Here’s 2 more shipwrecks that I found this summer with my dad. I haven’t done much in the last 2 months since I haven’t been very motivated recently. I have been wanting to get these videos posted here and also make a review of my new DeepVision DE680D sidescan towfish, but I never got around to doing it. I will try to get that up within the next few days.
Shipwreck at 11th street marina
First adventure is at the 11th street marina. It’s a private marina with a gate around it so we were trying to get in and out before anyone noticed us. There were a few cables suspended in the water that hold that breakwater dock for the marina in position. They made me very nervous since I was worried about getting the tether wrapped around them or otherwise snagged on them.
Highlights:
0:00 Start
2:07 Arrive at bottom
6:13 Checking on that cable since it’s a big entanglement hazard
6:50 surfaced to double check position
8:36 back at the bottom
10:53 back Under my boat
11:16 noticed that my anchor will probably catch that cable when I pull it up
17:35 Shipwreck
23:12 driving over the shipwrecks again
26:20 surfacing to end the dive and see the location of the wrecks
Shipwreck at Blackrock Bay
I used a different laptop, so I couldn’t use my usual setup or record the sonar as I usually do. I bought a used Panasonic Toughbook CF-54 so I could have a sunlight readable screen. It works great for the sidescan, but doesn’t have enough GPU power to run a second monitor and also record it. I tried using the “always on top” mode for Ping Viewer since was using Windows 10 at the time, but I had a lot of problems getting it positioned right and I also didn’t have enough CPU power to record the screen. Also, QGroundControl was being weird and was showing the telemetry in the bottom on the screen over the video, instead of the sidebar. I tried to figure it out but didn’t get it back to how I liked it before it was time to do the dive.
I also didn’t have my normal GoPro camera with me and had to use a Yi 4K+ camera.
A lot of the pauses were me trying to move a towel to block the glare of the sunlight on the screen.
Highlights:
0:00 start
3:11 Arrive at bottom
4:04 Shipwreck
11:39 Bow
15:06 Cable, maybe telephone or other communication
19:18 Bow again?
21:18 Pipe sticking up
22:44 I get lost trying to find the other end of the wreck
I had tried to find this wreck 2 times before, but didn’t find it. Those dives weren’t too interesting and I might make a montage video of the highlights. I came back after I got the sidescan and found the wreck on my first pass around the bay. I then came back the next weekend and used the GPS boat position on the sidescan software chart plotter to get the boat anchored right next to the wreck. I then knew the exact bearing and distance to fly the ROV.
Great presentation, Nice sonar image on the Wreck site. Glare on computer screens is always a big problem, I like to use goggles when i have somebody Reliable with me so they can tender the tether, and i can concentrate on Driving.
Do you use special goggles or just a usual VR headset? I have an Oculus Rift but I’m not sure how I would set it up with QGroundControl.
The laptop is actually technically sunlight readable, but it’s very hard to see the fine details in the video stream when the sun is shining on the screen. I think I just need to make a hood for the laptop and it will be great for things that don’t need a lot of processing power. It even has a touchscreen, carrying handle, and a modular expansion bay. I have a second battery in that so I can get at least 4-6 hours of runtime.
I have DJI Goggles, I have not used them with the BR in the field yet, although i connected them at home and made sure they work, I had a Gladius drone before the BR and i used them quite a bit, and really like them. quite spendy but worth it. Just like you,I tried other gimmicks, and cardboard hoods, been there and done that… The DJI goggle batterys are supposed to last up to 6 hours according to the paper work. I connect them via HDMI on the laptop,I have a HDMI splitter so i run a thumb drive recorder also, instead of plugging the Laptop up with video… The big problem with goggles is if your alone, is getting the tether hung up, There is a learning curve. The Goggles also have a SD slot to record on, but i have never used it.
I am really excited about the DeepVision Tow Fish , i sent several messages to DeepVision but got no reply. So i contacted a guy that had presentations on Youtube about wreck Diving, he was touting how good Deep Visions were, He has a DE 340, and really likes it, He knows people at Deep Vision, and he contacted them, they told him the Sales Guy was out of the office for the week, but left a message for Uffe to contact me next week. so maybe i will strike a Deal and Get one. I would like to get the 680 like yours, but maybe with Dual Frequency. Are you getting yours figured out ok? Also You mentioned you paid about $12,000 for yours, did that include shipping? and how long did it take to get it? Also how is their support? are you happy with it so far?
I will keep in touch and let you know which one i get.
Jim
Do you need special software to see QGroundControl with the headset or does it work automatically like a second monitor?
