COMARCO INC
SC 13G/A, 1997-02-14
ENGINEERING SERVICES
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<PAGE>

                                 UNITED STATES
                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549

                                 SCHEDULE 13G

                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                              (Amendment No. 1)*
 
                                 COMARCO Inc.
                               (Name of Issuer)

                         Common Stock, par value $.10
                         (Title of Class of Securities)


                                   200080109
                               -----------------
                                (CUSIP Number)


Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement ( ).  (A
fee is not required only if the filing person:  (1) has a previous statement on
file reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of
securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).

                               Page 1 of 7 pages
<PAGE>

- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
  CUSIP NO. 200080109                   13G                PAGE 2 OF 7 PAGES
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON 36-3820584

        Wanger Asset Management, L.P.  
                          
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
      Not Applicable                                            (b) [_]

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4    
        Delaware  

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5     
     NUMBER OF              None 
 
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6    
                            574,300   
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7     
    REPORTING               None 
 
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8    
                            574,300   

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9    
        574,300   

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10                  
        Not Applicable
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11    
        11.96%

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
        IA

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT! 

<PAGE>
 
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
  CUSIP NO. 200080109                   13G                PAGE 3 OF 7 PAGES
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

        Wanger Asset Management, Ltd.
                          
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
      Not Applicable                                            (b) [_]

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4    
        Delaware  

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5     
     NUMBER OF              None 
 
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6    
                            574,300   
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7     
    REPORTING               None 
 
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8    
                            574,300   

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9    
        574,300   

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10                  
        Not Applicable
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11    
        11.96%

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
        CO

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT! 


<PAGE>
 
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
  CUSIP NO. 200080109                   13G                PAGE 4 OF 7 PAGES
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

        Ralph Wanger
                          
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
      Not Applicable                                            (b) [_]

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4    
        U.S.A.  

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5     
     NUMBER OF              None 
 
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6    
                            574,300   
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7     
    REPORTING               None 
 
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8    
                            574,300   

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9    
        574,300   

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10                  
        Not Applicable
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11    
        11.96%

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
        IN

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT! 



<PAGE>

Page 5 of 7 Pages

Item 1(a)      Name of Issuer:  COMARCO Inc.


Item 1(b)      Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
               22800 Savi Ranch Parkway, Suite 214   
               Yorba Linda, CA 92808-1299

Item 2(a)      Name of Person Filing:
                    Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM");
                    Wanger Asset Management Ltd., the general partner of WAM
                       ("WAM LTD.");
                    Ralph Wanger ("Wanger")

Item 2(b)      Address of Principal Business Office:
                    WAM, WAM LTD. and Wanger are all located at:
                    227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3000
                    Chicago, Illinois 60606

Item 2(c)      Citizenship:
                    WAM is a Delaware limited partnership.
                    WAM LTD. is a Delaware corporation.
                    Wanger is a U.S. citizen.

Item 2(d)      Title of Class of Securities:  Common Stock, $.10 par value

Item 2(e)      CUSIP Number: 200080109

Item 3         Type of Person:

               (e)     WAM is an Investment Adviser registered under section 203
                       of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; WAM LTD. is the
                       general partner of the Investment Adviser; Wanger is the
                       principal stockholder of the general partner.

Item 4         Ownership (at December 31, 1996):
               (a)  Amount owned "beneficially" within the meaning of rule
                    13d-3:  574,300 shares  
               (b)  Percent of class: 11.96% (based on 4,800,309 shares
                    outstanding at 11/30/96)
               (c)  Number of shares as to which such person has:
                         (i)  sole power to vote or to direct the vote:  None
                        (ii)  shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
                              574,300
                       (iii)  sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition
                              of: None
                        (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct the
                              disposition of: 574,300

               WAM serves as investment adviser to Acorn Investment Trust,
             Series Designated Acorn Fund (the "Trust"). Various of WAM's
             limited partners and employees are also officers and trustees of
             the Trust, but WAM does not consider the Trust to be controlled by
             such persons. Although the Trust is not controlled by WAM, pursuant
             to rule 13d-3(a) the 355,000 shares beneficially owned by the
             Trust, with respect to which the Trust has delegated to WAM shared
             voting power and shared dispositive power, are considered to be
             shares beneficially owned by WAM by reason of such delegated
             powers. In addition to the shares beneficially owned by the Trust,
             other clients of WAM may own shares which are not included in the
             aggregate number of shares reported herein because WAM does not
             have or share voting or investment power over those shares.

<PAGE>

Page 6 of 7 Pages

Item 5         Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

               If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of
               the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the
               beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of
               securities, check the following ( ).

Item 6         Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person:

               The shares reported herein have been acquired on behalf of
               discretionary clients of WAM. Persons other than WAM are entitled
               to receive all dividends from, and proceeds from the sale of,
               those shares.

Item 7         Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
               Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
               Company:

               Not Applicable

Item 8         Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:

               Not Applicable

Item 9         Notice of Dissolution of Group:

               Not Applicable

Item 10        Certification:

               By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in the ordinary course of
business and were not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the effect of
changing or influencing the control of the issuer of such securities and were
not acquired in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having
such purpose or effect.

<PAGE>
 
Page 7 of 7 Pages

                                   Signature
             
     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

Date:  February 14, 1997


               The undersigned corporation, on the date above written, agrees
               and consent to the joint filing on its behalf of this Schedule
               13G in connection with its beneficial ownership of the security
               reported herein.


                                        WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, LTD.
                                         for itself and as general partner of
                                         WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.


                                        By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                            -------------------------------
                                                Bruce H. Lauer
                                                Vice President


               The undersigned individual, on the date above written, agrees and
               consent to the joint filing on his behalf of this Schedule 13G
               in connection with his beneficial ownership of the security
               reported herein.


                                        RALPH WANGER



                                        /s/ Ralph Wanger
                                        -----------------------------------

                               


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