Charlie Sorrel
Gear

Tin Foil Hat Watch: Personal Lightning Detector

The pointlessness of the device is best summed up with a quote from the marketers: An audible alarm sounds when there's a strike and a corresponding LED light illuminates accordingly Now, I don't know about you, but I'm a little more likely to notice a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder than I am an LED and beep. Reading on, it seems that the device is actually not that reliable either: its ability to detect lightning strikes can be affected by common sources of electromagnetic emissions, such as: CRTs - (televisions or computer monitors) Motors and engines High-powered electronics equipment Brilliant!

Strike2Benjamin Franklin didn't know what he was starting when he invented the lightning rod. The StrikeAlert is a small handheld lightning detector for the truly paranoid. The pointlessness of the device is best summed up with a quote from the marketers:

An audible alarm sounds when there's a strike and a corresponding LED light illuminates accordingly

Now, I don't know about you, but I'm a little more likely to notice a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder than I am an LED and beep. Reading on, it seems that the device is actually not that reliable either:

its ability to detect lightning strikes can be affected by common sources of electromagnetic emissions, such as:

CRTs - (televisions or computer monitors)

Motors and engines

High-powered electronics equipment

Brilliant! If you're still interested, it'll cost you $80.

Product page [StrikeAlert via OhGizmo!]