At-sea testing last Thursday.

Went out 18 miles to the EF artificial reef (90 feet water depth) and tested my undersea rover (UR) camera system. Testing went well except the water visibility was so poor I couldn’t maneuver around much. I did get a good video of a school of Amberjack. Here is the video on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asuN0ssmHmU

I’m going out again this Thursday. Let’s hope for some better visibility. I have added a vertical stabilizer to the rover for better directional stability, and it will also automatically turn into the current on the way down. This gives me a starting point for directional control.

Pool test of underwater ROV

I completed the swimming pool testing of my ROV. Everything works fine. Next step is to get out on the ocean. Here is a youtube video of the test:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVvPaqeuFok

Initial testing of my underwater ROV

 

I completed shallow water testing of my underwater ROV today. Having added the two thrusters I can now maneuver the TV camera in any horizontal direction while viewing from the surface. The thrusters came from Blue Robotics. Battery power for the thrusters is contained in the submersible enclosure. The tether from the surface carries TV and control signals. I can also mount a GoPro camera on the nose of the ROV. Please visit my youtube channel at: www.youtube.com/channel/UCfrBd5oYSFw23bt3uzuU5KQ

My underwater ROV project

ROV-remotely operated vehicle.

I am currentlty adding remote controlled motor thrusters to my drop down camera system which will allow me to maneuver the cameras along the ocean floor while viewing and recording the undersea scenery live on the surface in a boat. This project when complete will greatly expand my reef exploration and video photography capability.

Please visit my youtube channel  www.youtube.com/channel/UCfrBd5oYSFw23bt3uzuU5KQ

to my latest work. Note that the marine life is not at all disturbed by the camera presence. They seem to just go about their usual business. Not necessarily true with SCUBA diving. The fish are disturbed by the bubbles and the noise of  human breathing.

I haven’t been out much in the past several months due to unusually rough sea conditions. Hopefully, I will get some opportunities this winter between the fronts passing through. Have a nice holiday.

Richard

Exploring the Ocean Floor

Hello ocean lovers. My name is Richard Fast. I am 75, and really enjoying life in Jacksonville, Florida. I am a retired Navy submariner (30 years) with a follow-on career as a commercial pilot. I moved to Florida two years ago from Michigan following my wife’s retirement from the FAA (she is also a pilot). My favorite place to be is near the ocean, on the ocean, viewing sealife, fishing, and recording underwater videos. I used to SCUBA dive but I am getting a little old to still be doing that, so I have come up with a substitute: dropping cameras down from a boat. Not quite the same, but it is what I can still do safely.

There are over 100 artificial reef sites off of the Jacksonville coastline 10 to 30 miles out, in 50 to 100 feet of water. I find it really enjoyable to view and video record the ocean floor and undersea life near these reefs. I hope you will also enjoy watching undersea life through my videos and pictures. You can see my work to date on youtube. Here is the address:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfrBd5oYSFw23bt3uzuU5KQ