Modernizing a legacy chaser

[Andy Wehrle]

Ever since I finally (December 2022, just before I turned 37) got a vehicle new enough to have a screen and support Android Auto, I've wished it would support Radarscope. Being able to have that app open on the car screen and pan/zoom it by touch would be huge. That said, the Bluetooth connection is finicky enough (occasionally it will drop out every few minutes just doing simple GPS navigation with Google Maps) that it might not be all that great. Even the wired (with USB) connection drops out on occasion.

By the way, the Twister quote in my signature is meant to be somewhat ironic, as I don't have a lot of "high-tech gadgets," and I actually feel my "instincts," as honed over years (decades, now) of independent study of supercell morphology and behavior, are pretty good. It's not having the confidence in myself to trust them that has cost me multiple tornado intercepts over the years, and it's only recently that's started to change.

 

[JamesCaruso]

Getting out of the rat race and unplugging from the hype train is great, but grinding on and tuning into every setup does keep you sharp. Cherry picking a handful of bigger days and checking out for the rest of the year, on the other hand, I can tell I'm getting rusty, nor am I keeping up with the latest how-to. My tornado day to chases ratio for the past two seasons was 1 and 15. Yeah, it's not a competition, and who cares if chasing is fun or rewarding. But to me, realizing that enjoyment in chasing has always included making the most with the tools and limited knowledge that are available. I know I can do better than that.

Lots to unpack here, though getting away from the thread topic of modernizing tech and equipment… Definitely agree about getting rusty if only sporadically chasing the bigger days. I feel rusty every season at the beginning of a chase vacation; after nearly a year since my previous chase, it takes me a couple chase days filled with inadequate focus and stupid mistakes before I get back into the groove. I never see anybody talk about this, and I always thought I was the only one this happened to, so I’m glad to see you mention getting rusty if chasing sporadically.

“Who cares if chasing is fun or rewarding” - I assume this is meant with ironic humor, but of course it absolutely has to be both fun *and* rewarding! I guess the issue is your definition of fun and rewarding. Over the years, I have come to learn that one needs to enjoy the *process*; if you’re in it just for the *result*, it won’t be fun or rewarding. At the same time, it can be like a fitness activity: not necessarily “fun” while it’s happening, but it’s about the fulfillment of the achievement. The relative rarity of a tornado or great structure is exactly what makes them so fulfilling; so you have to appreciate the failures, for they are what make the successes so satisfying. And it’s also important to redefine what “success” means to you, so that you are able to celebrate the smaller wins on a chase day. Participating in field experiments may make it harder to do this though, as success may have a more objective (and narrower) definition for the research team. If you are feeling some chaser burnout or disillusionment, joining a field experiments may make it worse…

 

[Skip Talbot]

Who cares if chasing is fun or rewarding” - I assume this is meant with ironic humor

I phrased that badly. I meant who cares about scores or tornado count, as long as you're having fun and it's rewarding.

My motivation to chase was to witness something rare, powerful and beautiful. I have by no means seen it all, far from it. But I have seen enough that this no longer pushes me out the door like it once did. I've kind of been there, done that, now what? I don't find grinding for three months to hit the wedge jackpot cute anymore like it was when I was in my 20s a couple decades ago. Having other constructive reasons to chase storms has been rewarding though, like being on a scientific research mission, or a film shoot, or driving a group of students around. That's great. I just need to be well equipped for it.

It's a lot like recreational flying to me, something I've been doing more than chasing lately. Maybe the analogy is alien to those that don't do it. But it's not a competition or a race either. You need to keep flying regularly or you lose your skill. You also need to keep up to date with tech and training. It's easy to just lapse and fall behind if you aren't motivated to do it or if it's not your job. I stopped flying for 8 years after a bad experience while aerial storm chasing, and when I finally returned I needed training in the advancements since then and lots of practice to get my skills back. But I was super excited to do it. Having a mission or a goal to work toward are great motivators.

But, yeah. If it's too much of a burden to stay current, and making it part of your job is resulting in burn out, then it's probably time to hang it up and move on to something else. We'll see.