Author Topic: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range  (Read 13065 times)

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Offline Autofill

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Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« on: August 01, 2020, 04:49:04 PM »
As many of you know, the wh57 has a detection distance of up to 40 km. However, is this distance or range affected by the sensitivity settings? For example if the sensitivity settings using the dip switches is set to "low"sensitivity, can it still detect lightning 40 km away?
Ecowitt WH2320-E
Ecowitt HP2551-C (SOLD - replaced with Home Assistant Fully Kiosk FireTab HD10)
Ecowitt GW1000
Ecowitt GW1100
Ecowitt WH69E
Ecowitt WH32B
Ecowitt WH57 (x3)
Ecowitt WH51 (x6)
Ecowitt WH41
Ecowitt WH41 (Honeywell-based USB/Supercap modified)
Ecowitt WH31 (x8)
Ecowitt WH55 (x4)
Ecowitt WH45
Ecowitt WN34S (x2)
Ecowitt WN35
Ecowitt Wittboy running on 12VDC  solar power

Offline cvee72

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2020, 02:26:49 AM »
I too would like to know more about the settings for lightning detector.

Should I use short or long antenna setting?

My sensor is indoors and set accordingly.

Just changed it to high sensitivity as a storm approached.

It picked up about 10 strikes.
I saw a flash in the sky and the lightning count went up.

Is this strikes to the ground.... or lightning between clouds?

The reason I ask is that there was a flash very very close.. the thunder clap was instantaneous with a loud bang.  It was like a cannon going off... startling.

All the while I’m looking at the app and it does not increase at all for that event.
It doesn’t capture the closest lightning I’ve seen in a long time.

Since then there have been 5 more lightning counts of which I did not see or hear any.

Anyone know why?
Ecowitt GW1003 includes : Ecowitt GW1000, Ecowitt WS80, Ecowitt WH40
Added : Ecowitt WH31, Ecowitt WH41, Ecowitt WH51, Ecowitt WH57

Offline Gyvate

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2020, 07:01:10 AM »
My experience with the WH57 so far is satisfactory.
Strikes in all distances including very near ones (e.g. above the place - no delay between lightning and thunder) were recorded.
The WH57 is placed outside covered by a little plastic bag against rain. The switch settings are as delivered.
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WS2350 1.6.7, GW1000(3) 1.7.7,WH2650 WiFi (2) 1.7.7 (test/backup), GW1100 2.3.1, GW2000(3) 3.1.1, HP2551 1.9.5,5.1.5;HP3500 1.7.2,WS3800 1.2.8, WN1910 1.2.3,WN1980 1.2.3;
Ecowitt WS90(2)1.3.5/1.4.0, WS80(2)1.2.5, WS68, WS69, WH40, WH31, WH31-EP, WN30, WN34L, WN35, WH32, WH32-EP, WH32B, WH57 [Lightning], WH41 [PM2.5], WH51, WH45, WH55
MeteobridgePro(2)[test,prod] 5.8 Mar 01 2024, 15185 - Blake-Larsen Sun Recorder - RPi4/weewx 4.8.0/4.10.2/CumulusMX 3283/Meteobridge RPi4B-2GB(3169)
Barani Meteoshield Pro, MetSpec Rad02 - Ecowitt 5763,34418;WU ISAARB3(WH4000SE),ISAARB22(HP2553), http://meshka.eu

Offline Shvedi

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2020, 08:27:23 AM »
My experience with the WH57 so far is satisfactory.


Same here.

Offline Autofill

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2020, 05:40:17 PM »
I too would like to know more about the settings for lightning detector.

Should I use short or long antenna setting?

My sensor is indoors and set accordingly.

Just changed it to high sensitivity as a storm approached.

It picked up about 10 strikes.
I saw a flash in the sky and the lightning count went up.

Is this strikes to the ground.... or lightning between clouds?

The reason I ask is that there was a flash very very close.. the thunder clap was instantaneous with a loud bang.  It was like a cannon going off... startling.

