Topic: E field Kit just arrived...

[Jumpin Joe]

My kit has been ordered. Egon has been very busy an apologized for the delay. Heck, I'm just glad I could order one. 

Hey Don.... sounds like your excited and your patience is weak too!!   

Joe

Yes, am not-so-patiently waiting for the arrival of the kit. So, today I took a long hike up a canyon in the area with a couple friends. It was supposed to be a 6-mile hike in and out up to a waterfall in the area. The maps lied! It turned-out to be just short of 10-miles with an elevation change from 4600-feet up to 7425-feet. Straight-line distance from the trail-head to the waterfall is about 0.9 of a mile. So, as you can imagine, the canyon walls are quite steep and the trail consists of many switch-backs. The hardest part was coming back down with the fairly steep grade of the trail. My old knees really took a beating even though I had two walking sticks to help. At least I'll have something else to think about tonight (pain!) rather than where my E-field kit is... 

Taking a hike is a good way to take things off your mind.

Regarding the knees.... I hear where your coming from. Doctor told me yesterday afternoon that I need to have one of my knees operated on. That will take place in just over week from now.

I hope have my kit by then.... it will give me something to do while I'm on the mend.

[W3DRM]

Taking a hike is a good way to take things off your mind.

Regarding the knees.... I hear where your coming from. Doctor told me yesterday afternoon that I need to have one of my knees operated on. That will take place in just over week from now.

I hope have my kit by then.... it will give me something to do while I'm on the mend.

Joe - hope your surgery goes well. My wife had a total knee replacement several years ago and afterwards wished she had done it sooner. She hikes and does everything. You'd never know she had a replacement.

[Jumpin Joe]

Taking a hike is a good way to take things off your mind.

Regarding the knees.... I hear where your coming from. Doctor told me yesterday afternoon that I need to have one of my knees operated on. That will take place in just over week from now.

I hope have my kit by then.... it will give me something to do while I'm on the mend.

Joe - hope your surgery goes well. My wife had a total knee replacement several years ago and afterwards wished she had done it sooner. She hikes and does everything. You'd never know she had a replacement.

Thanks Don.  This is the last attempt to repair before replacing.

[DaleReid]

Joe,
Sort of Hopping Joe for a few weeks?

(grin)

Dale

While surgery is irreversible and some things like infection or something can creep in, if you finally think it is time to try something, it is. A friend's mother was being told for two years by her ortho that 'she'd know when it was time,' rather than tell her what others' pain and discomfort was like before they decided.  After the surgery she was royally ticked at him for not being more directive and saying others would have chosen to do something at this point.  She, too, said she'd done it two years earlier, but there is no way of knowing.  Good luck in any event.

[JonathanW]

They're getting better, too:

http://www.wkyt.com/betterliving/headlines/New-knee-replacement-surgery-in-Lexington-using-3D-printing-255540191.html

[Jumpin Joe]

Joe,
Sort of Hopping Joe for a few weeks?

(grin)

Dale

While surgery is irreversible and some things like infection or something can creep in, if you finally think it is time to try something, it is. A friend's mother was being told for two years by her ortho that 'she'd know when it was time,' rather than tell her what others' pain and discomfort was like before they decided.  After the surgery she was royally ticked at him for not being more directive and saying others would have chosen to do something at this point.  She, too, said she'd done it two years earlier, but there is no way of knowing.  Good luck in any event.

You got that right!  Been hopping for a few months. Maybe I should change my name. 

I have a few friends that have had the knee replaced and they are happy. I do not have bone on bone... yet. 

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

Probe Mount....



 
Working smooth as a baby's bottom.... now to encase and mount the amp... 

[Jumpin Joe]

Probe Mount....



 
Working smooth as a baby's bottom.... now to encase and mount the amp... 

Very nice Mike!!  You do good work.

Would you care to share a parts list for the mast and amp when you are finished? Please!  I'm sure there are many of us they would like it.

Joe

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

Would you care to share a parts list for the mast and amp when you are finished? Please!  I'm sure there are many of us they would like it.
Joe

Well, I sorta went on a journey of exploration... the probe housing is just a combo of PVC parts, probably cost about $5-$6. See earlier pic...
Mount was tricky... it's a snap-on saddle tee for the probe, cut about a half inch off each end, and locked in place with the bottom screw cap which holds the preamp. No glue.
The mount 'pipe' is another 12x¾ " piece of PVC into some kinda flange they had kicking around as old inventory, and gave me... probably the most expensive piece, but I have no idea since it was a freebie. Two U-bolts 5/16" about a buck each... put some heat shrink over the 'loop' so to give 'em some friction... The saddle Tee and the flange aren't glued, but there is just a teeny drop of PVC cement in one spot each, on the outside, just to lock 'em semi-permanently. (May have to readjust vertical, ya know).   My investment about $10-$12 plus a lot of walking and thinkin', a touch of the hacksaw, and file... that's about it.... since I don't know plumbing, somebody who does, could rig this a lot quicker, I suppose.
So I really couldn't give you a parts list since I don't know what the hell I'm talking about....

Mike

[DaleReid]

Nice drip loop, not many would know to put that in.

No problem with noise from the wx station?

Anxious to see it in action.  Has it fed the controller board yet to see what the RED generated web page looks like and what statistics go out to the site?

[DaleReid]

Can you take a picture of how the horizontal arm fits to the round thingie with two U-bolts on the support mast?

Just take from the other side if you can get over there.  I'm curious as to how it will hold up in a 90 mph gust....

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

Nice drip loop, not many would know to put that in.

No problem with noise from the wx station?

Anxious to see it in action.  Has it fed the controller board yet to see what the RED generated web page looks like and what statistics go out to the site?

