Hello all, i'm getting into chasing and i'm wondering what equipement is the best to use? I already have a NOAA Weather radio, GPS, and a Canon XL-H1 HD Camera with a Car mount. What other gear will i need?

I would think you will need a good laptop with a good carmount and some reliable wireless internet access so you can see active radar where you are at or going to be. Would be a safe idea I think.

First and foremost, you need a good, reliable vehicle that is yours to modify. You want to make sure that it works when you need it!

The first mod that you should do is to find a local retailer of bullet resistant windshield films, and have all window glass coated. This is not a DIY project! Let the pros handle this one. Since you only need to survive hail, and debris, you can use the low end product. But do try to get it in "silver", to keep your interior cool, and to help reduce electromagnetic interference. (The "silver" is actually a thin coating of aluminum.)

Next, find a local speed shop, and get your vehicle fitted for a roll cage, six-points minimum. Even if you never drive into a tornado, being around over-enthusiastic storm chasers might land you in a ditch, and you want to be able to walk away from a crash. While you're at the speed shop, pick out full face helmets (the kind that go around your jaw), with polycarbonate face shields; one for each seat in the vehicle. When the weather gets bad, wear them!

The next thing that you need is a strong mounting system for your radios, computers etc. You can purchase ready-made products from police supply shops, some truck stops, and other online suppliers. If you are good at welding, you can make your own. The important thing is to make sure that none of your stuff turns into unguided missiles in heavy weather, or in a crash! Don't skimp on this!

You will need an antenna for your weather radio, your GPS, and any other radios that you will add in the future. There is only one right way to mount these antennas: on the roof, with a standard 3/4" NMO permanent roof mount kit. I use and recommend Laird® Antenex® products. The Phantom® whipless models are ideal for storm chasing. High winds will not cause them to bend or break, or otherwise affect their performance. Their low clearance makes life easier all around, and their high-tech electrical design makes them outperform conventional antenna designs in mobile applications.

Your GPS receiver probably came with a low-profile external antenna. You might as well use it; just make sure that it's glued on tight!

The weather radio needs an antenna that is tuned to receive frequencies between 162.400 and 162.550MHz (162.475MHz center frequency). The TRA(B)T1500 ("B" means the color is black, otherwise the color is white) will handle this task well, and can be fine-tuned for optimal performance.

If you think that getting a good roof mount antenna for your weather radio is overkill, I'd like to share my own experiences in being unable to receive NOAA weather radio broadcasts in rural areas, using the cheap stock antenna. NOAA stations rarely transmit at more than 100W, and in rural areas, from some pretty low elevations. Even where I live, 15 miles from the KWO39 transmitter site, high atop the Sears tower (1440 feet HAAT), reception is marginal at best using the stock antenna. If you're in the thick of things, and a tornado has knocked down the closest NOAA transmitter, you need the ability to pick up those far-away stations!

With the proper filters, you can make the VHF antenna serve double duty, acting as a Tx/Rx antenna for a licensed VHF radio in the 150-174MHz business / industrial radio service band. This is the band that Josh's team uses, BTW. It's a good choice for use in tornado alley. You can pick up a used mobile radio for a couple hundred dollars. Just don't try to skimp by using the no-license MURS "dot" radio service! MURS radios are limited to a paltry 2W of transmit power!

You'll want wireless Internet, which means that you'll need a computer and a "cellular" radio. I use a Sierra Wireless PC-Card radio that has an external antenna jack, so I can connect it up to my Antenex® Phantom® tri-band cellular antenna up on the roof. The card plugs into a firewall / router / switch device that gives me Internet access for up to 256 devices, both wired and wireless. When I'm parked, I use a collapsible antenna mast with a TRAB24003NP on top, to provide Wi-Fi access for the general vicinity.

I have a GMRS license, and use GMRS repeaters where they're available. I also keep a few inexpensive GMRS/FRS simplex walkie-talkies (the kind you can buy at Wal-Mart) for ad-hoc S&R missions, where my volunteers are whoever is around. When conditions are bad, I keep one scanning the FRS/GMRS simplex frequencies, just in case there's someone out there with nothing but one of these cheap radios, calling for help.

Speaking of scanning, you should add a scanning receiver to your kit, and listen to it often so you can learn the lingo. I bought my first scanner 35 years ago, and don't leave home without one. I have a Uniden Trunktracker IV, that can decode the latest digital modulation schemes that are most likely to be used during and after a severe weather event. Digital radios are still expensive, and being able to pick and choose the traffic that's important is an art that takes decades to master. But no storm chaser's kit is complete without at least a basic scanner. Look for ones with "service search", so you don't have to remember hundreds of frequencies.

Obviously you should have first aid supplies etc.