Weather Station Hardware > Blitzortung

Status of Blitz project

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92merc:
I didn't want to post this over on the Blitz forum.  I'm not looking to disparage the developers or the project.

But I've noticed nothing really new on the firmware front, or any major updates coming.  Their "What's new" was last updated November of 2019.

So something going on I didn't see?  Just hoping this project doesn't die off.  Hoping someone may know something.

miraculon:
I haven't heard anything, maybe Cutty has.

It might be that the project is working well and stable. There are still areas that could use more stations, but I haven't followed the availability of them.

Quite frankly, I haven't checked into the Blitzortung forum in a while...  :oops:

Greg H.

chief-david:
Would love to have a lightning detector. But unsure how I can get the wiring into the building.

They are doing another story on me for the alumni mag. Who knows. Maybe someone will come forward.

Cutty Sark Sailor:

--- Quote from: miraculon on January 26, 2021, 09:35:51 AM ---I haven't heard anything, maybe Cutty has.

It might be that the project is working well and stable. There are still areas that could use more stations, but I haven't followed the availability of them.



--- End quote ---
A)  I'll give you some thoughts:
B) Generally, that is true.. parts availability, logistics and fabrication is very much an issue, as always

Now -  thoughts:
Over the last year or so, there have been many subtle impacts of the Covid issue, and to some degree that has imacted Blitzortung as well...That and the intense data processing and system upgrades that began a bit before the Covid issue became intense. But that's only a corner of the situation. I mention it only to make the point that the damn thing has affected society in more ways than is obvious.

That and other coincidental events and situations over the last couple of years would generate concern.. I agree... many go back to the large server database issue of a couple years ago, and the installation of new processors... which did NOT go according to plan because of a hardware issue, and several algorithm changes, causing issues between the (at the time) shared data between BT and LMO platforms... LMO gradually has become only an 'adjunct' to BT rather than a 'valid' data source, partially because of that.

Tobias: the firmware/LMO developer... due to Career and Lifestyle impositions, he's extremely limited on resources and time to devote to the project. Richo, mostly because of health, and retirement, is much less involved in the development (with Blue pretty much designed and locked in). Mr. Friese, who supplied the ferrite antennas, has retired. However, as we've learned, someone qualified to own a BT shouldn't be affected by the lack of prebuilt antennas :D

Another factor is the enhancement and upgrading of the data processing and computations in the project overall...  As you're aware, Dr. Egon Wanke actually "owns" Blitzortung.  Over the last couple of years, he's focused on upgrading and improving quality and accuracy of the data processing for the currently utilized parameters.  Also over the last year, his professional demands have been more intense due to COVID...

Much has been done, however,  despite his resticted availability. You'll notice, if you haven't already, for example, the number of strokes 'used' for locations for your stations will have dropped significantly, compared to what it was in the past... doesn't mean you aren't effective... just means that with an increase in station density, there are 'more' stations providing the same 'stroke', which have 'better' stroke data than you do. e.g. Station A is 80km  from the stroke sends discharge impulse, becomes a 'locator'....you're 800km away and send skywave.  Skywave not selected, you drop from 'locator' to 'detector'.. whereas  before station A came online, you would have been a locator.

If you haven't noticed such, you will come season start!  I dread looking at the BT forum when that happens...

There are more subtle things over the last few years, but with all the server refinement in process as Egon is able to implement it, there isn't much sense in developing new firmware re-writes, even though there are some irritating bugs in the 9 series .. they don't affect the data sent, but are more on the 'operator's perspective'. 

A second major reason, the controller itself is running very close to memory maximum for firmware, even to the point that scripts to display operator's gui are NOT contained in latest release, but are pulled from BT server when GUI accessed.  Until Egon perfects the current data paradigms on server, I don't expect a rewrite of the firmware... and when it does arrive, I expect it will be rather drastic.. heh.

A third thing.. As you know, there are MANY systems out there that the operators found were not 'plug'n'play' and those folks found the system was not what they 'assumed', despite the project explanations. They are still online, however, not-optimized, and in many cases a big old boat anchor on the system... One of Egon's point development is noise paradigms, and you'll also see fewer 'valid' channel signals than before.  Eventually portions of that need to be implemented into the local firmware also.

One  'negative', which to me is a 'positive', is the retirement of the gentleman who supplied the 'kit' ferrite antennas... I say positive, because that may decrease the number of 'plug'n'players'  wasting their money on a 'prebuilt' system... if you follow me.

PaulMy:
Hi Mike,
I moved to a new house about 18 months ago and reconnected my Komoka #1076 at the time and after a bit of fumbling around got it to again show on my IP 192.168.0.16.  And it has just been running and running without me hardly ever looking at it :oops:   
Your post remined me to login, and I see a New Firmware Version 9.2.  In my Status settings it shows Station 1076 FW 8.0-b2PCB 10.4/12.3 but I thought I had updated to ver. 8.x a couple of years ago (I can't recall exactly when and what). 


Should I upgrade?  and what preparation should I do to help avoid any catastrophe?


Thanks,
Paul

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