World-Wide Lightning Storm Map

[k4kyv]

Vaisala is great for showing storms in the Lower 48 and parts of Canada, Mexico and Cuba lying within a few hundred miles of the US border.  But QRN is no respecter of international boundaries, and sometimes the bands may be full of QRN even when the Vaisala map is clear.

Here is another one that shows lightning storm activity over the entire planet.  Its resolution is not as good as that of Vaisala, but it might be useful for spotting QRN sources out at sea, in the tropics and other offshore and non-US localities.

http://wwlln.net/TOGA_network_global_maps.htm

[The Slab Bacon]

Don,
       Who needs all of that newfangled crap to tell if there are storms around?? Just turn on a receiver tuned to one of the lower bands. Then you can toss the computer (which is never used for computing anything) out the window! !    

[k4kyv]

My computer is in the house, and my ham station is in a separate shack outside. Sometimes I check the lightning storm map before going to the trouble to go out to the shack, connect the antennas and warm up the receiver.

In addition, it satisfies my curiosity when it is clear as a bell outside but the static is 40 dB over S9, to know where the crud is coming from.

Who uses a computer these days to "compute" anything? It has often occurred to me that the technology has evolved to the point that the word has become a misnomer. I guess it is occasionally used to compute; some people use it for things like antenna modelling, but for most users, it is more a communication device than a calculating machine.

Similarly, how many messages are relayed over the air these days by members of the American Radio Relay League? 

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Similarly, how many messages are relayed over the air these days by members of the American Radio Relay League? 

You can go here for some data: http://www.arrl.org/nts
I believe each Section and Division tallies a monthly list of traffic handled/completed/still open/etc. I seem to remember that data appearing in a monthly Division/Section e-mail newsletter.
You might also find some info in the ARRL Annual Report.