Sam Gardner

Sam Gardner

@wx4stg.com

TTU ATMO/Lightning research group⚡️ BS @tamu.bsky.social '23 👍 MS @ttu.edu ‘25 🔫🆙 Big fan of meteorological applications of RF 📡 Python/data viz! Some of my work: https://hdwx.tamu.edu 🖥️ Storm chasing, but very casually⛈️🚙 Opinions = mine (unfiltered stream)

612 followers391 following692 posts

Sam Gardner reposted

Just found out these two mobile radars (SMART-R) are being decommissioned and becoming museum exhibits. I had the honor of operating these for multiple studies during their lifetime. Got to be there for the maiden deployment in Key West during 9/11 and drive one from PHX to OUN.

unixbadger@unixbadger.bsky.social

The last setup.

Sam Gardner reposted

🚨 WF iOS/Android Update: Localized Forecasts ⛅️ WF is now your one-stop shop for all things weather! 📍Pinned Locations: HIGHLY requested feature 📈Hourly & 7-day Forecasts 🖼NWS Weather Stories & In-app Widgets ⚠️Side Panel with Active Warnings Update or Download now to check out these enhancements!

this bothers me an unreasonable amount. it’s called a VORTEX to take revenge I will from here on be calling the plural form “vortexes”

Jeff Frame@vortexjeff.bsky.social

"Vortice" 💀

One of my headlights has burned out. Should I be a good person and replace it with a similar halogen bulb, or should I join the arms race of blinding LEDs?

Sam Gardner reposted

This picture will always be iconic. RIP Margaret Hamilton who wrote the software that successfully guided NASA’s Apollo missions through the moon.

I asked a LLM for an assessment of how I could convert some of my python code to a compiled language. It came up with an optimization to the python code that's so good I don't need to try to compile anything. and I don't understand it in the slightest. scary. github.com/wx4stg/slow_...

if anyone knows more about the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm for function minimization and wants to send some resources, I *might* read them? very torn about all of this

Arky needs to be kicked out of the SEC. They can’t even beat us when we’re complete and utter garbage. Personally I’m all for geographical conferences. Long live the SWC! but if you’re going to insist on having two “premiere” conferences, two “mid” conferences and 6 “no one cares”, arky is mid.

we’re apparently at the point in college football where I’d rather derive a jacobian matrix than watch my favorite team lose (I am listening; we’re winning but it’s painful)

there needs to be an emoji that is widely agreed upon to mean “clanker”, to describe people/code/etc that depend on LLMs to function. Something like 🤖 but more derogatory

Some lightning on tonight’s long run, which was more entertaining than the aggie’s radio call while we were getting demolished.

we lost, and we lost BAD, but I’m taking a moral victory in saying that at least we didn’t do this:

For The Win@forthewin.bsky.social

Lane Kiffin went ballistic on an official while looking for an offsides call bit.ly/46LFkDO 📸 Stephen Lew, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sam Gardner reposted

The Texas Rangers (to be clear, law enforcement, not baseball) are engaged in a criminal investigation into Camp Mystic and the tragic flash flood deaths there on July 4 2025.

Alan Gerard@wxmanms1.bsky.social

News: Texas Rangers file affidavits and serve warrants in criminal investigation into Camp Mystic owners/agents over flash flood deaths in July 2025. Weather also busy today, including another growing flood and tropical threat for HI. balancedweather.substack.com/p/texas-rang...

everyone posting the new RadarScope update with the CarPlay support… I did it in 2021 via CarBridge (jailbreak tweak) on a screen that had backported CarPlay through the reversing camera input 😎 This worked better than you might expect, but still not great.

Sam Gardner reposted

LUB continues Severe Thunderstorm Warning [wind: 60 MPH (RADAR INDICATED), hail: <.75 IN (RADAR INDICATED)] for Hockley, Lubbock [TX] till 6:00 PM CDT Link

could’ve not taken an intentional delay of game too, that way you have more room to punt, or if you insist on running in circles, more room for that too

I put “from eBay” because I have no idea how those novra boxes end up on the open market and want to be clear that “I didn’t steal one I promise please don’t send the FBI”

3D printer peeps: I'm interested in getting a printer that can do multi-material, preferably something with multiple tool heads to avoid waste. I'm a bit confused about what a "prime tower" is and how it differs from "poops" that fire out a waste chute. I've seen demos of multi-head printers..(1/2)

3D printer peeps: I'm interested in getting a printer that can do multi-material, preferably something with multiple tool heads to avoid waste. I'm a bit confused about what a "prime tower" is and how it differs from "poops" that fire out a waste chute. I've seen demos of multi-head printers..(1/2)

...that don't do the plastic pooping, but still do make a prime tower? why? if it has multiple heads and I'm using fewer materials than the number of heads, why is there any waste at all? (2/2)

I'm hoping to get a snapmaker U1 (a bit much $ but maybe if 2ndhand or sale). I really only want multi-material for the ability to print supports out of e.g. TPU with, e.g. ASA for the actual item.

Sam Gardner reposted

Remember how power bricks used to be bigger, heavier, hotter, and less powerful than power modern power supplies? The SNES power supply can provide 8.5W and this much smaller GaN USB-PD can supply 65W, at greater efficiency. Well, the same thing is probably going to happen to grid transformers. 🧵

Sam Gardner reposted

There has been a lot of finger-pointing in the weather community recently about NWS problems. The recent comms outage during severe wx spurred me to write about the issues the agency has - and the need to understand it's not just DOGE/OPM to "blame." balancedweather.substack.com/p/balancedwx...

balancedweather.substack.comBalancedWx Special: Challenges for the NWSThe recent IT/comms outage during a severe weather outbreak helps reveal the difficulties the agency is facing