Present Status of Hydro Field Instruments 



G. Jaffe 



A review of the instrumentation questionnaires returned from the 

 survey components of the Hydrographic Office reveals some startling 

 facts. The summary of these comments regarding currently available 

 instruments is attached in tabular form. 



Of the fifteen measurements reported on, and the twenty-four 

 instruments used to make these measurement's, only two measurements 

 and three instruments are considered adequate for the needs of this 

 Office. 



The fact that a major portion of the instrumentation now utilized by 

 the Hydrographic Office in its survey operations is not considered 

 satisfactory by survey personnel leads to the conclusion that the Office 

 is not obtaining a dollar's worth of data for each dollar spent on survey 

 operations. Further, it seems apparent that the best way to increase the 

 value of the data collected is to increase the quality and utility of the 

 instruments used in survey operations. 



From the point of view of improving the instruments required for 

 present survey operations, the most effective means will be to define 

 the problem areas (as in enclosure (2) of this report), assign relative 

 priorities to these problems, and provide a development staff in the 

 Instrumentation Division to pursue these problems in the order of their 

 priority and importance to the Hydrographic Office, or provide sufficient 

 funds to accomplish this same development under contract. 



By carrying out a well ordered program for the improvement of the 

 instrumentation required for Hydrographic Office survey operations, 

 substantial gains will be made toward increasing the value of the data 

 collected in proportion to the cost of collection. 



Encl. (4) to Code 5401-BEO/bah memo of 23 Jul 1958 



B-14 



