So I had this battle plan to write about using Ham radio and chasing… while researching this Jesse Risley told me he already wrote one on the Convective Addiction site…. you can find it here.
My additions to this…
If your just going to use a HAM radio for chasing and not get into all the other stuff don’t go spend a fortune on your “Rig”. Personally I have a simple 2M Yaesu 2800 mobile rig with a low profile antenna. Although these 2 hobbies seem to connect they are really 2 hobbies that will both consume your time. With the gazillion other ways to contact the NWS these days such as almost universal cell coverage… repeaters and the like are more than likely NOT how your going to do it.
If you REALLY want to get into HAM radio go in full steam… but to help you chase it’s not going to be worth much. I use mine to talk to my buddies in a caravan or discuss where to eat.
One big note is DO NOT BUY A HANDHELD or HT radio unless you get a external antenna to go with it… otherwise your signal really won’t get out of the car. Buy a simple under $150 2m rig, tune it to 146.550, an external antenna and your “Ticket” or license then you are ready to go.
The requirements these days to get your “Ticket” are much easier than in the past. There are no Morse code tests and the practice tests here will get you ready. To be honest and it’s somewhat wrong, I took the practice tests over and over in the morning until I passed then went and took the real one in the afternoon.
Ok Next Weeks Topic…
STREAMING CAMS!!!
I obviously get this question a lot…. “What makes the best streaming cam?”
Well…. I personally have not seen it yet 
I am working on my setup for next year and what I think will be a really cool setup… it’s this setup I hope to write about. I have been joking about the “S.C.O.T.T.” that was supposed to be the Self Contained Optical Tornado Transmitter” but has become the “Streaming Contraption Optimized for Tornado Transmission”
Either way tune in next week for the streaming camera blog… it will be platform neutral so it don’t matter who you use for streaming.