ROV research

[JB2]

Funny enough about time and different jobs Ray I was the last one to fly (well slide along) CUTLET on mine recovery ops before we swapped to the Navy Scorpio 45 and it went into the museum, yep good times (runs ashore West coast Ullapool etc).
I also did the mob and comission on the STS Explorer on the Balmoral Sea early 90’s for a UDI/Allseas job!
Also the Navy Scorpio 45 has the last spares for the Ametek 250A sonar, superb bit of equipment full sixties Hollywood submarine sounds. You could fly into a job on sound alone with the speakers on either sides of the shack wall.

[Andy Shiers]

Was that not BUE?

Nope , Definately BUS 1987.
I was working with 003 system for Sonsub along with some other dodgey characters.
Sonsub bought it from BUS although we were at the time working on the BUE three and our client was UDI as the survey company( Dan can help me out here as he was one of the Opps managers for Sonsub at the time. Alot of the equipment had Ex BUS lettering on it. 😆 ) Perhaps Mr Bill Rodgers of STS can say his piece as I think he moved over from BUS to STS 🙂
I have a log book in front of me with my flying times And who says the internet don’t lie ! Someone at Wikepidia or what ever they call themselves has got their info slightly wrong ! 😆
I also seem to recall in this year that Ametek US had severed it’s links with Ametek Aberdeen . This resulted in certain components ( Like the F16 Joystick being replaced with a crap alternative 😯

[Ray Shields]

Funny enough about time and different jobs Ray I was the last one to fly (well slide along) CUTLET on mine recovery ops before we swapped to the Navy Scorpio 45 and it went into the museum, yep good times (runs ashore West coast Ullapool etc).
I also did the mob and comission on the STS Explorer on the Balmoral Sea early 90’s for a UDI/Allseas job!
Also the Navy Scorpio 45 has the last spares for the Ametek 250A sonar, superb bit of equipment full sixties Hollywood submarine sounds. You could fly into a job on sound alone with the speakers on either sides of the shack wall.

You weren’t at BUTEC as well then? We took over the contract from EMI in 85 when Cutlet 01 & 02 was transferred to the main base contract. Scorpio 46 (AKA Skate) took over from Cutlet about 87. I left there in 94 to start offshore.

Cutlet was great,a joystick for each thruster! You drove it like a tank. Our Cutlet had EDO Western Obstacle Avoidance Sonar, the topside electronics just for teh sonar was about twice the topside for a Seaeye!

[Andy Shiers]

The "Navy Scorpio 45" will be mothballed along with the Sub and replaced by a Triton Sparten and new sub , so maybe …………………….. Scorpio 45 will be doing it’s rounds in the Oil /Gas industry ! 😀

[Scott Beveridge]

Funny enough about time and different jobs Ray I was the last one to fly (well slide along) CUTLET on mine recovery ops before we swapped to the Navy Scorpio 45 and it went into the museum, yep good times (runs ashore West coast Ullapool etc).
I also did the mob and comission on the STS Explorer on the Balmoral Sea early 90’s for a UDI/Allseas job!
Also the Navy Scorpio 45 has the last spares for the Ametek 250A sonar, superb bit of equipment full sixties Hollywood submarine sounds. You could fly into a job on sound alone with the speakers on either sides of the shack wall.

JB2,

Yeah, loved those "bleeps". Marconi had a CRT sonar as well with the Hollywood version of beeps as well… Can’t remember the model number.

[Scott Beveridge]

Was that not BUE?

Nope , Definately BUS 1987.
I was working with 003 system for Sonsub along with some other dodgey characters.
Sonsub bought it from BUS although we were at the time working on the BUE three and our client was UDI as the survey company( Dan can help me out here as he was one of the Opps managers for Sonsub at the time. Alot of the equipment had Ex BUS lettering on it. 😆 ) Perhaps Mr Bill Rodgers of STS can say his piece as I think he moved over from BUS to STS 🙂
I have a log book in front of me with my flying times And who says the internet don’t lie ! Someone at Wikepidia or what ever they call themselves has got their info slightly wrong ! 😆
I also seem to recall in this year that Ametek US had severed it’s links with Ametek Aberdeen . This resulted in certain components ( Like the F16 Joystick being replaced with a crap alternative 😯

Great joystick to use – though some guys could never get used to soft springs in it.

Yeah, those web pages I attached were kind of grey when it came to dates…

[Joel]

Scorpio 46 (AKA Skate) took over from Cutlet about 87. I left there in 94 to start offshore.

I bought that ROV (Scorpio 46) from the military disposals company in Edinborough, shipped it to Singapore, spent a truck load of money refurbing it and on its very first dive post refurb some tosspot went and lost it for us…….never was seen again!!

JW 🙁

[JB2]

No Ray I wasn’t at BUTEC but I did one job on the cockchafer with Skate. I only used CUTLET with RUMIC for the Navy Jobs and the POD for that Wstern digital sonar was some heavy piece of kit, took two guys to change it out and I’m sure in the end I could decern objects from the white blocks on the scan i’m sure.
Scott absolutley no doubt that Scorpio 45 will find its way back into the field it carries 3-5 off spares of everything curtesy of the TAX payer.

[JB2]

Sorry Lost not Scott (Sc 45)

My bad

[Scott Beveridge]

No Ray I wasn’t at BUTEC but I did one job on the cockchafer with Skate. I only used CUTLET with RUMIC for the Navy Jobs and the POD for that Wstern digital sonar was some heavy piece of kit, took two guys to change it out and I’m sure in the end I could decern objects from the white blocks on the scan i’m sure.
Scott absolutley no doubt that Scorpio 45 will find its way back into the field it carries 3-5 off spares of everything curtesy of the TAX payer.

😆 😆

I agree, the ROV manufacturers are flat out building systems. 3 off of everything????!!! Sweet! God save the taxman – NOT!

[Ray Shields]

They are replacing one defunct ROV with another one? Thought SEL stopped making Spartans years ago, or is this a more modern version made for the MoD?

The Asdic Sonar array ex WWII on the front of the Cutlet was great for picking up the beacons on the torpedoes to find them. Even if it was 50 years old, worked fine. I spent most of my time at BUTEC on Cockchafer (Torrent before that).

Alas they are also all gone now. They have a Quantam at BUTEC now, does about 5 hours work a month!

[baglimit]

can anyone please supply me with a link showing the prices paid for the various ROV’s that are available ?

just for reference purposes.

PM me if you could.

thanks.

[Graeme Hoyle]

Are there any OSEL Duplus still swimming around out there. Worked on them for SSOL after they took over Home Made Boats but I’d be anazed to think any are still flying.

[Oldschool]

SS 40 is now Endeavour-14 (PLC based) outta Sonsub Sing and I know of 2 all electric "Recons" that were converted into Vipers.

[Scott Beveridge]

SS 40 is now Endeavour-14 (PLC based) outta Sonsub Sing and I know of 2 all electric "Recons" that were converted into Vipers.

I thought it was 3 Recons (?)

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