COMARCO INC
SC 13G/A, 2000-02-11
ENGINEERING SERVICES
Previous: RANGER INDUSTRIES INC, SC 13G/A, 2000-02-11
Next: COMCAST CORP, SC 13G/A, 2000-02-11



<PAGE>

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

                                 SCHEDULE 13G

                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                              (Amendment No. 5)*

                                 COMARCO, INC.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               (Name of Issuer)

                                 Common Stock
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        (Title of Class of Securities)

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

*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).

Schedule is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b).

                               Page 1 of 9 pages
<PAGE>

- -------------------                                            -----------------
CUSIP No. 200080109                   13G                      Page 2 of 9 Pages
- -------------------                                            -----------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

        Wanger Asset Management, L.P. 36-3820584

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      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
                            997,300
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING               None

      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                            997,300

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
        997,300

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      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
        23.3%

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

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>

- -------------------                                            -----------------
CUSIP No. 200080109                   13G                      Page 3 of 9 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
                            997,300
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING               None

      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                            997,300

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
        997,300

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      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
        23.3%

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

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>

- -------------------                                            -----------------
CUSIP No. 200080109                   13G                      Page 4 of 9 Pages
- -------------------                                            -----------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

        Acorn Investment Trust

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      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
        Massachusetts

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5
     NUMBER OF              None

      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6
                            476,800
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING               None

      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                            476,800

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
        476,800

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      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
        11.1%

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
        IV

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>


- -------------------                                            -----------------
CUSIP No. 200080109                   13G                      Page 5 of 9 Pages
- -------------------                                            -----------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

        Wanger Advisors Trust

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      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
        Massachusetts

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5
     NUMBER OF              None

      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6
                            234,500
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING               None

      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                            234,500

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
        234,500

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      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
        5.5%

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
        IV

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>

Item 1(a)      Name of Issuer:

                    COMARCO, Inc.

Item 1(b)      Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                    1551 North Tustin Avenue, Suite 840
                    Santa Ana, California  92705

Item 2(a)      Name of Person Filing:

                    Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM")
                    Wanger Asset Management Ltd., the general partner of WAM
                      ("WAM LTD.")
                    Acorn Investment Trust ("Acorn")
                    Wanger Advisors Trust ("WAT")

Item 2(b)      Address of Principal Business Office:

                    WAM, WAM LTD., Acorn, and WAT 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; Acorn is a Massachusetts business
                    trust; and WAT is a Massachusetts business trust.

Item 2(d)      Title of Class of Securities:

                    Common Stock

Item 2(e)      CUSIP Number:

                    200080109

Item 3         Type of Person:

                    (d)  Acorn is an Investment Company under section 8 of the
                         Investment Company Act. WAT is an investment company
                         registered under section 8 of the Investment Company
                         Act of 1940.

                    (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.

                               Page 6 of 9 pages
<PAGE>

Item 4         Ownership (at December 31, 1999):

                    (a)  Amount owned "beneficially" within the meaning of rule
                         13d-3:

                         997,300

                    (b)  Percent of class:

                         23.3%

                    (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:
                                  997,300
                           (iii)  sole power to dispose or to direct the
                                  disposition of: none
                            (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct
                                  disposition of: 997,300

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

                    Not Applicable

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, including Acorn and WAT.
                    Persons other than WAM and WAM LTD. are entitled to receive
                    all dividends from, and proceeds from the sale of, those
                    shares. Acorn and WAT are the only such persons known to be
                    entitled to all dividends from, and all proceeds from the
                    sale of, shares reported herein to the extent of more than
                    5% of the class.

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

                               Page 7 of 9 pages
<PAGE>

Item 10        Certification:

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

                               Page 8 of 9 pages
<PAGE>

                                   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 11, 2000

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

                                 ACORN INVESTMENT TRUST



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


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

                                 WANGER ADVISORS TRUST



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


© 2022 IncJournal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission