Appendix: Subscription and contact information.
1. WELCOME. Brightwaters Instrument Corporation, founded in 1990, manufactures scientific and oceanographic equipment for government, academic, and private clients. We wish to welcome you to the inaugural issue of our online newsletter. We plan to publish on an approximately monthly basis, with short focused articles that direct interested parties to more detailed information on a subject. We hope you will find our efforts informative and interesting, and your comments are most welcome.
As old-timers in cyberspace, we take our Netiquette (Internet etiquette) very seriously. For this initial newsletter, we compiled in-house a small list of recipients we believe are interested in our products and services. To add, change, or delete subscriptions, just send a message to info@brightwaters.com and a live human being will process your request and confirm via email.
Best regards,
Tom Wilson
President
2. MAJOR WEBSITE REVISION. Just in time for our tenth (!) anniversary, we have completely overhauled our website at http://www.brightwaters.com. We invite you to drop by for a visit. Our company and products are described in bandwidth-friendly web pages. For many items we have also posted product information as high-resolution PDF files, allowing you to immediately download and print the same literature we use for mailings. Over the next few months, we will be enhancing the site with additional information, particularly in the areas of service documentation and technical white papers.
3. PRODUCT FOCUS - GPS DRIFTERS. Our autonomous GPS drifting buoys continue to be our flagship products. The Model 104 is our most capable GPS drifting buoy. It offers short-range bidirectional VHF/UHF packet telemetry and/or worldwide telemetry through the Argos satellite system, internal data storage for telemetry backup, optional differential GPS capability, and generous expansion and sensor interface capabilities. Two case sizes are available - a large case with greater flexibility and larger battery capacity and a mini case that is easily launched and recovered by hand.
The Model 115 is a low cost adaptation of the mini case Model 104. Using Argos telemetry, it provides a basic level of functionality adequate for many applications while remaining compatible with software, deployment logistics, data format, and drifter characteristics of its more advanced sibling. The Model 115 is optimized for simple deployment, allowing launches from ships of opportunity by minimally trained personnel.
Decoding and tracking software is included with all GPS drifters at no charge. Our postprocessing software decodes compressed Argos telemetry to flat ASCII files of position and diagnostic data. Our real time software tracks deployed drifters from a ship by monitoring packet beacon or Argos uplink transmissions. Text and graphical screens display drifter tracks, shorelines, ship position, range, bearing, and age of last valid telemetry. Unlike most competing products, our drifters are designed to be reused.
Although Brightwaters offers complete refurbishing services, most routine maintenance can be accomplished by the end user. The drifter hull can be opened to change batteries. Replacement battery packs are simple to make or can be ordered from Brightwaters. External parts such as sails or floats are easily replaced if damaged. Many of our customers have used the same drifters for years on multiple research projects. For more information, see the GPS drifter section of our website at http://www.brightwaters.com/products/GPSDrifters.htm.
4. CALLING ALL SHUTTERBUGS AND YARN SPINNERS. We are always on the lookout for pictures of Brightwaters equipment in the field, interesting data sets, and stories of the "takes a licking and keeps on ticking" variety. All submissions will be given proper credit. Please email info@brightwaters.com if you wish to contribute.
5. NEW TELEPHONE AREA CODE. On November 1, 1999, our telephone area code changed from 516 to 631. This affects our telephone number, fax number, and emergency field service pager number, but not our emergency field service cellular number. Both area codes are supposed to work until April 1, 2000, when use of 631 will become mandatory. We have heard a few reports of problems with the changeover, so if AC 631 gives you trouble, please try the same number with AC 516.
6. NEW VICE PRESIDENT PETER SALAMON. Callers to Brightwaters during the last few months may have noticed a new voice on the telephone. Peter Salamon accepted the post of Vice President in 1999 after serving as consultant to the company on numerous occasions since 1993. Peter brings nearly 25 years of engineering and technical experience to our operation, and is successfully applying his talents to production optimization, mechanical design, and whatever else needs doing.
Well, that does it for this first newsletter. We wish you funded proposals and smooth sailing in the New Year. See you next month!
SUBSCRIPTION AND CONTACT INFORMATION. Brightwaters News is published online approximately monthly and is copyright (c), 2000 by Brightwaters Instrument Corporation. Back issues are available at http://www.brightwaters.com/news/news.htm.
We take our Netiquette very seriously. Our mailing list is small and generated in-house. To add, change, or delete subscriptions, send a message to info@brightwaters.com and a live human being will process your request and confirm via email.
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