THUNDERSTORM DETECTOR0 pages

BTD-300 THUNDERSTORM DETECTOR
BTD-300 Thunderstorm
Detector
Standalone lightning detector giving range and
direction data to FAA requirements
… unique quasi electrostatic operating principle virtually
eliminates false alarms

Detects cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning

83 km detection range

Warns of overhead lightning risk

Meets FAA performance requirements for aerodrome use

Optional direction finder

Highly immune to radio interference

Very low maintenance requirements

The basic sensor detects and ranges both cloudto-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning. The
ability to reliably detect and range cloud-tocloud lightning, which is typically much more
common than cloud-to-ground strikes, makes
the BTD-300 much more sensitive to the
presence of storms compared to devices that
rely on radio detection. As cloud-to-cloud
lightning often precedes cloud-to-ground the
sensor can give the user earlier warnings of
lightning risk.
The electrostatic operating principle allows the
sensor to detect charged precipitation and the

presence of strong electric fields, both of which
are indicators of lightning risk. In this way the
BTD-300 can warn of the risk of overhead
lightning before the first discharge occurs.
By monitoring the electrostatic field at very low
frequencies rather than relying on radio wave
detection the BTD-300 is almost immune to
electromagnetic interference which is the major
cause of false alarms for radio based detectors.
Virtually maintenance free in operation, the BTD300 can either interface directly to an integrated
system or be operated using the supplied PC
compatible display and logging software. The
optional warning relay module allows the sensor
to automatically sound alarms whenever a storm
approaches.

Biral have been manufacturing and supplying worldwide
high specification Visibility and Present Weather Sensors
since 1997.

tel: +44(0)1275 847787

www.biral.com

DOC101267.00A

The BTD-300 Thunderstorm Detector is a
standalone sensor that reliably detects the
presence of all forms of lightning to a range of
83 km. The unique quasi electrostatic operating
principle gives the detector a very low false
alarm rate and the ability to warn of the risk of
overhead lightning.

email: met@biral.com