Project F5 EXPLORATIONS:WEATHERNET 3.0

[Mike Tobin]

Hello all for you all who do not know me, my name is Mike Tobin and I Study and film extreme weather with my team called Project F5. My team consists of myself Nick Hoad who drives our Weathernet Ford F150. His truck is the focus for our down time this year until next season.

 

[Mike Tobin]

The pictures above is with the old rig. Let us begin our journey of creation with our new set up. Dubbed Weathernet 3.0. We wanted a design that was both sleek and compact. We decided that we where going to build something we can deploy while we are taking pictures and video below is the pictures of the shell being built.

 

[Mike Tobin]

Finally the shell is on the truck and the lights are all mounted and operational. The only items we have left to build is the A arm for the weather instruments. The goal of this rig is so as I am filming from my truck we can get accurate readings from various pieces of equipment so we can link them to the videos I make. If you have any questions please feel free to ask away.

 

[Shane Adams]

The goal of this rig is so as I am filming from my truck we can get accurate readings from various pieces of equipment

What type instruments will you be using? What type measurements will you be taking? How do you plan to go about assuring any measurements/readings you get are truly accurate?

 

[Rob H]

Also, what do you plan on doing with this data? It's an interesting novelty, but probably worthless to anyone doing actual research.

 

[Sean Ramsey]

Also, what do you plan on doing with this data? It's an interesting novelty, but probably worthless to anyone doing actual research.

It sounds like he is going to do the research since he stated he studies extreme weather. I'm not sure what qualifies as actual research, but it may be just for him who knows.

 

[Rob H]

'Actual research' is a lot easier than typing 'peer-reviewed and published research by an academic or professional team, usually funded by grants'. If they're just collecting data for fun or personal research, that's cool. To Shane's (implied) point, personal data collection is usually of little value to the scientific community because it doesn't follow the rigor necessary for academic/professional research.

I was probably a little bit of a jerk there, but my biggest concern with chasing now is with the new breed of chaser that justifies their presence and actions by claiming to be 'saving lives and doing science'. I'll give the benefit of the doubt here, and check that bias at the door next time.

 

[Joey Ketcham]

Aside from what others have said and asked, I'm also curious about the OP's background and what qualifications he has that will allow him to conduct "scientific" research. To do research to collect data requires more than just tossing consumer brand instruments on your vehicle and driving into a storm. Not trying to be harsh but it's just reality, we see this time and time again where someone new comes on saying they're doing this or that for research and then we never hear from them again or see any actual data that they've collected.

And to echo what Rob H said, I am also starting to see more people getting into storm chasing and justifying it by saying they're doing research. I guess I don't understand what all these "researchers" are hoping to gather in their "data" that hasn't already been gathered by legit, scientific research teams such as those who participated in Vortex and Vortex 2.

 

[Sean Ramsey]

my biggest concern with chasing now is with the new breed of chaser that justifies their presence and actions by claiming to be 'saving lives and doing science'. I'll give the benefit of the doubt here, and check that bias at the door next time.

I fully understand where you are coming from and I look forward to Mike's response on why he feels this is necessary and what he hopes to accomplish by collecting said data, and what he will do with it once it is collected. I would also like to understand what is driving his motivations to collect the data he is investing pretty heavily in to get.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Mike, mobile weather instrumentation on a chase vehicle is one of the "hot button" controversial topics in the storm chasing community. Just in case you're wondering why the responses here have been mostly skeptical.

Weather instruments on a vehicle are OK long as it's done "for the fun of it". After all, everyone who has a Davis or OS system at their house isn't collecting research-grade data either. It can be fun and interesting to have your own weather data on a chase, I used to do it myself. Where you'll run into scrutiny and criticism within the community is if you state too-lofty goals for said equipment, like collecting data for research or as Rob stated, the dreaded "saving lives" reasoning.

