TOA-Blitzortung vs. BOLTEK LD-250

Hi, dear Andi,

Maybe you realized, on this forum we are, mayority, the members of the Blitztorung lightning detector network. We used the TOA hardware, developed by Egon Wanke, and the host software side developed by Edmund Korffmann. All the data produced by the individual sensor sites (now 237 are registered), collected by the central server, . The server processing software and database developed by Egon Wanke too. This system produce real time lightning location data, valid all over Europe.

You said, you are interested about the storm and lightning phenomena appeared around you, and you have the choice to buy a Boltek lightning detector, or join our community, and build a Bltzortung hardware.
Personally, myself, I dont able to propose for you arguments on both side of your dilemma, because I havenot such a choice, and I think, most people in this community basically havenot this choice. We prefer the community solution over the commercial based products, and we prefer our developed solution, which comprisses the recent most preciouse algorithms calculating the linghning locations. This system is "under construction", but in recent configuration produce the best, freely available data on this field all over Europe.

If you are search, or wondering some comparison I can propose for you a short google search. For example on this topic you can find some discussions about the problems around the Boltek hardwares, and possible network cooperations:

But, as I know, there arenot exist an EU-wide voluntair based network, used this commercial products. There are only some regional or country wide communities, used this devices.
If you basically want to follow the lightning phenomen aroud you, maybe the easyest way to buy and setup such commercial detector.
If you have motivation to choose some community based solution, I can propose for you to study a little the features of the LR (Lighning Radar) project. It offers for you a personal detector site, with open cooperation for other people, you want to choose as partners to calculate the ligtning events around you.
Here is a link to Frank Koiman,s site:

And finally here is a link, I found it now. This is a german site, sell Boltek StormTracker PCI card, and publish some technical details too:

But you have warned, about the validity of the data, comes from your device:

Einschränkungen:
Bedingt aber durch die Erfassung mit nur einer Antenne, kann es bei leichten Gewitterentladungen zu Verfälschung der angezeigten Daten kommen. Die Blitze werden dann als "weiter weg" erkannt.
Dieses Phänomen wird aber zum Teil von der Software kompensiert.
Dennoch übernehmen wir keine Gewähr auf Richtigkeit.
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Best: t.janos

Hello Andi,

You are really welcome!
I think, it was a good decision. If you have problem, put here some notes/questions.
About my "connections" to the Boltek devices:

I can say, for the linux users in the Blitzortung community, havenot so nice and confortable graphic (gui) based program as exists for the Windows users, developed by Edmund.
But there is an us programmer (Dany Knagg), he spent some years to develop an open source python based gui program for Boltek devices, running on linux, the name of the program is Stormforce. It accepts data flows from different Boltek lightning detectors, and Boltek electrostatic field measure devices, and of course data from gps, all comes from local ports, or from network ports.
The problem is only, that this Dany a year ago decided not to develop anymore this program. But was some planes, to adopt it to accept the Blitzortung data flow too.
I spent some time to study this program. Because I havenot any Boltek units, to study the program,s features was limited, and I started to collect the available informations about the used data formnats on Boltek lightning detectors and electrostatic field mill.
Practically I used another computer to "simulate" a Boltek unit, and there are a nice, online data flow from Blotek, it present a live measured electrostatic field data.
Thats all, I wish you sucess to start the Blitzortung sensor, and have fun to use it.
best:
t.janos