Hi all

After years of trouble free running I have a gps issue. From the debug log;

2022-11-02 23:02:51  890.9 | SEND_SIGNAL: Could not send, no valid GPS
2022-11-02 23:02:51  891.1 | GPS: ERROR, year not between 2013 and 2031 (3)
2022-11-02 23:02:52  891.7 | GPS: Data ERROR
2022-11-02 23:02:52  892.0 | SEND_SIGNAL: Could not send, no valid GPS
2022-11-02 23:02:52  892.1 | SEND_SIGNAL: Could not send, no valid GPS
2022-11-02 23:02:52  892.1 | GPS: ERROR, year not between 2013 and 2031 (3)
2022-11-02 23:02:53  892.8 | GPS: Data ERROR
2022-11-02 23:02:53  893.1 | GPS: ERROR, year not between 2013 and 2031 (3)

Have tried many restarts, gps init etc etc


Cheers
Colin
Wellington, NZ

Earlier this afternoon I discovered that my system ( 1890, system blue ) went offline at 00:00 on Oct 30 2022. Logging in to the box showed everything was working EXCEPT for GPS. Checking the GPS antenna, and trying another antenna, made no difference. The GPS light is off, and it shows as no GPS detected. Rebooting the box made no difference - GPS seems to be totally dead.

It was at this time that I discovered that according to the lightning maps, at least half of the detector sites in Australia seemed to have gone offline at the same time (00:00 on Oct 30, 2022).

This seems like a very unlikely coincidence!

The Blitzortung.org lightning map is also showing almost no lightning AT ALL in the Australian region, despite large numbers of severe thunderstorms currently active in several parts of the country - including a row of storms within 500km of my location!
What could be the cause of all this? How could more than half the detectors in the region go offline at the same time? 

I managed to get my 2nd unit (2979) operational, and it seems to be working correctly. GPS has (finally) reached 95% availability - took well over 3 hours to do so....

Mick.

Beside my actual job and my involvement into blitzortung project, I gained an interest in drone videography / filmmaking.

     I own two drones, and by winter, two more. I intend to make this drone videography hobby, into my primary job, in about two years or so.

     About 20% of my footage are captures and time-lapses of weather phenomena, and proud to announce that right now, blitzortung is my primary source of real-time weather data when I'm up there with the drone and filming some weather phenomena.

     Here are some captures of thunderstorms and lightnings that were only possible with the help of blitzortung near-realtime data.

                                   

On the Lightening.org web site, I am not seeing any of my stations statistics.  The status shows Active/no reception.  There is reception and my station is detecting strikes.  Am I doing something wrong?  My stations is 2110 Manlius, NY.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks

Pete - W2PJ            

Edit 3: Looking closer at what the debug messages were telling me, it became clear that the H field was missing any data. Out to the outdoor box with the H field antennas and look at the status LED which is off more than on. A quick wiggle of the lan cable indicated a dry joint. Back into the workshop and a quick joint refresh with normal leaded solder and hey presto all working again.

Moral, do not trust lead free solder. PPS (P*ss Poor Soldering) and lead free do not mix. As an electronics professional, I am really quite annoyed with myself, I have never knowingly had a dry joint. Oh well I guess there is always a first time...

Edit 2: Not working. Looks like something is still not happy. Still getting ADC errors...

Edit 1. Look at the input voltage. Clearly this device requires more than the POE converter can provide. The supply voltage was circa 3.84v. Now plugged into a PI USB2 port and voltage is up to 4.2v and the device appears to be much happier...

However that was still not enough. Now powered by a wall wart supply and getting 4.72v+.

So folks the lesson here is to be careful of your volts! Whilst trying to get rid of "wall Warts" to save power, make sure your proposed solution is up to the task!

Jon 

Hi Folks

Just noticed that my system was not picking up much of the storms across eastern Europe.

It looks like it has gone deaf. Carried out a reboot but not much happening. 

Power LED on, Network LED on and GPS LED Flashing, that's about it.

Looking at the data received it appears something changed around 20 July. No local power disturbances or storms, Unit is fed from a POE switch via an adaptor and the whole lot is on a UPS... 

Are there any bits of advice as to what I can do to diagnose what is going on?

Nothing showing in the debug log unless GPS and Web are selected...

Additional: Some info the the debug log, I do not think it makes good reading...

Any help gratefully.... 

Thanks

Jon

Attached Files

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  lightning-22-07-27.txt (Size: 16.74 KB / Downloads: 5)

Hi!

My preamp circuit board is badly corroded. Can you get that PCB 5 ver 6 circuit board from anywhere new.

I would buy a new system entirely, otherwise I don't think it's possible. My position id 319.

Matti

Thanks its been Sold

New March 1, 2022, NOAA GOES -18 Lightning Mapper Satellite data is published in this public YouTube link

https://youtu.be/lgvz4_qG7i8

The last few days the Blitzortung Lightning Tracker app has stopped updating with data.  Not working on either an android tablet or phone.  
It is/was my fav. app for display of our data.

If the author is on our forum it would be nice to get a fix.  It hasn't been updated since 2019 however so may be done for.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/detai...n_US&gl=US

Hi,
   I have a System Blue PCB 19.5.
I followed the instructions for 19.4 and removed the onboard voltage regulator. Is there an external regulator that is required or should I have left the onboard regulator on?
 Is 19.5 a good functioning board? I can't find references to it on the web site, a friend in Massachusetts obtained a System Blue at approximately the same time as I received mine and was never able to get it to work and he is a very experienced electrical engineer.
Thank you,
Warren K2ORS