iPhone chasing is here

[Stephen Locke]

all-in-one-chaser-device

There are times when one doesn't have equipment and an i phone would be nice for a last minute chase.

Bill Hark

Actually an iPhone is everything and the only thing you need to chase.
Data, communication, navigation. And remember, it is also a camera.

shot with my iPhone

shot with my iPhone

shot with my iPhone

http://stephenlocke.com/photos/IMG_0411.jpg
shot with my iPhone

http://stephenlocke.com/photos/IMG_0413.jpg
shot with my iPhone

Hopefully the next incarnation of iPhone will shoot video.
Actually it will now if you hack it.
Everything you need to chase except the vehicle and you don't
even need that if you are a good hitchhiker.

 

[Jason Foster]

Now any 15-year old with a driver's permit can be a chasing star. Every year this ridiculous technology creeps in, I have a deeper and deeper respect for the (forgotten by today's genre) veterans of the 70s-early 90s who were consistently good with nothing but a (possible) trip to a local NWSFO for a look at paper charts.

Shane....I'm sure I don't have to tell you that all one has to do is drive out and find a car, van, truck with lots of stickers, lightbars, (...sorry I had to), antennas, anemometers, etc to go chasing. Not even an iPhone is required anymore.

I have the iPhone and RadarScope. When the atmosphere is generally clear I've noticed the radar site reports a big glob of the entire colour spectrum even during the day. Does this mean they power up? Stations in the vicinity of legitimate precip appear to have the (gain?) turned down and the map is readable and individual storm cells can be discerned. Question; Is this a normal behaviour of all Level 3 data programs or just iPhone? And, who or what decides to turn the gain down when real conditions warrant a clear view.

That maybe when the radar is in Clear Air Mode....but I haven't seen what your seeing. Since you mentioned it at the end of the quote...I'd say that's what it is.

All I got to say about the original post is that I encourage everyone to go out and buy an iPhone....in fact go spend money on a laptop, desktop, and whatever else Apple sells....I certainly would like to see my stock go back up to 200 per share.

 

[Skip Talbot]

I doubt the iPhone will bring hoardes of newbs to your storms more than live tracking and streaming video will.

What the iPhone has real potential for is impromptu chasing: Those summer afternoons when you get off work and there is a tower going up on the horizon that you weren't anticipating earlier in the day. Now you can effectively chase without having your full setup.

 

[Jerry Prsha]

iPhone & myweather.com

Ok, iPhone users... Check this out!

http://www.myweather.com/iphone/index.html

I have an iPod touch and without the GPS, I'm not sure if I'd apply but if you want to chase with an iPhone, this is pretty darn cool...

 

[Bill Tabor]

I'm thinking of getting an Iphone. Developers why not create some weather applications to sell off App Store such as GR3, etc? Tyler, what about it could it be done? Seems it would be seriously cool to have GR3 running on an IPhone with the built in GPS.

 

[Tyler Allison]

Seems it would be seriously cool to have GR3 running on an IPhone with the built in GPS.

Can't be done with GR3. GR3 is windows only.

I doubt the iPhone has the CPU to generate it's own radar images so the only real option is to use pre-processed radar data like when you visit a website like MyWeather or WeatherTAP.

We had thought about releasing an SN client for the iPhone but the problem with that is that the iPhone does not currently allow "background" processing. So it only lets you run whatever is top of screen. And nobody would want to run just an SN client 24x7 on their iPhone

 

[Bill Tabor]

Too bad Tyler. It would be seriously cool, and probably really useful. I think I'm going down to get an Iphone tomorrow. I'll likely still keep my air card on Millenicom for data access. Others mention that Radar Scope app for the Iphone, I may check that out, but having integrated gps along with the lite / quick response features of GR3 would be sweet on an Iphone app. Perhaps there is smaller version you could do for an Iphone. Anyway, thanks for the quick response.

 

[Tyler Allison]

I'm planning on getting an iPhone as soon as my current phone dies or comes off lease or whatever the call it at AT&T.

This app looks pretty cool via the website..
http://www.myweather.com/iphone/index.html

It may be possible for someone like myweather.com to implement a basic SN client so that when you are looking at weather data it sends your position up to the SN. I'll have to drop them a note when I get my iPhone and see if they are interested.

 

[William Combes]

Just picked up an IPhone yesterday. We're actually working with our developers to set up several applications for weather. Post some ideas and we'll see what we can do. Tons of potential.....we'll see how it goes.

 

[Jerry Prsha]

Just picked up an IPhone yesterday. We're actually working with our developers to set up several applications for weather. Post some ideas and we'll see what we can do. Tons of potential.....we'll see how it goes.

Awesome.. In suppose iPod Touch as well then? (Hint, hint)

 

[Jody Radzik]

At a minimum, storm relative motion and base reflectivity, with storm tracks and GPS position, along with a decent road map database, and you'd have everything I'd want in a chase application.

From there it's all tasty icing.

 

[Bill Tabor]

Cool Bill, I've got one right now too. Haven't decided if I'll keep it though. It's a cool phone with lots of integrated, easy to use features, and fast to the point of being usable for internet browsing.

I've been doing some looking around and apparently you can set up the IPhone to work as a modem for your notebook computer. Apple intended this function, but AT&T isn't allowing it and pulled the app from APP Store. However I've found online if you 'jailbreak' the phone..load Cydia there are apps that will let it work as as modem. One will enable it to operate as a wireless router to the notebook. You can surf they web while chasing but still multitask and use the phone functions (voice phone calls, text, planner, calendar, mp3 player, gps, camera, etc) just like you weren't connected to the internet. So in that way it is kind of like having an air card and a phone. The cost for this data usage is $30 which is certainly competitive with other chase data expenditure options out there. May not be quite as fast as EVDO rev A, but I believe AT&T continues to expand their 3G coverage and HSPDA has the potential to be faster. Definitely let me know of any apps you guys look at and I can help demo, trial, test it.

 

[Brandon Headley]

I just picked up an IPhone and must say that I am pretty impressed so far. I used it on a trip to Chicksha and around that area. It seemed to load quick.

I would be very interested in a weather app. I looked at a couple (My Weather Mobile and Radar Scope) apps and the reviews weren't completely favorable. I do like the fact that Mobile has a animated radar which is good to see the movement of the storm. However as someone else said the map isn't that great. I am going to chase with this and my laptop/gps. So that isn't a huge deal. I would be good to have though for backup.

Hope yall come out with some great apps that can be used for chasing.

 

[Jerry Prsha]

I just picked up an IPhone and must say that I am pretty impressed so far. I used it on a trip to Chicksha and around that area. It seemed to load quick.

I would be very interested in a weather app. I looked at a couple (My Weather Mobile and Radar Scope) apps and the reviews weren't completely favorable. I do like the fact that Mobile has a animated radar which is good to see the movement of the storm. However as someone else said the map isn't that great. I am going to chase with this and my laptop/gps. So that isn't a huge deal. I would be good to have though for backup.

Hope yall come out with some great apps that can be used for chasing.

Google maps for the iPhone was released. You may like it better.. And it's free!

 

[Brandon Headley]

Yeah. I do have google maps. I like it, but I don't want to run everything off of one device. I figure my laptop can handle the gps and the screen is a lot bigger.

Also wondeing if anyone has tried both apps I mentions before. I am curious what chasers think of these apps. I have read the reviews, but it is hard to tell what the people are using the app.