Article: Bad luck buoy is back NOAA's 'Smart' buoy returns to the Patapsco after second mishap

Call it the Bad luck buoy.

The solar-powered "smart" buoy at the mouth of the Patapsco River was deployed two summers ago with much fanfare. Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lauded it as one of the most advanced of its kind.

The talking buoy, which cost about $120,000 to build, collects meteorological and water quality data as well as information on waves and currents.

But since its launch in 2007, the buoy's been in the repair shop almost as much as it's been on the water.

Gun shots pierced the buoy last August, causing about $7,000 in damages to the solar panels and putting it out of commission for about three months. The buoy was back on the water in ...

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