Topic: NASA Credibility

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

NASA joining region 3... they'll be using BO with alerts and alarms to stop countdowns in event of sudden strikes...
per Tobi, 7/5/2014   http://forum.blitzortung.org/showthread.php?tid=624&pid=5661#pid5661
 

OK>>>  So Tobi Blitzed Me, on this one!
Laughing his rear off in Germany, he informs me this was a joke....

Ok... I deserve it. Payback... he got me.
Statement retracted, and thread closed.

[JonathanW]

NASA joining region 3... they'll be using BO with alerts and alarms to stop countdowns in event of sudden strikes...
per Tobi, 7/5/2014   http://forum.blitzortung.org/showthread.php?tid=624&pid=5661#pid5661
 

Not surprising, but cool.  I shared info regarding the network with some FAA colleagues, who seemed interested.  Also, an FCC colleague indicates some FCC guys are interested in building some stations for their homes (DC area).  He's also shared info on it with some friends in Arizona who are interested in using better lightning detection in the SW thanks to wildfire risks.  Look for possible additional stations in Arizona and the surrounding area.

I think there's a coming "pulse" of station installation in the U.S. later this year.  Perhaps we've reached a tipping point...

[DaleReid]

Its just too darned bad that Egon, et.al., stock ran dry just as this huge interest bloomed.

The way it's going there will be system 'Blue' out before a lot more get purchased, shipped, built and on the air.

I wonder if, since they are ordering more boards, if there will be an additional revision?  I can see the nearly painless mod of re-orienting the GPS F connector, and maybe moving the green LED to allow for that.   Are there other known shortcomings on the current Red revision?  Everything else seems pretty OK, and despite needing electrolytics where they are and having to lay them down on the board, not much else going on.

Maybe there won't be a blue version for awhile, but if they're ordering, and any new design elements ready, now may be the logical time for them to do it.

[dfroula]

I saw that!

It seems like the ultimate opposite of "not for protection of life or property" though!

However, Cape Canaveral has an extensive private network of field mills, VLF and UHF lightning detectors. I saw quite a few of the stations when I toured the old Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo launch sites a few years ago. I suppose this is additional data...the more the better.

This might be an incentive for some stations to pay more attention to their station tuning. Many could be doing much better.

Imagine turning on the vacuum cleaner and aborting a launch (joke.....couldn't happen) 

Don
WD9DMP

NASA joining region 3... they'll be using BO with alerts and alarms to stop countdowns in event of sudden strikes...
per Tobi, 7/5/2014   http://forum.blitzortung.org/showthread.php?tid=624&pid=5661#pid5661
 

[Dr Obbins]

Imagine turning on the vacuum cleaner and aborting a launch (joke.....couldn't happen) 

Don

Every time I used my treadmill, there was a storm over southern Illinois according to the Boltek I used to have.

[dfroula]

Its just too darned bad that Egon, et.al., stock ran dry just as this huge interest bloomed.

The way it's going there will be system 'Blue' out before a lot more get purchased, shipped, built and on the air.

 I think there are quite a few Reds in the pipeline. Many future participants may not participate on this board.

I almost have the controller done on the first of two Ontario stations. Back to the soldering iron!

Don
WD9DMP

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

NASA joining region 3... they'll be using BO with alerts and alarms to stop countdowns in event of sudden strikes...
per Tobi, 7/5/2014   http://forum.blitzortung.org/showthread.php?tid=624&pid=5661#pid5661
 

Not surprising, but cool.  I shared info regarding the network with some FAA colleagues, who seemed interested.  Also, an FCC colleague indicates some FCC guys are interested in building some stations for their homes (DC area).  He's also shared info on it with some friends in Arizona who are interested in using better lightning detection in the SW thanks to wildfire risks.  Look for possible additional stations in Arizona and the surrounding area.

I think there's a coming "pulse" of station installation in the U.S. later this year.  Perhaps we've reached a tipping point...

Its just too darned bad that Egon, et.al., stock ran dry just as this huge interest bloomed.

The way it's going there will be system 'Blue' out before a lot more get purchased, shipped, built and on the air.

I wonder if, since they are ordering more boards, if there will be an additional revision?  I can see the nearly painless mod of re-orienting the GPS F connector, and maybe moving the green LED to allow for that.   Are there other known shortcomings on the current Red revision?  Everything else seems pretty OK, and despite needing electrolytics where they are and having to lay them down on the board, not much else going on.

Maybe there won't be a blue version for awhile, but if they're ordering, and any new design elements ready, now may be the logical time for them to do it.

Let's remember a few things... first, a bit of behind the scenes... NASA and some others have been looking and testing awhile .
2nd,  a hiatus had to occur... for many reasons, but mainly because the growth has placed infrastructure as the priority. This normally would have happened gradually, as network grew gradually... also the incredible workload the recent surge has placed on the small team of developers has exhausted them. Please don't bother them with speculative questions and inquiries that are likely already answered in a forum somewhere... . They need to work on other things for us.
3rd. Avoid any mods to the boards, even if they seem irrelevant, and make sense... Especially on the E amps and preamps... I personally don't like the rotation of the GPS jack for several reasons, but it's your kit.  One reason is "well, I changed that, maybe I can change this also"... now we cannot help you troubleshoot. But, do as you will... . I found out the hard way. But it's your deal... not mine.
4th. Any design changes have to go through R&D, and that takes time... don't look for major changes before next year... it's possible sooner, but not likely. Rest assured that any major changes will not make your system obsolete by any means.
5th. When will kits start shipping again?  Wouldn't that depend on when infrastructure is updated, and how close it is to any design changes?

[W3DRM]

I've made several trips to the launch facilities in Florida and most of the equipment one sees there relative to lightning is there to mitigate a strike that may hit in the area. They have put together an incredible grounding system that they hope will result in any nearby strike hitting the mitigation towers and not a shuttle or other rocket/equipment on a launch pad.

I'm sure they have some pretty sophisticated sensors too that helps to warn them of incoming storms.

[miraculon]

NASA joining region 3... they'll be using BO with alerts and alarms to stop countdowns in event of sudden strikes...
per Tobi, 7/5/2014   http://forum.blitzortung.org/showthread.php?tid=624&pid=5661#pid5661
 

Not surprising, but cool.  I shared info regarding the network with some FAA colleagues, who seemed interested.  Also, an FCC colleague indicates some FCC guys are interested in building some stations for their homes (DC area).  He's also shared info on it with some friends in Arizona who are interested in using better lightning detection in the SW thanks to wildfire risks.  Look for possible additional stations in Arizona and the surrounding area.

I think there's a coming "pulse" of station installation in the U.S. later this year.  Perhaps we've reached a tipping point...

Maybe if we are lucky, the FCC guys will experience first hand some of the noise issues that we have been experiencing and clamp down on some of these VLF racket generators!

Greg H.

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

OK>>>  So Tobi Blitzed Me, on this one!
Laughing his rear off in Germany, he informs me this was a joke....

Ok... I deserve it. Payback... he got me.
Statement retracted, and thread closed.