UHD or XLX?

[Jason Garic]

Heading to Jupiter and Davis next week. I’d like to get operator feedback on your new UHD or XLX. From top to bottom, leave nothing out.

Thanks in advance.

sm

[Jason Garic]

I have full spec’s on both vehicles. Check is in hand for two vehicles. I’m heading to Schilling and Perry next week to check both systems out.

I’d like to know what the operators love, like, and despise about each system.

Thanks,

[rovbionic]

What operators like about each vehicle might have been the question one might have asked prior to "check in hand".In addition to support budgets and field performance thus far…..

Are you suggesting you will stcck spares for both models…..$$$$$.

If you might look at the clients each maker has and who has recently ordered one after having the other in the field?

Go with the Perry is the smart mans bet.

UHD was Schillings first attempt (more or less) at a work class where Perry has had a strong batting avrage with work class for years….more than likely the best in the industry.

[Savante]

I am not a fan of the schilling hockey puck control system, but then it’s probably just a learning curve thing.

Also, never been a fan of touch screens – prefer a good ol’ klunky button with a light behind it.

[Andy Shiers]

Savante , You are a man after me own heart 🙂
I totally , completely , wholeheartedly agree with you 😀
The last thing you need when things go wrong are menus , Sub menus and sub sub bloody divided menus to tell ya what the bleeding hell all the racket is about 😯
Touch screen my arse !
Flat screen is also a sad issue with flicker time delay at the most important time of the dive ! Oh and control shacks Not even big enough to swing a hamster , let alone a cat 😯
You can shove it up the preverbial 😯
I had the misfortune of playing with a Queesar last trip 😥
What a load of bollocks !
Give me a klunky anyday !
Down with Computer / Nerd / IT / Orfice ideas 🙄

[Jason Garic]

Roger on the pucks. I’ve heard rumor of alternative controls their looking at. I’ll check into that.

From pictures and trade show visits, both consoles look to soft switch. I’ve seen Perry’s new console chair. It’s got all the "klunky" switches from what I can tell.

I’ll mark Lostboy down as a no on either vehicle 😉

[Savante]

yeah heard that too – you need to ask slayer!

[liddelljohn]

sometimes tried and tested technology is best….unfortunately a lot of designs are influenced by marketing to include new sexy ideas that look great but do not offer real progress or operator benefits but just add a new layer of problems and complexities., this is common to many industries and products.

[Andy Shiers]

Again I have to agree with you , big time liddelljohn 🙂
Yes Skinnyme , mark me down as a NO 😀
I don’t see how , making it as sophisticated as possible is going to make the operation ( The whole purpose of the job in the first place ! ) Easier 😯
I am willing to learn new techno and I never cease to learn everytime I go offshore and in a lot of cases New blood brings more ideas 😀
But , At the end of the day , The ROV is the ‘Taxi’ to the jobsite ( And it can be a very expensive ‘Taxi’ at that 😯 ) The jobsite is why you are there in the first place 8)
Why bother trying to give pilots headaches and heart attacks by putting additional alarms , Boings , Whizzies and toots with the occasional black-outs to satisfy a Nerd in an orifice playing on a video game 😕
Making it as simple as possible , without the ‘Pomp and circumstance’ makes the whole operation go smooth with happy faces 😀
Without the " OH SHIT " factor and personnel diving for cover behind cheap plastic wet weather gear or quick exists out the emergency doors to check on the condition of the workshop tools and a crafty cigarette 🙂

[Andy Shiers]

I’d go for XLX and plenty of spares and invest in a very good Pilots monitor ( One that dosen’t screw ya eye’s after an hour on the sticks )
You know what I mean 😀

[PMCK]

Have been involved with both manufacturers and would still prefer Perry systems.
If you need crew you are not going to have problems finding people who can maintain, troubleshoot or operate PSSL gear.

Check out lead times and you’ll find that both manufacturers are swamped so, from past experience, I would reccomend that you have someone you trust onsite fulltime during any build program so you don’t have to redo things that should have been done during the build.

