|
Jon and all, Prior to this past years convention, Kyle shipped me the DIY console #7 as in-water testing between this system and the support vessel system detected a rather odd problem. His submarine system was having the hydrophone detected messages amplified and then retransmitting this message back into the water with the submarines underwater transmitter. A rather strange results but not as originally designed. His surface support system was tested and found to be fully working as designed. Both this system and its transmitter were mailed back Yesterday and will be redeployed again on this surface unit. The DIY enclosure #7 has been repaired and this small issue resolved. It was shipped today along with modified transducer for solids transducers as this newer device will replace his older piezo based hydrophone as was used in his collision avoidance sonar. (It has been upgraded to full communications capability) His older piezo hydrophone was also shipped back to him so that true in-water comparisons could be conducted to help in determining if these transducer for solid based units do in fact work as well when used as hydrophones. Console #7 is the first unit equipped with a built in pinger and this special feature was what created my initial problem in that installing this seemingly simple feature was a tad harder than I first thought. This pinger locator function will later be used in an attempt to directionally track the submarine with the surface support vessel with no prior known course intentions divulged. It is hoped that even without this pinger device activated, tracking with the submarine's transient motor noises will still be possible. This system is presently under construction with field deployment anticipated in the Summer of next year. This system will use two transducer for solids based hydrophones in a trainable array to form a binaural listening system. (This priciple was first used successfully during WWII so is nothing new) As with the collision avoidance sonar, Kyle plans to provide a video of what he finds when using this communications system aboard his submarine "Special K" and I have hopefully provided these systems back to him in time for this to be produced within this years diving season. Look for a viewable video soon. David Bartsch |