Lufft of Stuttgart Germany released the WS800 Weather Station with integrated lightning detection. The new sensor takes all the same innovative weather sensor technology known to lufft and adds advanced lightning detection. The new member of the Lufft weather sensor family allows the precise reconstruction of the location where and the times at which such acts of nature occurred.

October 26, 2015 -- Lightning strikes can not only cause dangerous fires but can also give rise to great financial losses in the case of surge damage. Up to now, there was little evidence to prove that property damage or fires were caused by lightning. This is critical for smart grids, solar panels and wind turbines, but especially for building insurance, outdoor events and the forestry sector. "WS800", the new compact weather sensor from Lufft -­‐ the measurement technology producer from Fellbach Germany -­‐ provides a solution.

The new member of the Lufft weather sensor family allows the precise reconstruction of the location where and the times at which such acts of nature occurred.The device also detects many other environmental parameters which, for example, are relevant to the monitoring of power plants, buildings or forest harvesting operations. To the naked eye, there is no difference from the WS700 all-­‐in-­‐one weather sensor, which has been available since September 2014. This is because the new lighting detector is small enough to fit into the existing housing of the WS700-­‐UMB.

In addition to lightning detection, the WS800 also covers the same environmental parameters as its "big brother". These are ambient temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, rainfall intensity and volume as well as global radiation. Thus, eight individual sensors are packed into the smart "all-­‐in-­‐ one" device. For connecting to a new or existing measurement network, a single cable suffices. This saves customers valuable time during installation and maintenance.

The innovative environmental sensor communicates with the standard protocols UMB-­‐ASCII, UMB-­‐ Binary, SDI-­‐12 and MOD-­‐BUS as well as with analog outputs in combination with the DACON converter. Hence it is easy to integrate into new and existing measurement networks.

How do we do it?

The new module of the WS800 detects the radiated electromagnetic waves of a lightning bolt. By way of appropriate algorithms and filters it reliably detects the lightning discharges and transfers this reading to meaningful data. Extensive tests with lighting simulators performed by Lufft engineers in the laboratory and in the field confirmed, among other results, the sensor's resistance against electromagnetic radiation, which occurs on high speed train rails, for example. Lufft presented the new all-­‐in-­‐one sensor for the first time at last weeks Meteorological Technology World Expo in Brussels. The exhibition took place from 13 to 15 October 2015.

Further information can be found on the Lufft website under "All-­‐in-­‐One Systems"

About the WS family
The WS family is a range of weather sensors which are combined in a single housing and used to monitor various environmental applications. These applications include hydrology, meteorology, road traffic, agriculture, energy production, high-­‐speed train rails and air quality measurement. There are now 18 family members with different levels of precision and sensor constellations that all comply with WMO standards. The modular design of the sensors makes this possible. With the WS800-­‐UMB, the measuring and control technology manufacturer introduces an innovative sensor which extends the versatility of the weather sensors by a further integrated sensor. The design options with the new WS800, however, are far from exhausted.

About G. Lufft Mess-­‐ und Regeltechnik GmbH:
Since its founding by Gotthilf Lufft in 1881, G. Lufft GmbH has been the leader in the production of climatological measuring equipment - always with the motto "tradition meets innovation". Luffts capacity for innovation and precision has helped its products establish the solid reputation they enjoy around the world. The companys products can be found in use wherever variables such as air pressure, temperature, relative humidity and other environmental factors need to be measured. Together with its subsidiaries in the U.S. and in China, the company has 100 employees. In November 2012, G. Lufft GmbH was awarded the German Standards Brand Prize and was named a "Brand of the Century". More information at: http://www.lufft.com