I use the strike alert version 1 it's only just about working now lol. I always found that I had to keep it well away from any nearby electrics due to false alarms.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strike-Alert-Personal-Lightning-Detector/dp/B004EITWSU

What software or hardware do you use to track storms?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Andover, Hampshire
  • Location: Andover, Hampshire

Thanks

im purchasing v2 then save up for Skyscan P5

The software i use is either isleofwight lightning, for imports. or Nowcast strike dsiplay for home grown. which gives you details/summary of where the storm is heading, distance, and speed of tstorms. there is a small subscription fee, but it's a great tool.

Edited by Thundery Shower
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Chichester, West Sussex
  • Location: Chichester, West Sussex

Abit off topic anyone used either Skyscan P5 or strikealert V2?

Strikealert version 2 is a lot better built that version 1. I use it all the time. It eats batteries a bit faster than the version 1 I still get a couple of days of constant use out of it. The only thing that I don't like is that it turns itself off after 4 hours which is ok not to waste batteries but like today when I use it to give an early warning of any local storm activity whilst I am away from the computer for long periods. Other than that its great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: South East UK
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms/squalls/hoar-frost/mist
  • Location: South East UK

I have a strike alert with two pennies sellotaped to the bottom, a bit flimsy but good if you keep it away from electrical equipment

my main detector is a £5 pound pocket radio,very reliable and simple.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

I've just looked up the Skyscan P5 and it looks really good.Are you having it sent from the USA or do they supply them over here?

I always use Netweather Extra radar to track storms, I find it really good.I used to use IOW lightening detector but I find NW extra to be more accurate and reliable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

NW extra Radar!!!!! As long as you are somewhere with internet connection, you can see where any storms are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Andover, Hampshire
  • Location: Andover, Hampshire

I've just looked up the Skyscan P5 and it looks really good.Are you having it sent from the USA or do they supply them over here?

I always use Netweather Extra radar to track storms, I find it really good.I used to use IOW lightening detector but I find NW extra to be more accurate and reliable.

theres actually a UK site you can buy them from, but they are not cheap minimum of £220, but it's very good similar to the strike alert v2 but it can also tell you if it's a severe storm.

like many other members im addicted to tstorms, and one thing i was missing was a strike alert/hand held device, as you know that current software can sometimes loose track of storms and cannot always pinpoint the exact location, so im looking to buy the V2 tomorrow then, upgrade to Skyscan P5 before next year. im also looking at the Boltech hardware but it's a whooping £300 quid. same software i believe that the isle of wight lightning detector use.

Edited by Thundery Shower
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

Whilst awaiting my storm lol I have googled a few links.smile.png

Franklins Bells

In 1752 Benjamin Franklin was experimenting with one of his inventions, the lightning rod. Using the setup shown on the left Franklin was able collect electrostatic charges from the wind above his house. No known images exist of the original setup used, but this is the most common method used to reproduce the effects he describes.

This electrostatic device was actually invented in 1742 by a German professor named Andrew Gordon. Gordon's Bells were the first device that converted electrical energy into mechanical energy in the form of a repeating mechanical motion, opening the doors for a variety of modern technology, from ADT security alarms to school bells.

Two metal bells are suspended on insulating (dielectric) supports. One bell is.......

http://www.rmcybernetics.com/projects/experiments/experiments_franklin_bells_lightning_detector.htm

This looks good:

http://www.stormwise.com/page7.htm

And here are peoples own homemade lightning detectors!

http://www.techlib.com/electronics/lightningpics.htm

theres actually a UK site you can buy them from, but they are not cheap minimum of £220, but it's very good similar to the strike alert v2 but it can also tell you if it's a severe storm.

like many other members im addicted to tstorms, and one thing i was missing was a strike alert/hand held device, as you know that current software can sometimes loose track of storms and cannot always pinpoint the exact location, so im looking to buy the V2 tomorrow then, upgrade to Skyscan P5 before next year. im also looking at the Boltech hardware but it's a whooping £300 quid. same software i believe that the isle of wight lightning detector use.

I've always been interested in the Boltech setup but yes, it is expensive. Good luck with the V2 strike alert hopefully it's better then V1. I also use my radio to listen out for sferics which is another good indicator of storms nearby.smile.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: South East UK
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms/squalls/hoar-frost/mist
  • Location: South East UK

I built 1 of those franklin bells, but never remember to test it, because when a storm is around im taking photos/video, i rigged up some old speaker cable to it,then dangled the cable out the window, but i think it needs to be kept dry to accumulate a charge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

I built 1 of those franklin bells, but never remember to test it, because when a storm is around im taking photos/video, i rigged up some old speaker cable to it,then dangled the cable out the window, but i think it needs to be kept dry to accumulate a charge.

