We’ve got an old (2019) BlueROV2, and have been running it pretty consistently. I recently added the DVL, which added a bit of weight, but shouldn’t be that much. I tweaked the weighting to try and trim it with the added weight, removed a couple of weights, but it’s still quite negative. I’ve only got 2 left on it now, on the opposite side to the DVL. I’m worried if I remove another the trim will suffer even more.
Does the foam compress over time and become less buoyant (I know this happens with neoprene at least)? What kind of foam is used in the floats? I’m wondering if I can find a cheap and quick replacement, the negative buoyancy must be chewing through the battery.
Hi @Dean.C -
As stated on the product page, the foam is LAST-A-FOAM® R-3318.
It should not lose significant buoyancy over time, unless you’re exceeding the rated depth (300m.)
I’d recommend removing at least one of your remaining weights - the salinity of waters around the world can vary significantly! Having the ROV be slightly negative vs. slightly positive should not “chew through” the battery…
Thank Tony, exceeding the rated depth isn’t a problem, it’s never been beyond 20m! It must just be the DVL I guess, nothing else has changed.
I assumed that it constantly having to pull the unit up would excessively use batteries, but I guess not. I’ll pull one of the weights off and see what happens. Thanks very much for the information.