I do not like trying to remember menus on touch screens especially when you only have time to react to a situation but I guess it gets easier with practise.
For those that do not like having banks of switches, roll up your sleeves so that the cuffs do not catch… 🙄
Not sure about the new XLX control system so cannot comment on that.

[rovbionic]

Obviously folk will make a comment on limited experience.

Re cramped control room…..yes if you work with the generic Schilling/ODIM containerise sysytem…..but then are companies like Acergy who have taken the UHD and designed it with thier own ideas (four verts and tooling bay etc.) and different LAR’s on the Polar Queen and as far as a cramped control room….both sysytems were in a large room on the main deck with all the desk/cupboard etc you could ever want.

Acergy’s version….ACV’s were productive vehicles and as far as the pucks Schilling has an upgrase to joysticks in the works. They are cheaply made and have slop/play in the movement but once you get use to it you do not even think about it.

Then theres the issue of no telemetery or power cans on the vehicle or TMS.Once you get your act together a reterm is faster.

The Station Keep & Auto Follow utility (re DVL) offers performance like no other vehicle once you get it dialed in…sure this new age of Digital Telemetery is a head scratcher at times but one eiether steps up to bat and adapts or go home.

I am no rocket scientist and at 51 had no problem taking it all in and getting the job done…..bottom line is I need to fix it if/when it breaks.

As for the long standing record of PSSL you can’t beat thier product.

I am fortunate to have UHD&ACV experience and headed to Jupiter next month to build an XLX….major similarities on the interfacing and I am not looking forward for the shop rate again but these are changing times and
if thats what the contractors are operating then I for one am not going to be intimitaded by a machine that took me job in the first place.

Hows that lads for an old SAT RAT

[rovbionic]

Obviously folk will make a comment on limited experience.

Re cramped control room…..yes if you work with the generic Schilling/ODIM containerise sysytem…..but then are companies like Acergy who have taken the UHD and designed it with thier own ideas (four verts and tooling bay etc.) and different LAR’s on the Polar Queen and as far as a cramped control room….both sysytems were in a large room on the main deck with all the desk/cupboard etc you could ever want.

Acergy’s version….ACV’s were productive vehicles and as far as the pucks Schilling has an upgrase to joysticks in the works. They are cheaply made and have slop/play in the movement but once you get use to it you do not even think about it.

Then theres the issue of no telemetery or power cans on the vehicle or TMS.Once you get your act together a reterm is faster.

The Station Keep & Auto Follow utility (re DVL) offers performance like no other vehicle once you get it dialed in…sure this new age of Digital Telemetery is a head scratcher at times but one eiether steps up to bat and adapts or go home.

I am no rocket scientist and at 51 had no problem taking it all in and getting the job done…..bottom line is I need to fix it if/when it breaks.

As for the long standing record of PSSL you can’t beat thier product.

I am fortunate to have UHD&ACV experience and headed to Jupiter next month to build an XLX….major similarities on the interfacing and I am not looking forward for the shop rate again but these are changing times and
if thats what the contractors are operating then I for one am not going to be intimitaded by a machine that took me job in the first place.

Hows that lads for an old SAT RAT

[mind-when-this-was-fields]

Yeah only one control can in the XLX, the rest in JBs which means LOTS of tellus!!! Would be good to get a nice pump to fill the bugger with!! Killa sprays are not the answer!!
XLX also has nice AP system for the lazy gits out there!!ie me
Another good idea is they have finally put the static tms jb above the slip rings!!!

[mudflap276]

we had 3 UHD systems at my last company. we had problems with with slip rings, then had problems with the chassis connection for the chinese finger broke, not mention the software would lockout the video selection screen. i didnt mind the pucks. i prefer the joystick, but this was nice not having all of the arm controls on the joystick. we couldnt get work in the gulf because in shallow water (100 ft or less), the system would overheat. the unbilical on the wench would have to be cooled or the rov would shut down. it happened twice. i think a problem my last company had was that they didnt know the capabilities of the system. only what they read on the brochure. another problem i had with the UHDs are the plastic connector for the hoses on the comps. the would work loose after a few dives. i found that if i didnt tighten them up after a few dives then we could have water intrusion. bad design on schillings part. we put in an Etool but havent heard back yet.

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