All the while I’m looking at the app and it does not increase at all for that event.
It doesn’t capture the closest lightning I’ve seen in a long time.

Since then there have been 5 more lightning counts of which I did not see or hear any.

Anyone know why?

General rule of thumb is first start off with all down, and then adjust accordingly if you need to do. If you are not getting enough counts, increase the sensitivity to high (3 up if I remember), if you are getting false strikes, decrease to medium and low.

If you want even more sensitivity, change the setting from outdoor to indoor (1 up).

I'm still figuring out what the short vs long means, but putting it to short, seems to decrease the sensitivity.

It detects both cloud-to-cloud and clodu-ground . Most thunder clouds are within 15 km of the surface of the earth.

If it detected the really close one, it could have flagged it as interference, that's why it did register it. This could mean that you'll have to play with dip switches to get those close ones.

To answer my original question in this post, I did find the answer and yes, sensitivity does affect range (as there was no answer to question).

Should also mention, even under the most ideal settings, at best you'll detect 60% of the strikes, and not 100%
« Last Edit: November 22, 2020, 05:51:46 PM by Autofill »
Ecowitt WH2320-E
Ecowitt HP2551-C (SOLD - replaced with Home Assistant Fully Kiosk FireTab HD10)
Ecowitt GW1000
Ecowitt GW1100
Ecowitt WH69E
Ecowitt WH32B
Ecowitt WH57 (x3)
Ecowitt WH51 (x6)
Ecowitt WH41
Ecowitt WH41 (Honeywell-based USB/Supercap modified)
Ecowitt WH31 (x8)
Ecowitt WH55 (x4)
Ecowitt WH45
Ecowitt WN34S (x2)
Ecowitt WN35
Ecowitt Wittboy running on 12VDC  solar power

Offline fkapp

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2020, 06:11:18 PM »
Should the sensor be outdoors to capture the most lightning?
Would placing it in a water tight plastic case outdoors impact performance?

I am very interested in this device hence questions how to optimize performance
Thanks
Frank

Offline Gyvate

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2020, 05:30:01 AM »
Should the sensor be outdoors to capture the most lightning?
That will probably depend on your location, if there are other sources of interference that would diminish when used inside.
Maybe this thread is interesting for you too...
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=39012.msg401114#msg401114
Quote
Would placing it in a water tight plastic case outdoors impact performance?
In my case it does not. Some people are putting it into a simple shield like the TFA Dostmann 98.1114.02 Protective Cover for Outdoor Transmitters or the La Crosse Technology 925-1418 Sensor Protection Shield [see attachment] (same thing by the way - just rebranding  8-)). While this shield is not very performant for temperature sensors exposed to sun radiation, it can be used without problems for a lightning detector to protect against water, air, debris...
WS2350 1.6.7, GW1000(3) 1.7.7,WH2650 WiFi (2) 1.7.7 (test/backup), GW1100 2.3.1, GW2000(3) 3.1.1, HP2551 1.9.5,5.1.5;HP3500 1.7.2,WS3800 1.2.8, WN1910 1.2.3,WN1980 1.2.3;
Ecowitt WS90(2)1.3.5/1.4.0, WS80(2)1.2.5, WS68, WS69, WH40, WH31, WH31-EP, WN30, WN34L, WN35, WH32, WH32-EP, WH32B, WH57 [Lightning], WH41 [PM2.5], WH51, WH45, WH55
MeteobridgePro(2)[test,prod] 5.8 Mar 01 2024, 15185 - Blake-Larsen Sun Recorder - RPi4/weewx 4.8.0/4.10.2/CumulusMX 3283/Meteobridge RPi4B-2GB(3169)
Barani Meteoshield Pro, MetSpec Rad02 - Ecowitt 5763,34418;WU ISAARB3(WH4000SE),ISAARB22(HP2553), http://meshka.eu

Offline Great.Gonzos

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2021, 06:51:30 PM »
So, I too am interested. I have one and a GW1000 on order. But here’s my question considering placement. .

