Tether Management

Tether management can have a significant affect on the ability to pilot the ROV and achieve the objectives of the mission.

Tether Management includes selecting the appropriate type of tether and managing the deployment and retrieval of it during operations.

Choosing the right tether and managing it can have a very significant impact on the outcome of an ROV dive.

Tether is available in neutral or negative buoyancy. Negative tether sinks but has larger conductors, which means longer lengths can be used without affecting the power available at the ROV. Neutral tether is neutral in fresh water (slightly buoyant in salt water), but has thinner conductors. Neutral tether is available in standard diameter and performance diameter (also called PPT), which is thinner. Thinner tether has less drag, but also has smaller conductors and less power transmission capacity. Selecting the right tether is a balancing act between performance and handling characteristics.

General Tether Use Recommendations

  • Make sure tether connections are secure.

  • Use the shortest amount of tether required to operate in the target area.

  • Use Performance or Neutral tether at the ROV and if more tether is needed use Negative at the control panel.

  • Do not use more than one section of Performance Tether.

  • If possible, select a deployment site that aids in ROV piloting and tether management. Usually, this means up-current from the zone of operations and with a direct line of sight to avoid snags.

  • Only deploy what is needed - too little will affect piloting - too much may result in snags, tangles or propeller cuts.

Typical Tether Configurations

Typical tether configurations are provided in the tables below. When using more than one tether type, tethers should be connected in the order shown from left to right from the control panel to the ROV. Maximum recommended length for a specific configuration is indicated in the "Maximum" column. It may be possible to use more tether under certain conditions, but these are general guidelines for optimal performance. In challenging conditions of swift current, minimal tether lengths are recommended, and using weights or other operating techniques may be required.

Meters

Control PanelNegativeNeutralPPTROV - Total LengthMaximum for this Configuration
Control Panel40 mROV 40 mYes
Control Panel76 mROV 76 mNo
Control Panel76 m40 mROV 116 mNo
Control Panel76 m40 mROV 116 mNo
Control Panel76 m76 mROV 152 mNo
Control Panel152 mROV 152 mNo
Control Panel152 m40 mROV 192 mNo
Control Panel152 m40 mROV 192 mYes
Control Panel152 m76 mROV 229 mNo
Control Panel229 mROV 229 mYes
Control Panel229 m40 mROV 269 mNo
Control Panel229 m76 mROV 305 mNo
Control Panel229 m76 mROV 305 mYes

Feet

Control PanelNegativeNeutralPPTROV - Total LengthMaximum for this Configuration
Control Panel131 feetROV 131 feetYes
Control Panel250 feetROV 250 feetNo
Control Panel250 feet131 feetROV 381 feetNo
Control Panel250 feet131 feetROV 381 feetNo
Control Panel250 feet250 feetROV 500 feetNo
Control Panel500 feetROV 500 feetNo
Control Panel500 feet131 feetROV 631 feetNo
Control Panel500 feet131 feetROV 631 feetYes
Control Panel500 feet250 feetROV 750 feetNo
Control Panel750 feetROV 750 feetYes
Control Panel750 feet131 feetROV 881 feetNo
Control Panel750 feet250 feetROV 1,000 feetNo
Control Panel750 feet250 feetROV 1,000 feetYes

Tether Storage

Make sure the connectors are clean before mating, and clean the connectors after each use by soaking in fresh water. Do not let the tether connectors drag on the ground.

Tether should be stored on a TDS or coiled using an over/under or figure eight technique. Coiling the tether in one direction will result in twists that are hard to remove.

Pro 4 Ultra Operator's Manual, Version: 2.00.00
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