Blitzortung.org Forum

Comparing data on this site with that shown in another app, WeatherBug, there is a large difference of about 120 miles between the strike locations shown on WeatherBug and those shown here for the Denver Colorado area. Currently there is extensive lightning Southwest of Denver, but nothing shows in this site except about 120 miles to the Northeast.   I can confirm the WeatherBug location visually, so something is not right.  Any explanations?

Well there aren't many detectors near or in Colorado but 120mi does seem like a lot. It could just be that the system didn't detect it or it is indeed a little off. All I know is, the more detectors there are, the more accurate it should be.

(2018-06-07, 19:49)Aelita Wrote: [ -> ]Well there aren't many detectors near or in Colorado but 120mi does seem like a lot. It could just be that the system didn't detect it or it is indeed a little off. All I know is, the more detectors there are, the more accurate it should be.

Understood, but the differences are quite large.  I've attached a current double screen shot showing the area between Limon Colorado and Goodland Kansas roughly along I70 for both programs, WeatherBug Spark on the bottom and this program on top.  There is no comparison!!  Maybe this is like owning a pedometer; if you own one, it is accurate, if you own two, they are both wrong!!!

(2018-06-09, 01:35)EShJedbett Wrote: [ -> ]

(2018-06-07, 19:49)Aelita Wrote: [ -> ]Well there aren't many detectors near or in Colorado but 120mi does seem like a lot. It could just be that the system didn't detect it or it is indeed a little off. All I know is, the more detectors there are, the more accurate it should be.

Understood, but the differences are quite large.  I've attached a current double screen shot showing the area between Limon Colorado and Goodland Kansas roughly along I70 for both programs, WeatherBug Spark on the bottom and this program on top.  There is no comparison!!  Maybe this is like owning a pedometer; if you own one, it is accurate, if you own two, they are both wrong!!!

I can’t say much about the accuracy, to he honest. I’m extremely new to the whole thing.

First, the Blitzortung website / applications, currently, only display Cloud to Ground lightning strokes....
Earthnetworks / WeatherBug adds what it refers to as "In-Cloud" sferics... which may or may not include 'intra-cloud' or Cloud to Cloud sferics... 
....by design and operation, then, the commercial network will "detect' / 'locate' and display more sferics in a given cell, or area, than Blitzortung will calculate and display.

Second, there is an attempt to compare a Commercial,  expensive, tightly monitored technology driven by EarthNetworks   https://www.earthnetworks.com/ with
with a hobbyist, experimental, volunteer, non-commercial, low cost World Wide CG detection system.... Blitzortung.... which at any given moment may have operators experimenting with various paradigms, equipment, location, antennas, and  operational parameters.  That's one main purpose of the project....

The premises are totally different. 

Earthworks  sells a suite of  data streams, and provides much more data to it's subscribers at a corresponding dramatic cost difference.  

A better comparison,  if you insist on such, might be noted by utilizing the Lightningmaps.org site, http://lightningmaps.org
,,, you'll want both the normal Blitzortung data, and the Experimental data... at the upper left of the display, mouseover the strokes/min/second counter next to the 'I' icon... under l"live data';.. make sure 'both' is ticked....

Note that the 'experimental' data characteristics may change at times, since it's .. well... experimental..


Note that the WeatherBug name etc was sold by EarthNetworks to a advertising and marketing company, and receives it's data from Earthnetworks ...  it is branded as a subsidiary of something called "groundtruth Inc"... .

Thanks so much for the great explanation and recommendations.  Yes, the comparison with lightningmaps gives me a much better picture and understanding of the differences/similarities and cautions.  I just recently learned of these sites and am quite impressed with the number of stations worldwide and their contributions.  As an old, long retired electronics manufacturer I have even considered setting up a station, but it is more of a challenge than I wish to take on now!  Thanks again for your help..