Strike Alert tells you when a lightning storm is approaching

Apr 27, 2007 18:51 GMT  ·  By

1 of 280,000 people are struck by lightning every year! "So why go outside? Bad things could happen!" Well, at least that's what David Lynch once said in a non-lightning related interview. But you do have to go out sometimes even if it's raining with flashes. So, if you're afraid of your own shadow and can't stay indoors during a storm, perhaps this might interest you: Strike Alert, the lightning detector.

Strike Alert is a small pager-sized lightning detector that gives you an early warning of approaching lightning strikes from as far away as 40 miles. Here's how it works. When an electrical storm is approaching, an audible alarm will start and a series of colored LEDs will let you know the distance from as far away as 40 miles to within 6 miles. The device is powered by a couple of AA batteries that should work for up to 100 hours.

There are a few drawbacks though. It doesn't work properly if it receives interference such as electromagnetic emissions. So, you could face false alarms, hence the stupid paranoid behavior specific to scared mammals. What's worse still is hearing that annoying sound just before you miraculously die (God forbid!).

Anyway, since lightning occurs before or during storms, I don't see how this is going to help you. But if you're that sceptical and want to check by yourself if lightning (really) occurs during storms, you can buy the Strike Alert from the Outdoors Technologies website for $80.

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