The Storm Chasers Return to Tornado Alley!

[rdale]

. I do find their communications "problems" to be somewhat comical, though. All that "high-tech" equipment, yet they can't seem to communicate over even short distances.

I _hope_ that is just the editing process making things seem worse... They are spending tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on the chase setups - if they can't figure out a means to talk when they are two miles apart just because it's raining, I'd love to offer my consultantcy abilities

And while that FCC ruling is strange, that's only talking about exercising. These comms happen during disasters, so I'm not sure the "you can't report a tornado on Skywarn if you are getting paid" is what they are enforcing.

 

[AK9R]

These comms happen during disasters, so I'm not sure the "you can't report a tornado on Skywarn if you are getting paid" is what they are enforcing.

True. In a bona fide emergency (immediate danger to life or property), the rules generally go out the window especially if the intent of your radio transmissions is to report your own emergency or mitigate the danger to the public. On the other hand, communicating from one chase vehicle to another in order to get into position to make a video that you are going to sell, in my opinion, constitutes a business use even if you are an amateur videographer. Using some other radio service that does not have the restrictions on it that amateur radio has avoids the problem.

As for reporting through Skywarn, I notice that when they do report a tornado to authorities, they generally use cell phones. I don't know how Skywarn is organized in these locales, so I can't comment.

 

[N0IU]

You guys crack me up!!! Here you are arguing over whether or not these guys are using amateur radio and NO ONE has bothered to check to see if any of these guys are hams so I will do your homework for you:

TIV Team:
Sean Casey - Name does not appear in FCC database
Ronald P. Nagle - There is one KC2LHD in Brooklyn, NY. This could be the one in the show, but if this guy is a die-hard storm chaser, why would he live in NYC?
Byron Turk - Name does not appear in FCC database

Dominator Team:
Reed Timmer - Name does not appear in FCC database
Joel Taylor - There is a Joel Taylor in WA, CA and SC so one of these could be him.
Chris Chittick - Name does not appear in FCC database

Vortex2 Team:
Josh Wurman - Name does not appear in FCC database
Herb Stein - Name does not appear in FCC database

Scout Team:
Danny Cheresnick - Name does not appear in FCC database
Aaron Rupert - Name does not appear in FCC database

TIV Doghouse:
Brandon Ivey - Name does not appear in FCC database
Matt Hughes - There is a Matthew Hughes in VA, WI, TX and KY so one of these could be him.

Team Twistex:
Tim Samaras - There is a WJØG in Lakeland, CO
Carl Young - There is a Carl Young in NV, TX, FL, CA, TN, WI and MT so one of these could be him.
Tony Laubach - There is a KWØLFF also in Lakeland, CO so it is very possible that this is our guy.

So given that fact that most of the guys on the show definitely do not have amateur radio licenses and the fact that a handful of them had name matches but with no actual proof that they are the guys on the show, it is highly unlikely that they are using amateur radio - CASE CLOSED!

 

[burner50]

it seems discovery is making them act a lot more vulgar than they really are just to add to the 'tension'

I'm not so sure...Over the summer I found the DOW sitting in the parking lot of a large strip club for a few hours just outside of Omaha.

 

[rdale]

You guys crack me up!!! Here you are arguing over whether or not these guys are using amateur radio

Are you in the same thread we are? One person mentioned ham radio, and the rest of us pointed out how that was extremely unlikely. But thanks for doing homework

On the other hand, communicating from one chase vehicle to another in order to get into position to make a video that you are going to sell, in my opinion, constitutes a business use even if you are an amateur videographer

That I would agree with.

 

[loumaag]

I am going to caution all folks following this topic that the topic is the return of the TV show. It is not about Ham radio, it is not about anything else. Continued departure from the topic at hand will result in the topic being closed.

 

[Code_Brown]

The biggest whackers are anybody with a call sign. You know like everybody with Ham sexy. These storm chasers are gathering vital info that one day may save lives. So that makes them a whacker? I find it captivating that everybody with a negative comment on storm chasers are ***gy Ham operators. You old fat men really need to get out of your moms basement and get some fresh air.

