Lost Divers...

General banter about diving and why we love it.
gcbryan
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Re: Lost Divers...

Post by gcbryan »

Dmitchell wrote:Actually,

This wouldn't be all that hard to design maybe even reasonably priced.

All you need to do is use a sonar ping. You could design a device that has wet contacts and is set to either ping a certain pattern or on a delay that the user could set to say 1.5 hours (1hour to dive and 1/2 hour to make sure you're dead) submerged before starting to ping.

The receiver would be a directional sonar that could determine location based on strength of ping.

The power would be in the receiver not the transmitter. So that the transmitter could be smaller.

Dave
This is actually how the Seattle Aquarium tracks some Sixgills. I don't know all of the details other than the sonic tag is about the size of a AA battery, it's range isn't very far but a boat in Elliott Bay with the receiver can pick up the signal if the boat is overhead.
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airsix
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Re: Lost Divers...

Post by airsix »

I like the sonar transponder idea. I hope my previous posts didn't sound too negative. I think a diver-locater is a great idea. I was just trying to illustrate the issues with using radio frequency transmitters.

-Ben
"The place looked like a washing machine full of Josh's carharts. I was not into it." --Sockmonkey
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smike
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Re: Lost Divers...

Post by smike »

I understand the need for family to find you, and for Sounder to recover your gear, but I think you going to have a hard time selling anything that does not have inconsequential cost, that is only good for when your dead. Now if it was truly cheap, they could attach it to new BCDS and such.

Great idea? YES. Practical? I donnow.


New diver in dive shop: "Whats this item for?"
Dive shop: "For if you are lost on the bottom, you know, so they can find your body".
New Diver: "Oh, I want three of those! Thanks!"

New diver in dive shop: "Whats so good about this BCD?"
Dive shop: "It has a special feature so if the BCD fails, they can find your body on the bottom of the bay".
New Diver: "Oh, great feature! Does it fail very often?"

Although, come to think of it, they sell tombstones.
How many of you already have your tombstone picked out? Just curious.

S'Mike
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Sounder
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Re: Lost Divers...

Post by Sounder »

It's a similar argument for life insurance... "here, buy this so your family will be taken care of when you're gone." I've got lots of life insurance because I want my family to be provided for. Having something for them to locate my body if I were to die diving would also serve the purpose of closure - my family wouldn't be laying in bed at night wondering where in the Sound my body was and what critters were eating their dad/husband/son.

Will it ever really have a big market? Probably not... but it's an interesting idea and a good discussion.
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smike
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Re: Lost Divers...

Post by smike »

Don't get the idea I don't care about what happens when I am gone. I have a fair amount of life insurance AND a last will that says who gets the gear & the money, and the kids if the wife goes too.

How much do other transponders for land based recoveries end up costing? How many people carry them?

S'Mike
Behold, the King reigns! You are his publicity agents. Therefore advertise, advertise, advertise, the King and his kingdom.
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Nwbrewer
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Re: Lost Divers...

Post by Nwbrewer »

smike wrote:Don't get the idea I don't care about what happens when I am gone. I have a fair amount of life insurance AND a last will that says who gets the gear & the money, and the kids if the wife goes too.

S'Mike
No fair, everybody knows whoever finds you gets the gear!
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sparky
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Re: Lost Divers...

Post by sparky »

you know I have thought for some time with ALl the new progress they keep making with micro processors getting smaller and smaller that there had to be a way they could make a small device you could clip on that omits a sonar signal or some sort of pulse to locate a lost diver

Sparky
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smike
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Re: Lost Divers...

Post by smike »

How about a tank banger that starts banging after 2 hours underwater?
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BUZO71
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Re: Lost Divers...

Post by BUZO71 »

You know, I like the idea... but it seems to focus on an automatic activation. Now if I were a diver and I got into a "situation" I would hit that damn transponder ASAP. Like a "Mayday" for USCG or some other emergency agency to respond. False alarm? No problem, pay a small fee and go on about your business.

Even better- two devices with the same frequency. One diver sets off the alarm, the other receives the alarm, verifies a true emergency and then immediately begins rescue or surfacing activities. If the buddy surfaces, his alarm will activate Emergency Services.

If the distressed diver's alarm continues for 15 seconds, the unit will detatch and its bouyancy will shoot it to the surface while still attached by a secondary line. (ok, that may be a little too forward thinking).
Fortes fortuna iuvat
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pogiguy05
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Re: Lost Divers...

Post by pogiguy05 »

Well, here is a thought to ponder. Since hearing at depths would be very hard then what is needed might be a device that would activate after a long period.Something that would cause the BODY to surface so that it could be found by other means.One would have to make it so that it would make you positively buoyant once you have been under and at depth. This would be something for recovery type operations and not rescue.I am sure someone out there could build something like this that would only activate once a diver is known to have drowned and would not cause a hazardous situation when diving that would make you cork when you dont wish to. Something that would activate ONLY after you have been under for a long period of time.Then maybe once it hits the surface it could send out either a signal or water marking color so that you could be located.
Jeff Castor
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smike
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Re: Lost Divers...

Post by smike »

Just to mix a couple of threads together...
pogiguy05 wrote:Something that would activate ONLY after you have been under for a long period of time.Then maybe once it hits the surface it could send out either a signal or water marking color so that you could be located.
When you know you are going to die anyway, then you could use this:

http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4920 :dontknow:
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