HydroMap First to Install Mini-Ranger 2 Tracking System

Sonardyne International Ltd, UK, has announced that Bibby HydroMap, a specialist seabed survey company, has upgraded the Sonardyne Scout acoustic positioning system installed on its coastal survey vessel, Bibby Athena, to the new Sonardyne Mini-Ranger 2 USBL system.
 
Mini-Ranger 2 is the latest addition to Sonardyne’s family of sixth-generation (6G) Ultra-Short Baseline (USBL) underwater target tracking systems and was introduced at the start of April to meet demand for a survey grade positioning system without the cost and complexity of a deep water USBL solution.
 
The Mini-Ranger 2 equipment, along with Sonardyne’s new Wideband Sub-Mini 6 Plus (WSM 6+) USBL transponder / responder, was delivered directly to the Bibby Athena on the opening day of the Ocean Business exhibition in Southampton in time for it to be installed and made available to support the underwater vehicle tracking demonstrations Bibby HydroMap will be carrying out during the event.
 
With the order, Bibby HydroMap is now officially the first company to begin benefiting from the same Wideband 2 digital signal processing technology that’s earned Ranger 2, Sonardyne’s deep water USBL tracking system, its enviable reputation for precision and accuracy, but for significantly less cost.
 
Offering an operating range of 2,000 metres and the ability to simultaneously track up to 10 subsea targets at very fast update rates (e.g. divers, AUVs and towfish), Mini-Ranger 2 is ideal for nearshore operations on small, quiet vessels such as the Bibby Athena.
 
The Sonardyne 6G and Wideband 2 digital signal technology inside Mini-Ranger 2 USBL offers precise acoustic ranging and hardware that is easier to set up and operate, even in the most challenging subsea operating environments. These features will help Bibby HydroMap to improve the efficiency of their subsea survey operations, reduce vessel delays and generate cost savings.
 
At the core of the Mini-Ranger 2 USBL system, is the smallest and lightest 6G transceiver currently on the market, the new HPT 3000. HPT 3000 is a 6G compatible ‘High Performance Transceiver’ featuring a new design of receiver array and transmitter which are optimised to provide excellent performance in shallow water, at high elevations as well as in deeper water.
 
With the HPT 3000 transceiver installed through the hull of the Bibby Athena, Bibby HydroMap will be using their Mini-Ranger 2 system during Ocean Business 2015 to precisely track the position of their Dynamic Remotely Operated Platform (d’ROP) as it conducts daily demonstrations of its capabilities around the Empress Dock and beyond.