Just wondering if anyone got any ideas??
thanks in advance
b
radio comms and scuba diving
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scouser_IN_wales
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:03 am
Kind of hard to talk with a reg in your mouth.
But did find that my advisor pro pager failed at 120 ft
Jokes aside tried a full face with a GP300 in a modified pelican case.
Lots of grease where the microphone entered the mask(I didn't want to cut a hole) The boat could here me fine albeit very garbled but the recieve was a problem. If you get a waterproof earpiece and seal it with h grease in your ear, when you equailize the grease lets water in and thats the end of it.
Would be really good for Stoney Cove where you can't even see your hand let alone your buddy!
Even Martin's Haven it would be a great asset.
Until someone comes up with a good system I'll stick to the hand signals.
In reality you need a full diving helmet like the North Sea stuff
But did find that my advisor pro pager failed at 120 ft
Jokes aside tried a full face with a GP300 in a modified pelican case.
Lots of grease where the microphone entered the mask(I didn't want to cut a hole) The boat could here me fine albeit very garbled but the recieve was a problem. If you get a waterproof earpiece and seal it with h grease in your ear, when you equailize the grease lets water in and thats the end of it.
Would be really good for Stoney Cove where you can't even see your hand let alone your buddy!
Even Martin's Haven it would be a great asset.
Until someone comes up with a good system I'll stick to the hand signals.
In reality you need a full diving helmet like the North Sea stuff
I don't remember the brand off hand, but there are commkits for full faced scuba masks with watertight radio holders. I know someone that uses them, I'll ask him and get back to you.
JAYMZ
"Mom and dad say I should make my life an example of the principles I believe in. But every time I do, they tell me to stop it."
Calvin
"Mom and dad say I should make my life an example of the principles I believe in. But every time I do, they tell me to stop it."
Calvin
http://www.scuba.com/shop/product.asp_C ... _5_recs_10
http://www.scubacenter.com/scubacenter_ ... ipment.htm
Kind of expensive for recreational but if you are training or a little more than recreational or even a lot of caves or wrecks it is probably worth the investment.
Now you just have to convince your buddy that its worth it.
http://www.scubacenter.com/scubacenter_ ... ipment.htm
Kind of expensive for recreational but if you are training or a little more than recreational or even a lot of caves or wrecks it is probably worth the investment.
Now you just have to convince your buddy that its worth it.
As a member of a Public Safety Diving Team with over 6 years ofunderwater communications experience I can offer up a few comments. First off underwater comms is the absolute safest way to operate at the PSD level. Secondly I have never seen or heard of a two way radio that was designed to operate in air under water. Not sure how the radio waves would travel through water even if you could get the radio to work at depth. Not saying that there is something out there just that I have never seen or heard of it.
Our team uses Interspira Divator AGA full face masks(FFM) spefically designed for diving (they also make fire fighting SCBA masks which look similar). Integrated into that are Ocean Technology Systems under water communications system. The AGA masks are fitted with a special microphone in the nose and mouth portion of the mask. Special hydrophones are positioned on the mask harness in the area of the ears. The entire assembly is then connected to a special connectors which can either be connected to a hardwire system or wireless system. I have had the opportunity to dive both in a demo session but because our dive team always dives connected to a rope we decided to go with a hardwire system. The hardwire system is a VOX system which is always on. The wireless system can be either VOX or PTT. The PTT button is located on the microphone section of the mask. One other issue is battery life and replacement. The wireless system uses batteries in all units both at the diver and at the surface station. The hardwire system only uses batteries in the surface station. I believe the wireless system uses very very low frequency for better transmission through water. When we did our demo we were in very clear water. I have heard from other teams who have tried to use this in very silty water that the transmission can break down. Since a lot of PSD diving is done in this type of water it may be another concern. OTS does make a recreational verson for the AGA mask called the buddy phone but this only has one ear piece. Was not an option for PSD diving.
Just so I do not get bashed for pushing one specific manufacturer there are others out there who make similar equipment. I have had the opportunity to try them but the majority of my experience has been with the above mentioned equipment.
Hope this helps.