From what I’ve read, it just seems it would work better outside. It would be more exposed to outside weather (and thus the lightning it’s supposed to detect) and less interference from indoor stuff.  I’m considering putting it on my post with my other sensors (protected, of course). BUT, according to the specs, it has an operating range starting at 32F/0C. C’mon, this is Michigan. Let’s just say we often see temps below freezing. Will freezing hurt it? Or should it be relegated to an indoor sensor due to freezing?
Hardware: Ambient Weather 2902C (2)
                Ecowitt GW1000 Console
                Ecowitt WH57 Lightning Detector
                Acurite bits
Station ID: GWX1935/KMIHOLLA153, GBX1959/KMIHOPKI19

Offline CW2274

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2021, 07:10:02 PM »
BUT, according to the specs, it has an operating range starting at 32F/0C. C’mon, this is Michigan.
I'd think it's a safe bet that it was designed for the indoors, regardless of where you live. Outdoors perhaps corrosion, dust, ect. is a factor as well.

Offline Mandrake

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2021, 03:48:40 AM »
I think it depends on your locale.
The sensor is not IPX rated in any way and as a consequence is going to suffer from condensation and so on. So for that reason I dont have mine outside in the UK.

My chosen location is in the top apex of my roof space. So as high as I can get it and obviously dry since its inside. My roof is traditional tile so has no impact on radio reception and its mostly away from noisy household appliances. I have not seen any false positives that I am aware of. I have seen it miss some lightning strikes however.

Making a perfect lightning detector in our noisy world is quite hard. It is in effect trying to detect the burst of static that you may recall from listening to Medium Wave Radio (for those old enough) when you get a strike.
G1ZFO

Ecowitt HP2551A + WH65 Tri-Wing (Wunderground: IGUILDFO67)
Ecowitt GW1000 (Wunderground: IGUILDFO68)
Ecowitt GW1000 (Mk2) test environment driving CumulusMX on a RPi 3b
Ecowitt GW2000 (Test)
Ecowitt WS90 Wittboy - Test
Ecowitt WH51 (x6) Soil Moisture Sensor
Ecowitt WH41 PM2.5 AQM Sensor
Ecowitt WH31 (x8) Thermo/Hygro Sensor
Ecowitt WS80 Ultrasonic Anemometer (pre-prod test)
Ecowitt WH57 Lightning Sensor -test
Ecowitt WH32-EP (SHT35) + Davis 7714 Screen
Ecowitt WH45 CO2/PM2.5/PM10 -Test
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Ecowitt WN35 Leaf Moisture

Offline CW2274

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2021, 04:54:30 AM »
It is in effect trying to detect the burst of static that you may recall from listening to Medium Wave Radio (for those old enough) when you get a strike.
We across the pond called it "AM"... and damn, it ain't that old... :-$

Offline Great.Gonzos

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2021, 07:13:31 AM »
Thanks all for the info, but while it’s good info, it’s really not answered my question. IF I put it outside, it will be protected and kept dry from condensation. Think of the covers we put over t/h/p sensors. But will freezing it do any harm if left out in the winter? I can leave it indoors if needed, it just seems to make sense to put it outside. The manual does say outside under a balcony or porch as it’s not weather proof. So my thoughts then went to freezing temps since the specs say working temp starts at 32F/0C.
Hardware: Ambient Weather 2902C (2)
                Ecowitt GW1000 Console
                Ecowitt WH57 Lightning Detector
                Acurite bits
Station ID: GWX1935/KMIHOLLA153, GBX1959/KMIHOPKI19