Hi Sprites ,I hope you do get to try out the Franklin bells,smile.png there is another homemade lightning detector which involves using two tin cans and a bicycle bell lol.I can't seem to find it on google but will keep on looking and post the link.smile.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: South East UK
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms/squalls/hoar-frost/mist
  • Location: South East UK

hi Jane, I cant add pics atm as i had an argument with a laptop, i also use blitzortung on the areas option to track storms, and netweather radar when i buy a new laptop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

hi Jane, I cant add pics atm as i had an argument with a laptop, i also use blitzortung on the areas option to track storms, and netweather radar when i buy a new laptop.

Lol,I'm terrible for adding pics. Yes, Blitzortung is pretty good.I used to use meteocentre too .

http://meteocentre.com/lightning/map_sfuk.php?time=0〈=en

I used to have a folder full of detectors in my bookmarks lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

Ok, I haven't found the lightning detector made with the two tin cans yet lol but I've stumbled upon this one whilst searching for it. Quite interesting too!smile.png

Homebrew Lightning Detector

This lightning detector experiment uses slightly radioactive Thorium from lantern mantles to help ionize the air around the edge of a razor blade, which is connected to an earth ground. Static electricity from a thunderstorm will flow from the ground, up through a milliammeter, and is dissipated into the storm through the razor blade. We were recently informed by a kind reader that Coleman® no longer uses Thorium in their mantles! So try mantles by other companies...Alladin® mantles still use Thorium and work great for this experiment. Another suggestion we received was to use the Americium-231 sample from an ionization-type smoke detector as the radioactive source, with a steel needle pointed right towards it with a very small air gap. PLEASE NOTE that there are many more dangers involved with the Americium-231 method than when using lantern mantles, which are fairly safe! Americium is a bone-seeker, and could permanently poison you. Check out the Americium lightning detector thread on our discussion board. Be sure you are a sane, sober adult before attempting to take a part a smoke detector.

There are other ways to make a sensor that don't need any radioactive elements. Other readers have reported success using just the razor blade, an array of needles, aluminum foil sheets, etc. For an extremely sensitive detector, you might try googling up a 'field mill,' which is used by lightning researchers. A commercial version would be very expensive, but it's possible to homebrew such a device.

As static builds up before a lightning strike, the milliamp reading will increase until the lightning flashes and equalizes the electrical potential between earth and sky. At this time, the meter reading will drop to zero or negative, and then build up again until the next strike.

It is possible to predict how close to you lightning will strike by observing current readings and counting the seconds between the lightning and thunder.

The lightning detector, IN THEORY, could actually help prevent a lightning strike near it by dissipating static electricity, the same principle used in static discharge arrays that protect tall structures like antennas and windmill towers. IN FACT, this detector is much too small and does not dissipate enough current to have any effect on preventing lightning strikes--we simply want to get the principle across. A reader described it as 'That would be like thinking you could steer a tornado away from your house by waving a fan at it!'

http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_detector.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: South East UK
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms/squalls/hoar-frost/mist
  • Location: South East UK

Isleofwightlightning is quite good, meteocentre is handy for phone use, after reading that homebrew i will stick with a pocket radio!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Garvestone, Norfolk
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine. And storms
  • Location: Garvestone, Norfolk

I have a little old StrikeAlert 1 with it's bum taped over with tank tape biggrin.png

Definitely has to be kept away from electronic toys and was next to useless in my old car, kept going off every time I changed gear.......rofl.gif However the batteries seem to last forever which is just as well as they get fired across the room if you try and change them rolleyes.gif

And of course netweather extra :)

Edited by Norfolk Sheep
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Chichester, West Sussex
  • Location: Chichester, West Sussex

I clip my strikealert 2 to my sun visor when in the car, it works well and only goes of when i turn on something electrical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

I use ThunderBolt Storm Detector and NW good.gif

Hi Stu,smile.png

Are you still going to go for the Boltek eventually? Expensive it is too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

Yes if i can get Money Saved up how your tin cans

Brilliantbiggrin.png Hmmm don't even ask about my tin cans Stulaugh.png I doubt I'll ever get a chance to try them out. lazy.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...
Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

Now this is good, if you know how to make one! :D

Here is a VLF receiver tuned to 300 kHz designed to detect the crackle of approaching lightning. A bright lamp flashes in synchrony with the lightning bolts indicating the proximity and intensity of the storm. Figure 1 shows the simple receiver which consists of a tuned amplifier driving a modified flasher circuit. The flasher is biased to not flash until a burst of RF energy, amplified by the first 2N4401, is applied to the base of the 2N4403. The receiver standby current is about 350 microamps which is nothing at all to a couple of D cells, hardly denting the shelf life. Of course, the stormier it gets, the shorter the battery life.

http://www.terra.es/personal2/spooky/detect.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Posted
  • Location: Ashford, Kent
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and thunderstorms!
  • Location: Ashford, Kent

Just digging this thread back up again.. I have a boltek stormtracker (the PCI card jobby) so it's not very portable ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...