Lightning Detector: Know When Storms Approach
Detect lightning strikes up to about 40 km away and estimate storm distance — perfect for Florida summers.
The AS3935 sensor listens for the radio signature of lightning and estimates how far away the storm front is. Log strikes, send alerts and bring the drones in before the storm arrives.
This is a hobby sensor, not a safety system. When thunder roars, go indoors — follow official weather alerts.
Mission steps
Wire the sensor
Most AS3935 boards support I2C: SDA/SCL to pins 3/5, IRQ to a GPIO, power from 3V3.
Install a library
Use a Python AS3935 library for Raspberry Pi from PyPI or the sensor maker's examples.
Set indoor or outdoor mode
Configure the analog front end for your location, and tune noise level if you get false events.
Handle interrupts
When IRQ fires, read the interrupt type: lightning, disturber or noise.
Alert
Send a phone notification when a strike is detected within 10 km.
Questions
Why so many false alarms?
Motors, LED drivers and switching power supplies make similar noise. Move the sensor away from electronics and raise the noise floor setting.