Abstract: A hydrophone includes a body formed of a flexible, plastic material. The body includes a plurality of channels and each channel may have one or more wells. The wells are adapted to receive an active element which includes mounting hardware. The mounting hardware includes a soft, rubber grommet or other means which suspends the active element, thereby permitting the flexing of the body without introducing that motion to the active element.

Abstract: A weight block for a marine seismic cable comprises a heavy weight member with a soft, overlying layer. The weight block is bolted, hinged, or otherwise attached to the cable to provide desired ballast. The outer covering of the weight block is molded over the inner metal member with an injection molding machine or other standard techniques. The inner diameter of the molding on the block may have a plurality of ribs with a smaller diameter than the nominal diameter of the solid-filled or liquid filled cable.

Abstract: A seismic marine streamer (10) including hydrophones (12) housed in elongate flexible tubes (11), a pair of load carrying rope members (25, 26), and a plurality of spacers (15) which substantially fill the internal cross-section of the tube (11), the internal void within the tube being filled by a liquid, the two rope carrying members (25, 26) interconnect end fittings (21, 22) located one at each end of a tube (11) and passing through each spacer (15) on diametrically opposite sides thereof.

Abstract: A system for testing a group of hydrophones includes (a) a tank having a nozzle adapted for attachment of a streamer jacket; (b) a harness reel inside the tank for reversibly retaining a group of hydrophones; (c) fluid passage means into the tank for introducing and withdrawing fluid into and out of the tank; (d) an oscillating pump in fluid communication with the tank to introduce a time varying pressure pulse in the tank; (e) a reference hydrophone inside the tank; (f) electrical coupling means to couple a hydrophone signal from the group of hydrophones and the reference hydrophone to a central processing unit; and (g) means for comparing the hydrophone signal of the reference hydrophone to the hydrophone signal of the group of hydrophones.