The Sea-Bird Journal

A publication of Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc. Issue #1 Nov. 1991

SEA-BIRD PERFORMS BEST IN BIO TEST

Researchers at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) in Dartmouth Nova Scotia have determined that "the SBE 9/11 CTD offers the preferred solution for our immediate WOCE CTD requirements." A CTD Evaluation Working Group was formed to identify CTD hardware capable of meeting the WOCE standards, and to recommend purchases necessary for BIO to achieve its WOCE program goals.

Between April 24 and June 4 1991, BIO used a new Guildline CTD, an EG&G Mark V, and the SBE 9/11 during a cruise in the North Atlantic. According to chief scientist and group chair, Dr. Ross Hendry, "The performance of the Sea-Bird on our cruise was impressive. As first-time users, we were able to operate the system without major difficulty on the first leg of the cruise when we were on our own, and to achieve highly satisfactory measurements.

"This system has the intrinsic resolution and accuracy needed for WOCE-standard work."

After a thorough post-cruise evaluation, the working group concluded that, "our experiences with the Sea-Bird SBE 9 convinced us that this system has the intrinsic resolution and accuracy needed for WOCE-standard work, and that it can satisfy our needs in practice."

The 9/11 CTD was delivered to BIO about 3 weeks in advance of the cruise, during which time they performed their own pre-cruise calibrations which were in extremely close agreement with those performed at the Northwest Regional Calibration Center (NRCC) prior to shipment. Just before departure, BIO installed the 9/11 CTD aboard the CSS Hudson. The BIO researchers were able to operate it successfully without Sea-Bird's assistance right from the start of the cruise.

Sea-Bird oceanographer and Vice President for Science, Dr. Nordeen Larson, met the Hudson in Qaqortoq, Greenland to participate in the second leg of the cruise and share his expertise in CTD deployment methods, sensor dynamic response, and data analysis with the other scientists. BIO plans to release a full report of its findings and conclusions in the near future.

SEA-BIRD SALES STILL SOARING

Sea-Bird sales topped $6 million for the fiscal year ending October 91. Sales have grown every year since the company's founding in 1979 and have averaged an incredible 56% per year since 1984. Sea-Bird expects to remain the world's leading CTD instrumentation manufacturer with improvements and additions to the product line and a growing international marketing presence. We have been hearing about negative economic trends for some time, but growing application opportunities and emerging growth markets apparently offset them.

IFM KIEL WILL TEST 9/11 CTD IN JAN '92

Sea-Bird will send a 9/11 CTD and oceanographer Nordeen Larson to participate in a CTD comparison to be conducted by the Institut Für Meereskunde / Universität Kiel. The cruise aboard the FS Poseidon departs from Hamburg, Germany on 16 January, and arrives in Las Palmas, Canary Islands (Spain) on 31 January. IFM project leader Dr. T. J. Müller said at least 3 different CTDs and a rosette water sampler will be used at depths to 5300 meters in waters having a well- known theta-S relationship and in the T-S step-structure below the Mediterranean water tongue.

Look for a report on the results of this cruise in the next issue.

TRAVEL LOG

INDIA - Rick Baumann, SBE's Technical Operations Manager, went to India in early October to provide installation and training support for new 9/11 CTD systems purchased by the National Institute of Oceanography at Dona Paula, Goa. Rick installed systems on the research vessels Gavesheni and Sagar Sampada. These were the second and third 9/11 CTDs installed on NIO vessels in the last 18 months. Last year an identical system was installed on the vessel Sagar Kanya.

PAKISTAN - David Murphy, a Sea-Bird senior design engineer formerly with the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University, left for Pakistan on October 31st to provide system commissioning and training support for the National Institute of Oceanography in Karachi. NIO Pakistan recently took delivery of an SBE 25 Sealogger CTD, SBE 21 Thermosalinograph and 2 SBE 26 Seagauge Wave & Tide Recorders.

SBE TECHNICAL CORNER

When you call us for help, our goal is to identify the problem and if possible, solve it immediately. We can do our best for you if you can arrange to have the product model and serial numbers and your instrument manual handy. Also, please determine from the original disks or the program startup screen what version of Seasoft you have. If you can get the instrument connected to a PC near your telephone, the diagnosis and solution of problems is often very speedy. Thanks.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

SBE 9/11 Gets Modem Control Channel - The 9/11 CTD is now available with a full-duplex down and up link modem channel to provide control of rosettes or other in-situ equipment (via Seasave command). A simulated "G.O." output can be provided in the SBE 9 for existing rosettes. Upon command, the "G.O. Simulator" provides the signal to fire a bottle, without CTD data interruption. The confirm signal is displayed and logged by the computer. Other enhancements include standardized data record length permitting the deck unit to pass only the active channels to the computer, a streamlined power scheme allowing interchangeability between all new deck and underwater units, and power capability for the widest range of sensors, including both Sea-Tech and Chelsea fluorometers.

Titanium has replaced aluminum in SBE 16 Seacat C-T Recorders which are now supplied with two basic housing options: plastic with titanium end cap and sensor parts for 600 meters depth (without a price increase); or all- titanium for depths to 10,000 meters (with a modest price increase).

Lease with Purchase Option available - SBE maintains a pool of CTD profilers, moored C-T recorders and wave & tide gauges. Month or longer leases are available. We can build to requirement for long-term leases.

SOFTWARE & DATA ANALYSIS

Seasoft 4.0 is Almost Here!

Under development for more than a year, an all new Seasoft package is close to release. The new software features a vastly improved user interface with pop-up menus, context sensitive help screens, and user prompt lines. Uploaded raw data files are read by a program that converts the data to scientific/engineering units and writes a converted data file for subsequent processing. A utility for converting your old .DAT files to the new file format is included. Among many other new features is the separation of instrument configuration files from data display configuration files. Multiple display files can be created and saved, making it easy to display a data file in different ways without the need to reconfigure the display parameters.

SEASOFT 4.0 will be shipped with new orders beginning 1 January 1992, and to users of older versions who request it. The upgrade to 4.0 is free.

Get Better Oxygen Data

The Seasoft program ALIGNCTD can be used to align oxygen data (as well as conductivity and temperature) in time. Systematic delays caused primarily by the long sensor time constant (2 to 5 seconds depending on temperature) and transit time of water in the pumped lines are compensated for by shifting oxygen data relative to pressure. Software versions prior to 3.4d do not support alignment of oxygen data. Free upgrades to the latest SEASOFT version are always available upon request.

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