Frequently Asked Questions
GOMLF continues to write grants and fundraise in order to help provide funding to get drifters into the classroom. Please reach out to Erin (erin@gomlf.org) to speak about options.
We have created several educational lesson plans for your convenience. The lesson plans range from middle school all the way to undergraduate level. These lessons can be found under the “Educational Resources” tab on our website.
Upon request we can also share a master Google Doc with more educational resources.
Yes, the raw data is served via csv files and the processed data is served via ERDDAP.
Our goal is to help validate numerical oceanographic models and make it fun for students to learn about.
You are. You will need to monitor it as it approaches land. Ideally you want to recover it before it gets damaged by the surf but, most often, this is not possible. If it lands in a remote location, you may have to ask for help. If you do not know anyone in that area, there is a network of mariners all along the coast who would be happy to help.
We have a master Google Doc, that upon request, can be sent to you and it will provide several resources.
Your unit is programmed and ready to start transmitting. There is a small black magnet attached to the front lower corner of the Smart One. If that magnet is removed the unit will start transmitting and using your prepaid transmissions. Keep the magnet in a safe place once removed so if you do recover your drifter you can stop the transmissions. You can use any small magnet if you lose the one provided.
The cost of an Irina kit is approximately $1,100* depending on:
a) Whether you build the drifter yourself.
b) How often & how long you want to sample.
- It is $0.15 per satellite hit. (You will determine the frequency and amount of prepaid months)
c) Shipping costs ($50 in New England states).
*These costs change over time, so please consult with GOMLF for most current pricing.
The Smart One Transmitters are solar powered so the batteries have a long life!
The ORBCOMM satellite company will continue to charge GOMLF a $3 monthly fee for transmitters even if you are not using them.
We can decommission a transmitter to stop that charge but, if you want to use it again, we need to pay the $50 reprovisioning fee. Our rule of thumb is that you should decommission a transmitter if you do not plan on using it within one year.
If you are interested in depicting the big semi-diurnal tidal signal and want to contribute to oceanographers and modelers data archive, we suggest hourly fixes, but that can be very expensive. We recommend nothing less frequent than every 4-6 hours so you can make sure and track the tidal cycles.