No. 1 Manufacturer's Newsletter in the Industry - 42 Months at No.1!

EPC designs and manufacturers printers, data acquisitions systems, and print utilities for the geophysical, military and imaging marketplaces. Visit us today on the World Wide Web:
http://www.epclabs.com

In this Issue:

1. Quote of the Month

"It's a credit to your organization and the quality of workmanship that went into them. The recorders are tough and they are producing an output today as good as when they were first installed."
Don Applebee
Naval Air Station
Commenting on TGRs installed over 12 years ago.

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2. Show Review: UI '03

The Underwater Interventions 2003 Exhibition and Conference recently concluded in New Orleans, LA. The UI focuses on ROVs and the Diving Community, but in past years has attracted a broad swath of Gulf Coast Survey Companies and Government Agencies interested in seeing the latest wares from the Marine Instrument Manufacturers and Service Companies. The show typically bounces back and forth between Houston, TX and New Orleans, with the exception to last years refreshing change to Tampa, FL.

This year's event was a major disappointment. Attendance seemed way down, with one observer noticing that "the silence is deafening". Some exhibitor's mustered an optimistic "it's O.K.", certainly not a ringing endorsement. Another detractor was not having one central hotel. For lodging, attendees and exhibitors fanned out across the warehouse district and the French Quarter which complicated hospitality suites and dinner get-togethers.

A huge plus was New Orleans itself. Always a great venue for shows with world class restaurants and an entertaining night life. Bourbon Street can go a long way in easing the pain of slow show. In addition the weather was perfect, a welcome change to anyone from the North. Its hard to imagine how the show would have rated if it wasn't held in The Big Easy. Out of a possible 10 badges, UI 2003 receives 4 badges # # # #.

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3. EPC Networking in PRC

EPC is pleased to announce two recent sales in China. The Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) in Tianjin whose responsibilities include protecting the local maritime territory, supervising the maritime transportation safety including survey and management, has taken delivery of a Model 1086NT. The Network Printer is the newest version of 1086 Series and incorporates an Ethernet Socket (TCP/IP) Interface, as well as Two Analog Channels, a high speed Parallel and RS-232. The 1086NT is to be used both in side-scan sonar and sub-bottom profiling applications.

EPC has also delivered a Model 9802 to the 2nd Ocean and Geological Investigation Bureau in Guangzhou. The all purpose 20" display, geophysical recorder was awarded after a side-by-side comparison with the competition. The orders were secured through EPC Sales Representative China ORES (Qingdao).

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4. FAQ: Paper VS. Film

One of the more Frequently Asked Questions is "what is the difference between thermal paper and thermal film?" The short answer is that the film is a higher quality, plastic based medium while the paper is a lower grade, but a more economical consumable for customers who are burning a lot of paper. Many users swear by using "film only", while some maintain that the records on paper are more than acceptable.

Both mediums can be used in all EPC thermal recorders. Both the paper and film are heat sensitive, with the thermal film needing slightly more energy to produce the crisp records. The thermal film has a greater dynamic range . A roll of thermal paper is typically longer than a roll of film. An example, a roll of 1086 paper is 150' /46M and the roll of film is 120' /36M.

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5. Sales Rep Profile: Hydroacoustics

Antonio Girona of HYDROACOUSTICS (Madrid, Spain) has represented EPC for close to 10 years. In that time, Hydroacoustics has turned a dormant market into one with a dominant EPC market share. The aim of Hydroacoustics is the distribution, installation, and maintenance of electronic equipment in three main fields: Oceanographic, Dredging, and Research. In addition to offering an Oceanographic and Environmental hire pool of equipment, Hydroacoustics boasts highly qualified technicians able to solve any emergency on site.

Some of the main customers for Hydroacoustics include Scientific Institutes (Instituto Espanol de Oceanographia, Instituto Geologico y Minero de Espana), Universities (Barcelona, Madrid), Research Centers (CSIC, ICEE & IRNAS), Private Marine Geological Companies (Afonso y Asociados, Esgemar), to name just a few.

In addition to EPC, among some of the the other manufacturers Hydroacoustics represents; Marimatech, TSS, Reson, Novatel, CMC, GeoAcoustics, Envirotech, Applied Acoustics, C-Max, Innomar, Stenmar, Octopus Marine, Cheasapeake Technology. Tel: 914 573 901 Fax: 914 588 588, E-Mail: mail@hydroacoustics.com

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6. Newport Awarded OTW '04

As a member of the Ocean Technology Workshop (OTW) steering committee, EPC helped in the selection of Newport, RI as the next venue for the MOTN Event. Similar to the Olympics selection process (less fanfare, more corruption) there were many contenders for the biennial showcase. In a leap of faith, the MOTN has decided to venture outside of the friendly confines of the state of Massachusetts to its nearby neighbor, Rhode Island.

For those unfamiliar with the event, every two years the marine manufacturers and service companies that comprise the cabal of members in the Marine Ocean Technology Network host a week of equipment training. The week includes sea trials, class room tutorials, a New England Clam Bake Dinner, and golf. The workshop has grown every year. Having the event in Newport will continue the trend.

The EPC Monthly is a FREE Newsletter provided to EPC customers and industry personnel. If you would like to subscribe please e-mail: sales@epclabs.com and request a subscription. To be removed simply replay with "REMOVE" in the subject line.

Next Issue: Special Spring Issue

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