Mark
Our team uses Interspira Divator AGA full face masks(FFM) spefically designed for diving (they also make fire fighting SCBA masks which look similar). Integrated into that are Ocean Technology Systems under water communications system. The AGA masks are fitted with a special microphone in the nose and mouth portion of the mask. Special hydrophones are positioned on the mask harness in the area of the ears. The entire assembly is then connected to a special connectors which can either be connected to a hardwire system or wireless system. I have had the opportunity to dive both in a demo session but because our dive team always dives connected to a rope we decided to go with a hardwire system. The hardwire system is a VOX system which is always on. The wireless system can be either VOX or PTT. The PTT button is located on the microphone section of the mask. One other issue is battery life and replacement. The wireless system uses batteries in all units both at the diver and at the surface station. The hardwire system only uses batteries in the surface station. I believe the wireless system uses very very low frequency for better transmission through water. When we did our demo we were in very clear water. I have heard from other teams who have tried to use this in very silty water that the transmission can break down. Since a lot of PSD diving is done in this type of water it may be another concern. OTS does make a recreational verson for the AGA mask called the buddy phone but this only has one ear piece. Was not an option for PSD diving.
Just so I do not get bashed for pushing one specific manufacturer there are others out there who make similar equipment. I have had the opportunity to try them but the majority of my experience has been with the above mentioned equipment.
Hope this helps.
Mark
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scouser_IN_wales
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:03 am
Underwater Radio
I am not sure how well radio travels under water. But I do know that the Military uses VERY...VERY...VERY...Low freq radio signals to send messages to the subs.... ( Crimson Tide..."EAM" ) It's my understanding that they use very low freq's that send a minimum of data bits to coorespond with code of some sort to give them directions to surface for more radio traffic, hide and play dead...whatever...so it does work..just not sure how well....
But I too would love to find something both for rec diving and PSD
Just my $0.02
DFC2
But I too would love to find something both for rec diving and PSD
Just my $0.02
DFC2
Just to finish the advisor pro story
I was down at 120ft and was something was digging into my hip.
I thought it was the weight belt and moved it around a bit.
No relief.
Felt around and there was something in my wet suit, attached to my trunks.
It was only a shorty so managed to get my hand up the leg and pulled out my pager.
Took out the battery and stuffed it all in my BC pocket.
When I got to the surface and swam back to the bar I stuck it in a glass of fresh water whilst consuming some beers.
Took it home , dismantled it and dried it off.
It worked much to my suprise.
two weeks later it was in the scrap bin. The damage was done.
I was down at 120ft and was something was digging into my hip.
I thought it was the weight belt and moved it around a bit.
No relief.
Felt around and there was something in my wet suit, attached to my trunks.
It was only a shorty so managed to get my hand up the leg and pulled out my pager.
Took out the battery and stuffed it all in my BC pocket.
When I got to the surface and swam back to the bar I stuck it in a glass of fresh water whilst consuming some beers.
Took it home , dismantled it and dried it off.
It worked much to my suprise.
two weeks later it was in the scrap bin. The damage was done.
I was under the impression that VHF and UHF waves are almost entirely absorbed by very little water, making conventional radio useage impossible over more than a few inches under water.
As far as I'm aware, the subs essentially use the ionosphere and the surface of the ocean as a kind of waveguide to propagate the ELF waves, but they have to trail VERY VERY long antennas out behind them, and put a LOT of power into the antenna.
As far as I'm aware, the subs essentially use the ionosphere and the surface of the ocean as a kind of waveguide to propagate the ELF waves, but they have to trail VERY VERY long antennas out behind them, and put a LOT of power into the antenna.
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Safari N'jema - Hamba Kahle
Safari N'jema - Hamba Kahle
Exactly. For what it's worth, the marine version of the AN/PRC-148 MBITR has a huge warning in the manual stating you shouldn't transmit underwater, or you risk blowing up the PA. This would apply to any V/UHF radio.zs6hz wrote:I was under the impression that VHF and UHF waves are almost entirely absorbed by very little water, making conventional radio useage impossible over more than a few inches under water.
The police divers here use full face masks and Aquacom SSB-2010 dive transceivers, which use SSB at 32KHz.
http://www.oceantechnologysystems.com/ssb_2010.shtml