What Will You Do Different in 2020?

[Devin Pitts]

Honestly this year I did fairly well all around, outside of one day that I made a bad call on. I employed the changes I decided to make after 2018 and it definitely made a difference.

I guess the ONE thing I want to improve for next year would be my double tapping of my record button on my camcorder.

 

[Paul Knightley]

If we make it out next year (we want to move house, and that eats money!) then I don't think I will do much differently to recent years. I always strive to get the camcorder onto the tripod when I can, but then when I watch the footage back I know I still need to do it more often!

One thing is that I want to continue to refine the very short-term nowcasting, and also, realise that when something develops in a classic location, get onto it rather than sticking with slightly different target area...this was after getting burned with the KS tornadoes on May 28th NE of Hays (we started the day in Hays, then drove to Salina - and then didn't realise it would be a good plan to get back NE of Hays when the storm blew up!).

One thing I would encourage everyone to do is get a wind-shielded microphone for video work - I've lost count of the amount of nice looking storm and tornado videos on YT which are spoilt by horrible, rasping wind noise!

 

[Drew Terril]

One thing I forgot to mention in my previous response is that I got back into shooting in film on occasion this summer and fall. Now that I'm back in that, one of my goals for next year is to get tornadoes on film in addition to the digital stills that I usually get. While I do bring camcorders with me chasing, and will invest in a Gripper for the HF R70 this year, my focus has always been on stills. I feel like I'm more "in the moment" when shooting stills vs shooting in video. But I'm really looking forward to shooting more in film this year. It helps that, here in OKC, there is ample support for film.

I'm not sure who on here regularly shoots in film, but Bedford's (who has locations in OKC, Tulsa, Fayetteville, and Little Rock I think) stocks all kinds of film and also develops film in house. Just a thought for those who might want to dust off the old film SLRs next spring.

 

[JamesCaruso]

If we make it out next year (we want to move house, and that eats money!) then I don't think I will do much differently to recent years. I always strive to get the camcorder onto the tripod when I can, but then when I watch the footage back I know I still need to do it more often!

One thing is that I want to continue to refine the very short-term nowcasting, and also, realise that when something develops in a classic location, get onto it rather than sticking with slightly different target area...this was after getting burned with the KS tornadoes on May 28th NE of Hays (we started the day in Hays, then drove to Salina - and then didn't realise it would be a good plan to get back NE of Hays when the storm blew up!).

One thing I would encourage everyone to do is get a wind-shielded microphone for video work - I've lost count of the amount of nice looking storm and tornado videos on YT which are spoilt by horrible, rasping wind noise!

Paul, I enjoyed your post because misery loves company - your May 28 2019 sounds a lot like mine, targeting Salina area and stubbornly not allowing ourselves to be lured back to the west when what would become Tipton/Waldo blew up... That was our last good opportunity last season, and we blew it. And, similar to you, unsure whether we will even get out there this year to make it right and supersede the screw-ups (for me, it's a work issue).

 

[Jeff House]

Part of me feels like I've lost chasing skill since 2016. However the patterns have been difficult.

1. Do not chase Dixie. That was easy when I lived in Kansas. It is harder to say no from Tennessee.

2. Do not chase obvious HP. If it evolves that way, it's life. If it's obvious in the morning, do something else that day. Very hard to be so disciplined with limited days to chase, but HP days are low reward high risk of failure.

3. Wait until June. That's nearly impossible if the 6-10 day forecast has a classic look in May, and then it holds together in the 3-5 day. June requires more driving and effort, but may very well be less tiring than May traffic.

All that said 2019 was good to us, not great but good. Documented two tornadoes on separate cycles May 22. However total tornado minutes were below goal. Interestingly, we only saw 1-3 other chaser vehicles that day so maybe May is doable.

 

[Mikayla Norris]

First off I would love to be able to chase more next year. Being in the military we'll see, but fingers crossed.

Second, I would like to get a decent DSLR for stills/ video and leave the GoPro to function purely as a dashcam/ time lapse camera. A decent camera would also allow me the chance to practice photographing lightning even when not chasing.

