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NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL COMMISSION ON ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SYSTEMS 2101 Constitution Avenue Washington, D.C. 20418 |
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MARINE BOARD |
February 17, 1993 MB-93-189 |
OFFICE LOCATION Georgetown Facility Room HA 250 2001 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. Telephone (202) 334-3119 Telefax: (202) 334-3789 |
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TO: |
USERS OF NOAA NAUTICAL CHARTS AND INFORMATION |
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FROM: |
DR. CRAIG E. DORMAN, CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON NAUTICAL CHARTS AND INFORMATION |
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SUBJECT: |
SURVEY OF NAUTICAL INFORMATION NEEDS |
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At the request of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Marine Board1 has convened a Committee on Nautical Charts and Information to ascertain the needs of mariners and other users for nautical charts and related information products and to identify changing requirements for these products. You (or a member of your organization) are requested to participate in a survey of national needs, trends, and opportunities in nautical charting and information by responding to the enclosed questionnaire.
NOAA produces and maintains nearly one thousand nautical chart editions, plus over four hundred bathymetric charts, nine coast pilots, and numerous miscellaneous supporting publications. Digital chart products, which use a digital data base to produce a chart directly on a video screen, are also becoming increasingly available (although not legally certified at the present time). NOAA's resources for chart updating are not sufficient to update and re-issue each of its many products annually. It is necessary to prioritize the updating process and to determine the appropriate balance between updating existing charts and producing new charts, using objective criteria for making these decisions.
Based on the responses to the attached questionnaire and other information-gathering activities, the Committee on Nautical Charts and Information will prepare a public report that provides guidance to NOAA on priorities for updating charts and producing new charts, and on the role of NOAA in meeting future demands for new kinds of nautical information products using advanced technologies.
A list of the members of the committee conducting this study and the committee's terms of reference are attached for your information. Please call Susan Garbini of the Marine Board staff at 202/334-3119 if you have any questions relating to the project. A return envelope is included for mailing the questionnaire; your response is requested no later than May 31, 1993. Thank you for your assistance.
Enclosures
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The Marine Board operates under the auspices of the National Research Council and is an independent, official advisor on ocean uses and marine affairs. |
The National Research Council is the principal operating agency of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering to serve government and other organizations
Nautical Chart and Information Survey
Instructions:
All respondents please complete
section A: Respondent Information and
section B: General Questions.
As appropriate to your specific field of interest, also complete
section C: Mariner Supplemental Questions,
section D: Planner/Researcher Supplemental Questions, or
section E: Data Reseller Supplemental Questions. section F: Supplemental Questions on Electronic Charts
All respondents are requested to review questions in section F and to respond if they have an interest in electronic data.
Please feel free to attach additional comments on the subject of nautical chart and information products, and return the completed questionnaire by February 22, 1993 to:
Susan Garbini
National Research Council
Marine Board
2101 Constitution Avenue
Washington D.C. 20418
phone 202-334-3119
fax 202-334-3789
A. Respondent Information
A1. Name: ______________________________
A2. Affifliation: ______________________________
A3. Address: ______________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
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A4. Phone Number: ___________________ |
Zip Code ____________ |
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Area Code |
B. General Questions
All respondents: please complete the questions in this section. Skip any question that does not apply to your present or potential use of nautical charts and other nautical information products.
B1. In what capacity do you or would you use nautical charts/information? Please check all that apply.
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____ recreational boating/fishing |
____ real estate |
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____ commercial fishing |
____ scientific research |
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____ commercial piloting |
____ coastal zone planning/policy |
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____ commercial ferry operations |
____ military |
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____ commercial cargo shipping |
____ data repackaging/reselling |
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____ oil and gas exploration/transportation |
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____ other (please specify) ___________________ |
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B2. Which of the following regions (U.S. waters) are of direct interest to you? Please check all that apply.
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____ Mid-Atlantic |
____ Hawaii |
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____ northeast Atlantic |
____ Great Lakes |
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____ southeast Atlantic |
____ Mississippi River system |
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____ Gulf of Mexico |
____ other river system(s) (please specify) |
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____ northwest Pacific |
______________________________________ |
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____ southwest Pacific |
____ other (please identify) |
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____ Alaska |
______________________________________ |
B3. Do you presently use nautical chart/information products?
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____ yes |
___ no |
If no, please skip Questions B4 through B8, and continue with Question B9.
If yes, what kind of nautical chart information products do you use?
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government produced |
____NOAA/NOS charts |
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____DMA charts |
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____foreign charts |
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commercially produced |
____ Chart ''books'' |
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____ EPROM cartridges (electronically programmable memory cartridge) |
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____CD-ROM scanned charts (electronic data on optical disc) |
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____other (please specify) _______________________________________ |
B4. If you use commercially produced nautical chart/information products, what are the reasons? Please indicate and rate all that apply. Use "1" for the most important, "2" for the second, etc.
