Phoenix, Arizona, a hole in the coverage?

[jerrya]

I'm in the 85032 zip code in the US, and we are in the middle of a summer thunderstorm. It's pretty active and has lasted about 20 minutes now.

And yet, the map during this time shows (just about) nothing in Phoenix, Arizona. It is registering strikes in Canada, Mexico, Louisiana, North Dakota, ....

Earlier today, when there was no lightning here, I did see the map register strikes outside of the city about 30 miles away, and elsewhere in Arizona.

What would cause lightning strikes *not* to be mapped?

[Dr Obbins]

This was an answer to a similar question and basically applies to yours as well. More stations are still needed in the USA.

Between the DC region and Florida, there is indeed a "gap" without stations. Typically, to detect strikes in NC would probably require the participation of (at the closest) some of the DC region stations, Florida stations, and Kentucky stations. So lower-intensity strikes might get missed, anyway, due to the distance...and if enough of the surrounding stations are in interference mode due to storms in their immediate vicinity, stations even farther away would need to do the detecting. It's a situation higher density of stations will help quite a bit.

It's also possible that the strikes were cloud-to-cloud, which the Blitzortung system (like most lightning detection networks) filters out.

[jerrya]

This was an answer to a similar question and basically applies to yours as well. More stations are still needed in the USA.

Between the DC region and Florida, there is indeed a "gap" without stations. Typically, to detect strikes in NC would probably require the participation of (at the closest) some of the DC region stations, Florida stations, and Kentucky stations. So lower-intensity strikes might get missed, anyway, due to the distance...and if enough of the surrounding stations are in interference mode due to storms in their immediate vicinity, stations even farther away would need to do the detecting. It's a situation higher density of stations will help quite a bit.

It's also possible that the strikes were cloud-to-cloud, which the Blitzortung system (like most lightning detection networks) filters out.

Thanks,

Observationally, we do have a lot of cloud to cloud strikes here. That could very well explain what I saw on the map since nearby areas (100 - 200 miles away) did register.

Is there a map that shows where the stations are?

[Jonathan.Williams]

This was an answer to a similar question and basically applies to yours as well. More stations are still needed in the USA.

Between the DC region and Florida, there is indeed a "gap" without stations. Typically, to detect strikes in NC would probably require the participation of (at the closest) some of the DC region stations, Florida stations, and Kentucky stations. So lower-intensity strikes might get missed, anyway, due to the distance...and if enough of the surrounding stations are in interference mode due to storms in their immediate vicinity, stations even farther away would need to do the detecting. It's a situation higher density of stations will help quite a bit.

It's also possible that the strikes were cloud-to-cloud, which the Blitzortung system (like most lightning detection networks) filters out.

Thanks,

Observationally, we do have a lot of cloud to cloud strikes here. That could very well explain what I saw on the map since nearby areas (100 - 200 miles away) did register.

Is there a map that shows where the stations are?

If you go here: http://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung...hp?lang=en

...and click the "more" button on the upper right, you'll see a checkbox for "stations". However, some of the stations are likely not depicted if they've been offline for a while.

A complete list can be found under the "participants" tab here.

[jerrya]

This was an answer to a similar question and basically applies to yours as well. More stations are still needed in the USA.

Between the DC region and Florida, there is indeed a "gap" without stations. Typically, to detect strikes in NC would probably require the participation of (at the closest) some of the DC region stations, Florida stations, and Kentucky stations. So lower-intensity strikes might get missed, anyway, due to the distance...and if enough of the surrounding stations are in interference mode due to storms in their immediate vicinity, stations even farther away would need to do the detecting. It's a situation higher density of stations will help quite a bit.

It's also possible that the strikes were cloud-to-cloud, which the Blitzortung system (like most lightning detection networks) filters out.

Thanks,

Observationally, we do have a lot of cloud to cloud strikes here. That could very well explain what I saw on the map since nearby areas (100 - 200 miles away) did register.

Is there a map that shows where the stations are?

If you go here: http://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung...hp?lang=en

...and click the "more" button on the upper right, you'll see a checkbox for "stations". However, some of the stations are likely not depicted if they've been offline for a while.

A complete list can be found under the "participants" tab here.

Ah! Thank you, very interesting.

[Kevin.Beverage]

I'm over in east Mesa and I'd sure like some company here in the valley! I'm finally getting my system tuned in and running a bit better than it has the last few weeks, had a missing solder connection on one of the op-amps on the amplifier board which has now been resolved. I know of one other gentleman in Glendale who has expressed interest in getting a kit once they start selling them again, I may be building it for him if he wants the help. Feel free to order a kit and join us

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Oh and on the issue of seeing lightning in the area but nothing on the maps you are correct that cloud-to-cloud lightning normally won't be detected, but another thing to consider is that there is a minimum number of stations (5 or 6) needed to record an event and have the server consider it a valid strike - if less than that number record the event and send data it will not register on the map displays. So by all means get a station up and running so we can record more of the monsoon activity!