Offline Autofill

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #12 on: March 03, 2021, 10:21:58 AM »
Yes, it is safe to be outside, all year round. I have mine in my shed, and its goes down to -30oC in the winter, and as high as +40oC (in the shed) in the summer. Temperature range is more like -40 to +50oC, like any other Ecowitt Sensor (Lucy confirmed this to me, you can also email her if you wish). I think they said 0 to 50oC because that's when most lightning occurs. I would not keep it out in the open water, though, perhaps a plastic shield or under a porch or eavestrough.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2021, 10:24:49 AM by Autofill »
Ecowitt WH2320-E
Ecowitt HP2551-C (SOLD - replaced with Home Assistant Fully Kiosk FireTab HD10)
Ecowitt GW1000
Ecowitt GW1100
Ecowitt WH69E
Ecowitt WH32B
Ecowitt WH57 (x3)
Ecowitt WH51 (x6)
Ecowitt WH41
Ecowitt WH41 (Honeywell-based USB/Supercap modified)
Ecowitt WH31 (x8)
Ecowitt WH55 (x4)
Ecowitt WH45
Ecowitt WN34S (x2)
Ecowitt WN35
Ecowitt Wittboy running on 12VDC  solar power

Offline Great.Gonzos

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #13 on: March 03, 2021, 10:27:37 AM »
Thanks, Autofill. I kind of suspected that, just going by what the specs actually say and wanted to see what others said here since they’d know “real world” answers.
Hardware: Ambient Weather 2902C (2)
                Ecowitt GW1000 Console
                Ecowitt WH57 Lightning Detector
                Acurite bits
Station ID: GWX1935/KMIHOLLA153, GBX1959/KMIHOPKI19

Offline galfert

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #14 on: March 03, 2021, 11:38:53 AM »
It is in effect trying to detect the burst of static that you may recall from listening to Medium Wave Radio (for those old enough) when you get a strike.
We across the pond called it "AM"... and damn, it ain't that old... :-$

Yep, I still listen to AM talk radio, it's entertaining and somewhat informative.

AM - Amplitude Modulation (frequency constant)
FM - Frequency Modulation (amplitude constant)

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Offline Mandrake

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #15 on: March 03, 2021, 01:21:01 PM »
Sorry its my technical background and HAM radio training....
I still think in terms of MW and VHF which correctly identify the radio band.
The AM and FM are in fact referring to the encoding of the radio signal on the bandwidth in use.

I get that folks tend to just refer to AM and FM these days though!

When I said the lightning detector is not IPX rated I mean just that! If you can locate it in a dry location outside or seal it as such then thats fine. My garden shed for instance tends to get very humid around this time of year as the temperature rises and the damp is driven out but there is no ventilation unless I open the door. The WH31 in there is quite often sitting at 99%. My point was simply that you should avoid that type of location if you can as damp is not great for electronics.
G1ZFO

Ecowitt HP2551A + WH65 Tri-Wing (Wunderground: IGUILDFO67)
Ecowitt GW1000 (Wunderground: IGUILDFO68)
Ecowitt GW1000 (Mk2) test environment driving CumulusMX on a RPi 3b
Ecowitt GW2000 (Test)
Ecowitt WS90 Wittboy - Test
Ecowitt WH51 (x6) Soil Moisture Sensor
Ecowitt WH41 PM2.5 AQM Sensor
Ecowitt WH31 (x8) Thermo/Hygro Sensor
Ecowitt WS80 Ultrasonic Anemometer (pre-prod test)
Ecowitt WH57 Lightning Sensor -test
Ecowitt WH32-EP (SHT35) + Davis 7714 Screen
Ecowitt WH45 CO2/PM2.5/PM10 -Test
Ecowitt WN34 Soil Temp Sensor -Test
Ecowitt WN34 Water Temp Sensor -Test
Ecowitt WN35 Leaf Moisture

Offline Great.Gonzos

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #16 on: March 03, 2021, 02:43:37 PM »
I understand that it’s not meant for outdoor exposure, that it needs some protection. (I’ve worked in IT for over 30 years.)  What I’m planning to do is hang it vertically inside a piece of PVC pipe that is plugged on the top end. That way it will have the same protection (even better) than under a porch yet still be out on its own. The pipe will be long enough to ensure it is kept dry, but still be open to the air.

