Underwater Navigation Device

[Garrobo]

C'mon. Let's keep it simple. All we need is a cheap devise to help find our way back to the boat. It's sort of like the cell phones of today. Mine does everything including playing Yankee Doodle. All I need is a way to make a phone calls.

 

[TwistedGray]

C'mon. Let's keep it simple. All we need is a cheap devise to help find our way back to the boat. It's sort of like the cell phones of today. Mine does everything including playing Yankee Doodle. All I need is a way to make a phone calls.

But you bought the one that plays Yankee Doodle

Anywhoot, there are systems (Short Baseline, not Ultra-Short Baseline) that are relatively cheaper. However, it's rare to find an individual that will pay $7-8000 for a tracking system that will track where he is underwater. A $7-8000 system would only tell the person on the surface where the diver is; now if the diver wants to know where he is you are looking at about another $4-5000.

For a simple navigation system that gives you distance and bearing, I think there were a few that tried it to no luck. Most of them all failed, in the long run.

Every piece/component you add to the cost is going to add at least twice as much to the end-user price. So adding a compass, although may be cheap, will not be so cheap in the long run. Maybe you can take a regular transmitter/receiver beacon that already gives you distance and attach a very basic compass to it?

 

[Clammy]

How about just a simple sonar device that tells me that there are 4 big things swimming over there (divers, sea lions, big fish, sharks, etc) or a large thing floating over there (boat, large diver, whale, big fish, shark). Like a fancy fish finder that's waterproof for depth or something, point and look.

 

[Garrobo]

Twistedgray::Try buying a cell phone that only makes and accepts calls.

 

[Clammy]

Twistedgray::Try buying a cell phone that only makes and accepts calls.

What kind of primitive archaic device is that?

 

[TwistedGray]

How about just a simple sonar device that tells me that there are 4 big things swimming over there (divers, sea lions, big fish, sharks, etc) or a large thing floating over there (boat, large diver, whale, big fish, shark). Like a fancy fish finder that's waterproof for depth or something, point and look.

I don't know if there is a simple sonar for that job. You would need some sort of display and right there is $$$$

 

[Bob Vincent]

Well the kite string is out I guess . . .

 

[=C=]

Well the kite string is out I guess . . .

brillant!

 

[neil]

Well the kite string is out I guess . . .

I tried a trail of bread crumbs......

 

[on_two_wheels]

I don't know the how's and such but I just watched a special about the SDV (SEAL Deliver Vehicle). It's a 22' sub used to covertly get Navy Seals to a designated point. They mentioned very briefly that it uses sonar for obstacle avoidance and "a doppler system that lets them know where they are in the world." Not sure how a doppler (radar I'm guessing) would do that but obviously they have some sort of underwater navigation figured out.