 

[Code_Brown]

You guys crack me up!!! Here you are arguing over whether or not these guys are using amateur radio and NO ONE has bothered to check to see if any of these guys are hams so I will do your homework for you:

TIV Team:
Sean Casey - Name does not appear in FCC database
Ronald P. Nagle - There is one KC2LHD in Brooklyn, NY. This could be the one in the show, but if this guy is a die-hard storm chaser, why would he live in NYC?
Byron Turk - Name does not appear in FCC database

Dominator Team:
Reed Timmer - Name does not appear in FCC database
Joel Taylor - There is a Joel Taylor in WA, CA and SC so one of these could be him.
Chris Chittick - Name does not appear in FCC database

Vortex2 Team:
Josh Wurman - Name does not appear in FCC database
Herb Stein - Name does not appear in FCC database

Scout Team:
Danny Cheresnick - Name does not appear in FCC database
Aaron Rupert - Name does not appear in FCC database

TIV Doghouse:
Brandon Ivey - Name does not appear in FCC database
Matt Hughes - There is a Matthew Hughes in VA, WI, TX and KY so one of these could be him.

Team Twistex:
Tim Samaras - There is a WJØG in Lakeland, CO
Carl Young - There is a Carl Young in NV, TX, FL, CA, TN, WI and MT so one of these could be him.
Tony Laubach - There is a KWØLFF also in Lakeland, CO so it is very possible that this is our guy.

So given that fact that most of the guys on the show definitely do not have amateur radio licenses and the fact that a handful of them had name matches but with no actual proof that they are the guys on the show, it is highly unlikely that they are using amateur radio - CASE CLOSED!

Who gives a flying poop and your point is? Are you the FCC or the god almighty self appointed radio sheriff?

 

[loumaag]

Folks, I am leaving the previous two posts in place to point out that re-registering under a different ID is a direct violation of the TOS for this site. In addition to that violation, calling attention to yourself just insures enforcement of that term.

 

[AK9R]

These storm chasers are gathering vital info that one day may save lives.

Really? It seems that the ones we see on TV are mostly in it for the adrenaline rush or to capture video that they can sell. Maybe the boring, scientific aspects of these chases are just being edited out in order to make for better entertainment.

When I see people probing storms with radar equipment or setting out data-gathering probes, I think science. When I see people paying more attention to their video camera than their driving and then squealing like school girls when they get caught in a tornado, I think thrill-seeking entertainment.

 

[N0IU]

Who gives a flying poop and your point is? Are you the FCC or the god almighty self appointed radio sheriff?

Thank goodness for the ignore list!

 

[scannerfreak]

Really? It seems that the ones we see on TV are mostly in it for the adrenaline rush or to capture video that they can sell. Maybe the boring, scientific aspects of these chases are just being edited out in order to make for better entertainment.

When I see people probing storms with radar equipment or setting out data-gathering probes, I think science. When I see people paying more attention to their video camera than their driving and then squealing like school girls when they get caught in a tornado, I think thrill-seeking entertainment.

,

Huh? Are we watching the same show? You must have missed the last few episodes, in the very least, where Reed has purchased $80,000 worth of scientific equipment, including a $30,000 remote control plane that dropped probes at 400' that were promptly sucked in by the tornado up to 2000'. No one had ever done that before. Then there is the $50,000 radar he put on top of his vehicle, getting radar data closer then anyone ever has. Hell, he even hired two radar experts and had them along on the chase so they could gather the data correctly and accurately. This is far from just wanting the thrill of the chase.

Sure, the videos are what sell, and obviously there is a "thrill" and major Adrenalin rush when chasing, but it's quite obvious there is plenty of scientific data going on. Believe me, the one who finally figures out which storms produce and which ones don't, and why, are likely in for a payday and fame a lot more then shooting and selling videos

 

[rdale]

,where Reed has purchased $80,000 worth of scientific equipment, including a $30,000 remote control plane that dropped probes at 400' that were promptly sucked in by the tornado up to 2000'.

Very cool stuff - but the fact that he kept it private for "contractual purposes" and has released no data tells you something.

This is far from just wanting the thrill of the chase.

No, he's just there for the thrill. The investments are made possible by Discovery Channel funding.

