Gordon, I think Clark is correct in that the lightning maps record ground strikes only. Most lightning is cloud to cloud. That’s why on the weather channel the lightning strike map never seems as bad as the raw radar map.
While I think the concept of downloading a map be it NEXRAD or lightning is certainly useful I still believe that real time data is even better, at least as a tactical tool. For strategic weather avoidance (and that’s what we should be interested in in light airplanes) NEXRAD will be sufficient. Lightning maps will be sufficient ONLY if they display cloud to cloud activity as well as cloud to ground. Personally I find the Stormscope to be so useful that I would not trade it for any downloaded product. Remember though that I fly in the Midwest where frequent, severe, embedded thunderstorms are common.
Certainly if the lightning map didn’t show cloud to cloud it would be much less useful. Good point.
Jerry, you have a lot of experience with the Stormscope. Did it take you quite a while to get to the point where you had enough confidence in interpreting it and selecting appropriate modes and methods to really use it effectively? For left coasters like me who would use it once in a blue moon, it seems like you’d always be at the beginning of the learning curve, and thus use it so conservatively as to render it almost useless for any tactical purposes. Or am I reading too much into the dismal response of that AOPA seminar audience?
Same day, same storms over Ohio. From Baltimore to Lincoln, NE. IMC at least 1 1/2 hours and in HEAVY rain. The stormscope was ESSENTIAL EQUIPTMENT, keeping us in (only) rain and out of the embedded TS’s.
Randy
In reply to:
If I was to fit Stormscope after market, I understand that it would not be too much extra hassle. Can anyone confirm or deny?
Tony,
I believe Cirrus makes a kit/SB for retrofitting the stormscope to planes that don’t have it from the factory. In fact, I believe there’s another Australian who did exactly that - have the stormscope added aftermarket. Perhaps you and Clyde could compare notes, since at least his FBO/service center should have done it once before and thus be more familiar with the installation. ('Course, I have no idea how close to Clyde’s service center you might be.)
Steve