WH57 / WH31L discussion

[davepaterson]

that file has not been updated for a couple of years iirc. I am really confused now as I didn't change it either. Thanks for the ifo. Mark

[mcrossley]

The file in 3206 zip does not contain any lightning data?

[davepaterson]

Yeah I Know just not sure how it got entered so keeping the file as is

[davepaterson]

Having watched lightning strikes to the E,W,N and S I eventually got one last night. The back garden lit up followed quickly with a very big bang.CMX and Ecowitt both recorded the distance at 0.6 miles which I expected as there was not much time between the flash and bang. BUT looking at Blitzortung and Lightning maps they both showed strikes 11 and 14 miles away and none in my local area. From the 'Rule of Calculation' it takes 5sec. for the thunder noise to travel 1 mile as you count the secs. then div by 5. So the 11 miles would have given a count of 55 sec. as there was very little delay I can only assume neither Blitzortung and lightning maps have any input from my area. I am totally new to the WH57 data and both maps, am I right with my assumption

[Nossie]

I had a similar situation to yourself...

I never saw a flash or heard a rumble last night, but my device picked one up during a very heavy hail / sleet shower (thundersnow!) 9 miles away - checking Blitzortung there were none in my area (Ayrshire) but towards the south east it picked up 2 - 3 strikes that were 15 miles or so away.

I also suspect that my area does not have enough official sensors to pickup the storm. Maybe the local authority can subsidize me to do it for them

[davepaterson]

Hi Ian
I have just checked Blitzortung for detector positions. Edinburgh west, Falkirk and TIGHNABRUAICH well out to the west of us. there is nothing south of these detectors. ie- nothing lanarkshire, ayrshire or dumfries
so where they get the data from . My strike was at 22:55.
Just checked lightning maps and they show the same detector sites

[mcrossley]

iirc the Blitzortung detectors work over hundreds, even thousands of miles!

[Nossie]

Just as an additional Dave

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/weather/g ... source=nba

[PaulMy]

iirc the Blitzortung detectors work over hundreds, even thousands of miles!

The blitzortung is a network of stations that work together. A Blitz station does not report a lightning strike from nearby (too much potential interference for accuracy), but other stations from farther away would catch it and that then results in a strike being recorded. When I had my Blitz connected I detected from South America, but for close-by strike my station would not be recognized as contributing to the strike recording.

Enjoy,
Paul

[davepaterson]

The above clears some of the answers but why nothing in my area or Glasgow and from Ian's link East Kilbride is 3 miles and East end of Glasgow about 11 miles all with the bright flash and loud noise.

[davepaterson]

Hi Ian
Further to your link I found this one :- https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/232 ... ng-strike/
I register the distance at 0.6 miles but within a mile is a sub station which is around 200m above sea level
and also between East Kilbride and the sub station about the same height there is a wind farm with several turbines. Tried to speak to SP Energy Networks to find out where the fault was but couldn't get to a human

[Nossie]

Thanks Dave

I'm guessing the strike hit a substation and took out the surrounding area - I'm about ten miles from Newton Mearns and I saw the sensor flash, but my window and the surrounding area didn't light up.

So, my recording was 9 miles away which in that direction would be whitecraigs? When I checked Blitzortung the strikes were going down south of Lanarkshire (during our period of thundersnow) so I still maintain that it was going that way.

It would be really nice if they took our readings into consideration - I use cumulusutils and thanks to Hans our data combined is something that can be merged?? - but if we could also collocate our own lightning data, it would be something to be reckoned with.

[davepaterson]

That sounds a good idea Ian. For my part a lot of what is said about utils is way over the top of the hairy bit.
I'm stuck in the dark ages, don't have a web site or use utils. Plain and basic suits me but with a lot of help can try other stuff.

[Nossie]

Dave, I did send you a PM about your situation - but I totally understand your perspective.

Anyway I can help do let me know - thanks.

[LindaFNM]

I’m afraid I’m somewhat thick……..! My advanced knowledge is rather limited.

I have just obtained a WH57 and would like to record the lightning data. Having read the wiki, searched the forum and looked online generally, please can I ask:

Am I better off creating custom log files using the new facility in CMX, or creating a custom realtime.txt file which I’m already generating? I’m not using anything fancy like a database but would like to have the data so that I can compare it in due course. I think maybe a custom daily log, then adding to the real-time file for granular data?

I have CMX running on a Raspberry Pi with my own website on it, this isn’t public anywhere.

Thanks very much