Maybe I’m overthinking this, but it just seems with the false readings that have been reported that if it can be as far away from household electronics as possible, the better. I have the parts so I’ll give it a shot. The worst it can do is not help.

BTW-how long does it take for ecowitt to move an order from “unshipped” to “shipped”? I ordered a GW1000 and the WH57 2 days ago and the status is still “unshipped”.
Hardware: Ambient Weather 2902C (2)
                Ecowitt GW1000 Console
                Ecowitt WH57 Lightning Detector
                Acurite bits
Station ID: GWX1935/KMIHOLLA153, GBX1959/KMIHOPKI19

Offline charles_slc

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #17 on: March 03, 2021, 06:54:15 PM »
Going to be a while...

I ordered a WH32-EP back at the beginning of Feb...got an email in a couple of days that said
Quote
Please note that we'll need several weeks to prepare your order and
we may be able to ship your order in March due to our coming Spring Festival.
We'll ship your order with registered mail and the estimated delivery
time will be 3-5 weeks after the shipment due to the Corona Virus.
If it's acceptable, please confirm your shipping address:

OTOH, I ordered my GW1000 and WH57 from Amazon and got them in a few days.  I'd recommend buying from Amazon unless they don't carry it.

Offline Mandrake

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #18 on: March 04, 2021, 09:16:11 AM »
I believe that the WH31-ep and wh32-ep sensors are custom made to order.
So they are not mass produced but made on demand which will account for the extra time frame.
G1ZFO

Ecowitt HP2551A + WH65 Tri-Wing (Wunderground: IGUILDFO67)
Ecowitt GW1000 (Wunderground: IGUILDFO68)
Ecowitt GW1000 (Mk2) test environment driving CumulusMX on a RPi 3b
Ecowitt GW2000 (Test)
Ecowitt WS90 Wittboy - Test
Ecowitt WH51 (x6) Soil Moisture Sensor
Ecowitt WH41 PM2.5 AQM Sensor
Ecowitt WH31 (x8) Thermo/Hygro Sensor
Ecowitt WS80 Ultrasonic Anemometer (pre-prod test)
Ecowitt WH57 Lightning Sensor -test
Ecowitt WH32-EP (SHT35) + Davis 7714 Screen
Ecowitt WH45 CO2/PM2.5/PM10 -Test
Ecowitt WN34 Soil Temp Sensor -Test
Ecowitt WN34 Water Temp Sensor -Test
Ecowitt WN35 Leaf Moisture

Offline Great.Gonzos

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #19 on: March 04, 2021, 04:55:57 PM »
Got a message back from Lucy. She said it will be shipped today and will arrive within a week. Order status still shows “unshipped” so only time will tell.
Hardware: Ambient Weather 2902C (2)
                Ecowitt GW1000 Console
                Ecowitt WH57 Lightning Detector
                Acurite bits
Station ID: GWX1935/KMIHOLLA153, GBX1959/KMIHOPKI19

Offline Great.Gonzos

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #20 on: March 08, 2021, 06:23:56 PM »
Update - Despite the predictions, they were both delivered today. Now, take that with a grain of salt. Order status still shows “unshipped”, others said 3-5 weeks and no info from them other than it was being processed when I sent them an email. IDK, maybe that made a diff? In any case, I’ll be more vigilant about ordering directly from ecowitt going forward.

