Lightning detectors

GraemeWi · Unread post by **GraemeWi** » Mon 07/07/2003 21:17

Late last year I mucked around with the razor-blade method of lightning detection and got some interesting results... (see towards the bottom of the first page and page 2 of http://www.weatherzone.com.au/cgi-bin/u ... 6;t=000074 )

What I was after was something that would give me time to get organised and get cameras ready etc. The razor blade method didn't give much lead time at all.

I now recon my cat does a better job. He got really upset of Friday night about 20 minutes before the unstable cold front arrived here. He did exactly the same thing tonight when a storm went through. The cat must be more sensitive to the natural environment than my multimeter can measure (talking 0.001 volts and microamps)

It's well known about animal behavious before earthquakes, so I guess this means animals are far more in tune with the earth than we are.

Anyone got any other anecdotes relating to animals and storm detection?

Cheers,

G

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Mon 07/07/2003 22:00

Our cats constantly wash their faces with their paws all the time but you know its going to rain and generally I just look to the west in the morning and see the bank of stratus&nimbus ready to roll in straight after sunrise here-in other locations with ranges it must be harder to tell

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Mon 07/07/2003 23:35

I still like to use the old traditional method by using the sferics ( short for atmosphereics, as each lightning flash gives off a radio signal) on the top of the AM Band on the radio.

JohnGaul
NZTS

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Tue 08/07/2003 10:10

We get lots of Noise on the AM dial from thunder as clicks in summer here especially from distant fronts at night when the propagation is good.
Also you can try FM and tune to a distant station ie if you are in Chch and listen to high powered 40kW station ie you could try 89.4(ZB)(you have the Edge 89.0& concert 89.7 so you should have it clear) about 900k as the crow flies or even say a high powered FM in Sydney ie 104.1 or 104.9 and when the lightning goes it may bring a temporary signal and light up the stereo indicator (but meteors can ionise the atmosphere too)