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Spotter Technical Specifications

Team Sofar

Size and weight:

External dimensions: [ W X H ]: 42cm x 31cm (16.4in x 12.2in)
Weight: 5.4kg (12lbs)

Data and connectivity:

Connectivity: Iridium SBD (satellite)

Data storage:

Full-size SD card (on-board) - records time series of displacement data
Online Dashboard (cloud) - access to real-time data and Spotter configuration

Applications:

Free-drifting: Spotter measures waves, wind, position and surface currents. Spotter is designed to operate in any weather conditions, including extreme waves, and fast-flowing surface currents.

Moored: Spotter measures waves and position

Onboard data analysis:

Spectral output as a function of frequency: variance density spectrum, directional moments, mean direction, directional spreading
Frequency range 0.033-1 Hz (30s to 1s period).

Bulk statistics: significant wave height, mean period, peak period, mean direction, mean directional spread, peak direction, peak directional spread

Battery and power:

Primary power source: Solar Powered, 5x 2 Watt, 6 Volt solar panels
Battery: Lithium-ion, capacity 11,200 mAh, 3.7v (rechargeable)

Motion sensing:

Onboard motion sensors: fast-sampling GPS
Motion Data Format: x (easting), y (northing), z (vertical, positive up), latitude (deg), longitude (deg)
Wave frequency range: 0.03-1 Hz (30s to 1s)
Wave direction range: 0 - 360 degrees (full circle)
Sampling rate: 2.5 Hz (Nyquist @ 1.25Hz)
Wave displacement accuracy: approximately +/- 2cm practical accuracy depends on field of view, weather conditions, and GPS system status.
Calibration: Not needed, ever.

Other:

Firmware Upgrade: Standard micro-USB connector (cable included)
System monitoring: System monitors general health and status of solar and battery power.

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