Title: Automated flash-bang method and apparatus for determining lightning stroke distances

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Abstract: Four microphones are disposed one at each corner of a square or rectangular onfiguration located near a base station from which the lightning distance is to be measured. A light detector also is located near the base station. When lightning occurs, the light and sound waves are detected and passed in pulse form over separate channels to a computer. The time intervals between lightning and sound in each channel are measured, stored and used to calculate the slant range distance of each microphone from the lightning event. Using the slant range distance values and the known spacing values of the rectangular configuration, a computer provides the desired distance value which, for present purposes, is the horizontal distance of the closest microphone to a ground point perpendicularly beneath the lightning event. The azimuth of the ground point from the closest microphone can be determined by a simple calculation using the ground point distance value.


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