Photograph of Argos 3 PNT-K and antenna in Clearwater Instrumentation SVP drifter

Clearwater has completed integrating the new CLS Argos 3 PMT into applications for drifters incorporating Sea Surface Temperature, Air pressure and GPS location. These newly developed applications for the WOCE SVP drifter used in the Global Drifter Program, studies of surface circulation and observational operations offer potential advantages over similar equipment equipped with the Argos 2 PTT. Unlike the Argos 2 PTT the Argos 3 PMT receives a downlink message from Argos 3 satellites which informs it of the time, satellite ephemera, and PMT location. This information allows the PMT to transmit only in the presence of a satellite saving valuable energy which otherwise would be wasted. Early indications are that power requirements are reduced by 75% by not transmitting to an empty sky and that data returns are better than 95% because it only is sent when a satellite is overhead. In addition, improvements in data management by the PMT and in data processing by CLS can provide error checking, accurate sample times and advanced processing. Using Argos 3 means that a scientist can get exactly the accurately obtained data time series she wants.