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____ cost |
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____ additional information included |
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____ size/format of paper product |
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____ convenience of book format |
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____digital format |
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____other (please specify) _______ |
B5. What other nautical information products do you use?
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government produced |
____NOAA/NOS Coast Pilots |
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____NOAA/NOS Tide Tables |
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____NOAA/NOS Tidal Current Tables |
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____DMA Sailing Instructions |
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____USCG List of Lights |
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____foreign publications |
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____other (please specify) |
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commercially produced |
____ cruising guides |
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____ other (please specify) __________________________________________ __________________________________________ |
B6. If you use commercial nautical information products other than charts, why do you buy these products?
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____ easier to use |
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____ cost |
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____ format |
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____ information not available in government publications (please specify what information) ______________________________________________ |
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____ other reason (please specify) ____________________________________________ |
B7. Do you update your charts and publications?
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____ yes |
____ no |
If yes, approximately how often?
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____ daily |
____ monthly |
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____ weekly |
____ annually |
B8. How do you update your charts and publications? Please check all that apply.
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____ Coast Guard Notices to Mariners, voice broadcasts |
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____ Coast Guard Notices to Mariners, local printed mailings |
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____ NAVTEX (Navigation Text radio receiver) |
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____ DMA weekly Notices to Mariners |
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____ DMA Navigation Information Network (NavInfoNet) |
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____ purchase new chart editions |
B9. Do the currently available nautical chart/information products meet all of your needs?
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____ yes |
____ no |
If not, please indicate the deficiencies.
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____ information content |
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____ accuracy |
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____ currency |
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____ scale |
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____ coverage scheme |
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____ not available on digital media |
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____ other (please specify) |
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__________________________________________ __________________________________________ |
B10. What additional information would you like to see included in the standard chart/information product?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
B11. What information presently included on charts would you like to see omitted?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
B12. Do you have any interest in new paper nautical information products?
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____ custom paper chart products |
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____ paper charts on waterproof paper |
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____ other (please specify) |
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_____________________________________ _____________________________________ |
B13. Do you have any interest in new digital nautical information products?
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____vector data sets for navigation information |
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____raster scanned data sets for navigation information |
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____custom digital data sets |
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____other (please specify) _____________________________________________ |
B14. Would you purchase such images
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____ from NOAA/NOS? |
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____ from private operations? |
B15. How much would you be willing to pay for such images (or data), per standard NOAA chart equivalent?
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____ US$ for NOAA/NOS-produced images |
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____ US$ for privately produced images |
Thank you for participating in this survey effort! Your responses will assist the Marine Board in guiding NOAA/NOS and the private sector to better meet the needs of all nautical chart and information users. Please review and respond to supplemental questions as appropriate to your field of interest.
C. Mariner Supplemental Questions
Please complete the questions in this section only if you use nautical chart and information products for the purpose of navigation.
C1. Type of vessel you normally navigate.
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____ sail |
____ tug, tow, or push boat |
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____ power |
____ tanker |
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____ bulk carrier |
____ small commercial fishing |
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____ recreational |
____ other (please specify) |
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____ general cargo |
___________________________ |
C2. Size of vessel you normally navigate.
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length over all: |
____ under 18 feet |
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____ 19-30 feet |
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____ 31-65 feet |
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____ 65-300 feet |
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____ over 300 feet |
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displacement (grt): |
____ under 500 tons |
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____ 500-1500 tons |
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____ 1500-10,000 tons |
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____ over 10,000 tons |
C3. Years of maritime experience.
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____ less than 2 years |
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____ 2 to 5 years |
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____ 6 to 10 years |
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____ more than 10 years |
C4. Maritime licenses/certificates held.
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____ U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine |
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____ Foreign Merchant marine |
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____ U.S. Power Squadron Certificate |
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____ U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Certificate |
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____ none |
C5. Navigation equipment on your vessel (or that you regularly use) (please check all that apply).
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____ magnetic compass |
____ GPS (Global Positioning System receiver) |
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____ gyro compass |
____ DGPS (Differential GPS receiver) |
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____ radio direction finder (RDF) |
____ radar |
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____ NAVTEX receiver |
____ ARPA (Automatic Radar Plotting Aid) |
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____ Loran-C |
____ video plotter |
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____ Omega |
____ electronic chart (ECDIS) |
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____ other ________________________ |
C6. If you currently use an electronic chart product, does it operate with
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____ digital vector data? |
____ don't know |
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____ raster scanned image data? |
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If you do not currently use an electronic chart product, do you expect to outfit your vessel(s) with such products in the next five years?
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____ yes |
____ no |
____ may be/don't know |
C7. What type of navigation do you spend most time and effort on? Please rank all that apply, using "1" for the most common, "2" for the second, etc.
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____ oceanic |
____ approach |
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____ inshore |
____ harbor |
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____ offshore |
____ river |
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____ channel/waterway |
____ lake |
C8. What do you use the chart for? Please rank all uses that apply to you, using "1" for the most common, "2" for the second, etc.
