Chase 2021 - New Technology? - Target Areas? What Will You Do Differently?

[Bobby Little]

Hopefully your retirement years will start out much better than my first 3yrs have ..2018 lame..2019 meh..2020 puke. Looking to be out as much as possible. I dont see much air travel for me in the first half of the year..so driving targets..beer drinking..greasy spoon eateries seem to be in order. I am still an apprentice storm chaser so i will keep it simple.Thinking about building a jeep Storm chasing-Upper Michigan swamp buggy later next year.Hope to see some of you in the spring!

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

Looking ahead to 2021, I am hopeful for a solid season in the traditional tornado alley, however what ends up transpiring is the great unknown. I don't have many quality tornado days in Kansas (my favorite state to chase) since 2016 and I hope that changes in 2021. Aside from 2019, the past few years have been disappointing. What the atmosphere decides to throw at us is out of my control, so I have to make the most of what opportunities I am given.

I recently acquired a Canon 90D and have been working with it to get familiar with using it. I am excited to take some quality tornado/supercell shots with it this coming spring. Aside from the new DSLR I haven't made any other significant upgrades to equipment.

As far as chasing strategy, at this point in my chasing career I have pretty much developed a "style" to how I chase, so no major overhaul there. I am always looking to refine my approach and improve on success. Right now that looks like improving how I document storms. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of the moment and make simple mistakes when shooting photos/video that end up plaguing the quality of your work. For me I am focusing on making sure my photos are properly exposed and in focus, and that my video is the same while holding steady shots long enough to use later in video production. For the most part I do a good job with this, but I still make mistakes and there is always room for improvement.

With the doldrums of winter upon us, this is the most painful time of the year as the agonizing countdown to spring slowly marches on. Here's to a safe a productive spring for us all, hopefully with COVID-19 waning by the time we get into the heart of the season.

 

[Paul Lemery]

Time after time you hear the horror stories of others that miss tornadoes due to a wide variety of reasons, including sheer laziness. After largely getting shut out during primetime last year, I had a storm system roll through Hoyt, KS on July 29, 2020. This system had created a few unconfirmed tornado warnings not too far from where I was. There was evidence of some rotation on radar, but no warning.



I filmed the below video of a possible tornado which I was only a mile or so away. For some reason which I'll never understand, I just sat there filming instead of driving the whole quarter mile where I would have had an unobstructed and elevated view where I could have been in a position to confirm and film a tornado over a sparsely populated area.

View attachment Tornado West of Hoyt.MOV















I resolve that in 2021 that if I am not in a good position to film that I get off my lazy *** and get to where I need to be!

 

[Drew Terril]

Aside from hoping that things time out better with my work schedule, I doubt I will change much in 21, other than possibly getting a full frame camera and maybe a larger camcorder (easier time to keep steady if I have a bit mass there to work with, current one isn't cutting it if I have to shoot handheld). I try to not use a ton of bandwidth when I'm chasing as it is. Basically radar and that's it. As far as changing how I chase, probably not. I'm mostly set in my ways and there's not a lot of reason to change to a more risky chase style. I'm a big believer in telephoto lenses. Given my limited amount of vacation every year, I'm simply not willing to burn half of what I'm allotted on a single week of chasing.

 

[Matthew Wann]

I spent the better part of 2020 preparing. Ironically, much of that preparation began with a tree hitting my house at the end of April (not even from a severe storm, just a random downburst or something). I got stuck living with my parents again for 7 weeks and since I didn't have my normal toys to keep me occupied, I ended up outfitting my truck for chasing and better railfanning. It's something I've worked a lot on even once I got back in my own house. I have a RaspberryPi3 which chasing-wise will principally serve as an position server, and a 4G router with big external antenna. Meaning I have a GPS puck mounted outside on my antenna rack feeding the Pi, and it in turn can feed anything that connects to GPSD running on it over the network the router manages. I had to write a fair bit of software to do what I needed, and I'm intending to share it all here in another few weeks. One is a script on the Pi that directly updates SpotterNetwork with my position. When I'm not in 4G range, I've been working on a standalone Windows program to intercept APRS packets from the internet and update your SpotterNetwork position, the Pi in the truck runs Direwolf to provide APRS. The final little bit is another Windows program that connects to GPSD and then sends that information over a COM port that I can connect GRLevel3 to. All of this is controlled by a little switch and button box right next to my shifter. All of this is designed so when I get in, I mount my tablet, flick a switch, and push a button and that's it. I don't have to mess with cables other than the tablet's power, and I don't have to fumble with programs other than connecting GR3 to a COM port at the start, everything else through the Pi is headless.