 

[Rob H]

Personal experience here: my first few years chasing I really wanted to put a mesonet on top of my car. Then I chased for a week in Oklahoma with Nick Nolte, who had a mesonet mounted on top of his car. You get a *ton* of attention, and while that might sound exciting, after a week it got really annoying when you just wanted to eat a quick meal or do a forecast.

Every night he would be dog-tired and he'd need to spend several minutes tearing the thing down, so people didn't break it or steal it in the middle of the night. It was kind of cool to know what speed winds we were in, and what the current dewpoints were, but a Kestrel can do that just fine and can fit in your pocket.

Earlier that year we got within 1/4 mile of the Mapleton EF-3. There was a several millibar pressure drop and 75mph winds recorded. It was cool seeing that data, but we knew about how windy it was, and we guessed that the pressure would drop. A few researchers were told about our data and they said "that's really cool" and left it at that.

Ultimately a fun toy, but my experience near it prompted me to give up plans on it. Nick stopped using it after that season for the same reasons. Don't let any of this discourage you from doing something that you're doing for fun, though.

 

[Mike Tobin]

Well gentlemen I do appreciate the responses both the good the bad and the skeptical. One thing I realized a long time ago is that even with me being with my day job in the US Army is that you will never please everybody. I love this community because of its closeness. The set up is a mobile mesonet is all just streamlined I use the data that I receive for my knowledge and growth. With people like Vortex having the funding to do the real science, My science is not to save lifes but for me just to log and look over. I am not trying to state nor want to state that my research is going to be the changing of the guard in the terms of the Science. I do what I do just to see what I can find. The readings help me add data to my articles I write so I can tell my reader what the wind was like in this area etc. I am still learning and developing my technique I created this section not to start debates on who is right who is wrong motives or to say i am better then anyone that is farther from the truth. I busted my behind creating a new type of rig for my team to show you and I am proud of my set up. I respect you all very much and look up to a select few of you who i talk to on a regular basis. and I hope I see you all out on the chase next season and if any of you ever need anything if your in my neck of the woods I will always do my best to help you.

 

[Joey Ketcham]

The set up is a mobile mesonet is all just streamlined I use the data that I receive for my knowledge and growth.

I hate to break the news to you, but throwing a consumer brand weather station on your chasemobile isn't going to have any educational value whatsoever and you won't learn anything from it. Truth be told, true storm chasers chase without all that (mobile mesonet), those who have it, they're attention whores and that's their only motive, to get attention. So yeah, unless you're an attention whore, don't do the whole bull mobile mesonet crap.

 

[Mike Tobin]

I hate to break the news to you, but throwing a consumer brand weather station on your chasemobile isn't going to have any educational value whatsoever and you won't learn anything from it. Truth be told, true storm chasers chase without all that (mobile mesonet), those who have it, they're attention whores and that's their only motive, to get attention. So yeah, unless you're an attention whore, don't do the whole bull mobile mesonet crap.

Hey Joey everything i have up is for a reason. Instead of breaking the news to me you could offer some knowledge to help a fellow chaser out. If you read the response the readings are also for my blogs to help with marking in my write ups. Everybody has a different program with what they want. I will never judge a chaser by what they use or what they have. I will only judge if the person is unsafe.

 

[Skip Talbot]

true storm chasers chase without all that (mobile mesonet)

To be a "true" storm chaser the only thing you have to do is chase.

Whether it's cameras, weather instruments, or armored vehicles, how and why chase is entirely up to you and what others think is irrelevant. There's no right way to chase as far as I'm concerned. Most of us are out there following our passions and for the enjoyment of the chase. Some chase for the attention it brings them. I don't see anything wrong with that as long as you're not hurting anyone.

Most don't chase for the approval of a few people on an internet forum though. So I find it silly that anyone can say who is a "true" chaser. Many folks probably also find that arrogant and elitist, and this attitude is part of the problem as to why activity on this forum has slacked off over the years. We come to the forum to share our common passion, not submit to condescending peers for their approval and respect.