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____ route planning |
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____ route following/monitoring and position plotting |
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____ avoiding hazards |
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____ recording trip |
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____ browse for interesting destinations |
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____ other (please specify) |
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______________________________________________________ |
C9. Comments
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
D. Planner/Researcher Supplemental Questions
Please complete the questions in this section only if you use, or would like to use, nautical chart and information products for the purpose of planning policy analysis, scientific research, preparing environmental assessments, or other non-navigation activities.
D1. Please describe your line of work.
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____ real estate development |
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____ surveying properties |
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____ local/state coastal zone planning |
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____ environmental assessment |
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____ climate research |
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____ fisheries research |
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____ offshore minerals |
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____ oceanographic research (please specify field) |
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_________________________________________________________ |
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____ other (please specify) _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ |
D2. What kind of data do you presently use?
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____ bathymetric data, paper-based |
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____ bathymetric data, digital |
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____ nautical chart data, paper-based |
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____ nautical chart data, digital |
D3. How do you or would you use these data? Please check all that apply:
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____ basis for computer models/simulations |
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____ graphical presentations and diagrams |
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____ reference points for measurements/surveys |
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____ other (please specify) |
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_______________________________________________________ |
D4. Comments
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
E. Data Reseller Supplemental Questions
Please complete the questions in this section only if you use, or would like to use, nautical chart and information products for the purpose of repackaging, reformatting and/or reselling the data.
In answering all of the following questions, assume that NOAA/NOS provides nautical chart data sets to organizations like your own.
E1. Would your company augment the base set obtained from NOAA by display or information layers from other sources?
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____ yes |
____ no |
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If yes, please describe: ____________________________ _____________________________________________ |
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E2. Would your company provide users with calculation functions (such as distance, bearing, position fixing, forecasting, etc.) based on the geographic data provided by NOAA?
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____ yes |
____ no |
E3. Recognizing that there are likely to be legal implications for the presentation of inaccurate geographic information, and assuming that NOAA certifies its base data to be accurate, is your company willing to assume liability for the accurate reproduction of the base data, overlays of additional data not sourced from NOAA, and/or any calculations based on the data?
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____ yes |
____ no |
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Comments: ___________________________ _____________________________________ |
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E4. Do you expect your company to provide systems based on NOAA data that would be used in critical applications (such as systems that can directly affect public safety, health, or welfare)?
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____ yes |
____ no |
F. Electronic Charts Supplemental Questions
Please complete the questions in this section if you are familiar with electronic nautical data for display on video screens.
Questions F1-F6 refer to rasterscanned images, in digital format, of NOAA/NOS nautical charts.
F1. If raster scanned images of nautical charts were made available, what would be your format preference?
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____ TIF |
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____ PCS |
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____ other (please specify) _____________________ |
F2. What level of resolution would you prefer for raster scanned images?
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____ 150 dpi |
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____ 300 dpi |
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____ 600 dpi |
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____ 800 dpi |
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____ other (please specify) _______________________ |
F3. What would be your preference for distribution media of raster scanned images?
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____ 3.5 inch HD floppies |
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____ 5.25 inch HD floppies |
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____ CD-ROM |
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____ 3M tape cartridge (please specify preferred format, such as QIC-40) |
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_________________________________________________________ |
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____ other (please specify) |
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_________________________________________________________ |
F4. With what application software would you use the raster scanned nautical date? If custom software, please describe its purpose.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
F5. Would you purchase such images
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____ from NOAA/NOS? |
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____ from private operations? |
F6. How much would you be willing to pay for such images, per standard NOAA chart equivalent?
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____ US$ for NOAA/NOS-produced images |
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____ US$ for privately produced images |
Questions F7-F12 refer to digital vectordata sets. You may skip these questions if you are not familiar with the concept of digital vector data.
F7. Would you be likely to buy digital nautical data sets in the "seamless" DX-90 format?
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____ yes |
____ no |
____ may be/don't know |
F8. Would you be likely to buy digital nautical data sets available for single standard NOAA/NOS charts?
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____ yes |
____ no |
____ may be/don't know |
F9. What distribution media would you prefer for vector digital data sets?
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____ 3.5 inch HD floppies |
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____ 5.25 inch HD floppies |
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____ CD-ROM |
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____ 3M tape cartridge (please specify preferred format, such as QIC-40) |
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________________________________________________________ |
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____ other (please specify) |
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________________________________________________________ |
F10. With what application software would you use the vector data sets? If custom software, please describe its purpose?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
F11. Would you purchase such data sets
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____ from NOAA/NOS? |
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____ from private operations, if based on official NOAA/NOS data? |
F12. How much would you be willing to pay for such data, per standard NOAA chart equivalent?
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____ US$ |
F13. Comments
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
End of Questionnaire
