Intro from Yellowknife, NWT, Canada

[Ron T]

My name is Ron, I'm an amateur radio operator, callsign VE8RT, in Yellowknife in the NWT of Canada.
While looking for an affordable alternative to the popular commercial lightning detection system, I came across this Lightning Radar network. It looks like something that I could do on a reasonable budget. The electronics part of constructing a station should not be too difficult for me, but I'm not very strong on software. I'm hoping to learn from the experiences of the other group members. My goal is to have something set up before our thunderstorm season begins, in most years that would be late May. This year our winter has been unusually warmer than normal, if the warm weather continues there may be thunderstorms earlier.

[Thomas_LR]

Hello Ron and welcome to the network LightningRadar !

And welcome on this little active forum at the moment ...

If you have any questions please ask them.

Tutorials exist to solve the LR software, you can download it here:
http://www.lr37.fr/img/doc/lightningradar-en.pdf for the English version
http://www.lr37.fr/img/doc/lightningradar-fr.pdf and for the French version (if you speak French ).

Good Luck and quickly a new station.

P.S : Vive les jeux olympique (oups french ...)

[Ron T]

Thanks Thomas,
i looked at the english website, it looks very interesting. It will take me some time to understand how to use the software, so I will be asking questions on the Software forum. First I will start working on an antenna and the pre-amplifier.

[weather1967]

Ηello Ron and welcome at forum.
Good luck with your project .

[Ron T]

Thanks Dimitris,
I visited your homepage, maybe sometime I'll put together a modest website. Are there any members from Canada or Alaska on the lightningradar network? My location is probably too far from European stations in the network to contribute useful data.

[weather1967]

Ηi Ron
Thanks where you visit my website.I wish you to make some time ,and you have inside photos and maps LR
I do not thing there are other members from Alaska or Canada,your nearest members ,where you can have correlation is from USA,but maybe you can have some correlation from some members from West Europe ,and from Pacific ocean.If you can open all the sensitivity,and have a good antenna system.
I have correlation with some members from USA at long distance Atlantic ocean -Mexico golf e.t.c.
The most of all ,for you have long distance correlation antenna must is somewhere long away from TV-Air-contition-motors for you not have interferences ,and you can open all the sencitivity .

[Ron T]

Building an antenna is the first thing I will do. We do have some TVs, several computers, routers, cable and satellite modem, and other noise sources. Probably car ignition systems and even aircraft ignition / ignitors will be a problem too. My location is at the company float base (the aircraft are on skiis until the end of April) and the aircraft are close to the house. You can find my house by searching for my postal code in Google maps, X1A 2H5. You will see a parking lot with twin engine aircraft on the south side and a single engine Cessna just to the north in a cove. Our house is just to the left of the single engine aircraft. It may be a very noisy location.

[weather1967]

Very nice place you stay there near the lake,i saw the lake and the airplanes company float base near at your house .Do you can tell me how meters distance it is from your house ?
Because i suppose you will have many noise (interferences ) there from ignition/ignitors,if it is near to your house.
What job make there this type at airplane ? Firefigthers ? or transport ?

[Ron T]

The turbine aircraft are about 70 metres from the house. They are used for charter work, to bring people and materials to prospecting and mining camps, and in summer to wilderness camps. Interference from the aircraft would only be for a few minutes when they are operating close to the base. It would be nice to find a place away from everything and set up a solar / wind powered monitoring station with a radio link. First I should get a basic receiving station going from the house.

[weather1967]

Ok if the time where it is there near your home with open engines it will is few minutes ,no problem .
You will have little noise this time for few minutes,and after LR it work ok.
LR is a type where love the quiet,more quiet better long range distance:) ,if you do not have near the air plane ,your will are great
Here i have the antenna 30 meters away from my home ,because at my house i have 3 Air contitions with inverter ,and i had very wild noise from them.
After stop all my problems,antenna it is 30 meters away from the nearest home,public electricity cables,streets.