Cast Protocol

1) Enter all values as prompted in the seabird header form. These should include at least the following:

a) Vessel:
b) Cruise:
b) Site:
c) Latitude:
d) Longitude:

2) Determine cast identifier, and name the cast file accordingly. The exact form of the cast identifier is not important, as long as it is unique per cruise per vessel (i.e., it is ok for the Barnes and the Wecoma to use the same castid ont he same cruise, but not ok for the Barnes to reuse castids each day.)

By default, one possible form is "castXXX", with the corresponding data file named "castXXX.dat", where XXX is numbered sequentially from the start of the cruise. Just to reiterate: Each vessel maintains its own sequence, so cast identifiers may be reused across vessels and cruises. If a different scheme is chosen make sure the filename matches the spreadsheet entry.

3) Add a new row to the cast spreadsheet and fill in the values. See attached for an example.

4) For each sample, add a new row to the sample spreadsheet, filling in all required fields. See attached for an example.

5) When the cast is complete, convert the data to ASCII using datcnv.exe and, if necessary, copy it to the CMOP Appliance. (Note: The extra copy step is usually necessary on the Wecoma but not on the Barnes -- check with the Data Coordinator. )

Include at least these options/variables in the conversion:

* upcast and downcast data
* all raw voltage channels
* Time, Elapsed [seconds]
* Pressure, Digiquartz [db]
* Altimeter [m] (even if it's not connected)
* Scan Count

Every 12 hours, print the spreadsheet and copy it to a flash drive.