I started getting the review together. It takes a surprising amount of time to organize my thoughts and get everything typed out. It will also have a ton of pictures and screenshots. Even that first post on this topic took me about 20 minutes to type out and those 2 adventures were straightforward.
I like mine, but to be fair it’s also my very first time using sidescan so my opinion isn’t really valuable except as the perspective from the ease of use. I have contacted them several times and Uffe has always replied quickly.
It’s actually cheaper then I estimated, since I paid $11,164.26 plus a $50 bank wire transfer fee, and then $48.82 for the import fee. It shipped very fast and actually spent more time at the UPS warehouse going through customs than it did getting to America. I would say a little under 2 weeks from when I wired the money to when it was delivered.
Based on your advertised use of finding a plane in 350’ of water, I would recommend the dual frequency for the 650’ range as well as the motorized spool with 300M of tether (assuming that you have a boat that you can mount it to). I think you might need the lower frequency to penetrate some thermoclines better (if you have any) and the extra range is always useful. It’s hard to pull the towfish out of the water and feels like I’m pulling wire through a long conduit. I kept forgetting to bring gloves and I was very close to getting blisters on my fingers.
I can share some of my scan files if you wanted to see some 'real world use" from an amateur. I was planning on including a few in my review anyways.
No software involved, plug and play, You have to have a HDMI port though, You see exactly the same as on the Monitor, all the telemetry, Thats why i use the Thumb drive recorder, It records what you see on the Monitor.There is a lot of info on Youtube about the DJI goggles, I looked at several others that were cheaper, but the DJI had the Best reviews. like i said, there is a learning curve, Your head has a natural tendency to try an follow the ROV. When The ROV goes to the Right when you are looking in the Goggles, your Head will turn to the right naturally follow it. if that makes sense. .The goggles are 1080P resolution also. Youtube has lots of Presentations on them,But read up on them and make sure thats what you want, i paid $400.00 for mine 2 years ago, but now i see them for close to $600 maybe if you look around you could find cheaper.
Yes i would like to see your Scans when you get time, Also maybe you already know, There is lots o Wreck hunting Videos on YouTube,
I actually looked at DeepVision befoe i bought my ROV, also EdgeTech, and several others.
I had a little Experience in the Late 90s with a TowFish, An Environmental Company had a contract to do oversite on a Defunct Pulp Mill clean up. They hired me and my boat to spend a week out towing the Fish around the bay where the Pulp Mill was located, looking for Debris and Junk on the Bottom, I did not operate the Smart end of the operation, but i did all the Boat Driving and the Rigging part. There was predetermined Grid lines we had to follow to collect the Data. I was constanly reminded by the Superintendent on the job about the cost of the Tow Fish, $40,000 and going 2 to 3 Knts not to Smack into anything.,It was old school technology though,Paper Graph recorder , nothing like you have now. I was impressed with the readout anyway, and always wanted one,The prices are more reasonable now, and the technology is way better.This Marine Tech equipment now is great and gets better every day. I have , so it makes more sense to find a Target you want to look at with the Towfish, than Dive on it. Probing around in 300 ft of water looking with a camera is to time Consuming. Its interesting to talk to somebody that took the leap and Bought a Tow Fish, We can learn from each other. It is interesting to note, I have not seen anything on the BR Forum about using goggles, you might want to reach out on the forum and ask about goggles. maybe other people have ideas. I used to go to the Gladius Forum and there was lots of talk about goggles. In fact the Controls for the Gladius have a HDMI port in them, The Gladius uses a Phone for a Monitor, and very small screen, and maybe that explains the Goggle Chatter. Thats why i looked into getting goggles.
Great to see you’ve managed to do some more exploration, and cool to see some results from your new sidescan sonar. It certainly looks to be helpful with finding more wrecks, so glad your primary aim for it seems to be working well
Interesting discussion on VR headsets. I imagine it could be a less nauseating experience with a 360 camera so you can look around as though you’re on the vehicle, although that would understandably be more challenging to set up than a direct monitor copy type approach.
Date built: 1903 built by George Ryan and his crew from Oshkosh, Wisconsin or J.C. White and J.H. Spaulding and his son Harry Spaulding.
Size: 146 feet long, 23 feet beam. The beam measured over the main deck, including the guards was 40 feet
Capacity: could carry 1000 passengers
Propulsion: side wheeler 21 feet in diameter and approx 6 feet wide. Engines generated 800 hp and were of the older clack valve type. They had originally been installed on a Mississippi river steamer. Probably coal fired. Had 124 electric lights. Capable of 15 MPH.
Owned by: Operated by Red Collar Line in March 1908 only operated for 10 years then used as an apple packing shed until it caught on fire.
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