StikeStarUS (networked lightning detection system)

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 *NOTICE: The data shown on this page is generated from a single lightning detector installed for use by the observatory. The data from this detector is uploaded to this webpage as a courtesy and should be considered experimental data. The data is property of the JAT Observatory and may not be reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the JAT Observatory. This data should not be used to make decisions involving the protection of life or property. For information on lightning safety consult the National Weather Service or the National Lightning Safety Institute.

The lightning detection system in use by the observatory is a combination of hardware and software. The hardware section is a Boltek StormTracker lightning detector. This consists of the detector that has been placed inside a PVC pipe, to protect it from the weather.  The directional detector is mounted approx 25 feet above ground level and due north of the observatory.  The detector is connected (via 100 ft of Ethernet cable) to a receiver card inside a computer running Windows XP-Pro.   The data from the detector is currently being processed by the NexStorm software. The software gathers information about  lightning strikes and displays that data in real-time on the monitor of the local PC. In addition it is configured to automatically transfer a subset of the data to this webpage in 60 second intervals as well as providing data to the StikeStarUS networked lightning  detection system.  StrikeStarUS is comprised of approximately 65 personal Boltek lightning detection systems networked together in forming a national lightning detection network.

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Updated 06/22/2008 - Please report broken links webmaster@jatobservatory.org