Blitzortung.org Forum

(2015-06-22, 19:40)frode dahl Wrote: [ -> ]hello.


Just a quick question that might require a longer answer, but what is the "sweet spot" for Blitzortung?
Perhaps the first 'sweet spot' is proper construction, recommendations for installation, and location for antennas. 

Guess the stats are helping to tune for "ego" , but does the stats serve Blitzortung also?
As we optimize, the 'stats' (Effectivity =  Having an intended or expected effect.) (Efficiency = accomplish something with the least waste of time and effort)
And yes, those give an indication of a station's "overall" "over time" "Quality" within some established parameters such as distance, station type, antennas, etc, and the ability of the station to send 'good' signals, consistently,, with good time stamps, data, etc related to 'signals' actually sent, for example.

As a very rough example... If all the strokes are 1500KM distant, for e.g. then I'm receiving the 'skywaves'... and none of the 'ground wave'.  The skywaves are of various delays, and distortions due to reflections, some frequencies are not 'reflected'.. so the quality and timestamp will not be as good.  But I still send a 'signal', yet it is so far away in terms of phase and time, that it may be discarded, and count against me! If it is 'recognized' it doesn't count against me.  In a similar fashion, strikes 20km distant may be so strong that the data is overwhelmed, distorted, etc, that again I send a signal (or signals!) that is useless, but counts against me!

@ what range from antenna do you get the best accurancy?
Perhaps, in perfection, we would want the initial discharge pulse, as a ground wave, and this would be 30 - 200km distant, depending on a whole lot of variables.
In Practice, this isn't possible, or even necessary.  This is an excellent system, with fantastic server algorithms.  Perhaps think in terms of an "E-field probe/amp assembly as designed for optimum at <300km and H-field at optimum <800km.

thinking more about what serves  the Blitzortung better, than my ego for getting most hits, or stats? -or are these "following the same path"?
Perhaps a bit of both... If you are in a good environment, good system, etc.  Distance ability is a great EGO thing, but the ability to detect "across region boundaries, for example, helping our folks in South Africa, Hawaii, Oceania, etc as their network density grows is a good thing for Blitzortung.  In Americas, as
the density has grown, it is much less important for me to acquire signals from 2000km,... there are stations much closer to that stroke that will provide better data.
I still like to see my station "Up There" in rankings... but it will never be as high as it once was, simply because there is more 'competition' and a much stronger network.   And the '"location accuracy" (deviation) of the network strokes has improved from >8km to often <1km! 

Guess the answer will be different if a antenna is in a area with low coverage, and if there is high density of participants around, so i understand that the answer will be "depending on"
Exactly!

For a triangulation perspective would not longer range give higher % accurancy than close range?
Again, many variables!  How Close?  How Far?  Also, 'triangulation' implies 'distance' and direction, so remember this is a "timing" system, not "direction finding' and anything that would distort, delay, the time/phase relationship  signal / timestamp too much introduces error, or causes the signal to be discarded.

I know my signals are rubbish atm, but im working on that issue.. still what should i aim for to get my system RED to be best for BO?
Perhaps not as much 'rubbish' as you might think.  You're running, you're sending, and you're taking steps to optimize.  You'll do fine!
Some published articles in the past as TOA/TOGA has evolved have implied an Effeciency / Effective thing of 20-40%... yes, and no... with the standards Egon and Tobi, Richo et.al. are establishing, and our "current" reporting regions as large as they are, I might play with a rule of thumb of, say at any given hourly sampling on the "participant's " page of say - 10-50%, depending on all the variables.... and some type of 'over time' percentage of 20-40????

Cheers!
Mike

(2015-06-24, 10:52)frode dahl Wrote: [ -> ]thank you for replies Thomas And Mike..

I know my signal on H-Field is rather dead.. mangaged to break one screw on the terminal @ Amplifier, so i have some soldering to do...
And i just bought another CAT 6 FTP / LSZH cable to try check if that might help on the noise.
(guess my cheap loong cable works as antenna instead of signal carrier

So im working a few hours each day to figure out... pretty much everything about this