Thank you for inquiring about the SkyScan Lightning/Severe Storm Warning System. SkyScan has been developing this unit for the past 7-1/2 years. We are extremely excited and proud to finally offer this unit to the general public.

The basis of SkyScan's new and patented technology is that the unit samples and analyzes selected pairs of frequencies within the electromagnetic spectrum of a lightning stroke. It then applies this information to determine the distance of that lightning stroke. The strength and uniqueness of the SkyScan approach are that it allows a tremendous amount of information to be extracted and analyzed by a relatively simple hardware system. The simplicity of the hardware is made possible by the proprietary software, which performs the analysis of the incoming information. The reliance on software, rather than on hardware, also allows the SkyScan system to be extremely intelligent with regard to eliminating false triggering while displaying several different types of important information to the user.

The unit is accurate to within 1 to 2 miles 97% of the time. One of the most important advantages of using this unit is that the user can detect a thunderstorm as far away as 40 miles. This gives the user approximately 1-1/2 hours warning as the average storm in most parts of the country travels at approximately 25 miles an hour. SkyScan has ranges (20-40, 8-20, 3-8, and 0-3) allowing the user to easily tell if the storm is moving towards, away, or parallel to their location. Each time the SkyScan unit detects a lightning strike within one of the ranges, the unit will display a rising column of lights for three seconds with each stroke. For example, if it detects a strike in the 3-8 mile range, the 20-40, 8-20 and the 3-8 lights would illuminate for three seconds. The 3-89 light would then blink for 60 seconds telling the user where the closest lightning strike had been within the past minute. The unit will continue to monitor the storm so that each time the unit sees a lightning stroke, the lights would continue to illuminate for three seconds. It also incorporates an audible tone that the user can either have "On" or "Off", and if "On", the user can set the range where the tone will sound.

Most persons are unaware that once a storm moves within 10 miles of their location - because of the overhanging anvil cloud - the storm can generate lightning that can kill or injure, even while that person is still in bright sunshine. When SkyScan detects lightning at the 3-8 range, it leaves absolutely no doubt that the user, along with anyone within their scope of responsibility, should be under protective shelter.

Another very important feature is that SkyScan starts detecting a thunderstorm up to 70 miles away, even though it does not visually register until 40 miles. This feature helps SkyScan determine if the inclement weather could possibly be a line of thunderstorms (squall line), or if the storm is within those 10% of the most severe thunderstorms that might create severe winds, torrential rains, hail or even possibly a tornado. If these conditions are present, then the unit will activate the severe storm warning light, along with a different type of audible tone, alerting the user to these conditions. The user can then readily tell the location of the storm relative to their position. This allows the user to either take immediate shelter, or if time warrants, to turn on their television to find out what the professional meteorologist is saying. SkyScan will continually update this information each 15 minutes until the conditions no longer exist.

This feature makes the unit a valuable tool to have within the home, especially at night and on alert, looking for this type of activity. This can help eliminate the surprise weather attacks that seem to kill and injure so many people, especially when they are sleeping.

All of us at SkyScan are extremely proud to know that our product is approved by Little League Baseball, solving the problem of when to call a game instead of relying on information commonly based on folk lore. As stated earlier, once lightning is within 10 miles, you are in imminent danger. Because of terrain and obstacles, the human eye will only see lightning approximately 3 miles away and the human ear will only hear thunder 3-4 miles in most parts of this country. It can readily be noted that human guesswork grossly lacks in its ability to see a storm coming in time. And since there are on average 200 people killed and over 700 injured each year by lighting - more than floods, tornadoes and hurricanes combined - SkyScan can become a useful tool to the outdoorsman.

Keep in mind that we are only detecting lightning and not trying to predict where lightning might strike. Even with the use of SkyScan, the first stroke of lightning put down by the storm might in fact be the one to hit your field. Therefore, anyone out-of-doors during thunderstorm season should constantly remain aware of the build-up of inclement weather. But until now, there has never been a handheld unit capable of doing what the SkyScan Lightning/Severe Storm Warning unit can do, especially at the price we are offering it to Little League.

As you can tell, the SkyScan detector can be used in many different ways - either camping, boating, hiking, swimming, golfing, boating or any time you or anyone is out-of-doors. Commercial applications would include farming, all utilities, tree trimming, construction, roofing, road work - anywhere you may have personnel working outdoors and unable to be alerted by conventional communications. Plus it has the capability of in-door use. The unit will obviously detect lightning and track the storm whether it is being used inside or out.

Thanks for taking time to learn about the SkyScan.