Oh, and FWIW, it came in an Amazon envelope but was shipped from ecowitt in Kentucky.
Hardware: Ambient Weather 2902C (2)
                Ecowitt GW1000 Console
                Ecowitt WH57 Lightning Detector
                Acurite bits
Station ID: GWX1935/KMIHOLLA153, GBX1959/KMIHOPKI19

Offline Great.Gonzos

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #21 on: April 09, 2021, 10:33:17 AM »
So I've had both (the GW1000 and the WH57) for a about a month and I get consistent "strikes" at 11 or 12 miles away, even in good weather. I can't find a source for these false strikes so I tried playing with the sensitivity. If I lowered the sensitivity to the point that most of these were gone, it would no longer detect actual lightning either (we had a storm go through last week and it detected very little). I've returned the sensitivity back to the default. My intent with getting this sensor was to be alerted when there is lightning in the area. I suppose I could set TWO alerts, one for anything less than 10 miles and another for anything greater than 12, but that seems an odd workaround.

So I contacted Lucy at Ecowitt. She replied that there is new software for it and that she is willing to replace it. I hold out hope that will resolve the issue. I'll post more when I have more data from the replacement (unless of course someone has some other ideas...)

BTW - the sensor is still sitting inside by the front window.
Hardware: Ambient Weather 2902C (2)
                Ecowitt GW1000 Console
                Ecowitt WH57 Lightning Detector
                Acurite bits
Station ID: GWX1935/KMIHOLLA153, GBX1959/KMIHOPKI19

Offline solartempest

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #22 on: April 15, 2021, 12:59:34 PM »
So I contacted Lucy at Ecowitt. She replied that there is new software for it and that she is willing to replace it. I hold out hope that will resolve the issue. I'll post more when I have more data from the replacement (unless of course someone has some other ideas...)
Did you receive any update from Lucy and how that update software was planned? I am also having issues with my sensor as well and look forward to some resolution.

For my sensor I have actually been troubleshooting/diagnosing the issues of a large number of false positives. I have been changing the DIP switch sensitivity per the manual from default/medium/low as well as relocating the sensor inside and outside my home without success.

I am quite sure that my powerline ethernet adapters are creating a large amount of EMI/RFI. This is because of the high transfer rate of data over untwisted pair copper power conductors running throughout my home. The number of false positives is extremely high when the sensor is placed nearby my powerline ethernet adapters.

Testing is difficult because my GW1000 wifi is actually connected via one of these ethernet adapters and isolating individual power circuits to prevent EMI/RFI transmission is a bit involved. Some people online have done some HF spectral analysis to confirm this type of behaviour in the past (for PoE).

Here are my logs and the spike is with some additional testing I was doing:
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Ecowitt GW1000, HP2553BC, WS80, WH51x4, WH41, WH45, WH40, WH32, WH31x2, WH57x2.

Offline Great.Gonzos

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #23 on: April 15, 2021, 03:29:23 PM »
The updated software is being planned by sending me a replacement. So I suspect there may be more going on. But that’s just a hunch.

Your data graph looks similar to mine with the false spikes detected. Mine are consistent at 11-12 miles away. In the meantime, until I get the replacement, I’ve added two alerts, one for any lightning over 12 miles and another for any less than 10. At least that covers everything else.
Hardware: Ambient Weather 2902C (2)
                Ecowitt GW1000 Console
                Ecowitt WH57 Lightning Detector
                Acurite bits
Station ID: GWX1935/KMIHOLLA153, GBX1959/KMIHOPKI19

Offline zoomx

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Re: Ecowitt WH57 lightning detector sensitivy vs range
« Reply #24 on: April 16, 2021, 02:34:30 AM »

I am quite sure that my powerline ethernet adapters are creating a large amount of EMI/RFI. This is because of the high transfer rate of data over untwisted pair copper power conductors running throughout my home. The number of false positives is extremely high when the sensor is placed nearby my powerline ethernet adapters.


Inside WH57 sensor there is a Franklin  AS3935 chip thas uses a ma5532-ae 500kHz ceramic antenna. You can find this chip and antenna in other lightning sensor and also in little board for Arduino.
If you have a battery AM radio you can tune near 500kHz and listen to the noise in your house and maybe find the EMI/RFI noise source.

All information about strikes and distance are calculated inside the AS3935 chip and the dip switches are used by the WH57 MCU to change parameters in the chip.