Detector, lightning strike

Use this image

Can I reuse this image without permission? Yes

Object images on the Ingenium Collection’s portal have the following Creative Commons license:

ATTRIBUTE THIS IMAGE

Ingenium, 1996.0486.001
Permalink:

Ingenium is releasing this image under the Creative Commons licensing framework, and encourages downloading and reuse for non-commercial purposes. Please acknowledge Ingenium and cite the artifact number.

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

PURCHASE THIS IMAGE

This image is free for non-commercial use.

For commercial use, please consult our Reproduction Fees and contact us to purchase the image.

OBJECT TYPE: ELECTROSTATIC FIELD CHANGE
DATE: 1970–1979
ARTIFACT NUMBER: 1996.0486.001

MANUFACTURER: QUALITY TECHNOLOGY LTD.
MODEL: LSC-201 (.1)
LOCATION: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

More Information

General Information

Serial #: 2075
Part Number: 1
Total Parts: 4
AKA: N/A
Patents: N/A
General Description: METAL, SYNTHETIC & WOODEN COMPONENTS.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length: 20.3 cm
Width: 16.5 cm
Height: 11.2 cm
Thickness: N/A
Weight: N/A
Diameter: N/A
Volume: N/A

Lexicon

Group: Forestry
Category: Fire fighting
Sub-Category: N/A

Manufacturer

AKA: QUALITY
Country: Canada
State/Province: Ontario
City: Ottawa

Context

Country: Canada
State/Province: Unknown
Period: THIS TYPE OF INSTRUMENT USED C. EARLY 1970S- 1980S.
Canada: SYSTEM DEVELOPED BYDR. PETER KOURTZ OF CANADA'S FOREST FIRE RESEARCH INSTITUTE. "MUSHROOM" DETECTORS WERE DEPLOYED & TESTED FIRST IN QUEBEC (1973) AND ONTARIO (1974): BY 1977 SOME 300 WERE IN USE THROUGHOUT CANADA. APPROX. 90% OF FOREST AREA CONSUMED BY WILDFIRE IN CANADA ATTRIBUTED TO LIGHTNING STRIKES.
Function: TO DETECT AND LOCATE LIGHTNING STRIKES BY DETECTING CHANGES IN THE ELECTROSTATIC FIELD.
Technical: SMALL ANTENNAE SYSTEM CAPABLE OF SHORT-RANGE (20-MILE) DETECTION OF CHANGES IN ELECTROSTATIC FIELD ASSOCIATED WITH LIGHTNING STRIKES. ANTENNAE CONSISTS OF 2 COPPER-PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS WITHIN A SEALED PLASTIC 'SAUCER', AND A MECHANICAL COUNTER POWERED BY A LANTERN BATTERY. LOCAL PLACEMENT OF THE ANTENNAE WAS IMPORTANT ANTENNA HAD TO BE PLACED IN THE OPEN, AWAY FROM OR ABOVE NEARBY TREES, IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE. POWER OF ELECTROSTATIC FIELDS AT HIGH ALTITUDES (IE. IN BC) REQUIRED ADJUSTMENTS TO SENSITIVITY OF SYSTEM. BY 1980 AMERICAN L.L.P. (LIGHTNING LOCATION & PREDICTION) SYSTEM HAD LARGELY REPLACED MUSHROOM DETECTORS (REF.1).
Area Notes: Unknown

Details

Markings: .1 "LSC201 LIGHTNING COUNTER Q TECH " printed on front. "SCRQM LC 18" and "MCTAVISH" printed on dymo labels on front. "ST. JOVITE #15" handwritten in orange on top. Plate on unit back reads " [logo] Quality Technology Ltd./ OTTAWA, CANADA/ LIGHTNING STROKE COUNTER/ MODEL NO. LSC-201/ SERIAL NO. 2075/ COUNTER UNIT ". "OK/ 4/1/80/ NEW BATTERY/ LK " handwritten in orange..2 "SACAACCMI/ SCRQM LC 23 " printed on dymo tape labels on mounting post. "281-510" incised on post. "A4F SWITCHCRAFT U.S. PAT.3219961/ CAN. PAT. 761114" incised on cord connector..3 "SCRQM LC 02/ ST-MICHEL" appears on dymo tape label; "281-510" incised on post. "SCO" stencilled on top of dome/ .4 "SCRQM LC 14/ ORISKANY" printed on dymo label on post.
Missing: UNKNOWN- PRESUMED COMPLETE.
Finish: .1 GREY ENAMEL FINISH ON CONTROL UNIT; BLACK SYNTHETIC (?) COVERED ELECTRICAL CORD..2 WHITE PLASTIC DOME HOUSES SENSORS; MOUNTING POST PAINTED BLACK..3 AS PER ABOVE, SAVE POST PAINTED GREY..4 BROWN PLASTIC BUCKET AND PLYWOOD COVER ENCLOSE SENSORS; MOUNTING POST PAINTED GREY.
Decoration: N/A

CITE THIS OBJECT

If you choose to share our information about this collection object, please cite:

QUALITY TECHNOLOGY LTD., Detector, lightning strike, between 1970–1979, Artifact no. 1996.0486, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/1996.0486.001/

FEEDBACK

Submit a question or comment about this artifact.