As far as tactics go, my one and only chase day last year (20 May) went ok I feel like. It was my first time making and following my own chase forecast and it put me right where I needed to be on storms in north TX before they crossed into OK and really fired up (I didn't have time to stay on them since I had work early the next morning). I was able to catch a couple of funnels north of I20 around the town of Post, and some ok structure along the I20 corridor near Colorado City before I had to head back. So that was a win for me. I guess for next year I just want to keep improving on what I've been doing. Also some work on the car needs to be done to make sure its 100%.

 

[James Wilson]

I feel I have a good grip on most aspects of the chase so I will not change much in that area.

I might stay further ahead of the storm for large scale shots other than trying to be beside the actual tornado. Maybe get a couple time lapses that distance as well.

Gear wise I always look to upgrade or add … I might add a Go Pro to my dash cams mostly as I will also use it while climbing 14ers.

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

I plan to continue to improve the way I document storms. I want to film more time lapse and improve the quality of my photos and video. I am also working on finally developing a website, while continuing to grow my social media reach. I am also working on finding sponsors to help me maintain my vehicle and offset expenses. With two kids I don't have as much money for chasing. At this point if I weren't making money from chasing, it would be hard to justify doing much of it.

 

[Jack R. Jester]

In 2020, I hope to go on my first real 'Chascation' the week after I graduate high school.

Last year was the first time I ever felt like a semi-competent chaser.

I have mostly stayed local to Illinois since I have started chasing on my own, but this year will be different. I am currently saving up money and building up my $700 POS into a chase vehicle (Also for Hot Rod Power Tour).

I have a lot of work ahead of me though, so I will get to it.

 

[Paul Lemery]

It's a never ending battle of learning from past mistakes. My never ending goal of chasing more greatly improved when I moved to Kansas last year. Other goals for 2020 are:

1. Limit my chases to a three hour radius when I have to work the next day. I had a lot of nights getting in after midnight.
2. Be more patient with those that want to tag along. Too often I would simply leave someone behind because I just want to get going and refuse to wait.
3. Stop chasing at night. I usually do , but I was on a storm by Alta Vista, KS that kept dropping tornadoes and I stayed on it until full darkness. Once I finally started to head home I damn near drove into a tornado that dropped out of a following cell.
4. Don't over-analyze a target area. More often than not my initial target proves to be right. It seems that the longer I dig through data the more likely is is that I will convince myself to go somewhere else. That seems to happen in life generally. Follow your initial instinct.
5. I vow to talk to other chasers more often. I usually just keep to myself. Others may think that I am not friendly, but the truth is I don't want to interrupt their day even though I'd love to hear their stories and thoughts on the days activities.

Oh, and one more. I will chase more!

 

[Drew Terril]

While I didn't see anything of note on Jan 10, it did provide me with a wonderful field test for the new radio layout. While I plan on moving a couple of radios before spring, the idea of programming them like I did worked wonderfully in the field. It made it very easy to jump from one repeater to another throughout the day. I'll want to swap out for a longer whip for 2m when I chase more remote areas, but the concept worked extremely well.

 

[Jason Boggs]

So, a question for you auto gurus. As I said earlier, I want to upgrade my 08 Xterra headlights to LED. Looked around on the net today and found these. Do any of you recommend these or another type of headlight upgrade. Xterra headlights are terrible and almost dangerous. The light output is laughable. My 2011 Camry blows it out of the water. Thoughts?SPEC-D LED HEADLIGHTS

 

[Warren Faidley]

Jason, you might want to check with some of the Xterra discussion groups. You can search them out and join. I was planning on updating my Xterra headlamps, but I did not for some reason I don't recall. It may have been wiring issues or issues with brightness. This was years ago and maybe there are new options. You are right, they are very dangerous and I'm surprised they were not recalled.

 

[James Wilson]

@Jason Boggs I use this brand and love them

My Lights

 

[Jason Boggs]

@Warren Faidley I have done quit a bit of reviewing lately, and these are the one's I'm going to try. $200 BUCKS A PAIR

GTR ULTRA2 LED