Hi-Res TOA Lightning Detection Network

[tgsnoopy]

Ideally the station should not detect long-range only medium short range.

Still disagree with this statement. Ideally, when a well established network exists with many detectors covering all the region, that statement would be true, but we are a long way away from achieving that. Without a network of other nearby detectors there is little point in choosing the lower sensitivity settings.

[ricky]

Also interestingly, distant storms often seem to give much higher amplitude signals than more local ones

[Tornado Tim]

Ideally the station should not detect long-range only medium short range.

Still disagree with this statement. Ideally, when a well established network exists with many detectors covering all the region, that statement would be true, but we are a long way away from achieving that. Without a network of other nearby detectors there is little point in choosing the lower sensitivity settings.

Hence why I said Ideally, that doesnt means it applys now.....

[tgsnoopy]

The detection of the new Mt Frederick detector is impressive. I've seen some central Au strikes detected by Perth, Darwin & it with the detectors in NSW, Queensland & Vic not detecting it.

Only reason I seem to get in front of it on the detector list occasionally is it's going into interference on occasion. Personally, I think it's gain is about right at the moment.

[iomkiwi]

I'm still coming to grips with the tweaking of my new one, found something today that seems to have improved things - don't connect your controller thru a network switch, make sure it is connected directly to your modem

and if anyone needs a short cat5 cable for their E field, I picked up a couple of foot long ones at the local second hand place (and they have more) pm me if you want one.

[lokeynz]

The Tauranga station does well to hold its own against Mt Fred's elevated and quietish spot, loop antenna performs better than ferrites maybe?

Alan, your comments on not connecting to a network switch are interesting.
I've tried a couple of network switches and they've all given interference when using a shielded cable, if I switch to a non shielded cable or break the shield on one end, noise levels go down.

Out of curiosity, if you're using shielded cable, does your switch have metal ethernet ports and the modem has plastic therefore the modem has no ground path for the shield?

Mt Fred is connected to the same model switch powered from a DC battery bank, doesn't see the same interference but the difference could be that it's all tied to a substantial earth mat.

PS. nice signals coming from your E-field, do you have any pics of the antenna setup?

[iomkiwi]

The Tauranga station does well to hold its own against Mt Fred's elevated and quietish spot, loop antenna performs better than ferrites maybe?

Alan, your comments on not connecting to a network switch are interesting.
I've tried a couple of network switches and they've all given interference when using a shielded cable, if I switch to a non shielded cable or break the shield on one end, noise levels go down.

Out of curiosity, if you're using shielded cable, does your switch have metal ethernet ports and the modem has plastic therefore the modem has no ground path for the shield?

Mt Fred is connected to the same model switch powered from a DC battery bank, doesn't see the same interference but the difference could be that it's all tied to a substantial earth mat.

PS. nice signals coming from your E-field, do you have any pics of the antenna setup?

I'm just using standard off the shelf cat5 cables, both switch and modem have plastic ports. Maybe what I saw was just a one-off, the H-field antenna was indoors at the time so now both antennas are outside I may try it again to see if the same thing happens.

Most of the time I leave the station in Auto, does spend a bit of time in interference mode but it does seem to go into interference less as time has gone by.

I could post a pic of my E-field antenna - but you might claim copyright and demand some royalties
My setup is pretty much identical to yours, except I use an orange tube coming out of the junction
The antenna itself is a bit of 1/8" brass tube I had lying around. The antenna is at the top of my mast so is a good 15m above ground.

[ShimmerNZ]

New detector online in East Auckland. Just managed to get it up and running, so plenty of tweaking yet to be done

[tgsnoopy]

New detector online in East Auckland. Just managed to get it up and running, so plenty of tweaking yet to be done

Nice, thanks for joining the forum, I'd just noticed it and came in to let others know

[Manukau heads obs]

just need some thunderstorms now...

[Tornado Tim]

Very good ShimmerNZ, Welcome to the Blitzortung Oceania and the greater Blitzortung Community

[Tornado Tim]

Just an update for members and people that are interested: The Location algorithms have been updated for every region and they unified so the same rule applies worldwide.
We have been getting allot of false positions over the past few months due to the 3 station rule over NZ which has now been removed, due to the fact we have been getting poor results from it being enabled.

[Nev]

We have been getting allot of false positions over the past few months due to the 3 station rule over NZ which has now been removed, due to the fact we have been getting poor results from it being enabled.

Seems a lot of those false positions were allotted to the west coast of Auckland. Below is a classic example from last Monday evening…

Blitzortung NZ Map - Dec 1, 7pm.png

Nice to see another detector onboard. What part of East Auckland are you in ShimmerNZ?

Presumably NZ now has the required minimum amount of 'active' detectors currently operating in NZ?

[ShimmerNZ]

I'm in a place called Shamrock Park which is nearby to Botany Downs.

I've just finished installing the GPS antenna outside and running a decent ground wire through to the controller so should be fairly stable now.

[Tornado Tim]

We have been getting allot of false positions over the past few months due to the 3 station rule over NZ which has now been removed, due to the fact we have been getting poor results from it being enabled.

Seems a lot of those false positions were allotted to the west coast of Auckland. Below is a classic example from last Monday evening…

Blitzortung NZ Map - Dec 1, 7pm.png

Nice to see another detector onboard. What part of East Auckland are you in ShimmerNZ?

Presumably NZ now has the required minimum amount of 'active' detectors currently operating in NZ?

Yup thats right Nev, those issues should now be gone

[Nev]

Good stuff

[tgsnoopy]

Another new detector in Darlington NSW in the last few days

[tgsnoopy]

I anticipated the new detector at Mount Frederick would likely knock my detector off the top of the list (not always there, but often). What I hadn't anticipated was 3 new detectors doing so on a regular basis. Well done guys!

The new Kerikeri and Auckland East detectors are running very well. I guess I'd better pull my finger out and look seriously at getting a new system Red like these 3 new ones.

[Tornado Tim]

The new Kerikeri and Auckland East detectors are running very well. I guess I'd better pull my finger out and look seriously at getting a new system Red like these 3 new ones.

I wont be getting a System RED mainly because of System Blue (Next Gen Hardware).

[iomkiwi]

Just have a quick question re my old Green system, I have taken it off air with my Red system now working. But as it is not really a problem to keep it running - should I leave it running for the "good of the network"?
Will it benefit the overall network just to have another station running, even if it is essentially in the same place as my red?

[Tornado Tim]

Just have a quick question re my old Green system, I have taken it off air with my Red system now working. But as it is not really a problem to keep it running - should I leave it running for the "good of the network"?
Will it benefit the overall network just to have another station running, even if it is essentially in the same place as my red?

You could put it on Low sensitivity, so when activity comes close, your GREEN will more likely be able to send out data while the red may go into interference mode.

[bpo]

Just have a quick question re my old Green system, I have taken it off air with my Red system now working. But as it is not really a problem to keep it running - should I leave it running for the "good of the network"?
Will it benefit the overall network just to have another station running, even if it is essentially in the same place as my red?

Maybe you can find someone to host it in a low-coverage area?

[iomkiwi]

That is on the cards and i have a couple of places in mind

[tgsnoopy]

I see another new station appearing, near Whangarei this time by the looks

[bpo]

The BPO lightning detectors are back on line, at long last.