Don't worry Dan, you did a good job with your post on some of your points. But I have a few counter points to consider.
Chris, I want to say this as respectfully as I can, but I find this sort of attitude very frustrating. Sure, you have the right to be out there chasing just like everyone else. You have the "right" not to report what you are seeing. You are not obligated to move out of the way to let a science vehicle in to a good spot. The issue here is not "obligation" or "rights", it's more about courtesy and goodwill and whether you will be willing to extend these to others out on a chase.
I would say I'm one of the best as far as chasing responsibly and such as I almost always obey the speed laws and make sure my vehicle is parked off the road and such. Unlike many chasers who feel the need to drive 80-100 mph towards a storm and whatnot, I rarely do that. The only times I can remember myself excessively speeding on a storm chase would be a few times to avoid a hail core. So as far as courtesy and goodwill go, I'd say I'm pretty well on par with what it means to be courteous and such while chasing.
Regarding submitting reports, this is, in my opinion, where moral responsibility (not obligation) comes in. If you are one of the few people on a dangerous tornadic storm heading toward a populated area, and you have the ability to submit a real-time report about a developing tornado, don't you at least feel a twinge to the effect of "Gee, maybe I should report this"?
I rarely, if ever, get a chance to chase outside of Oklahoma, NW Texas and the E. TX Panhandle due to the simple fact I have a lot of other things going on. So taking a full day to chase is usually pretty unrealistic. On that token, there is rarely (if ever) a time today where there is a tornadic storm with no one on it. The Skywarn and Local Spotter networks have been set up so effectively in this region so that a storm cannot form without the proper authorities there ready to report. In my opinion, it's just as much as moral hazard to report the same thing they will be reporting via 911 since it could be helping to tie up valuable resources which could go towards disaster recovery efforts (aka an operator). I'm not going to sit out there and not report if I was somehow the only person on a storm...but the odds of that happening today where everyone and their dog chases storms is about as close to 0% as you could be.
Regarding the science, it's also too bad that you feel this way. Have you considered that the very science you claim you don't care about is also what has made it possible for you to have such easily-accessible weather data both on and off the field, so that you can indeed get into a good position to get your great shot? For that reason alone, I would think you would have at least some respect for it.
I think you might be looking a bit too much into my comment. My comments about the science aren't that I don't care about it advancing and saving lives, they are rather directed towards the simple fact I could care less about the scientific importance of a storm when I'm on it. I consider the storm my photography subject and I rarely if ever thing "gee, this might be scientifically important." That will of course, fly in the face of scientists. But it's the same thing when I photograph wildlife or anything of the sort, I just am there to get a great shot, nothing more and nothing less. If I see something I do think is unusual, and if I think no one else got a shot, I will submit it to a NWS office. But again, that's a rarity these days for better or worse.
Finally, regarding the V2 vehicles, as someone who has driven radar trucks on several missions over the past few years, in addition to just general, non-scientifically-motivated chasing, I know how hard it is to find a good spot that is level and free of nearby obstructions that would block the radar beam. Such locations out on the plains are fewer and farther between than you might think. I never *expect* any chaser who happens to be parked at the only decent spot to deploy for a few miles around to get out of the way simply because I'm driving a radar truck for scientific purposes. However, given the opportunity, I will politely *ask* them if they might move away. If they don't, no skin off my back, and I do my best to find another spot. If they do, so much the better and I am very grateful for that. I think I probably speak for most other scientific chase vehicle operators out there in this regard as well. No, we don't have any more right to be out there than you do, which is why its so important for all of us to cultivate goodwill and be polite. Thus, I'm encouraging you to consider the above when and if you get into this situation with a V2 crew vehicle out on a chase. Consider moving out of the way if they ask. You don't have to, but I'm sure you would have their gratitude if you did. Even if they are real jerks about it (which I sincerely doubt would happen), what matters is how you respond.
Just some things to think about.
I'm just thinking about this in a practical manner. I know where you are coming from, and if the situation warranted it, I would gladly pull up if asked politely if the situation with the storm was rather benign. However, realistically speaking, I seriously doubt I'd have anywhere to pull if I had to be asked to move by someone. Chaser convergence is such that there are rarely any places to park anymore, so in the event I do have the one good spot in a 3 mile stretch of land, it's very unlikely I'm going to risk getting suck or wasting the money I put into the chase just to move my car. Unlike Vortex, I don't have tons of money paying for my chase. So unless I'm getting paid to chase by the same folks, it's just part of it.
I got a couple of PMs from guys who expressed pretty similar concerns. I just want to reiterate that I am rooting for Vortex 2 to succeed and I think that most of this isn't going to be an issue. As with most things on ST, people like to speak in hypotheticals and assume the worst case scenario when the reality is much different. I'm not going to be blocking the road or anything preventing Vortex 2 from doing what they're doing like some would have you believe. The reality is that I'm simply out there for artistic reasons but I'm fully rooting on the scientists trying to save lives with a better warning system.
However, the scientists who are out there need to realize that while their reason is important, there are a ton of reasons people might be chasing. I'd like to think if a photographer or videographer got excellent shots of storms that showed how powerful they were and if that photograph was circulated widely, it'd help raise awareness of the destructive forces of storms as well.
