For those who need data now! A fellow Part 15 operator in Texas has one of these things and for $40 it just might save your...............station. 🙂
My station will declare the Accurite Lightning Detector as required equipment for self-defense against the harmful strength of lightning. Many thanks to John WDCX for making for informing us about this device. When storms enter our vicinity KDX leaves the air and physically disconnects for protection of our equipment.
However, most stations I know of remain operational during storms with the mission of sending public information to their listeners. They risk their equipment in favor of providing a public service. For them, is the Lightning Detector useful?
It was said if you tuned an old style NTSC TV to channel 2 (assuming it's open) and set the brightness to where you just begin to see the raster (light on the screen) an approaching electrical storm would begin to make visible horizontal streaks on the screen.
As the storm got closer the frequency and intensisty of the streaks would increase to the point where the screen would turn completely white or was it the other way around-dark.
Anyway, I remember trying this and it seemed to work.
Maybe a good use for those obsolete TV's. You could relable them "Early Warning System" for lightning and sell 'em.
"Supposedly" the above mentioned procedure was also useful for tornado detection as well. I am not sure how one differentiated between lightning and a tornado though except maybe for intensity?
For "ternaydees" and other severe weather I have found that our local weather net (WARN) is the best place to get immediate information. Here, and in Cincy, the Weather Bureau uses hams on these nets for information.
Search on WARN or amateur radio weather nets for your area for the frequencies (probably 2 meter band) used.
Neil
In my neck of the woods it's referred to as Skywarn. You can visit their website at Skywarn.org
Fantastic. So let's review...
We'll have an analog TV tuned to channel 2, an Accurite Lightning Detector, and WARN/Skywarn 2-meter receiver locked and loaded.
One more ingredient is needed. A human who is paying attention. That could be the point of failure.
The Cuyahoga Falls Amateur Radio Club is a member of the Summit County Skywarn group. The club call is W8VPV. Their 2 meter repeater is used for Skywarn operations.
Here's a link to the Summit County Skywarn website: Su. Co. Skywarn
On their website is a player where you can listen to the repeater action WHEN ACTIVATED for weather events.
Additionally, the WARN repeaters here and in Cincy have distinctive squelch tones for alerts which can trigger the receivers into operation. I designed such an add-on for ham radios while in Cincinnati.
Neil
That' great. Well, I am looking for those for my work. Thanks for sharing.
Welcome laurawhite to the low power radio site.
How will lightning detectors help in your work?
Your answer might give ideas how we can use them.
Never knew this existed!......cool! Will think of getting one.
But I have my stuff in a wall surge & noise filter that also protects in case of direct hit by shutting power off power in a nanosecond if the surge capacity is exceded. A lot of the cheaper ones just have a light that indicates it's working but maintaines power to your devices if the surge protection has stopped working....no good.
Mark