Live truck lightning detector

[Currentchief]

I've been tasked with finding information for lightning detectors for the live trucks.

Anyone know about these? Internet searches have turned up at least four products:

- Skyscan- a LD about the size of a TV remote

- FMLA-1000- a truck mounted system

- Thunderbolt- a yellow hand-held unit

- StrikeAlert- a LD built into a pager

If anyone has, or is currently using, these- what can you tell me? Most (except for the 1000) have range indicators and some can be hard-wired into the truck.

Any other products, ideas or othe suggestions are welcome.

 

[MDrnbrgr]

Has the decision been made to go with the lightning detectors, or are you doing cost analysis?

I've never heard of a station using these things.
Lightning as a part of ENG safey is the most important issue. And as live truck operators, we (at our station) are given the power to make the call if we deem a live shot unsafe--for whatever reason. One cannot always rely on their stations meterologist to tell you where lightning is. They can tell you where the storm is, but only we can truly make the call. And I've read where people have been killed by lightning from miles away. If I even hear thunder, I make sure the mast is down, or is on the way down. I don't know about you, but I would not trust technology with my life. Your station management should trust each of you with your ability to make sound judgement calls on this one.

These are just my thoughts about this subject. In no way am I suggesting you tell your management what to do.

Cheers!

 

[Rad]

I looked into this very slightly, I determined quick that the best defense against lightning strikes is to keep in close contact with the station weather guys.... they have lightning strick information on the radar and can tell you spedd and direction of the storms. And nothing trumps the guy operating the truck. It's his call.

 

[Currentchief]

The equipment is NOT a substitute for the photog on the scene. Rather, it's a another tool at their disposal to provide information to make a sound, informed decision.

Our market is the lightning capital of the US and no one has seen more lightning than those of us in SWFL.

Weather guys are not always available at 5:24pm, 5:55pm or some other times as they are on the air.

The first and last defense is the photog on the ground and it's their unquestioned decision to kill the shot. However, it's my job to provide them with the tools to make sound decisions based on good information. It's IMPERATIVE that they have the equipment and resources to do so.

Therefore, anyone use these things???

 

[C St. SW]

I would be somewhat wary of any of these devices mounted in a truck. With all of the RF, generators, monitors and not to mention a radiating antenna, I'm not sure how reliable their readings would be.

It would only take a few false readings to make them useless as then they would be ignored. If I went with anything, it would be a device that I could place at a distance from the truck to minimize any possible RF interference.

Call the manufacturers and ask them for a demo unit to test. They may be very interested in hearing how their device works with your particular application. They should be willing to provide a demo if you dangle a bulk order at them if they prove to be reliable.

[ January 06, 2005, 10:12 AM: Message edited by: C St. SW ]

 

[Mark McIntosh]

Tried Sky Scan. Had lots of interference from generator etc. Will only be useable if you are several feet away from truck.

 

[WV24fpspro]

After deciding which is the best bet for the detector; then also consider the following:

That lightning has the ability to kill someone from well over twenty miles away- even without the mast being up, or even without a metal tripod being nearby.

 

[Currentchief]

...so...we should never do a live shot? Ever? EVERY day there's lighting during our summers.

Careful observation, good choices and knowledge will keep my crews safe. news can be a dangerous business- there's a greater chance of being hit on the side of the road covering an accident.

We NEVER question our crews when they cancel a live shot. The purpose of the LD is not to make them do a live shot when they shouldn't. It's to provide them with the technology to make a more informed decision, if possible.

No photog on my staff will ever be ordered or asked to do a live shot if they feel unsafe for any reason. I would be remiss if i didn't explore every avenue of providing them with the resources to make a sound decision, be it education, tools, videos or any other method.

 

[amp]

We have SigAlert on 2 of our trucks. It is primarily made for detecting electrical fields from powerlines, but it has gone off when a storm is approaching. I don't know if it was designed to detect lightning, but it seems to do so. Usually, my eyes and ears are the best detectors for thunder and lightning. My rule is if you see it or hear it, 20 minutes of inactivity must go by before I put the stick back in the air.

 

[mikewood]

Can't remember what model we have, but they are useless. they go off all the time, sunny weather, rainy, whatever. We rely on our feeds person to track lightning. In my opinion it would be a waste of money, and a possible safety concern.

 

[A Step Above Productions]

I worked with a Photog who used the small pager type. It was a waste of money. It would go off when there was no bad weather, and NOT go off in the middle of a lightning storm.

I understand and respect the fact that we should have as many tools as we need, but I know producers, first thing they will ask if I killed a live shot for bad weather is “what does the detector say?”

I personally think it would cause more problems, than it would solve.

I came very close to being hit by lightning when the storm was miles away. A bold of lightning hit a power poll less than 100 feet from me while I was raising the mast. My reporter and I both could feel a surge of electricity flow through our bodies. And of course it was your typical live-for-the-sake-of-live live shot. In front of a closed business.


So now no matter what a detector says, our weather people, the compatition is doing, I go with my gut - it is the only tool you need.