Blitzortung data on Windy.com

[Windy.com]

Hi

I am Ivo founder of www.windy.com, non-commercial weather website.

We have radar overlay for USA and now we are finishing radar overlay for part of Europe (where the data are open). As we understand lightning data are CC. We would like to use them on Windy.com on real time basis and also donate to Blitzortung some amount. So far I have not found any API endpoints, or some description how to connect to data.

Is there someone willing to help?

IL

[mwaters]

Participants in the Blitzortung lightning network have access to lighting data that can be used on websites for non-commercial purppses. See http://en.blitzortung.org/cover_your_area.php.

I like the way your site shows wind flows. :-)

[kevinmcc]

Sign up for a detector or a few.

Egon does take donations, I send him $5 every month to help out with all he does getting the detectors prepared and shipped.

[W2PJ-WX]

Hi

I am Ivo founder of www.windy.com, non-commercial weather website.

We have radar overlay for USA and now we are finishing radar overlay for part of Europe (where the data are open). As we understand lightning data are CC. We would like to use them on Windy.com on real time basis and also donate to Blitzortung some amount. So far I have not found any API endpoints, or some description how to connect to data.

Is there someone willing to help?

IL

I am an avid usr of windy.com.  You are building a very good weather site, and it would be great if you could integrate Blitzortung Lightening strikes into one of your real time layers!  i have just built and installed by Blitzortung System Blue in Manlius, New York.  Good luck with your enhancements to windy.com!! R/ W2PJ - Pete

[W2PJ-WX]

Hi

I am Ivo founder of www.windy.com, non-commercial weather website.

We have radar overlay for USA and now we are finishing radar overlay for part of Europe (where the data are open). As we understand lightning data are CC. We would like to use them on Windy.com on real time basis and also donate to Blitzortung some amount. So far I have not found any API endpoints, or some description how to connect to data.

Is there someone willing to help?

IL

I am an avid user of windy.com.  You are building a very good weather site, and it would be great if you could integrate Blitzortung Lightening strikes into one of your real time layers! I have just built and installed by Blitzortung System Blue in Manlius, New York.  Good luck with your enhancements to windy.com and please join the community of lightening trackers from around the world! 
R/ W2PJ - Pete

[wbkkwx]

May I suggest you drop an email to the admins at blitzortung AT gmx DOT org ?

Of course, getting a receiver or a few, will also help.

[DelandeC]

We have to keep in mind that blitzortung.org has to be the main website for this project.
Only this one generates revenues that can be injected in the project.
Any third party websites will lower the trafic on the main website.
And, inderectly, the perenity of the project.

It is not just boards lying around in the world.
We need processing power behind that.

Everything said is my own opinion.

[cutty]

Note that DATA access and usage is limited to Operators, as stated above....
Restrictions are placed for such usage...
http://en.blitzortung.org/contact.php#contribution_4
Our real-time and archived data can also be used for external projects.

• The project may not represent commercial interests.
  
• It must be of general interest for the participants of Blitzortung.org.
  
• It must be different from existing projects. Do not just re-implement other projects.
  Do not setup yet another visualization of online data.
  
• All applications that use our data must be freely accessible.
  
• The source of the data must be clearly identified.
  
• The operator must prevent any possible misuse of the data provided, as far as this is possible.
  

The applications (web sites, apps, ...) have to retrieve their data from a separate server and not from the servers of Blitzortung.org. All data remain under the CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.

[mwaters]

Hi Mike,

Also from that page:

The use of our raw lightning data is allowed only to the participants of the project or to those we explicitly have allowed it.

It's preferred that he be a participant; I wonder if an exception could be made (even a temporary one), perhaps starting at the time he orders a system? After all, there is a long wait for System Blue controllers.

[cutty]

Hi Mike,

Also from that page:

The use of our raw lightning data is allowed only to the participants of the project or to those we explicitly have allowed it.

It's preferred that he be a participant; I wonder if an exception could be made (even a temporary one), perhaps starting at the time he orders a system? After all, there is a long wait for System Blue controllers.

It must be different from existing projects. Do not just re-implement other projects.

Do not setup yet another visualization of online data.

[cutty]

Hi Mike,

Also from that page:

The use of our raw lightning data is allowed only to the participants of the project or to those we explicitly have allowed it.

It's preferred that he be a participant; I wonder if an exception could be made (even a temporary one), perhaps starting at the time he orders a system? After all, there is a long wait for System Blue controllers.

It must be different from existing projects. Do not just re-implement other projects.

Do not setup yet another visualization of online data.

Blitzortung.org
lightningmaps.org
are existing projects.

[Windy.com]

What we can offer to the project is our free Windy API (api.windy.com)

With no further knowledge of JS, can replace IMHO obsolete Google Maps API and use Windy visualiser on Blitzortnung pages

-------------------------

Note that DATA access and usage is limited to Operators, as stated above....

I am not sure we could become the operator. We have asked few years ago but we are located in Prague, where there is  plenty other stations. So far we could become donor and donate to project on a monthly basis.

The project may not represent commercial interests.

This we fit

It must be of general interest for the participants of Blitzortung.org.

Well who decides this? Of course any 3rd party website that will use the data, can potentially damage main website traffic.

It must be different from existing projects. Do not just re-implement other projects.
Do not setup yet another visualization of online data.

Well we would like overlay lightning strikes with real weather radar data in US an EU (and wherever we will find open radar data), which can be quite interesting.

All applications that use our data must be freely accessible.

Yes windy.com is

The source of the data must be clearly identified.

Yes this is doable

The operator must prevent any possible misuse of the data provided, as far as this is possible.
The applications (web sites, apps, ...) have to retrieve their data from a separate server and not from the servers of Blitzortung.org. All data remain under the CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.

