Tornadonerds Chase Day

Gallery off line.

I went ahead and took the gallery off line as I'm not updating it anymore I plan on putting it back up soon with only good pictures and not everything like before.

Tyler.

Meteor shower success!

Well the meteor shower was a success not only did I get pictures I also got some really nice radar returns from both Air Force space radar and various digital TV transmitters.

Here one of the better pictures Joey Ketchum and I took just West of Pittsburg, KS

This is a screen cap of Spectrum Lab showing the Doppler shifted returns from meteors ion trails reentering the earths atmosphere for this test I was using the Air Force Space Surveillance System for the transmitter at 216.983mhz CW. According to the internet it�s the most powerful CW signal on earth 757MW input 6.3GW (billion watts) EIRP!

New concept probe for 2010!

I have always looked for ways to combine computers, radio and weather; the new probe design RFTP 2.0 will do just that. RFTP 2.0 will be more like a Mars rover then a tornado probe it will be the first of its kind. Instead of several independent systems RFTP 2.0 will combine all of the subsystems into one system. The probe will use a computer to process store and transmit all of the data. The plan thus far is to use a mini-itx computer with a video capture card as the primary computer. The probe will use Compact Flash memory for the boot media and SDHC memory for data storage. Their will be a 900 MHz mini pci radio that will make up the 3mbps radio link to the vehicle. Weather data will be collected using a New Mountain all-in-one sonic anemometer / temp / hydro / pressure / GPS and stored on two SDHC memory cards as well as being sent to the chase vehicle via the 900 MHz radio link. There are also thoughts of incorporating APRS or some AX.25 system for a backup of the 900 MHz high speed radio link. The computer will be running Linux most likely Debian due the amount of support and my knowledge of the OS.

The challenge is going to be designing a system that can fit in a small package and toughen it enough to survive a tornado. Also heat dissipation looks like it may be an issue as much heat as most computer equipment generates during operation.

We have also been toying with an auto deployment system so we can deploy the probe without leaving the vehicle.

If anyone has experience with embedded Linux systems and any of the fore mentioned hardware please let me know if you have any suggestions.

I will keep all of you loyal readers up to date on this project.

Tyler.

What a lucky shot!

We got into a golf ball plus size hail core on 6-15 on hwy 400 near Wichita, KS. The hail cracked my windshield and broke apart my usglobalsat GPS. The GPS continued to work for 9 more hours FULL of water finally failing while chasing a bow echo with 60mph winds and torrential rainfall. The next afternoon I discovered the GPS was smashed and took it off the roof and dumped the water out! I took the cover off and didn�t see any signs of damage to the chipset or antenna. I put the unit in some silica gel for about two hours to dry it out. Then I put it back together and presto! It works like the day I bought it.

I give the US Global Sat BU-353/355 two thumbs up! And it�s cheap too!
Pick one up at www.usglobalsat.com

Incredible tornado intercept

Incredible tornado intercept in SW MO near Harwood We where within 100yards of a tornado. I will post more video and pics later.

The new RF Tornado Probe or RFTP 1.0

Here it is after talking about it for a year or so. This probe is a different then any of the ones I have seen in the field up to this point in that It sends data and video back to the car via radio link.

Here is a list of instruments the probe is equipped with.

1. Viasala radiosonde 401 MHz.
2. 2.4GHz video transmitter and camera.
3. Go Pro video camera.
4. Dual 12ah lead acid batteries.
5. Warning light.
6. GPS Location system 144 MHz APRS.
7. Marshal 216 MHz homing transmitter.

5-13-2009 Rain wrapped mess!

We had a nice chase in Southeast Kansas near Bronson we got very close to a rain wrapped tornado which we knew by radar and keeping and eye on the wind direction that it was not going to hit us. Just before the encounter with the rain wrapped tornado we saw a nice funnel near Kincaid, KS.

\

Uniden Bearcat BCD 996T

I picked up a bearcat BCD 996T about a month ago now and I have to say A+!! It combined with Radio Reference�s online database has made it one of the best tools for chasing that I have ever had. It takes just minuets to program even 100+ site APCO25 trunking systems using the online db from radiorefference.com. For example I used the BCD 996T during the Enid, OK tornado to listen to the Enid DPS trunking system and I knew where the touchdown was in real time!!! Something you just couldn�t have got in that county with a conventional scanner. The weather alert function works nicely mobile all I have uses so far is just tone alert I haven�t bothered with the SAME functions as I have been mobile. I really think the BCD 996T is worth the cash $495 for someone that�s up on radio and knows what they are getting.

Tyler.

April 25 and 26th high risk Oklahoma!

The first part of the video is the tornado that hit Enid, OK on the 25th, the second two clips are the Roll, OK Tornado on the 26th

Roll, Oklahoma Tornado. 4-26
Click image to enlarge

Enid, Oklahoma Tornado. 4-25
Click image to enlarge

March Madness!

Here are some highlights from our last few chases.

Have a look at the gallery to see more images.

Funnel cloud 9 miles East of Winfield, KS on 3-23-2009 5:26 PM

Possible Funnel cloud 3 Miles Southeast of Catoosa, OK 3-24-2009 2:01 AM

Misc lightning

4 Miles East of Severy, KS 3-30-2009 8:07 PM

1 Mile NW of New Albany, KS 3-30-2009 8:33 PM