Measuring clouds with a handheld device

[Tim Vasquez]

This afternoon I saw low scud clouds racing northwestward toward that MCS that's coming into Norman right now. For some reason a light bulb went off in my head and I went to get my surveying laser that I bought back in 2001. It's a Leica Geomatics Disto Classic.

Pointing the laser up to get a reading.

Measurement of the broken/overcast stratocumulus deck. Right down to the nearest inch.

Measurement results for one of the scattered scud cloud fragments that went whizzing by. As I used to actually do federally certified observations and used to work with ceilometers a lot I would say this height is pretty accurate.

Comparison with cloud heights in area observations:

METAR KOKC 212052Z 14019G27KT 10SM OVC012 17/15 A2975 RMK AO2 PK WND 13032/2023
METAR KOUN 212150Z AUTO 14019G25KT 10SM BKN013 OVC020 18/16 A2977 RMK AO2

This consumer technology sure is something. I remember 30 years ago when I started all I had was a little aneroid barometer from K-Mart.

Tim

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Wow, color me surprised that such a device is sensitive enough to detect scatter from clouds! I assume that's a "better" laser measurement device than the cheap ones found at the bottom shelves at the local Home Depot? Interesting stuff.

 

[Tim Vasquez]

It was a $495 item we needed for a surveying job. The Leica sales office in Atlanta or wherever blew off my order for a week or two, and finally when I called to complain the lady cut me a deal and let me have it for $300. The thing is definitely a cut above the lasers at HD and Lowes.

Tim

 

[Bill Hark]

It was a $495 item we needed for a surveying job. The Leica sales office in Atlanta or wherever blew off my order for a week or two, and finally when I called to complain the lady cut me a deal and let me have it for $300. The thing is definitely a cut above the lasers at HD and Lowes.

Tim

Darn. I was considering checking out the ones at Lowes. $495 is a bit much though maybe one will appear on Ebay.

Bill Hark