I saw that there aren't any stations yet in Madeira Island (Portugal). How many are necessary to get reasonable results for detections around the island? Is the island "big enough" for proper triangulation, as we are a bit far away from continental stations?
[attachment=1387]Hello. Nice to meet you all! This is my first posting on this forum.
I am having an issue with your website LightningMaps.org on my Windows 7's Internet Explorer web browser. Now, the last few days, when I open the webpage for LightningMaps.org [http://www.lightningmaps.org/realtime?lang=en], I do not see any active and current lighting strikes demonstrated when indeed there are lightning strikes outside my area. All I see in the larger interactive centered (main) Norton American continent map is NO lightning activity. However I can see on the LightningMaps.org window to the far left side of the larger centered (main) interactive North American map, a miniaturized static North American map with the actual lightning strikes represented (under "Lightning in USA"). I do not know why the larger centered (main) North American map no longer shows any active and recent lightning strikes? Something somehow has stopped active and recent lightning strikes from appearing on the main interactive North American continent map. I have not changed any settings or configurations here. I have attached a screen clipping of the “Lightning” window (LightningMaps.org) to demonstrate what I now see for your inspection.
Then it got me thinking, what if this issue was related to the web browser itself. I decided to use Firefox web browser for your URL [http://www.lightningmaps.org/realtime?lang=en]. I have always used IE as my web browser. When I click on this weblink for LightningMaps.org, I get Firefox to open SHOWING me the current lightning strikes on the larger centered (main) interactive North American continent! GOOD! So what is the issue with Internet Explorer not showing show active and current lightning strikes on the larger centered (main) interactive North American map?
I would like to have Internet Explorer show active and current lightning strikes on the larger centered (main) interactive North American map too. Has it got something to do with Internet Explorer and that larger main interactive map where IE blocks in some manner the maps interactive features in some way?
Please provide me the solution to this issue or if you do not have the solution, lets effectively troubleshoot to find the solution.
Let's face it, the website’s interactive/animated features for LightningMaps.org are pretty advanced.
I have one comment, though. When you zoom in, the Google Maps API doesn't display roads, only railroads. This makes interpretation in rural areas difficult, since towns are often spaced widely apart. Also here in the US we are used to seeing things against an overlay of road networks. If this can be fixed or enabled as an option, it would help a lot.
Somehow I lost my thread about tweaking a new RED system. Those who might have read the tread will remember that someone asked why my screenshot did not show the gain settings on the live signals page
In the manual is written that you can choose between manual mode with gain settings on the amplifier or automatic mode with gain setting for each channel by software.
Maybe I'm overlooking something but where can the gain be set by software? As far as I understand automatic gain and treshold control from the Blitzorting servers is not available yet so they should not have any influence yet. Do I miss a TAB or page somewhere where I can adjust the gain?
By the way... it makes no difference is not showing gain setting on Live Signals page toggling between manual / automatic mode.
Where is the appropriate place to email / post regarding errors I get when clicking links in the forum?
Basically, I get "You do not have permission to access this page....." among other things suggesting I haven't activated, etc. I have.
Now that I know that the fixed circles shown when zoomed in the maximum amount on the real-time map indicates the range of error on a strike, I have been zooming in around North America to see how small those circles can be - to find the highest accuracy for strike location. The best accuracy I found was in the Gulf of Mexico where the circle radius is down to about 1/2 km. Though I found circles this small in other places in the CONUS, I haven't been able to find any smaller. Does that mean that this amount of error in strike location is the limit for the system?
Is there a limit on how many reporting stations are taken into account for calculating strike location? Watching the strikes in the Gulf of Mexico showed many (10 or more) reporting stations for a given strike. I ask about this because I wonder if there is a certain density of stations beyond which there is no improvement in the determination of strike location. Since the great majority of strike circles are far larger than .5 km in radius, there is obviously room for improvement right now (more stations would help).
A few days ago I finished the build of a system RED. Initial hardware and software went smoothly and so far there is no indication that the receiver is not doing what it is supposed to do.
However, a receiving station is only working when all parameter are set to the right values so I started looking around in all data that is available.
When I first set up the station I noticed it went into INTERFERENCE and I have responded by lowering the gain as my ferried rods (the antenna) are located indoor as the amplifier is easier to access when needed.
Yesterday, August 29, the station ran for several hours and in one case a signal was used to locate a thunder. As thunder levels were low in a 500 km range of the southern part of the Netherlands, it seems normal behaviour as you can not expect the same performance from an indoor antenna as from one on an outdoor, suburban, located antenna.
However, today, there were some thunders within acceptable range and I saw relative close stations (40-50 km) receiving strokes. I decided to look at the Live signals that are visible by accessing the controller via IP.
I noticed "strange" behaviour of signals displayed as they looked like an almost perfect sinus and random noise should not look like that. I have attached 3 pictures showing the signals and when I manually turn the antenna I can "beam" the signal or not. Actually I was expecting that the "noise" on channel 1A would disappear and appear on channel 1B when moving the antenna around.
I this behaviour I can expect in a high noise urban environment and will it disappear when my antenna will be located in a 20 meter high tower? Is this an example of the feared robotic lawnmower?
I must admit that I have not used yet a high quality shielded CAT5 cable but a normal 3 meter long "of the shelf" CAT5 cable.
Anyone have had seem during setting up his station?
