The "Roger Revelle" is out to sea over 300 days a year conducting all kinds of physical oceanography, including towed arrays, ocean bottom mapping, biological surveys, and just about anything else the on-board scientists have in mind. But because weather, sea conditions, and tight schedules can be unforgiving, it's not unusual for researchers to get only one shot at collecting the data they need - which explains why reliable deck equipment is such a high priority on Paul's to-do list.

"The Revelle's old winch instrumentation system was not as robust as we needed, with a susceptibility to radio interference and a difficult to read LCD display," admitted Paul. "We began looking at replacement systems last year, and were immediately attracted to Measurement Technology NW. MTNW had worked with Scripps Institute on some previous projects, including the "Roger Revelle's" big scoreboard display, and we had heard from other LCI users that their displays delivered excellent performance with almost zero downtime."

Certified for operation in temperatures from -40°C to 75°C, all LCI displays feature rugged NEMA 4X stainless steel and Lexan front panels, sealed stainless steel pushbuttons, and a bright 1/4 VGA electroluminescent display (with 160° viewing angle) that's clearly visible even in direct sunlight. Our compact LCI-90 displays have proven their durability and reliability time and again in some of the most extreme environments on earth. In fact, every LCI-90 display Measurement Technology NW has built over the years, every single one, is still hard at work out in the field.

"My crew and I have been very happy with the ship's new LCI-90 system," Paul confirmed. "The displays are stable and extremely reliable, and our scientists - particularly the guys doing bottom work - appreciate the accuracy and fast refresh rates. Their on-deck programmability is quick and easy, a built-in security feature keeps local configuration settings from being accidentally changed, and we can dump the LCI-90's RS-232 data stream straight to our shipboard computer for later review and analysis. Installation was painless too. Measurement Technology NW was super supportive every step of the way, even when at the last minute we asked for a display to be installed in the van used to control our "Jason" ROV. They took care of it on the spot, and everything worked out great."

Measurement Technology NW produces a wide range of precision winch line control products, including the LCI-90 and LCI-100 series, WinchDAC software, and more. Give yourself one less thing to worry about by contacting MTNW at 206-634-1308, send an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com, or check us out online at www.mtnw-usa.com.

Measurement Technology NW
4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199

www.mtnw-usa.com

Captain Lee Black, Marine Superintendent for the BBSR, wanted to update the ship's winch monitoring systems to include more advanced data logging, and he approached Markey Machinery for a recommendation. Based on past successes, the Markey team asked Measurement Technology NW to take on the task.

According to Lee, "Deciding between a switched display system and a dedicated display system was tough, and we went through several good designs from Measurement Technology NW before selecting a hybrid system that gave us the best of both worlds. Now on the "Weatherbird II", each winch has a dedicated LCI-90 display but its RS-485 data output can be switched for remote viewing at the stern console or at either of our two remote stations. At the bridge I can switch between any winch and see all the line parameters in real time, while the shipboard computer stays connected 24/7 for data logging. It's a great system that I've already recommended to other vessel operators."

Stuart Halewood, BBSR's Senior Marine Technician, adds, "The new LCI-90 system is a big step forward. By just flipping a switch we can see data from any active winch, and we can continuously data log all line parameters from every winch. At the end of a cruise I'm now able to give the scientists a CD containing all the winch data from their activities, and that's been very much appreciated. When the research scientists leave happy, I'm happy."

Custom installations like the BBSR's "Weatherbird II" highlight the power and versatility of Measurement Technology NW's LCI displays, and help show off the marine engineering expertise we bring to every project. Why not let the next project be yours? For needs as simple as a drop-in replacement for a failed LM-2000, to complex assignments like a new shipboard winch monitoring system, MTNW's rugged, high-performance LCI-90/LCI-100 displays and versatile WinchDAC software for the PC give you the power to do more than you ever could before.

Find out what MTNW can do to boost the capabilities of your winch monitoring system by contacting us at 206-634-1308, or sending an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com.

Measurement Technology NW
4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199

www.mtnw-usa.com

Although Robway manufactures their own line of load indicators, according to Graeme they are primarily crane-specific devices. "For my purposes the LCI-90 winch monitor from Measurement Technology NW was a great find. Even though we offer similar products, I could see a need for the LCI product line, especially for our in-house testing of running line tensiometers and load cells, and for winch monitoring applications where high visibility is a key issue. I first discovered the LCI-90 on the internet, and was impressed with the bright EL (electroluminescent) display. I get involved in quite a few outdoor applications, and in direct sunlight the LCI-90's display is so much more visible that the LCD-based displays I've seen from other suppliers. I also like how it's set up - with easy connections, easy operation, and great documentation. It's a nice user-friendly package, and I put mine to work right away."

