Methods and apparatus implementing and using techniques for data collection, including using a plurality of telemetry devices to generate and transmit a series of measurements and transmit the measurements. In various embodiments, a dispatcher of the application service provision apparatus is provided with complementary functions to coordinate the servicing of the upgrade requests. At least one of the core, cover or boundary layer of the golf ball comprises the thermoplastic material. The imposed pulses are controlled in a manner such that the substrate surface potential Vs recovers to a floating potential Vf at the end of a pulse period T, and that the ion incidence energy temporarily crosses a thin film sputtering threshold value in a pulse period T.