Author Topic: Accurite Portable Lightning Detector - video of fail  (Read 1864 times)

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Offline n2qew

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Accurite Portable Lightning Detector - video of fail
« on: May 24, 2017, 10:49:41 PM »
Recently got reminded of this video I did about a year ago showing the gross inaccuracy of the Accurite lightning sensor. Had a storm pop up while I was at a dog park, and had the sensor with me. Strikes were generally within a couple miles. Sensor consistently said really far distances - 10 or more miles when really close.

Decided to video it. I have an obviously clean cloud to ground strike that was right about a mile away - ~5 secs flash to bang. Sensor said 9 miles. I called Accurite, and explained that the thing was showing info that was just plain wrong. Got an answer from the list
of "what to say when they have no clue about the product" that was along the lines of it must be picking up noise or something. Hey, I was outside, in a park, in the open with no buildings or other electronics around. Probably as close to the perfect, intended environment for this as you are going to get.

https://1drv.ms/v/s!Al2OT6PFWa6Ik0XmPrLqx-_cLTwQ

Offline miraculon

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Re: Accurite Portable Lightning Detector - video of fail
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2017, 08:44:08 AM »
I don't trust any lightning distance estimates unless it is from a TOA/TOGA multi-station location network. All of these single-point detectors give dubious estimates in my opinion.

Even the TOA/TOGA based detection systems are not perfect in their localizing, but they are significantly closer than single-detectors.

I have a AS3935 (same chip used in the Acu-Rite) interfaced to my Blitzortung "Red" unit. Some of the strike estimates are "in the ballpark" vs. the Blitzortung locations, but I take it with a grain of salt, so to speak.

Greg H.


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Offline BeaverMeadow

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Re: Accurite Portable Lightning Detector - video of fail
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2017, 09:49:21 AM »
Although the distance accuracy cannot be relied upon to be absolutely accurate, the quantity recording of strikes is very useful. When a line of thunderstorms came through my area a few weeks ago my display (model #06058) recorded 97 strikes with the closest being one mile away. The distance of strikes recorded by the display roughly correlated with the distance of the approaching line of storms.

Without the display to record strike data I can see how the module alone would be somewhat limited do to inaccurate distance reporting.


 

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