Modernizing a legacy chaser

[Skip Talbot]

I'm back. Kind of. I thought there might be some old school folks lurking here who have undergone a similar journey and can help.

The only significant changes I've made to my setup in the past 15ish years is a camcorder upgrade and a couple new phones. My current setup is:

• A Dell Inspiron laptop circa 2013(?) that is battered to hell but hanging in there.
• 22" inch Dell touchscreen monitor, connected via HDMI and USB
• Delorme Street Atlas 2014. The software was discontinued the next year, and as you can imagine, is starting to diverge from reality.
• Grlevel3/2 with Allisonhouse placefiles.
• Sony FDR-AX100 camcorder circa 2014. It's been an excellent 4k shooter, and amazingly they still go for a $1000+.
  • FilmTools Suction Mount
• Canon 60D DSLR circa 2010 with an EFS 10-22, my go to for tripodded timelapse.
• A handful of GoPros and now an Insta360 x3 which I use sporadically for b-roll, transitions, and "just get a shot" backup
• Samsung S25 Ultra, my newest tech, of which I'm becoming increasingly dependent on as it manages multiple roles as my:
  • Wifi hotspot and only data source
  • Still shooter/handheld camera
  • Radarscope
  • Routing with audible directions

I'm happy as a clam just using this setup until the wheels come off and the world moves on around me. However, I'm now recently tasked with leading field projects that require some effort toward maximizing our success. And, to be honest, I feel like I'm becoming a dinosaur out there. Is there a path toward modernizing legacy chasers like me? Maybe some of you had a similar setup and that you've since supplanted?

I feel like the obvious answer is just using a mobile device with Google Maps and Radarscope, but I still find this to be a serious trade-off from the older tools like Street Atlas and GrLevelX, and I'm compromising on features in exchange for ease of use. For example, having offline support of the entire Plains grid and on a large display with high contrast colors. GrLevelX, as clumsy as it is to use a legacy Windows app on a touchscreen, still sports more features that Radarscope. I feel like I'm handicapped when I go out with just my phone. Even the cameras, sure I could finally spring for a full frame mirrorless or something, but for video I don't want to have to compromise on how solid the camcorder is in this role, recording hours non-stop without having to babysit or manage settings.

Open to suggestions.

I realize that modernizing my abilities to forecast, pick targets, and intercept is the real battle. That's a whole different topic though, and probably why I'm not really "back". The answer to all of this might be downsizing not just my setup, but chasing in general. I aspire to be one of those long-time veterans you're happy to see is still making it out there once in awhile.

 

[Hannah.Taylor]

StarLink mini and service would be my suggestion. You can pause service when you're not using it for $5/ a month.

$50/ mo for 100 GB or $165/ mo for unlimited.

 

[JamesCaruso]

Hey Skip, great to see you back here! Yes there are some of us old-school chasers here, but it may be some of the younger ones that will have more insight into tech upgrades. Although, sure, if any veterans have taken that journey, they will have a better sense on what you really need and what may not actually be much of an improvement.

Sorry I can’t personally help. As a chase vacationer from the east coast, I’ve never been in a position to outfit a chase vehicle with a laptop and all… We ran Baron ThreatNet on a laptop sitting on the back seat for a few years, but ultimately found it too temperamental to get up and running many days so we did away with it. Now I actually enjoy being more minimalist - an iPad with RadarScope and Google Maps, and an iPhone with the same apps, helpful when I need two screens at once. It’s a pain to not have radar and roads in the same app, but I haven’t found the radar apps that have roads to be as good as RadarScope. For pictures and video, I still have a digital Nikon that does both, but it’s over 10 years old, and I find myself not even taking it out, instead defaulting to the iPhone for ease of use, including the ability to use it with one hand and immediately share experiences with family and friends back home. I guess you could say I’m becoming more of a minimalist chaser as I get older.

Your situation is obviously different if you’re going to be leading field projects, so hopefully others on here will be able to offer guidance. And who knows, maybe I’ll get inspired by some of those ideas to upgrade myself!

Not sure how much new technologies really impact forecasting, targeting or intercept. Unless for forecasting you’re talking about getting up to speed on the latest models? Curious in general about your last paragraph; does this imply that you haven’t been chasing in recent years? What do you mean about “…downsizing not just my setup, but chasing in general”? Curious how this would balance with leading field projects, and just curious in general what you’ve been up to chasing-wise since we haven’t seen you here for a while! Hope you’ll stick around!

 

[Warren Faidley]

I keep a dash / suction cup mounted iPad connected to Starlink, dedicated to Google or Apple Maps only. Maps are "life" in critical situations and most apps with both mapping and radar overlays. e.g., Radar Omega (RO) are prone to crashes or slow-downs at critical times. I use map "direction up" perspective for fast road calculations. Having the ability to see traffic slowdowns or stoppage on maps is fantastic. I use my front-mounted iPhone 16 Pro to to monitor apps like RO, Radar Scope or a little-publicized app called MyRadar Pro to get a fix on my position in relation to cells or to estimate cell movement / splitting. I use a second iPhone 16 Pro for communications, weather data and for handheld video / picture grabs. I prefer not to use large, bulky 35mm digital camers except for long lens shots and night (lightning phtography). iPhones suck at almost all telephoto ranges, especailly through high DP haze.