Can you take a picture of how the horizontal arm fits to the round thingie with two U-bolts on the support mast?

Just take from the other side if you can get over there.  I'm curious as to how it will hold up in a 90 mph gust....

1)Thanks
2)Nope. Should there be?
3)Don't know yet,.
3)Not today.
4)It threads in... some kinda flange Lowe's gave me. Ain't a plumber.
5)If there's 90 mph winds it won't be the only thing to go. Ain't worried 'bout it.
Mike

[DaleReid]

2) Well, maybe with reed switches switching and transmitters pulsing that something might be irritating to the preamplifier and all.  I know that the initial thoughts were to get this thing far away as possible from stuff, and to know that the sensor packages and ISSs don't bug it really opens up the install options.

3) Whenever your time allows. You have one of the first kits, so the rest of us have to build first.

4) Ah, a flange thingie.  I think I've seen them.  Almost like the bulb sockets for putting over a junction box on the ceiling, but this one is plastic.  Neat. 

5) Well, I've had a near 80 mph gust on my anemometer and things shuddered, but the tower and all parts stayed up.  I'm not sure the same was for the limbs on nearby trees.

I didn't have it that I know of at my house, (no anemometer up then) but this area has had 112 mph straightline winds in 1980, measured by a TV station, but not officially, and it took down a LOT of trees where that intensity hit. Their 1000' transmitter tower and the rigging on it stayed up, too, but otherwise a Bad Day all around.

I guess it is a good thing I don't build stuff to go into space, it would be too heavy to be lifted off.

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

Looks like a floor flange.

Looks like a floor flange.

Yeah. A floor flange.  Now called an "upinna air Blitzortung E field Probe Support Thingie".... 
Mike

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

Initial setup - too early to judge, but: 

Currently:
1A,1B: 10*10*40 ThresHold 1A 110mv 1B 100mv (E/W orientation) 300mm unshielded ferries (12"}
2A,2B:  5*5*16 TH 100mv (Omni) 380mm (15") probe)
2C: 5*5*10  TH 100mv  (Omni) 380mm (15") probe)
no auto filtering, no amplitude filtering. all manual.

[DaleReid]

Oh the agony.  The shame.  Those of us limping along at smaller percentages and no Efield antenna (oops, probe) to get our numbers up.  I feel like I have low T and nothing I can do about it.  Turn it up, with Efield!

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

Dale, when we have a big enough network, keep in mind, we'll should all only run 20-40% efficiency compared to total strikes, total network.  The network paradigm and programming will take those "high efficiencies" away from us gradually, by its very design.  An efficient network of our type would be low signal rate, and 'short' range,... say within 500-800 miles. Those of us, like you, in on the early stages are apt to focus on distance, and that is very cool, and neat. It's taken Don F, Greg H, Me, and our overlooked founders, the Green operators, awhile to get that in our heads...  As you new guys come on board we understand, we were there... concentrate on getting your station optimal for your specific environment, so you make the least 'gain riding' decisions and adjustments. The network takes care of the rest. 

[Dr Obbins]

Curious to see how it performs during a local storm. Looks like we may find out this Wednesday.

[W3DRM]

Nice drip loop, not many would know to put that in. ...snip...

That's so when the lightning hits it it will drip to the ground below...   

Yes, i agree with the others - Mike, you've done a marvelous job with your E-filed setup.

20-40% Efficiency? Geesh, I'd be happy to see 10%! I rarely see anything above 0%...

Still waiting for my E-field kit... 

[W3DRM]

Wahooo!!! My E-field kit arrived late this afternoon. 

I just finished inventorying all the parts and nothing seems to be missing. I have put together an inventory list and will post it in the thread entitled "Blitzortung Documentation - REVISED ...". It should show up as one of the very first postings of the Blitzortung board of WXFORUM. As I go through the building process, I will develop a step-by-step document as I did with my original Blitzortung Red kit. I'm not sure how much time I am going to have over the next few days to get started on the build as I have many things on my plate this week.

BTW, for those who already have their E-Field kits, I received the following version boards:

• Pre-Amplifier - PCB 14 Ver. 1b * 4/2014
• Amplifier - PCB 13 Ver. 1b * 4/2014

And of course, we have had some rare lightning this evening within 30 to 40 miles of my location and more expected throughout tonight and tomorrow as a storm rolls through the area.

[JonathanW]

Have fun!  I'm overseas in a meeting, but my wife informs me that my system has arrived at home.  Since I'm starting from scratch, I've ordered the whole deal - controller, E-field and H-field kits, and will be building a couple of (the other) Don's ferrite antennas, too.  I have some work waiting for me when I get home in a couple of weeks.

Jonathan

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

It just never occurred to me until a moment ago,...
If you want to see signal data at the server from the 5 channels now being sent with the E Field +...
http://ourspecial.net/twinhollies/weathercenter/blitz/sigs/index.html
(sampled at 2.5sec...)
Mike

[JonathanW]

I'm going to try one of these (3-1/2" hollow copper ball):



Richio indicated it should work; as I calculate it, the capacitance should be on the order of what one would get from a 15-18" AWG 12 length of wire.

Copper spheres are regularly used for E-field sensing, including at ELF frequencies.

I'll report the results, once I get my station built and running.

[JonathanW]

As a follow-up, I assume from Mike's work that the preamp will fit in standard 1" PVC pipe?

[DaleReid]

Those copper spheres are just the ticket.

I can see you hovering around during a lightning storm yelling, "It's alive! It's alive!" as St. Elmo's fire glows about your house and van de Graff like sparks jump off them.

Do you have a long white lab coat and dark goggles to wear?