2010 TWISTEX PROBE: Team TWISTEX's new lead chase vehicle — also christened PROBE — is a customized 2008 GMC One-Ton Diesel truck that carries a full range of the latest severe weather research equipment. The customization was managed by A.R.E. Accessories who designed and installed the special truck cap that provides Tim and his team much better access and efficiency with probe deployments and other operations. In addition, Tim added an array of extras, including better lightning, a mobile hail research station and more powerful storm chasing "survival" gear.
Image Credit: DCL Courtesy of A.R.E. Accessories
FRONT END (Overview): The standard brush guard also serves as a mount for the PROBE's extra high-intensity driving lights that come in handy when storms turn day into night. By the time this picture was taken the guard had already been tested in Colorado by a deer impact that knocked out one of the driving lights (lower right in view).
Image Credit: DCL Courtesy of A.R.E. Accessories
FRONT END (Detail): In the center of the forward array the PROBE carries a WARN brand air compressor and winch unit with 8,000 pounds of pulling power. This rig started paying for itself right out of the gate when it pulled a show production vehicle out of a ditch in Kansas.
Image Credit: DCL Courtesy of A.R.E. Accessories
HAIL RESEARCH TOOLS: Mounted over the hood is a custom, state-of-the-art hail research plate designed by Tim that uses carbon composite sample and piezo impact blocks to collect data on hail impacts. The two extra sets of HELLA brand lighting mounted up either side of the windshield provide maximum illumination for high-speed photography of hail striking the plate.
Image Credit: DCL Courtesy of A.R.E. Accessories
TRUCK CAP: The over-sized utility shell built by A.R.E. to Tim's specifications has compartments and shelving for monitoring equipment and portable tornado probes. The ultra high speed Hail Data Acquisition System (16 channels running at a mega-sample per second) is housed In the left bay while the right holds the smaller, traditional HITPR instruments and the 7-camera video probe. The shell also contains auxiliary batteries to power instrumentation, several VHF radios and the indispensable data-logger. The flip-up side doors offer much easier access to all the instruments.
Image Credit: DCL Courtesy of A.R.E. Accessories
LIFT GATE: One of the best new features of the PROBE's truck shell is a TOMMY GATE brand 1500 pound capacity lift gate that is primarily intended to get the new 400-pound TOWER probe in and out of its custom rear storage bay.
Image Credit: DCL Courtesy of A.R.E. Accessories
TOWER PROBE: The latest TWISTEX probe is designed to measure rarely studied tornado-generated winds within 12 feet of the ground. These winds are all but invisible to radar although they pack much of a tornado's destructive power. This heavyweight marvel comes packed with instruments and gear designed to provide a detailed 3-D wind profile. The steel base and pillar support five anemometers (2 sonic and 3 windmill types), smoke generators (to help visualize wind motions) and six cameras.
Image Credit: DCL Courtesy of A.R.E. Accessories
FLOOR MATS: These specially-designed metal mats help keep mud from taking over the passenger compartment. They provide much better boot traction for the driver and can be easily removed, cleaned and dried.
Image Credit: DCL Courtesy of A.R.E. Accessories
CUSTOM CONSOLE: The PROBE's console includes the main weather data laptop that supplies all the latest information that Tim and Carl need for the chase. A backup camera for rear visibility has been installed In the rear-view mirror position and below that rests the pedestal for the high-speed camera (removed for better view) used to photograph the hail impact plate.
Image Credit: DCL Courtesy of A.R.E. Accessories
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