Backup Equipment

[Jeff Russell]

After reading Paul's report from April 26th it got me thinking...
http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showpost.php?p=224066&postcount=29

What backup equipment do you carry?

I for one have a backup GPS, wx radio, cash (if that counts), and camera. I plan on adding a laptop this summer, it will be my daughter's(10) but I'll carry it with me on chase days. I'm thinking of getting another wireless card on a different provider then I have now. People keep complaining about Verizon, who I have now. Video camera would be nice, but that will have to wait.

 

[Dan Robinson]

My old laptop stays on the ready for WxWorx and StreetAtlas backup service. Also an extra inverter, old point-and-shoot digital camera, and a cheap Aiptek HD video camera for last-resort video backup. I also keep all software install CDs in case the laptop crashes. I've had just about everything fail at one point or another - so backups get some space allocated.

 

[James Wilson]

Back up weather radio, GPS & camera.

 

[John Erwin]

Here's my backup strategy:

- redundant GPS capability (I use one for APRS and one for mapping/GR3 etc- could be rearranged if need be)
- second cheap digital camera (better than nothing -takes reasonable pics)
- can monitor Wx on scanner or Ham Radio
- on longer trips I carry a "Ghost Image" of the laptop for quick restore capability if needed
- paper maps

 

[Joey Ketcham]

I don't have any backup's.

I've chased old school for so long not having a laptop or any other technology that it wouldn't make a bit of difference if my laptop died on me in the middle of a chase, would just have to make use of public library's and watch the skies for visual clues.

Paul's post about his laptop dying goes to show how heavily some chasers rely on technology, to the point they can't chase without it. I certainly wouldn't have driven 2.5 hours back just to get another laptop. This is why when I chase I have paper maps and other essentials with me, that way if something does happen I can revert back to old school method of chasing.

 

[Steve Miller]

I generally have a disposable camera with me in case my others crap out on me.
I think the most important thing I take for back-up is an inverter and fuses. We managed to blow fuses on BOTH of our active inverters on Saturday.

Joey: you seem bitter lately...

 

[Marcus Hicks]

I usually have a backup camera and inverter but this past weekend I could have used a backup data connection. But I guess you never know what you need until you need it.

 

[J Kinkaid]

I have a backup hd that is imaged with all my weather programs, streaming settings that I take with me in case my hd fails

 

[Ben Holcomb]

I have a spare of everything for the most part. 2 cameras, 2 laptops, 2 GPS's, a way to tether my phone in case my aircard dies. Never can have too many backups.

 

[Robert Edmonds]

I have a backup inverter, but most stuff I use is DC now. Extra antenna for wx worx. I also use the WX Worx as back up to cell internet now, I just put it on some cheaper plan. There's some paper maps for my car, because sometime I don't believe the directions my gps gives me, and I don't always want to keep the computer running when transitioning to another area. Oh, and I carry backups of my software, just in case my laptop fails and I need to go buy a new one.

 

[Scott Roberts]

My backups are paper maps and the camera on my BlackBerry, along with the scanner for weather radio. (Do they still count as backups if I use 'em every chase anyway? )

 

[Marcus Hicks]

Oh, and I carry backups of my software, just in case my laptop fails and I need to go buy a new one.

I never even thought of bringing software with me. Making copies right now to bring along.

 

[Joey Ketcham]

I generally have a disposable camera with me in case my others crap out on me.
I think the most important thing I take for back-up is an inverter and fuses. We managed to blow fuses on BOTH of our active inverters on Saturday.

Joey: you seem bitter lately...

There is nothing bitter about it, I just question why a chaser would turn around being 2+ hours into their chase simply because their laptop died. A good chaser should be able to chase just as successfully without all this technology as they could with it. It wasn't until 2004 that I started chasing with a laptop, and even then it was an older laptop and had several failures with it out in the field and just did without for the most part. Some of my best and most successful chases were prior to owning a laptop when I chased naked (without the technology).