Believe me, the one who finally figures out which storms produce and which ones don't, and why, are likely in for a payday and fame a lot more then shooting and selling videos

Absolutely. And I'd hazard a guess that he'd prefer the latter if he's the one who discovers it

 

[scannerfreak]

I don't follow the "after the show" stuff, nor do I claim to even half understand a lot of the data that can be had, but I would venture a guess there is a reason he hasn't released data he has gathered. Maybe he is hoarding the data until such time he can figure it out with a complete picture of his future data?. I mean, why give the other guy a chance to figure it out with your data combined with theirs? Would releasing what he has now, if he has meaningful data, really make a meaningful and immediate impact on weather prediction?

I dunno, but I find it hard to believe he, and the others, spend that money just for the hell of it or because the network funding pays for it. If anything that's all the more reason to be on TV, to fund the science end of it and obviously, just like cops and all other reality TV, they are going to have to play up the entertainment part of it for the cameras in order to keep the funding. He did mention that 50K was from his bank account and he was broke because of it. If that wasn't true I'd love to know he was lying on national TV.

I agree 100% he is there for the thrill, I'm not doubting that and that's what got him into it, but to say he isn't there in some fashion for the scientific data seems a little crazy to me, at least with what I have seen.

 

[rdale]

Maybe he is hoarding the data until such time he can figure it out with a complete picture of his future data?. I mean, why give the other guy a chance to figure it out with your data combined with theirs? Would releasing what he has now, if he has meaningful data, really make a meaningful and immediate impact on weather prediction?

Sorry I didn't say exactly what I meant The fact that his successful radar & plane intercepts have been kept quiet wasn't done to keep competitors out (takes too long to duplicate.) If he was "just" there for the science, like Vortex II, then some basic info would be out by now. You can track every move V2 made and even get some of the basic data nearly live from their website, and I'm not saying he needs to set up a live feed for us, but some mention would have been the typical thing. Look at Tim Marshall when his pod was hit by the South Dakota tornado with video from inside the tornado. The video & data wasn't available that day, but everybody knew about it in a hurry. (PS I hear that's in a dome room now in the Chicago Field (?) Museum so you see a 360* view from inside the tornado.)

He did mention that 50K was from his bank account and he was broke because of it.

I missed that... But if he's making less than $50,000 for being on one of the most popular shows Discovery Channel has, and in a Lexu$ commercial - then he needs to fire his agent...

 

[scannerfreak]

<not arguing, asking> So basically you are saying he hasn't released anything because he has nothing to release, or he just doesn't care enough to release it? Interesting..

I agree and never said he was there *just* for the science, all I said was from what I seen on the show it was inaccurate to say he was there *only* for the thrill of the chase and nothing scientific.

I am sure the "I'm broke" comment was tongue-in-cheek, but when he picked up the radar he did in fact say he paid for that radar from his bank account, unless I misunderstood him. I'll have to pull it up on demand and see.I'm sure that episode was shot long before the Lexus commercial deal as well.

 

[rdale]

So basically you are saying he hasn't released anything because he has nothing to release, or he just doesn't care enough to release it?

I'm not talking about the actual data... The fact that he made those hits are noteworthy on their own. But he never said anything in any meteorology / chaser / educational forum until the show aired. That's my beef if he's really out for "the science."

 

[scannerfreak]

Ah, I got ya now..

BTW, thanks for the insight

 

[rdale]

...and maybe he was "contractually obligated" to hold back. I don't know.

I just see the way he reacts when he misses the storm, and it's not the sort of reaction I'd expect from "a scientist."

 

[scannerfreak]

Well yeah, I'm sure by heart he is a chaser, but he obviously cares in the very least a little about the science. And I'm sure some of it is motivated by wanting to outdo the others, especially Josh.

I do think it's a little unfair to say that's not the reaction you'd expect from a Scientist. I mean maybe he is so passionate about gathering storm data that could possibly prevent future deaths/injuries that he knows every storm he misses is one storm he won't get data from to help. He's the only one that knows the real answer to that question, but I wouldn't be shocked or even surprised if a "true" researcher got that mad about missing a storm. They would have every right to get just as mad for missing the data as a chaser would be missing "the shot". Clearly by watching the show some of the other research teams don't like missing storms either, maybe they just don't get as passionate as Reed or even play to the camera as much as he does.