Yes this can be achieved

[mwaters]

Hello Ivo,

I cannot speak for Cutty (Mike) or the developers in Europe (Germany and Denmark); but here's some more info:

https://www.lightningmaps.org/doc/intro?lang=en
https://www.lightningmaps.org/about

Some stations listed here display lightning to some extent on their own website:

• https://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortun...on_id=1118
  
• https://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortun...ion_id=996
  

They all are participants, that is, they purchased and installed their own detector and are feeding data to the BT network. That's all I know.

[mwaters]

Hi Mike,

Also from that page:

The use of our raw lightning data is allowed only to the participants of the project or to those we explicitly have allowed it.

It's preferred that he be a participant; I wonder if an exception could be made (even a temporary one), perhaps starting at the time he orders a system? After all, there is a long wait for System Blue controllers.

It must be different from existing projects. Do not just re-implement other projects.

Do not setup yet another visualization of online data.

Hi Mike,

So, if I want to put real-time lightning data on my website, it has to be different than --for example-- these stations, also?

• http://sacrey.info/mybo/
  
• https://www.gwwilkins.org/wxbomap.php
  
• http://www.boulderwx.com/mylightningdete...o_page=map
  

[cutty]

Hi Mike,

Also from that page:

The use of our raw lightning data is allowed only to the participants of the project or to those we explicitly have allowed it.

It's preferred that he be a participant; I wonder if an exception could be made (even a temporary one), perhaps starting at the time he orders a system? After all, there is a long wait for System Blue controllers.

It must be different from existing projects. Do not just re-implement other projects.

Do not setup yet another visualization of online data.

Hi Mike,

So, if I want to put real-time lightning data on my website, it has to be different than --for example-- these stations, also?

• http://sacrey.info/mybo/
  
• https://www.gwwilkins.org/wxbomap.php
  
• http://www.boulderwx.com/mylightningdete...o_page=map
  

Listen follks, all I did was post the guidelines officially posted by Egon, who  is the project founder,  regarding application development and use of data. Operators have privileges, including data access, and the MyBO platform for use on their personal websites.  Thee are a couple of other apps approved by Egon and others for private use of operators. There is no Blitzortung API for external implementation.  One major reason for this is Blitzortung is an Experimental, hobbyist, educational, volunteer network, and should NOT be used in the manner commercial, validated network data is utilized.

If Windy.com wants to communicate with Egon regarding an exception, he certainly may. Seeking approval or further discussion here on this forum is a waste of time.

[BertSP]

Hi

I am Ivo founder of www.windy.com, non-commercial weather website.

We have radar overlay for USA and now we are finishing radar overlay for part of Europe (where the data are open). As we understand lightning data are CC. We would like to use them on Windy.com on real time basis and also donate to Blitzortung some amount. So far I have not found any API endpoints, or some description how to connect to data.

Is there someone willing to help?

IL

Ivo,
Great job on your Windy.com. I use it on my Wx site. It would be great if the two projects could come to an arrangement without violating any set rules.
My two cents.

[W3DRM]

Wow, some folks just don't get the message! Cutty is simply saying that whatever decision is to be made can only be made by Egon and his team. None of us here on this forum, including the moderators, can make nor can we influence that decision.

Again, further discussion of this is a waste of everyone's time and energy. Ivo has already been told several times that he needs to contact Egon directly to discuss his proposal. This forum is NOT the appropriate place to do that.

[skiter]

Hello all,

I was asking similar questions on other thread (thnks @MWaters for refering me here).

I think I'm not getting the differences bewtween "participants" mentioned by Mwaters and the "operators" linked in the web that @Cutty mentioned. Is there any difference? (maybe it's just my poor English knowledge).

As I read, I understand I'll get participant/operator once I get and install one BOKit, contributing with new data to the network, right? Only then I'll be able to access all the realtime and historic data, right?

I'm not getting also clear about the "other projects" question, because all the links MWaters posted are projects alike (and also Windy would be), but not quite "the same" projects indeed. Where can I find the list of existing projects? Is there any official aproved projects list, apart of contributor's personal websites with just embeded maps views?

Thanks in advanced helping a newbie ;D

[DelandeC]

Hi,

Participant = operator = someone who has one detector up and running.
Every participant can acces lightning data on blitzortung's servers.

You can almost do what you want with this data as you respect the CC-BY-SA 4.0 license and:

Our real-time and archived data can also be used for external projects.

• The project may not represent commercial interests.
  
• It must be of general interest for the participants of Blitzortung.org.
  
• It must be different from existing projects. Do not just reimplement other projects. Do not setup yet another visualization of online data.
  
• All applications that use our data must be freely accessible.
  
• The source of the data must be clearly identified.
  
• The operator must prevent any possible misuse of the data provided, as far as this is possible.
  

Official projects that use blitzortung data:
blitzortung.org
lmaps.org
Blitzortung Lightning Monitor Android app
BlitzortungLive iOS app.

Please contact Egon to know if your project fits the rules.

[skiter]

Great. Thanks for the info, but...

You can almost do what you want with this data as you respect the CC-BY-SA 4.0 license [..]

It seems confusing for me. The CC-BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) allows the transformation, commercial use and distribution close to completely free. I have no commercial intentions in mind, but I'm feeling the sharing-mod of the BOProject with a bunch of bit hard restriction intentions, comparing with other "opensource" projects I'm used (or contributive, experimental, hobbyist, educational, volunteer networked, usw...).

(not disscusing it, just mentioning. It's  Egon's right, of course)

Anyway, first step: getting a station.

Thanks!