Cyclone Road
GEAR
Cyclone Road
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GEAR |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Many newer chasers or even enthusiasts have questions about gear. The most important possession a chaser carries is his or her own knowledge about meteorology and the behavior of severe storms and their environment. When you're beginning, your money is always better spent on materials to help you learn than gear. The gear is worthless when you're one hundred miles away from the storm. That said, I've assembled (and slightly edited) a series of posts made to Stormtrack Forum over the last several months on the following topics:
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| 2007
Toyota 4Runner |
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HP Pavilion DV4000 laptop computer
I hadn't updated this section of my website in several years and it's amazing how outdated the information has become. We don't go into libraries anymore. In fact, the wi-fi era has mostly come and gone with the advent of locked networks and ubiquitous high-speed cellular internet, such as with Sprint's broadband cards. I still run some of the same things, however, including Baron's Threatnet (see below), as well as Street Atlas. These days, GRLevel3 is the standard radar viewer for chasers with broadband connections. I also keep Spotter Network up and connected to a separate GPS data stream via Franson GPSGate, a great little app in its own right. The HP continues to prove a durable mobile computer (knocks on wood) which I use for both chasing and writing. The mobile broadband cards give chasers almost nonstop data access. This has brought about a sea change in data flow both to and, more remarkably, from the field. Chasers now analyze the atmosphere with all the tools they use at home, and have the means to report what they see in real-time or even connect dash cameras with live feeds. I use a Sprint Sierra Wireless 597E Broadband card and I've been pleased with it so far in 2008.
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| GPS DELORME EARTHMATE RECEIVER & STREET ATLAS 2008 | |
 In the old days, chasers carried around stacks of maps, usually from the "Roads Of" series or Gazetteers. I still carry those maps in a duffle bag in the back of my truck, but I only open it moments of nostalgic boredom. The reason is that GPS, particularly when paired with an excellent mapping software like Street Atlas 2008 on a laptop, is one of the greatest advancements for chasing since cell phones. The primary difference is that, by only glancing at the map briefly, you can see where you are and where you're going. With the old maps, a chaser had to continuously relocate himself on the page, or flip to another page, a sometimes frustrating and occasionally dangerous task while driving. With GPS, you always know where you are. Delorme's product line of GPS Earthmate receivers and mapping is excellent and I recommend it enthusiastically.
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Canon 300D Digital Rebel
with 17-40mm L lens
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Sony VX2100 Digital Camcorder  Great low light camcorder, though growing more obsolete by the minute. Excellent choice for beginners on a budget.
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 I've recently picked up a Nokia 6820, an excellent handset with good GPRS modem capability and a very cool, flip keyboard. With a Bluetooth connection, I can tether this phone to my laptop for data connections around 100kbps. I use Cingular's Nation plan for non-roaming, nationwide service along with their MEdia Works data package.
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| Getting my license helped me become a better
chaser and makes the experience more fun. I expect people who use CB radio have a similar
experience--it's a way to chase 'with' others, but retain autonomy and independence in
terms of decisions and strategy. I have good friends I've chased with for a long time, but
only in the same vehicle once or twice, yet their voices are all over my videotapes,
coming over the radio. It's one of the coolest aspects of the chase for me, and I can't
imagine not having it. You can have long storm-related chats on the way to target, and on the way home, and even while in chase mode to a lesser extent. If you're on the storm and don't want to talk anymore, you can turn it off. A few of your friends might be several miles north of your location, and, if you're also communicating with people to the south, you might have long sections of the dryline under surveillance with eyes you trust. Cell phones work for this, too, but radio is easier and free of charge. On a long drive home, a radio talk can keep a chaser who has to get home for work the next day awake on the road. Another important point is spotting. If you have a radio, you can report what you see. This is a nice option to have. Similarly, you can ask for help from fellow chasers or locals if you have a problem. On May 8, 2003, Scott Eubanks' van got stuck in the mud. We were in a poor cell area, and if he hadn't told me over the radio, I would not have been able to get help for him. Considering that there were tornadic supercells buzzing around at fifty knots, it was sort of time-sensitive. I've learned a lot about the weather on the radio, asking questions and comparing notes with others. Storm structure, strategy--once, many moons ago, Gene Rhoden popped into our little QSO and gave us some great motel tips in deep west Texas. 2 meter radio allowed me to listen in as Al Moller and Sam Barricklow compared approach strategies as we convoyed May 5, 2002. I didn't have much to tell these two, of course, and was all about listening, but my partner Jeff Lawson found a road option they hadn't considered, which helped all of us arrive in time. The ham test is easy, the radios are relatively inexpensive and chasers are always selling old models for pennies on the dollar. Can't go wrong with amateur radio. |
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 I run two separate dual band transceivers, one mostly for chatting and the other for NOAA, though obviously I could use one for NOAA and the other for spotters or whatever. I found that scanners didn't give me any more capability among the frequencies I really used, and I like the versatility of a backup transceiver. Right now I'm using two ICOM 207H transceivers. Yes, sometimes it's noisy between the chatter on 146.520, "Chance Storm" on NOAA, AM radio (if I'm using it), cell phone, and chase partners. LOL! That's when it's time to turn everything off and reboot my brain. I try to stay on 146.550 these days,
though we used to use .520 quite a bit. Occasionally, .55 gets crowded and we move. While
I'm riding out to target, if nothing important is shaking on NOAA and I'm bored, I'll
monitor both frequencies, usually with my stereo blasting Old 97's so loud that I can't
hear stations calling anyway. |
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 Soon to be an expensive paperweight, but still useful at times.
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