Small and affordable lightning
detector that provides an early warning of approaching lightning strikes from as
far away as 40 miles and lets you know if the storm is coming your way.
An audible alarm sounds when
there's a strike and a corresponding LED light illuminates accordingly at
lightning distances of 20-40 miles, 12-24 miles, 6-12 miles and within 6 miles.
The detector is housed in a
small pager-like casing that can be clipped on a belt loop and runs on a two AAA
batteries. It's perfect for outdoor sporting events and activities.
Convenient Size & Weight
Small and impact-resistant, StrikeAlert clips to your belt, golf bag or
backpack.
Audible Warning
An audible warning sounds before (and while) lightning is within striking
distance
Low Power Consumption
Up to 100 hours of reliable operation with two AAA batteries
Easy-to-Use
With the flip of a switch, you can see the lightning strike distance, track the
storm direction and view battery life.
Power Switch
The power switch has three positions: On, Off and On with tone. The switch may
also be depressed to indicate the direction of storm movement
Battery Check
When first turned on, StrikeAlert performs a battery test.
The LEDs will indicate the battery level, with each LED indicating about 20
hours of operation. The LEDs will light up, beginning with the red LED and
leading up to the current battery level. The current battery level will be the
final LED to light and will remain lit for two seconds. StrikeAlert will then
begin its normal operation.
During normal operation, the green LED will be on continuously to indicate
StrikeAlert is monitoring for lightning strikes. If the green LED is blinking,
StrikeAlert is in the presence of interference.
Detecting Lightning Strikes
When a lightning strike is detected, StrikeAlert will light the appropriate LED
indicating the distance of the strike This LED will remain lit for two minutes-
unless another strike occurs during that time. If a more recent strike is
further away, the LED indicating this distance will light for two seconds, and
then return to complete the two minutes from the nearest strike. If a more
recent strike is nearer, it will replace the previous LED reading. This LED
indicator will be held for two minutes. This allows the user to see all the
lightning activity within a 40 mile range, giving clearer visibility to the
nearest strike in the last two minutes. If the power switch is in the "On with
Tone" position, StrikeAlert will also generate tone(s) indicating the distance
of the strike along with lighting the appropriate LED. This allows you to
determine the storm's activity without having to monitor the LEDs.
Storm Direction
Strike Alert uses a trend of strike distances over the last five minutes to
determine if a storm is approaching or departing. By depressing the power
switch, the LED will change to one of three patterns:
-
If the LED cycles from green to red, the storm is
approaching
-
If the LED cycles from red to green, the storm is departing.
-
If the LED cycles from the center LED to the outside LEDs,
the storm is stationary or there's not enough data to determine the
direction of the storm.
Direction cannot be determined if there has not been enough
strikes to identify a trend or StrikeAlert has not been running long enough.
Approximately five minutes is needed in the presence of lightning strikes to
determine direction.
Interference
StrikeAlert is designed to be used outdoors. While StrikeAlert will work
indoors, its ability to detect lightning strikes can be affected by common
sources of electromagnetic emissions, such as:
Moving StrikeAlert a safe distance away from these devices
(usually a few feet) should allow the detector to return to normal operation. If
StrikeAlert is receiving interference due to such electromagnetic emissions, the
green LED will blink or may give a false lightning indication. The static
generated by some garments may also produce a false indication. Again, moving
the detector just a few feet away from the source of the interference should
allow StrikeAlert to resume normal operations. This will be indicated by the
green LED remaining constantly lit.
Facts About Lightning
- Average lightning stroke is 6 miles long
- Average thunderstorm is 6-10 miles wide
- Average thunderstorm travels at a rate of 25 miles per hour
- On average, thunder can be heard over a distance of 3-4 miles depending
on humidity, terrain and other factors
- Approximately 100,000 thunderstorms occur in the United States each
year. Approximately 10% of all thunderstorms are severe enough to produce
high winds, flash floods and tornados
