102 replies to this topic

[Met Tech]

For those who don't know about it, I created a device for holding a Kestrel Weather Tracker so Josh and his chase partner can collect data during a hurricane, known as the Best Automated System To Acquire and Report Data, or BASTARD. It's made of a wooden base with 4 neodymium magnets bolted to it. Each magnet has 150 lb of pull force. A metal pipe screws into the base, which then screws into a connector I made and that attaches to the Kestrel wind vane.

For its maiden "flight", a coworker and I went to a remote stretch of road, attached it to the roof of my car, and made a series of ever-increasing runs to test its strength, topping out with a Kestrel-recorded speed of 106.1 mph (102 on my speedometer) with no damage. A roof-mounted camera caught the final high speed stretch:



My car did jump off the road when I hit a series of rolls in the pavement--that was close.

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[HurricaneJosh]

[srainhoutx]

Congrats Cory! Josh will be in business...

[HurricaneJosh]

That is seriously too cool. Wow-- I love this!

I am frankly amazed that it stayed on-- I didn't realize magnets of that size could be so firm. And I am also very excited at how mall and simple the device is. Wow-- it looks super-portable and simply to assemble, like you said.

On a side note, I am also frankly surprised that the Kestrel withstood winds over 90 kt. I'm skeptical that it could survive a solid Cat 2 or 3 eyewall-- when the duration of high winds would be greater-- but this is an encouraging sign.

Very, very cool, Cory. I am so excited after all these years of chasing to finally collect some continuous wind data. The thing holding me back had always been portable installation-- how to achieve that with something that's easy to travel with-- and it seems like you've solved the issue. I'm pretty damn impressed with your ingenuity, dude.

When I receive the package, I will test it here in L.A. Can't wait.

[Met Tech]

HurricaneJosh, on 20 July 2010 - 02:32 PM, said:

That is seriously too cool. Wow-- I love this!

I am frankly amazed that it stayed on-- I didn't realize magnets of that size could be so firm. And I am also very excited at how mall and simple the device is. Wow-- it looks super-portable and simply to assemble, like you said.

On a side note, I am also frankly surprised that the Kestrel withstood winds over 90 kt. I'ms skeptical that it could survive a solid Cat 2 or 3 eyewall-- when the duration of high winds would be greater-- but this is an encouraging sign.

Very, very cool, Cory. I am so excited after all these years of chasing to finally collect some continuous wind data. The thing holding me back had always been portable installation-- how to achieve that with something that's easy to travel with-- and it seems like you've solved the issue. I'm pretty damn impressed with your ingenuity, dude.

When I receive the package, I will test it here in L.A.

I was very surprised too. When I did the 80 mph then the 100 mph, I was cringing as I waited for something to go terribly wrong. It was so exciting to have it not budge an inch at those high speeds.

[HurricaneJosh]

Met Tech, on 20 July 2010 - 02:35 PM, said:

I was very surprised too. When I did the 80 mph then the 100 mph, I was cringing as I waited for something to go terribly wrong. It was so exciting to have it not budge an inch at those high speeds.

So it stayed totally fixed to the same spot? Wow.

By the way, dumb question: how does it come off?

[Met Tech]

Okay, my coworker is sending some vids from his vantage point...here was the part of getting it ready so you can see how easy it is. I totally look baked in that thumbnail.

[turtlehurricane]

That's sick. I want one.

[uofmiami]

Pretty badass, nice invention Met Tech!!

[JamieO]

Met Tech, on 20 July 2010 - 02:36 PM, said:

Okay, my coworker is sending some vids from his vantage point...here was the part of getting it ready so you can see how easy it is. I totally look baked in that thumbnail.

lmao....you do.


This is freaking cool, Cory.

[HurricaneJosh]

Met Tech, on 20 July 2010 - 02:36 PM, said:

Okay, my coworker is sending some vids from his vantage point...here was the part of getting it ready so you can see how easy it is. I totally look baked in that thumbnail.

It's like an instructional video-- kind of helpful, actually.

P.S. You seem like a cool professor dude in that video.

[Storm-Surge]

That is so cool. Nice work!!

[Strat747]

Good bull Cory!

I no longer have to be the sacrificial lamb.

[Strat747]

Only negative is that it probably means Josh will need additional luggage.

Between the B.A.S.T.A.R.D and the Kestrel (which will of course require its own bag) we should be nearing ten pieces.

[Met Tech]

Strat747, on 20 July 2010 - 02:49 PM, said:

Only negative is that it probably means Josh will need additional luggage.

Between the B.A.S.T.A.R.D and the Kestrel (which will of course require its own bag) we should be nearing ten pieces.

Yeah this will fit in something like a laptop bag or something similar. I made it to be compact and portable, so it's another piece but shouldn't be too bad to haul around. And yeah, you can keep your arms safely in the car now.

[HurricaneJosh]

Strat747, on 20 July 2010 - 02:49 PM, said:

Only negative is that it probably means Josh will need additional luggage.

Between the B.A.S.T.A.R.D and the Kestrel (which will of course require its own bag) we should be nearing ten pieces.

Omg. Keep it up, dude. Just keep it up.

[HurricaneJosh]

Met Tech, on 20 July 2010 - 02:52 PM, said:

Yeah this will fit in something like a laptop bag or something similar. I made it to be compact and portable, so it's another piece but shouldn't be too bad to haul around. And yeah, you can keep your arms safely in the car now.

I'm going to go out and buy a sexy little canvas bag for it.

[bobbutts]

HurricaneJosh, on 20 July 2010 - 02:32 PM, said:

That is seriously too cool. Wow-- I love this!

I am frankly amazed that it stayed on-- I didn't realize magnets of that size could be so firm. And I am also very excited at how mall and simple the device is. Wow-- it looks super-portable and simply to assemble, like you said.

On a side note, I am also frankly surprised that the Kestrel withstood winds over 90 kt. I'm skeptical that it could survive a solid Cat 2 or 3 eyewall-- when the duration of high winds would be greater-- but this is an encouraging sign.

Very, very cool, Cory. I am so excited after all these years of chasing to finally collect some continuous wind data. The thing holding me back had always been portable installation-- how to achieve that with something that's easy to travel with-- and it seems like you've solved the issue. I'm pretty damn impressed with your ingenuity, dude.

When I receive the package, I will test it here in L.A. Can't wait.

Pizza drivers use magnets to hold the sign on top of the car and exceed 100mph regularly
donno if they are the same magnets, but quite secure

[turtlehurricane]

Careful not to touch the magnets to any of your electronics btw Josh

[HurricaneJosh]

bobbutts, on 20 July 2010 - 02:56 PM, said:

Pizza drivers use magnets to hold the sign on top of the car and exceed 100mph regularly
donno if they are the same magnets, but quite secure

Ah, I didn't know that those things were attached with magnets. Good to know.

turtlehurricane, on 20 July 2010 - 02:57 PM, said:

Careful not to touch the magnets to any of your electronics btw Josh

Oh, good reminder. Cory, how far should electronics be kept from the magnets?