Hey Guys,
I am constructing the BlueROV2 heavy kit. I am trying to figure out how to layout the ballasts. My BlueROV2 also has 4 lights, if that is important. I am going through the online heavy kit instruction manual and it does not have an image on how the ballasts should be placed. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about this.
Thank you for your time,
Brandon
Hi Brandon,
You’re right, we did leave out pictures of the ballast placement on the Heavy Kit. Our recommendation is to start with the placement as shown in the original BlueROV2 instructions as shown below. You want the ROV to be slightly positive and sit level after rolling it around underwater and shaking all the air bubbles out of it.
Hope that helps and if you find a good configuration for placement, you’re welcome to share so others may see.
Okay, great. Thank you for the reply.
Brandon
Hi all,
Are there any ballast suggestions for the heavy configuration with payload skid, I’ve just completed my build which includes 4 lights, Newton Gripper plus an extra 3” aluminium enclosure which houses an 2nd battery for longer flight time and is mounted on the payload skid.
Thanks Richard
Hi Richard, we don’t have this, but if you work it out, you are welcome to share. It should not take long to adjust for any particular configuration.
Thanks Jacob, we’re planning to carry out some test dives this weekend and will post our preferred ballast configurations after👍
Hello,
I cannot find the payload of the heavy configuration within the specification sheet.
I have not purchased it yet…
Could somebody tell me its payload please?
If it helps, I think the heavy config with four lights, manip and aluminum housings is very close to zero with the standard unmachined buoyancy, no skid and in freshwater.
The payload depends on the buoyancy and the shape of the payload (drag). Each thruster can put out 5kg of force, and there are 4 in the vertical direction and 4 in the horizontal direction.
Thanks Jacob,
I am actually asking about both payload and net buoyancy = buoyancy - weight in air.
Such information is given in the specsheet of the standard BR2.
Whereas the heavy configuration specsheet only has the total weight in air with ballast:
Could you please provide the same information for the heavy configuration as well?
@Eloi The net buoyancy of the Heavy is the same as the standard BlueROV2, which is why it isn’t listed. Consider the payload capacity the same as well.
If you need additional buoyancy then we have the BlueROV2 Machined Buoyancy Foam.
Hi Eloi,
I use the payload skid and heavy configuration. I find that by having the buoyancy at the top and the ballast at the bottom of the skid makes for a much more stable system underwater. That said, you will not be able to trim the pitch and roll as per the video on the heavy configuration.
It would be hard to do so with the skid as the center of buoyancy has to be as close as possible to the position of your thrusters. You can always add buoyancy on your skid and weights on the ROV frame instead but I am not sure the ROV will fly well like that.
That said, the v8 sii rov does just that…
Hi Kevin, are you guys planning on having machined buoyancy that is specific to the heavy configuration filling the gap in the middle?
Cheers,
E.
Thanks for the reply and I will definitely add the machined buoyancy in my next purchase to increase payload and stability when needed.
@etienne The BlueROV2 Heavy Machined Buoyancy Foam come with the Heavy kit and is also available separately. Is that what you were thinking of, or something else?
No I meant one continuous block from front to rear. Painted ideally 
Oooh ok, nope, no plans there for a single continuous block. A machined piece that large would be pretty expensive. Our plan is to stick with the modular approach right now.