My chase region is basically Georgia south of Atlanta as far as Macon and as far west as Columbus. Given my full-time job, chase days are hard to come by, on top of being rare for the region anyways. I might get one good one each year if I'm real lucky. But this year, thanks to corona and no one having a reason to use days, my company is letting us roll over 10 days instead of the usual 5, then they gave us 3 more as a Christmas bonus of sorts. With my normal three weeks and other days, I have 31 days next year. Even keeping a full set of roll over days, I have more days to mess with than ever before. So if a good event starts setting up, I might actually be able to take the time and go chase!

 

[Jeff House]

First practical housekeeping. We should de-politicize the COVID thread and update each other on states restrictions and/or relative openness. For example Tennessee is open, and most cities have mask mandates. Restaurants seating varies. Last year I think Members in very restricted states assumed the Plains was closed, when in fact the Plains was open.

Next we have decided to get a little closer. Nothing crazy, but more like we did 15 years ago. For varying reasons all in our chase group got more cautious. Reasons are good. However with more discernment, some tornadoes can be approached closer. Think DDC, Rozel. I remember in 2004 getting just right close to Attica-Harper and that was such an incredible feeling.

Yup, chase Dixie more IMBY. Saving it for the Plains sounds responsible and adult-like. However what if the Plains doesn't happen? I have a good feeling about 2021 Plains. However just in case, I will chase Dixie early and often. Perhaps as early as 12:01 am Jan. 1

WFH = work from Hutchinson. Actually Wichita but Hutch has the H. We keep saying we'll chase the northern Plains next year. Reality is that May is the best time for us to go, and that's still central Plains.

 

[James Hammett]

New in 2021 I'll be acquiring and publishing my storm chasing videos in HDR. The potential of this format to better convey the high contrast and dynamic visuals I encounter while on the chase is huge! I installed a second 4K camera in my Turretcam last year and finally got a HDR-capable display for grading. The wow-factor from the SDR to HDR jump far exceeds the jump to 4K UHD to my eyes so I want to take full advantage of it. I've published a short preview video I rendered as a proof of concept here (be sure to watch on a HDR-capable device):

I'm still sorting out the workflow and working through improvements so it's a work in progress yet. But this provides a glimpse of what to expect.

This will be season #4 for my Subaru Crosstrek. Still loving my Geolandar A/T shoes on 15" wheels. Zero reliability issues though I did get the transmission replaced under warranty last September when it started making a noise.

Target areas will be the usual for me...the high plains. High plains insanity was offline for 2020 but it will be back. I'll be happy if I don't have to venture into northeast North Dakota again this year. Every year has something good to offer though some years make you work for it (and often blow it).

 

[James Hammett]

Addendum to the above (since it's too late to edit), you'll need to click through to Youtube to view the HDR version ( >> click here << ). The embedded version will play SDR only. Also on mobile devices you may not get HDR auto brightness unless you view full-screen.

 

[Michael Onesty]

This will be my second season counting 2019 (I was not able to chase due to my son being born in May). The La Nina pattern into early spring looks like there may be some chance for elevated activity in April (similar to 2011). I have planned my 3 weeks chase-cation from May 14 to June 4 as that is when my girlfriend will complete the college semester but I will be chasing on weekends if the conditions are right. This year I have upgraded from my old Chevy Sonic sub compact to a 2007 Ford Ranger sport (4x2). The gas mileage is slightly worse but the truck has more power and weight in case road conditions are compromised. Getting all of the ducks in a row by revisiting some educational videos and learning from the mistakes I made in 2019.

I think this year, I will try and find a chase partner whenever i can to assist with navigation and spotting as well as forecasting. I missed the Tahoka, TX event in 2019 by choosing to target the Oklahoma panhandle instead of going south. I will also be more focused on documentation and plan on picking up some extra batteries and SD's cards. Lastly, I hope my decisiveness will be more productive this year as I bounced from storm to storm in 2019, missing some action.

I do wonder what tools I can add or adjust to my belt this year (other than a chase partner) that would benefit me.
Here's what I have for this season:
- Delkin Fat Gecko Tri-cup Mount
- Panasonic HC-VX981K (with one backup battery)
- Back up paper maps
- iPhone with Radarscope (for navigation and radar)
- HP Pavillion X360 laptop (for forecasting and radar)
- Bosch 61" Tripod (with quick disconnect)
- Uniden Bearcat 300 (for traffic and police reports)
- Road Flare (for emergencies)
- Verizon Unlimited plan (with hotspot)
- Solar charger
- Ford Ranger Sport V6 3.0L 4x2

 

[ericjkelly]

Also getting ready for 2021.

Got rid of my 2011 Outback with 201K miles It was time. Needed some more tech

Moved up to the 8 passenger Subaru Ascent.

Upgraded the dash cam to the Canon HF R80.

Adding a GoPro Max 360 Cam to the roof.

Getting rid of the ebay special mount and adding a ram mount.

I think thats it!

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

Vehicle:
2005 Toyota 4Runner Sport 4x4 - 291k miles
I just replaced the lower control arms and will replace the brakes next month. After that I plan on having the transmission and transfer case flushed with filters replaced. Truck still drives great so I expect to get another 2-3 years use out of it before I move on to my next vehicle.