Measurement Technology NW developed the LCI-90 to be a drop-in replacement for the now-defunct LM-2000 displays from MD Totco. The comparison stops there however, as the LCI-90 features a rugged stainless steel and lexan front panel with five permanently sealed stainless steel pushbuttons. These pushbuttons provide access to a clear, English language-based programming menu that allows the operator to configure and calibrate the display, change units on-the-fly, set alarms, and control serial data flow to remote displays or a PC computer. In both hardware and software, the LCI-90 was built to thrive in the kinds of conditions faced every day by oceanographic researchers, tugboat operators, offshore oil rigs, commercial and military ships, and fishing vessel crews around the world.

"I've used lots of line control systems over the years," added Graeme, "and some are complicated. These LCI-90 displays are different. They're tough, robust units that are very easy to understand, which is IMPORTANT because varying amounts of our time is spent training operators and technicians, as well as providing backup support. I think the typical operator could become a comfortable LCI user after just a few minutes of hands-on practice, and they'd have no problem customizing the display for their specific application. Measurement Technology NW support has been very good when any questions do come up, and I can tell you that the whole LCI product/service package impressed me so much I asked to become an MTNW distributor!"

For new or retrofit winch instrumentation projects, the rugged power, easy versatility, and surprising affordability of Measurement Technology NW's LCI displays can make your day. For needs as simple as a drop-in replacement for a failed LM-2000, to more complex assignments like a new shipboard winch monitoring system, our high-performance LCI-90/LCI-100 displays will impress you too.

Find out what MTNW can do to boost the capabilities of your winch monitoring system by contacting us at 206-634-1308, or sending an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com.

Measurement Technology NW
4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199

www.mtnw-usa.com

Due to expected new US government safety regulations, floating drill rigs that use a standard 8-mooring line layout are pursuing upgrades to more secure 12-mooring line configurations, for increased holding capacity in the hurricane-prone Gulf of Mexico. As part of this upcoming government initiative, Bardex Corporation worked with Measurement Technology NW to develop tension monitoring displays for an upgraded Linear Chain Jack Mooring System to be installed on the semi-submersible rig, "Jack Bates".

Bardex designs and supplies heavy load moving, handling and positioning systems for the offshore and shipyard industries, and for "Jack Bates" the upgraded Bardex mooring system consisted of four linear chain jack assemblies and four deckmounted idler sheave assemblies, all designed with a stall/hold capacity of 550 kips/600 kips.

A load monitoring system was included to provide individual line tension display at both the control console and in the central control room, and that’s where MTNW came in. Measurement Technology NW developed a custom LCI-90 model that would accept four analog tension signals from a pair of dual-bridge load cells installed on opposite sides of the stopper latches in each Chain Jack. These four signals feed into one LCI-90 display unit as 4-20mA inputs. The inputs are calibrated individually in the LCI display, and then averaged to generate a tension readout on the LCI-90’s main screen.

The LCI-90 main screen was further modified to show the four signals in engineering units as well as the enabled/disabled status of each load cell bridge. If any bridge readings drift outside a pre-determined range, that bridge is automatically disabled and a warning is displayed on the LCI-90. In the event a load cell bridge is disabled the value from the remaining bridge is used twice in the averaging calculation (and if both bridges are disabled that load cell is removed from the computations), for full redundancy and uninterrupted mooring operations.

Certified for operation in temperatures ranging from -40°C to 75°C, every LCI display features a rugged watertight stainless steel and Lexan front panels, sealed stainless steel pushbuttons, and bright 320x240 electroluminescent displays with a 160° viewing angle that’s clearly visible even in direct sunlight. The compact LCI-90’s from Measurement Technology NW have proven their durability and reliability time and again in some of the most extreme environments on earth. In fact, every LCI winch display we’ve built over the years, every single one, is still hard at work out in the field. Your source for advanced winch line control and monitoring systems

Measurement Technology NW produces a wide range of precision line control products, including the LCI-90 and LCI-100 series displays, WinchDAC and MarQuip® Mooring software, and much more. Find out what MTNW can do for you by contacting us at 206-634-1308, or sending an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com.

www.mtnw-usa.com