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AUTOMATION OF OBSERVING STATIONS 9unattended aperation will in turn have its effect on the choice of clockwork and typeof recording (ink, pencil, special paper, etc.). Instruments where charts will bechanged once a week can have a relatively simple clockwork while stations visited ona six-monthly basis would require instruments with relatively complicated andexpensive clockwork. As to the problem of loss of record, it is.· sometimes moreeconomical in extremely inaccessible areas to have duplicate installation to permitless frequent expensive inspections and at the same time ensure a minimum loss.It is preferable that there be uniformity in the type of instruments used ina network. This would simplify the work of the technicians who have to make repairsand would make the stocking of spare parts less complicated. In· this _egard, itwould be preferable to use relatively simple and standard equipment so that spareparts are available on demand.It is also desirable to select an instrument that may be repaired in thefield if necessary with makeshift tools and parts.It is important that the availability of spare parts is assured for thewhole life of the stations. In certain cases, in the past, because a type of instrumenthas become obsolete, it has become extremely difficult and expensive to obtainreplacement parts for those already installed.PersonnelIt is essential that competent technicians are available to perform theregular maintenance needed. If such personnel are not available a training programmeshould be started as soon as a decision is made to install the relatively complex 'equipment associated with automation. The competence of the actual or proposedpersonnel will be a factor in deciding upon the complexity of the equipment to beobtained. It would not be sensible to acquire instruments which, because of theircomplicated workings, could not be repaired by the available personnel.It must be stressed that the decisions made have to be long-term; that is,maintenance must be part of the programme as long as it exists. As automatic instrumentswill not operate indefinitively without proper care, no matter what. type ofequipment is chosen, a breakdown in maintenance will result in a high capital expenditurewith little useful return.1.3.6Any decision regarding the type of recorder to be used will have to take intoconsideration the speed with which the data is wanted by the user. If there is noneed for immediate information, an instrument can be installed and the recorded datacollected at any interval, either by a local observer ar by· a visiting technician.On the other hand, if data are required immediately as the parameter varies or when itreaches predetermined limits, this might necessitate automatic transmission of thedata. This aspect af autamation is discussed more fully in Chapter 2, especially asta the decisions affecting the choice of mode of transmission. These decisions will