Data:
Netgear Wi-Fi router - AT&T
Lenovo tablet for radar/GPS/internet
Delorme Map books for backup navigation

Video:
Sony NxCam
2 - GoPro Hero 3 (outdated but still works well) for time lapse
I-phone 6 with LiveU streaming app for live feed to KOKI-Fox23
JVC Everio HD handycam for backup video

Photography:
Canon 90D
18-135mm
55-250mm
Rokinon 14mm f2.8

My gear is definitely not top grade, but it more it's more than enough to get the job done.

 

[Ethan Schisler]

Made some last minute equipment changes recently that I will use for the upcoming 2021 season (whenever it arrives). I sold off the A7III I had along with the 16-35mm GM lens. Really think the A7III is a great camera for video+photos but I already have an A7RIII so it was just kinda extra. I had gotten a 12-24mm lens last year for a good price, so I was waiting to get rid of the 16-35mm lens that I used all last season (did very well!). The biggest upgrades I made this year was the addition of an A7SIII along with my A7RIII for photo+videos. I was going to sell off both my bodies and buy the A1 that just came out, but availability issues and pricing were just too far out there for me and it didn't seem practical for me. I also have an A9 II that I use for birding, but I probably won't use that for chasing....

My car remains the same (2011 Ford Escape), I have an Ipad Pro that I mount in the passenger seat RAM mount along with my Macbook Pro 16". Will use the same internet I've used since 2011, Verizon Wireless, already been on one chase this year and it only got spotty once. Still don't have a mounted video camera, thinking about picking up an action cam just so I'm able to film all my chases from beginning to end. One focus of mine for 2021 is going to be getting stable tripoded video of supercells and hopefully tornadoes along with high quality stills. Recent years I've been about getting super close, but I think I'm willing to back off a bit to get those clean zoom shots from a stabilized position versus in a moving car.


I'm interested though to hear any other chasers experience using the A7SIII. I'm still waiting on it to be delivered and hoping to play with it before chasing picks up. I know the rolling shutter is still an issue (although improved over the SII), but I'm not really looking to film lightning at high frame rates so that doesn't matter much to me. I'm really after the extreme low light performance and more video options over the A7III.

 

[Michael Towers]

I just spent a bundle this week on major upgrades to both my camcorder and laptop. My old camcorder still works fine and has served me well for 12 years, even surviving a dunk into a lake after a foolhardy attempt to film myself musky fishing with the camera mounted on a tripod on the back of the boat. Wave hits boat, boat heaves, tripod wobbles then tips over into lake camera first with me catching a leg just in time to retrieve it. Camcorder still running then dies, put in bag of rice for a week and was pleasantly surprised it not only worked again but with no ill effects. Old camcorder will now serve as a very nice dash cam on suction mount I bought years ago but never used. So now I have a dash cam which is something I’ve always wanted and for my main cam I bought this beauty:

https://www.sony.com/electronics/handycam-camcorders/fdr-ax700

I bought it on ebay for about $400 less than the price on Sony’s site, it arrived a few days ago and I’ve had a chance to pretty much learn everything I need to know about it and give it a little workout. It’s a lot larger and heavier than my old cam so filming on the fly will be a little more of an effort but a lot of my shots are on tripod and I’ve already switched my quick release head from my old to new and it secures quickly and easily onto my tripod. Based on the filming I’ve done the quality really can’t be discerned because my monitor is only 1920x1080 and I haven’t hooked it up yet to my 4K TV. But when trying to watch on my PC it became apparent it’s not up to the job, the video doesn’t play well regardless the program used to run it. I was surprised though that I was able to render it successfully although not nearly as quickly as rendering my previous HD stuff. This got me to thinking about how outdated both my PC and laptop are with my laptop 11 years old and PC 12 years old, both running 7 on nearly identical internals as both have dual core processors at 2.6 GHz and 8G RAM. Like my camcorder both still run fine but once I started checking out new laptops I started drooling over some of the specs at not so terrible prices. I really am an impulsive type and in less than a few hours of comparison I not only decided on what I wanted but bought it as well:

https://www.amazon.com/ThinkPad-E15-1920x1080-i7-10510U-Business/dp/B086M8D4PQ?th=1

This should do the job and then some for all my needs, not just those related to video. I have some concerns about compatibility with the stuff I’m currently running but that’s something I’ll address once it arrives next week and I’m sure I’ll be able to utilize everything I need one way or another. So after some major splurging I’m excited to have two great new additions to my repertoire of chase equipment and jinx be damned, bring on the storms!

 

[Kem Poyner]

About the only changes to last years chasing is an upgraded dashcam (Sony FDR 3000) and the purchase of Radarscope Pro. I have been using just the standard Radarscope but I need higher grade couplets views.