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Request for lightning data - Alidigitaly - 2026-08-20
Request for limited real-time data access — Skycam Groningen / SkyHUD
Hello,
My name is Alex and I run Skycam Groningen, a personal, non-commercial live camera and weather project in Groningen, the Netherlands:
https://skycam.alexfrankes.nl
The livestream includes a custom HUD combining local weather information, rain radar, astronomical events and aircraft received by my own ADS-B receiver.
I would like to ask whether Blitzortung could explicitly permit limited use of its real-time lightning data for this project.
The lightning data would not be used to create another general-purpose lightning map. It would be integrated into the existing local SkyHUD:
- only strikes within approximately 150 km of Groningen;
- short-lived lightning markers on the existing local rain/ADS-B radar;
- distance, bearing and age of nearby strikes;
- no storm warnings, safety alerts or risk analysis;
- purely observational and entertainment use.
To minimise server load and prevent misuse, the public HUD would never connect directly to Blitzortung. A small local relay on the stream computer would retrieve only the required data, filter and cache it, and provide a limited local JSON feed to the HUD.
Blitzortung.org would be clearly credited on screen and in the stream information, for example:
“Lightning data: Blitzortung.org — CC BY-SA 4.0”
I would only need the timestamp, latitude and longitude of recent detections. Historical bulk data is not required.
Would this project qualify for explicit permission to use the real-time data? If so, could you advise me which supported access method I should use?
I would also be open to operating a Blitzortung receiver in Groningen if becoming a participant is the preferred route.
Thank you for maintaining this remarkable volunteer network.
Best regards,
Alex
Skycam Groningen