gearing up for 2008 season

[brandongreen]

its time to start gearing up for the 2008 storm season. im making march my deadline to get all my stuff i need. im making a dash cam mount, and i plan to buy a laptop and handheld gps. anything else yall suggest for a beginning chaser like me?

 

[Shane Adams]

its time to start gearing up for the 2008 storm season. im making march my deadline to get all my stuff i need. im making a dash cam mount, and i plan to buy a laptop and handheld gps. anything else yall suggest for a beginning chaser like me?

Just chase bro. The gear is cool if you're into that kinda thing, but it won't make you experienced. When you're beginning, all that matters is you get out there and chase. See storms, make decisions, and much of the time, fail. Experience is a goldmine and the only way to truly get it is to chase, make mistakes, and learn from them. There is no "training" or "test" to become a chaser, there is no piece of equipment that makes a person a chaser. You just have to chase. We've all been there, and all you can do is make the best choices you can and do what you feel is right. You seem to have the main ingredient needed to become a chaser, and that's ambition. Good luck!!!

 

[Skip Talbot]

Why a laptop and a hand held GPS? If you are getting a laptop, I recommend connecting a GPS to it and using mapping software. This is an invaluable tool, by the way. I can't imagine chasing without it (although it is very possible).

 

[Bryce Stone]

Shane has it nailed. Tech gear may seem cool, but I'm of the opinion that nothing will benefit you more in the field than first learning how to read the sky. The tech you mentioned seems reasonable - I'm not trying to discourage that. Just remember that you'll have to learn how to interpret the sky before any gadget will greatly benefit you. Before you blow money on a bunch of stuff, you might get a season or so in . . . that way you can decide what you really need.

2008 will be my sixth year chasing and I've never used or had a need for GPS. You'll need experience to decide what works for you.

 

[Derek Weston]

Started out last season myself. FWIW -- check out the equipment forum, lots of good discussion of this sort there.

Considering the day and age we chase in, some 'must haves' as I see it:
1) Get a weather radio. (simple and cheap -- but really handy)
2) Laptop (FWIW -- Toshiba makes a very durable laptop)
3) GPS -- I have a handheld. I also have GPS software you can use on a laptop. GET the laptop software. I've had good success with Microsoft Trips & Streets 2007. (title is something close to that -- look at Amazon for good deals)
4) Data solution for your laptop. You want to be able to have an internet connection anywhere. Based on my research, a Spring mobile broadband card is ideal. Why? Good coverage, good speed. Set you back 60 a month or so. Probably want to do so research in this area.
5) A good piece of software to grab radar data on. My suggestion? GRLevelX. Here's a big reason a software GPS solution is nice: (besides the big display/navigation abilities) You can output your GPS info onto your radar. You can see the storm in relation to where you are -- all on one screen. That's nice.


That's a few bucks there. Don't know about your financial situation... but if you're planning on staying relatively local, and not chasing any great distances, you could go cheap and get it done with a weather radio and good ol fashioned maps.

 

[Danny Cheresnick]

Started out last season myself. FWIW -- check out the equipment forum, lots of good discussion of this sort there.

Considering the day and age we chase in, some 'must haves' as I see it:
1) Get a weather radio. (simple and cheap -- but really handy)
2) Laptop (FWIW -- Toshiba makes a very durable laptop)
3) GPS -- I have a handheld. I also have GPS software you can use on a laptop. GET the laptop software. I've had good success with Microsoft Trips & Streets 2007. (title is something close to that -- look at Amazon for good deals)
4) Data solution for your laptop. You want to be able to have an internet connection anywhere. Based on my research, a Spring mobile broadband card is ideal. Why? Good coverage, good speed. Set you back 60 a month or so. Probably want to do so research in this area.
5) A good piece of software to grab radar data on. My suggestion? GRLevelX. Here's a big reason a software GPS solution is nice: (besides the big display/navigation abilities) You can output your GPS info onto your radar. You can see the storm in relation to where you are -- all on one screen. That's nice.


That's a few bucks there. Don't know about your financial situation... but if you're planning on staying relatively local, and not chasing any great distances, you could go cheap and get it done with a weather radio and good ol fashioned maps.

Reading this thread got me wondering, does pretty much everyone have all this stuff with them when they chase?

I'm only curious since when I'm not out with the DOWs (which is certainly the most gaudy, excessive, accessory possible, and has GPSs everywhere, and computers everywhere) I dont have any technology with me except my cell phone (which is also my home phone) and scanner to listen to NOAA WxRadio (and the external antenna from that broke to years ago so its only a little 10 inch antenna). I have never brought my laptop, and dont own a GPS. I only bring a bunch of the "Roads of" maps, and usually a frisbee or football if I think it'll be a while before initiation, and any hand analysis from that mroning which I have done. Its seems like most everyone here is very high-tech (please dont think this is a criticism, its an observation) and I wondered if there are any other old fashioned people.

And as a response for the initial question of this thread, I think Shane and other have it nailed, experience is key. I would also add that learning good fundamentals of meteorology are extremely helpful. Not just looking at all the data, but really trying to get into some of the more hard core meteorlogy, dynamics, thermodynamics etc. I think that will help with being more selective on chase days (if you are on a limited time/money budget) and also with learning why things did or didnt happen after the fact. I think I have learned more from looking at data and maps after busting than from any successful chases. Also a better understanding of meteorlogy helps you adjust in the field based on limited data.

 

[Shane Adams]

Reading this thread got me wondering, does pretty much everyone have all this stuff with them when they chase?

I do if I'm with my chase partners, but not if I'm solo. Having the toys is cool when you know you don't need them; they just become a form of entertainment while waiting things out (I surfed the net all day on May 29 this year because we just drove around seeing nothing). The toys obviously help, but it's never a situation where we would've just totally failed without them. If I bust, it's because my target sucked, not because SPC's site wouldn't load. We have learned the right mix of using the data and relying on what we are actually seeing. It's a simple correspondence:

Computer shows dryline buldge = The clouds are evaporating to the west
Computer shows a boundary = That persistent line of cu you've been seeing for 45 minutes
Computer says the main shear will arrive later on in the day = the high cirrus "whisps' are well west of you

Those are simple examples, but you see it all enough times, you start to notice things before you log on and see it online. The toys are great fun, but IMO it's important to learn how to not need them.