Personal Field ROV Tool Kits

[Wade Berglund]

Hello Everyone

I have only been in the ROV industry for a year now, and have seen some guys bringing out their own "Ready Use" tool bags/kits.

Since some jobs have limited resources/spares, due to various reasons, I have seen some individuals pop out items from the "magical bags" and have saved the day.

So lets start a topic of discussion as to what would you put in or what would you think would be an aid for trouble shooting an ROV system.

I feel the tool kit should be light weight and not loaded down with unnecessary items and should have the bare essentials such as:

Digital Multimeter
small hex-head driver with various bits (screw driver, allen key, etc)
electrical tape
self amalgamating tape
small fuse kit
butane soldering gun
solder
small crescent wrench (adjustable spanner)
5/8 closed/open end spanner
9/16 closed/open end spanner
3/4 closed/open end spanner
side cutters
needle nose pliers
BNC connectors M & F
2 way TV channel selector switch
Universal AC adaptor
Co-axial connectors
Fibre Optic Pigtails (Multi mode)
Fibre Optic Continuity tester
Fibre Optic scribe
Fibre Optic stripper tool

Any other items or suggestions?

Cheers

Trimtank

[mind-when-this-was-fields]

I think if I came on a system and they didn’t have ALL of the mentioned gear I would be worried!!
Perhaps I have been spoilt in my career though:-))
I carry enough sh*te without having to carry fookin spanners, multimeters and self amalg thank you very much!!!

[Ewan McKen]

A Paddle.

Cos if you bring your own tools and you (or worse somebody else) gets hurt while you are using them, you will be up sh*t creek without one.

Regards,
I5

[Rons_ROV_Links]

Don’t forget to bring:

– Fiber fusion splicer + cleaver
– OTDR
– TDR
– Scopemeter

[Anonymous]

Might have to bring my own ROV as well than.

[Wade Berglund]

A Paddle.

Cos if you bring your own tools and you (or worse somebody else) gets hurt while you are using them, you will be up sh*t creek without one.

Regards,
I5

I

Did this actually happen? Have you ever seen this occur?

[Ray Shields]

That list is way too big.

A shifter, a terminal screwdriver, a decent set of small snips and maybe a small multimeter would be my limit.

Butane gas iron? For a start you shouldnt carry that on a chopper.

Multimode fibre optics? Soooo 90’s. Single mode all the way!

Usually I just carry the terminal screwdriver.

[T-Boy]

So lets start a topic of discussion as to what would you put in or what would you think would be an aid for trouble shooting an ROV system.

Some say..it is better to have a man with some brains, than a bag full of tools to trouble shoot an ROV. 😉

There is no way you would seriously take that lot with you. It’s good to have tools, but even if you turn up at a spread and can’t find one you need, you can improvise and make something!

I remember seeing a guy turn up with one of those plumbers belt packs wedged with Gucci tools…everybody took the pi$$, although he was handy to have round on deck if you needed an odd tool rather than walk back to the w/s 😆
I does scare me though…I thought he was a bit of a gadget that might want to take everything apart 😯

I take:
A proper pair of snips, the ones that have a small wire rope cutter at the hinge point (good in an emergency), foldaway knife (uses Stanley replaceabel blades coz I was fed up of needing to run the stone along normal baldes) and a SQUIRT from Letherman, the must have tool for all types of electricery. One nice small, shiney st/steel snap shackle to hang them together in your pocket, job, jobbed.

[Alex Kerr]

Knife, maybe a leatherman———– no effin more than that!!!.

Listen guys, not sure if this is for entertainment or perhaps putting out some feelers!.
There is a section on this site for TU stuff, PLEASE. READ IT –ALL!!!.
If guys start, and are encouraged to outdo each other by bringing out the "gucciest" tools, it will first be noticed, then officially encouraged, then suggested, and later frowned upon if you don’t bring them, and eventually you will be asked if you have your own when you get the call for a job.
Don’t believe me- look at the next group of sparks or tiffies you see checking in at the heliport to go offshore (their bags look heavy don’t they).
What comes next, " have you brought enough cash to pay for your food?", or better still – "have you brought enough food for the trip?"

Please don’t laugh, I have worked offshore for a long time and know all too well how change works.
Take one piece of advice from a bad tempered old lefty, "keep this type of discussion for the bar when you have exhausted very other topic, and when your’e done with it,", leave it there and only take your leatherman offshore with you".

[larsson1967]

“All of life’s problems can be solved with two things—duct tape and WD40. If it moves and it shouldn’t, you need duct tape. And if it doesn’t move and it should, you need WD40.”

[Spacer]

Larsson, don’t forget JB Weld for those bits where duct tape just wont do it.

I can see hand carrying some small items if asked in advance but to bring your own tool kit is just ridiculous.

[thinsub]

Some glue

something to sniff when it all goes wrong.

[DJansen]

I’m with Ray…

Decent pair of flush cutting snips ( cos they are usually buggered on most systems)

Small ‘Bahco’ style shifter ( much better than clambering down off the TMS cos your spanner is the wrong size)

Terminal screwdriver ( system ones have all been used as chisels)

Fooked if I’d bother taking anything else.. My bags are too full already with books, laptops, Ipod and all my other toys…

As for taking food… If you have ever worked in China or Indo taking food can often be a lifesaver

[timebandit]

Dont bring any electrical test gear unless you have valid test certification and calibration certs for them cos you will be in the shit if something goes wrong, and thats a fact.

A pencil torch is always useful, so are flush side cutters(good for your toenails too !)
If I was ever caught using adjustable spanners by my learned ops manager I would have had a right rollicking (even though we all use them from time to time).
We are supposed to be pro’s at the job, use the right tool for the job and no compromises should be acceptable if the tools are not there then there is something seriously wrong .

[LukeD]

In the eighties , it was the norm to bring the sticker / transfer cover case offshore with your own personnal tools 🙂
Unfortunately other people had no respect for them and after the second time of people borrowing and not putting back or breaking the side cutters or even ………….Not giving them back 👿 , I gave up bringing my own equipment offshore.
The terminal screw driver is the main tool I would not do without as there never seems to be any on the systems 😕 They get stolen , lost over the side or fall into nooks and crannies under the sub to be found three months later all rusty and the handle falling off 😕
The other piece of kit I always bring with me is an RS 232 LED checker with aux’ appliances ( Gender benders 🙂 )
It is surprising how quick a fault can be found that has NOTHING to do with the ROV system but ……………. Survey instead 😆

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