Yeee Harrrrrrr !!! new toy has arrived...

kaimaikid · Unread post by **kaimaikid** » Tue 21/11/2006 20:36

Both the Boltek stormtracker and the Nexstorm software arrived today so looking like a busy weekend coming up...

Have location and housing sorted out, unsure if I need to use utp or stp cat5e - will suss that out soon I guess...

next will be to fine tune it and get it up and running online...

any advice???

Weathermad · Unread post by **Weathermad** » Tue 21/11/2006 21:23

get out more often and meet people!

haha only kidding

All sounds good and good luck in getting it all together!

Manukau heads obs · Tue 21/11/2006 23:16

will be great to have a boltec/nexstorm from tauranga

now need some thunderstorms!

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Tue 21/11/2006 23:28

GREAT!!!

With the four bolteks up here now the correlation will be just as good as the MetService's trackers

Get that boltek as high above the roof as possible!

Are you housing it in a PVC pipe? Ricky's done that to mine and Brian's.. and I rarely record strikes from noise (e.g. light switching) here, so it's pretty good.

Manukau heads observer wrote:now need some thunderstorms!

Quoted for truth!

Andrew Massie · Unread post by **Andrew Massie** » Wed 22/11/2006 10:30

GREAT STUFF! All the more boltek's the better!

Now... can someone tell me the supplier/website please so I can pass onto our techo who's currently building a station and software so we can get a second one down here?

Cheers

Andrew

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Wed 22/11/2006 11:12

now need some thunderstorms!

Spring has been dead, I guess we blame El Nino.

Skywatcher · Unread post by **Skywatcher** » Wed 22/11/2006 15:50

Andrew Massie wrote:Now... can someone tell me the supplier/website please

According to some Aussies on a lightning detector group last week, the cheapest place to get a Boltek is Provantage http://www.provantage.com/boltek-stormt ... OLT001.htm

I'd guess that would be about $650 at the current exchange rate including customs GST and allowing US$30 for shipping.

The best place for the Nexstorm software seems to be the UK e.g. http://www.meteorologica.co.uk/product. ... =&PT_ID=82

That would be about $240 including shipping and there shouldn't be GST if it's a personal import.

Manukau heads obs · Wed 22/11/2006 17:35

sphere technologies in australia is cheaper for nexstorm, and qucik turn around too

Skywatcher · Unread post by **Skywatcher** » Wed 22/11/2006 18:32

Do you mean http://www.sphere.net.au/site/prod_info.php?itemId=124 ?

They want almost A$330 without shipping

Most deliveries from the UK only take about 5 days by airmail.

Manukau heads obs · Wed 22/11/2006 19:05

humm, OK,,,
personaly though i would not poke a barge pole at that UK site, but thats just me having run ins with that person over the years
but thats just me, so dont let that stop anyone

kaimaikid · Unread post by **kaimaikid** » Wed 22/11/2006 20:32

The NexStorm software came to approx $210NZ inc freight ex Boltek

The stormtracker came to $600NZ inc freight ex Provantage + some bullshite NZ get stuffed tax to be added to get through customs

(theiving govt.)

both took approx 7 days to arrive

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Wed 22/11/2006 21:06

Invercargill or Dunedin needs a boltek.. far too many storms get missed that way.

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Wed 22/11/2006 21:11

Hey we could run a Telethon for a Boltec for me... "Thank you very much for your kind donation, thank you very much, thank you very very very much"...

Just a thought

Manukau heads obs · Wed 22/11/2006 23:26

did you use sphere technologies kaimaikid in the end?

kaimaikid · Unread post by **kaimaikid** » Thu 23/11/2006 03:45

Manukau heads observer wrote:did you use sphere technologies kaimaikid in the end?

no - got it from Boltek

pulled my mast down last night, stripped all of the antennas from it and removed weather station

Manukau heads obs · Thu 23/11/2006 06:21

i mean for nexstorm?

tgsnoopy · Unread post by **tgsnoopy** » Thu 23/11/2006 06:43

He got it straight from Boltek Brian.

Manukau heads obs · Thu 23/11/2006 07:28

ok, i did not know Boltex sold it, you learn something new every day!

Manukau heads obs · Sat 25/11/2006 09:00

i see you have the nexstorm png on your weather web site, good!!
next to get stormvue working (which is on the nexstorm CD)

kaimaikid · Unread post by **kaimaikid** » Sat 25/11/2006 11:49

Manukau heads observer wrote:i see you have the nexstorm png on your weather web site, good!!
next to get stormvue working (which is on the nexstorm CD)

yup that is the next mission and also to level the mast guy ropes on the pole used for the antenna...

tell me, is nexstorm meant to come with a manual?

while the wind blows and the sun shines, a lttle boy waits.... praying for thunder...

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Sat 25/11/2006 12:42

Hi, it's on the CD as a pdf file..

You'll start tracking or picking up weak strikes from the tropics or E'n Aus in no time at all.. only really at night though.. but will plot them quite closely at around 600km.
The night time range shift I use is 155% with a general shift of 1.05.. works out well.

Manukau heads obs · Sat 25/11/2006 12:49

ah, i just set mine to 155% (was 200%)
i still cant find the electric fence short....it could be a faulty insulator
i need to get a electric fence volt read out (i think i got one somewhere at the farm)

kaimaikid · Unread post by **kaimaikid** » Sat 25/11/2006 17:06

http://kiwiradio.blakjak.net/sv/StormVue.html

up and running - need to do some fine tuning and orientation

Manukau heads obs · Sat 25/11/2006 19:06

good work!

ricky · Unread post by **ricky** » Sun 26/11/2006 02:08

Excellent! I'll add you to my correlation for when there are some storms around