David Drummond
Member
Just a funny note to add here and show how much a small world this is.... I had a person that saw their vehicle in the hail from my video that was on TWC. She hunted me down and was asking for a pic of it! Too cool! 8)
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- Weather and Chasing
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4/03/04: REPORTS: TX / NM
- Thread starter nickgrillo
- Start date
Iain Sloan
Originally posted by nickgrillo
Storm spotters can be dumb-asses. How can they report those clouds above as funnel clouds? Yeah, maybe the public... but someone thats been trained? :? WOW.
Anyways... awesome pics!
Nick, FYI.. I've spoken to the Emergency Management guys in Gaines County, the NWS and the people running the Skywarn net in the Area during these events. And the unconfirmed reports of funnel clouds were not reported by "trained spotters" but by the public. Chasers can regularly be dumb asses too. And yes I know more than one Dumb Ass Spotter but as with Chasers... the vast majority are good and knowledgeable
Iain - KD5YOW...
David Drummond
Member
Originally posted by Iain Sloan+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Iain Sloan)</div>Storm spotters can be dumb-asses. How can they report those clouds above as funnel clouds? Yeah, maybe the public... but someone thats been trained? :? WOW.
Anyways... awesome pics!
Nick, FYI.. I've spoken to the Emergency Management guys in Gaines County, the NWS and the people running the Skywarn net in the Area during these events. And the unconfirmed reports of funnel clouds were not reported by "trained spotters" but by the public. Chasers can regularly be dumb asses too. And yes I know more than one Dumb Ass Spotter but as with Chasers... the vast majority are good and knowledgeable
Iain - KD5YOW...[/b]
I don't want to stir up any trouble with they spotters in the MAF area, heck I like those guys! But I can say for a complete fact that at least on ham operator spotter reporting on the net did indeed report the pictures I posted above as funnel clouds and a tornado. I won't mention names or call signs here, but it was the same person. I wish the spotter from Lee County that got caught in that aweful hail pileup could have made it over there because he was giving VERY good reports.
I don't know that I would agree with your "vast majority are good and knowledgable" just based on my experience in recent years. There always seems to be a core group of dedicated spotters in each area that really know their stuff. You can just tell by their reports. Then there is the group that attended the meeting (maybe) and get out there to make a report just to hear their call sign on the net. Then of course there are the bottom feeders that can't listen to net control when they are saying "we are under CONDITION RED, we only want TORNADO reports only" as they always seem to follow right after that with a puddle report.
BTW I am not bashing on spotters per say, heck I used to be (still am really) one of them to some extent! It's just a condition that has always, and will always be I am afraid.Iain Sloan
David,
I'm not even going to argue with you.. There is a core group who go out every time and those who do, the majority know exactly what they are looking for. Yes there are some who have no idea but have been to one session so they think they are the "Tim Samaras" of the MAF area ( no offence meant Tim... but it's the best way I can describe this ). There are one or two ( ok maybe more ) who'll be heard saying "Yup we're gettin some purdy good lightnin out here" I kid you not.. And yes there are the other who ignore the direction of Net Control.. I just love those people... And it's one of the reasons why the region is splitting into two groups... Long story... and this isn't the place... David, if you want to find out about that email me off list ( [email protected] ).
Oh and I'd really love to find out who the Radio Operator was that reported it. I'd been told it was a member of the public... not a trained spotter. And I'm using the term Trained very carefully.... This I want to know more about. It isn't the first time I've had a Tornado Warning Cancelled seeing what was really there.
Thanks for your input David... Yours is one I'm likely to listen to.
IainKevin Martin
The bottom photos were Just to the West Of El Pasa Texas, on April 3rd, 2004, Saturday evening. Thought since all these photos were inside of the storm, Id show you what it looked like from the Distance.
http://www.powow.com/orbiteradds/weatherphotos2.html
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