• After witnessing the continued decrease of involvement in the SpotterNetwork staff in serving SN members with troubleshooting issues recently, I have unilaterally decided to terminate the relationship between SpotterNetwork's support and Stormtrack. I have witnessed multiple users unable to receive support weeks after initiating help threads on the forum. I find this lack of response from SpotterNetwork officials disappointing and a failure to hold up their end of the agreement that was made years ago, before I took over management of this site. In my opinion, having Stormtrack users sit and wait for so long to receive help on SpotterNetwork issues on the Stormtrack forums reflects poorly not only on SpotterNetwork, but on Stormtrack and (by association) me as well. Since the issue has not been satisfactorily addressed, I no longer wish for the Stormtrack forum to be associated with SpotterNetwork.

    I apologize to those who continue to have issues with the service and continue to see their issues left unaddressed. Please understand that the connection between ST and SN was put in place long before I had any say over it. But now that I am the "captain of this ship," it is within my right (nay, duty) to make adjustments as I see necessary. Ending this relationship is such an adjustment.

    For those who continue to need help, I recommend navigating a web browswer to SpotterNetwork's About page, and seeking the individuals listed on that page for all further inquiries about SpotterNetwork.

    From this moment forward, the SpotterNetwork sub-forum has been hidden/deleted and there will be no assurance that any SpotterNetwork issues brought up in any of Stormtrack's other sub-forums will be addressed. Do not rely on Stormtrack for help with SpotterNetwork issues.

    Sincerely, Jeff D.

Measuring clouds with a handheld device

Tim Vasquez

Tim Vasquez

EF5
Joined
Dec 4, 2003
Messages
3,411
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.

disto3.jpg

Pointing the laser up to get a reading.

disto1.jpg

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

disto2.jpg

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
 
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.
 
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
 
Tim Vasquez said:
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
Click to expand...

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

Bill Hark
 
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