Topic: Power Usage

[secs]

Hi all.

Looking at setting up 2 new red units possibly 3 here in Oz. Yes I have been planning for a while but no overtime is putting a strain on the budget.  One at my home location and my mate has just bought a farm out in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (300 Kms away) and maybe on eon the east coast with no power lines, buildings and other than a few trees, nothing in the area.

My question is can someone tell me roughly what power usage is involved? I have access to 3G so will utilise that as my network but the unit will stand out alone in the paddock and run from solar and batteries so I am just after how much I have to plan for.

[Maumelle Weather]

Hi,

The RED version uses 5V DC at about 500ma or so. As for data usage, that varies on the amount of lightning detected. Like today, Friday, December 27, here in Arkansas, I have sent about 85MB of information so far. On busy days, I have seen 300-500 MB sent in a 24 hour period.

Hope that helps,

John Sacrey
Benton, AR, USA

[secs]

Hi,

The RED version uses 5V DC at about 500ma or so. As for data usage, that varies on the amount of lightning detected. Like today, Friday, December 27, here in Arkansas, I have sent about 85MB of information so far. On busy days, I have seen 300-500 MB sent in a 24 hour period.

Hope that helps,

John Sacrey
Benton, AR, USA

The power part is good but I am a bit shocked at the data usage. Will have to look at what plans I can get but the info is much appreciated

[tobi]

Hi!

You can estimate the data usage. A signals with two channels (two antennas) needs ~1kB. One lightning stroke "produces" one or more signals. Assume there are 100,000 strokes in a month within a distance of 500km around your station. Then you will have a minimum ~100MB. However, depending on gain settings, a station will receive strokes much farther away. Let's say 1 million strokes and 5 signals per stroke makes 5GB! Depending on local disturbers, you will get even more traffic. Add 20% for additional management traffic.

By lowering the gain, you can reduce the traffic a lot. There's also an option, not to send signals with too low amplitudes. Right now, we try to lower the data usage for the stations, i.e. with an plausibility check on the signals.

Regards
Tobias

[secs]

Hi!

You can estimate the data usage. A signals with two channels (two antennas) needs ~1kB. One lightning stroke "produces" one or more signals. Assume there are 100,000 strokes in a month within a distance of 500km around your station. Then you will have a minimum ~100MB. However, depending on gain settings, a station will receive strokes much farther away. Let's say 1 million strokes and 5 signals per stroke makes 5GB! Depending on local disturbers, you will get even more traffic. Add 20% for additional management traffic.

By lowering the gain, you can reduce the traffic a lot. There's also an option, not to send signals with too low amplitudes. Right now, we try to lower the data usage for the stations, i.e. with an plausibility check on the signals.

Regards
Tobias

I will be doing it anyways but just need to work out the internet part for the remote one. Will do the one at my base first and tinker with that as obviously I can get to that one easily. The remote one will need to be done when I get a bit of experience as its 300kms to where it is

Thanks heaps