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Official Chase Equipment (Under Construction)
VUSIT day-chases are
comprised of up to six chase vehicles each containing up to four
individual chasers. In addition to day-chases Valparaiso University
students participate in two summer convective field studies lasting up
to 11 days. The following is an equipment list of what can be found in
each car:
TOILET is
an acronym for our (T)ransportable (O)perational and (I)ntercepting
(L)ightning (E)xperimental (T)ool. (Created by VUSIT alumni) We mount a
Boltek lightning sensor on a car by
using a powerful magnet. The sensor is placed in sealed PVC piping to
keep it waterproof. The old sensor was housed in a toilet float, so
there is another major reason the acronym was chosen. Wires from TOILET
are ran into the car and the lightning strikes can be read on our Dell
Inspiron laptop computer from up to 300 miles away! The system was also
known as "2000 Flushes" during the 2000-2001 school year since it was
the year of a major upgrade of the system.
GPS or
Global Positioning System is used to keep track of our mileage,
elevation, and daylight time.
Chase Kits
are filled with our chase necessities. Each Kit contains a flashlight,
extra batteries, First Aid Kit, and Rain-X. Also included in at least
one of the kits are screw drivers, wrenches, styrofoam, and smoke
flares.
Chase Bibles are binders that include not only
AM/FM Central Plains and Midwest radio stations that give good weather
updates, but also HAM Radio frequencies, county maps, and NOAA Weather
channels.
The Davis Weather Instrument is also mounted
by a bike rack on top of the car. This instrument gives us Temperature,
Dewpoint, Barometric Pressure, Wind Speed, and Wind Direction readings
whether we're stationary or on the move.
EMWIN
System or the Emergency Manager's Weather Information Network
works through our laptop to give us updated weather information via NWS
radio broadcast areas throughout the Midwest.
CBs
Hand Held
Radios
WX
Works
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