Good day friends! We’re REEL excited for this release – introducing the Fathom Spool, Fathom-X Tether Interface, and an update to the Fathom Tether! Check out the new product video:
Fathom-X Tether Interface
The Fathom-X Topside Interface (FXTI) is an enclosure for the topside Fathom-X board that also contains a USB to Ethernet converter so that the user has a simple USB-to-tether interface. It also has expandability to connect other devices to tether pairs. The box has a Binder 770 Series Bulkhead to allow connection to the new tether.
Fathom Spool
The Fathom Tether Spool is a slip-ring spool for the standard tether and the slim tether. It comes in two sizes to support 150m and 300m tether lengths. The spool has Binder 770 Series connectors to connect to the tether and to connect to the FXTI. It is sold as kit with some simple assembly required.
Fathom Tether (R2)
The Updated Fathom Tether now has a polyurethane jacket that adheres better to potting compounds and increases the depth rating of the tether penetration. We expect it to work very well now to at least 300m and potentially to 1000m. This also makes for a tether that is more flexible and more abrasion resistant. The electrical construction and properties are still the same. The ROV tether now comes with a Binder 770 Series connector installed on the topside end. It comes fully-assembled. We’ll also begin selling the tether by the meter, without the connector installed.
Note: All BlueROV2s purchased on August 7th or later will have the updated tether and will include the FXTI. There will be no change in the BlueROV2 price.
Great job guys! We know you have been working on this for awhile and it looks great. I have been looking forward to this and was just getting ready to do my own DIY solution for a topside reel but now I will be ordering this.
I just placed my order for the reel and the FXTI.
will get one soon i guess.
Looks good - a couple of questions about retrofitting. First, the old standard tether is flexible enough to wind around the diameter of the spool? Second, is it feasible to cut off the end of our current tether and put the Binder 770 connectors on both cut ends, to join the tether to the spool and our keep our existing tether connection to the computer (i.e. rather than get the new tether interface to connect to the computer)?
Thanks
Craig