1981

REF TEK supplied a digital telemetry system to the University of California, San Diego for use in the ANZA area. The network was the first digital telemetry system in the USA and is successfully operating to this day.

1984

IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) was formed as a consortium of more than 110 American Universities. IRIS focuses on the Global Seismological Network (GSN) and the Program for Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (PASSCAL). PASSCAL issued a competitive bid for stations for the purpose of recording reflection & refraction and passive broadband data for elucidation of the crust down to the mantle. PASSCAL chose the REF TEK design approach.

1988

REF TEK delivered the first portable digital acquisition stations to IRIS under the PASSCAL program. More than 1000 units have been supplied to IRIS since then.

1991

REF TEK re-designed a Hewlett-Packard 24-bit digitizer to provide a high resolution digitizing and recording system to the International Deployment of Accelerometers (IDA) program of the University of California, San Diego. IDA is now part of the IRIS GSN program. Approximately 30% of all GSM stations use REF TEK instruments.

2003

The 130S Broadband Seismic Recorder is introduced as the 3rd generation of REF TEK digitizers

2008

Refraction Technology Inc. and the REF TEK brand are acquired by Trimble Inc.

2013

REF TEK completes the structural monitoring contract for the Aswan Dam in Egypt. A comprehensive and flexible approach was required for incorporating the Old Dam and the new High Dam systems into one seamless approach.

2013

Introduction of the MRF format, used in the 130-REN Rapid Event Notification system installed across China.

2014

India Meteorological Department (IMD) contracts with REF TEK to provide the backbone of its Earthquake Early Warning System.

2014

REF TEK Introduces the Kestrel Integrated High Resolution SeismoGeodetic system with GNSS Receiver and Internal Accelerometer, with RTX Enabled.

2017

REF TEK adds the 9 channel 130-SMHR to its structural monitoring product line.

2019

REF TEK introduces the Wrangler, a portable high-resolution seismic recorder to replace the 130S 3rd Generation Recorder.

2020

The REF TEK brand is acquired by Reftek Systems Inc. and manufacturing is moved to Dartmouth, NS Canada.

What comes next?

Reftek Systems Inc. is excited to bring its experience in the field and in extreme environments to the R&D table. Look for new influences as new products are rolled out!

Over 7,000 REF TEK instruments are deployed globally for:

2-D and 3-D reflection
Earthquake aftershock recording
Earthquake Early Warning Systems (EEW)
Hazard Mitigation
Injected oil & gas well monitoring
Mining exploration using IP, MT, EM, SCAMT techniques
Passive broadband tomography
Passive broadband imaging
Passive short-period imaging
Portable background Noise Surveys
Portable earthquake monitoring
Oil Field VSP Recording
Structural Monitoring
Telemetry earthquake monitoring
Telemetry verification monitoring
Wide angle reflection
Wide angle refraction

Reftek - Model Colt - Portable Broadband Seismometer - Brochure