SeaBotix Inc.

Tips

The operation of LBV has been designed to be intuitive. Through practice and experience users will become more proficient with LBV. To better aid in the development of skills this section of our website is designed to provide simple yet effective tips for use of LBV. If you have found a useful tip of your own please forward to us and we will include it.

Tip#1 - Lateral Motion

Description:	LBV is fitted with a lateral thruster to provide the user with the ability to maneuver in all directions with ease. Simply moving the joystick left or right controls the LBV in either direction. However the LBV will rotate as it moves laterally.
Technique:	As you move the joystick laterally apply a small amount of rotate to counter the effect of the LBV rotating. A little practice will show how easy it is.

Tip#2 - Thruster Gain Control

Description:	LBV is fitted with powerful thrusters for work in current or with long lengths of tether in the water. When operating in still water or inspecting up close it is critical to utilize the thruster gain control.
Technique:	The thruster gain control can be varied from 10 to 100 percent. With 16 steps in each direction the joystick also provides a great deal of fine adjustment. When inspecting up close reduce the gain control to below 50 percent giving much finer control of the LBV. Play with different settings to accomplish the desired results. NOTE: Use of gain settings 8-10 are for limited periods of time.

Tip#3 - Trim Function

Description:	The Trim function is a valuable tool when inspecting or using the optional grabber.
Technique:	For example if you are inspecting the underside of a vessel up close set the vertical up thruster gain control to 2 and while pressing the up key push trim. This will keep the LBV against the hull of the vessel allowing the user to only have to deal with horizontal motion and camera angle.

Tip#4 - Cleaning LBV

Description:	The better LBV is maintained the better it will perform and the longer it will last.
Technique:	After using LBV fill a bucket with fresh water and let LBV soak in the water for a minimum of 15 minutes. Rinse LBV and allow to dry before storing.

Tip#5 - Trim Tab Adjustment

Description:	Due to the considerable amount of power LBV has it is fitted with a rear trim tab to control the front end.
Technique:	Adjust the trim tab so that when the joystick is pushed forward the nose does not rise rapidly.

Tip#6 - Compass Calibration

Description:

If you notice your heading data is erratic there are two possibilities for the reason.

1. Rough water conditions where the LBV is rolling around causing the heading to be inaccurate.
2. Not properly calibrated.

Technique:

If the water conditions are not too rough the LBV heading data will be quite accurate. The better the sensor is calibrated the better the data and auto heading.

In smooth water conditions calibrate the compass in water close to the surface. If water is causing LBV to roll then perform on land.

Go into compass calibration and where it says rotate 360 degrees go beyond to 720 degrees (2 full rotations) then back 360 degrees. The slower you rotate the LBV the more samples the sensor will take and the more accurate the heading will be.

Generation 2 Upgrade

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Software Update

Make sure your LBV has the latest software installed.

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Frequently Asked Questions

A list of the most commonly asked questions about ROVs and LBV.

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Operator Tips

A useful list of tips on getting the most from your LBV system.

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