The EShop provides a wide variety of services in support of both laboratory and field research:
Budget and Proposal Assistance
We strongly encourage anyone planning to use EShop services in your research to contact us at the proposal writing stage. EShop collaboration on proposals is FREE and strongly recommended to insure that the technical aspects of your work will be technically, logistically, and financially achievable.
Instrument and Systems Design
The EShop designs and constructs custom equipment and instrumentation to meet needs not filled by commercially available devices. Our capabilities include:
-Electronic circuit design
-Microcontroller programming
-Real time field instrumentation.
-Machining
-Pressure case design and fabrication
-Welding
-Refrigeration (EPA certified)
-Carpentry and fiberglass
Areas of special expertise include: Argos and Iridium satellite telemetry, 3G/4G cellular telemetry, GPS positioning, oceanographic and meteorological instrumentation including high precision conductivity and temperature measurement, IP camera systems, and micropower electronics.
We have extensive experience with the following microcontrollers: Onset TattleTale, BASIC Stamp, PIC, Arduino, and others.
Equipment Repair
The EShop can evaluate and repair electronic and electromechanical equipment, often to the component level. Of particular value is our ability to reverse engineer and repair/redesign critical vintage equipment where the manufacturer may no longer offer support or even be out of business.
Field Equipment Rental
The EShop manages a central pool of field instrumentation that is rented by the day, week, or month, including water quality sondes, CTDs, current meters, tide gauges, water sample bottles, and other hydrographic gear. A list of gear types and associated use rates can be found at this link.
Daily use equipment is covered by Research Foundation Insurance against loss or damage. Insurance for deployed equipment is secured before each deployment with the cost charged to the investigator. In either case, to avoid small claims that could potentially jeopardize our future ability to insure gear, the Principal Investigator is responsible for the first $500 of loss or damage.
Note that not all instruments in the rental pool are used every year. Infrequently used equipment may require significant time to fully test and mobilize. If you contemplate using a device, giving us one month or even longer advance notice before the first expected use will help insure that the gear can be ready when you are.
Field Operations Support
EShop personnel support field operations of all types from local to international in scope.
- We operate an extensive local network of environmental observatories, including the Great South Bay Buoy, the LIShore system, and the University’s array of weather stations. We can design, install, and maintain turnkey observatory systems to support your research. Contact us for further details.
- We have assisted and accompanied science parties on local day trips and multi-week expeditions to locations including Antarctica, Barbados, Spain, and East Africa.
- We can assist with domestic and international shipping, technology control, and customs clearance.
- Tom and Alex are both authorized to drive the forklift and State vehicles/trucks as well as tow trailers and vessels.
- Alex has a 50 ton rated USCG Captain’s license. Tom is NYS Small Boat Safety certified.
- Alex is a PADI-certified SCUBA diver with nitrox and dry suit certifications.
Calibration and Analysis Services
The EShop has standards and equipment to calibrate conductivity, temperature, and pressure sensors. We can perform a simple zero and span setting for a water quality sonde (with far greater accuracy than using bottled KCl conductivity standards) or do a full range temperature and conductivity calibration with a report of polynomial correction coefficients and standard error of the regression fit.
As part of our calibration facility the EShop operates a Guildline 8400B precision laboratory salinometer that can measure salinity to better than 0.001 PSU. We can provide sample bottles and carriers for you to take water samples from the field as a primary measurement or to serve as “ground truth” for instruments.
Seawolf CTD Support
The EShop maintains the Seabird 9 CTD system aboard R/V Seawolf. Use of the CTD is included in the vessel’s day rate, but the CTD is only placed on the vessel when needed. Fleet Manager David Bowman must be notified of the need for the CTD at the time the Seawolf is scheduled so installation and testing can be arranged.
In order to use the Seabird 9 CTD on a cruise aboard the Seawolf an authorized person will be designated to oversee the operation, maintenance, and storage of the CTD and any associated gear. Before undertaking this responsibility, the authorized person must be trained and certified by the EShop in CTD operation, maintenance, and data output. This authorized person could be the Principal Investigator, a member of the science party, or EShop personnel.
The Seawolf sponsors one 4-hour at-sea CTD training session per year, typically in the fall, after which a person is certified as an authorized CTD operator for the Seawolf. This training session is your opportunity to be trained free of charge. If you need to be trained outside of this training session, there most likely will be costs charged to cover the expenses of at-sea training. Please contact Fleet Manager David Bowman to register your interest for the next CTD training.
Flax Pond Support
The EShop designed and maintains the Flax Pond Laboratory MACS (Monitoring and Control System) that monitors critical systems such as water level, temperature, building power, aeration blowers, etc. and sends out alerts on alarm conditions.
Tom Wilson is the backup facility manager for the Flax Pond Laboratory when Stephen Abrams is on leave.
Teaching Laboratory
EShop personnel maintain microscopes, balances, the still, and other shared equipment in the Discovery Hall Teaching Laboratory. Please notify us if anything in the lab needs attention.
Education and Public Outreach
The EShop maintains the equipment and sample display in the lobby of Endeavour Hall, and regularly hosts a travelling display that has appeared at outreach events such as Earthstock. For more than 10 years Tom Wilson has presented a talk “Life Aboard an Oceanographic Research Vessel” to numerous groups.
EShop personnel are available to speak to classes regarding topics of instrumentation, measurement accuracy versus measurement precision, calibration, the Practical Salinity Scale, and other topics. These short talks are typically free of charge.