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[C.W. Herndon]

Glad to help whenever I can JB.

Thanks for sharing the interesting anecdote. Many times you get more than you bargained for--some good, some bad. Always strive to remember more of the good and less of the bad.

[John Balderston]

Woody, I'm still reviewing the reference material in the "removing the trailing wire" article and really getting a lot out of it - thanks for sharing.  IF the objects on the reef are in fact NR16020, won't it be superb l if enough of the radio equipment exists to analyse the archetecture and address the uncertainties - circuitry for C-W oscillator, use of belly wire array, etc.  Fingers crossed!!

One question that you may be able to give me a vector on (relates to what I THINK I see some of the ROV video) - is there a definitive answer on whether a C-W key is needed to complete the radio circuit, or if Gurr rigged a jumper in Miami?  Bottom line, I'm wondering if there was a morse key in the cockpit.  Thanks for any help, John

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

Woody, I'm still reviewing the reference material in the "removing the trailing wire" article and really getting a lot out of it - thanks for sharing.  IF the objects on the reef are in fact NR16020, won't it be superb l if enough of the radio equipment exists to analyse the archetecture and address the uncertainties - circuitry for C-W oscillator, use of belly wire array, etc.  Fingers crossed!!

One question that you may be able to give me a vector on (relates to what I THINK I see some of the ROV video) - is there a definitive answer on whether a C-W key is needed to complete

the radio circuit, or if Gurr rigged a jumper in Miami?  Bottom line, I'm wondering if there was

a morse key in the cockpit.  Thanks for any help, John

The Electra was originally equipped with 2 John and, both were suspected as having been left behind. AE not proficient in morse.
http://tighar.org/wiki/Failure_to_communicate#Morse_Code_keys

[C.W. Herndon]

John, Jeff's reference answers most of the questions about the key I think. Harry Manning, a sea captain of some experience and able to communicate using Morse code, was part of the crew on the first attempt. He was not part of the crew on the second attempt and since neither AE nor FN were able to use code, the keys were apparently removed. AE was almost obsessed with weight reduction for the second attempt.

Here is a photo of one of the keys installed next to the co-pilots seat. It does not show up in later photos.

[John Balderston]

JVH and Woody, these helped me understand quite a bit - thank you!  Take-aways - 1) from W.C. Tinus' statement quoted in Osborne ". . .a telegraph key was provided which could be plugged in, in addition to a microphone for voice communication" and the early flight deck photo, it appears the junction box has two inputs (one for C/W key, the other for voice mic) and one output to headphones.  2) from the photo it appears that the small console would still be present if the key were removed.  That could be what I THINK I'm looking at in the video rather than the key itself.  Thanks for your time!  -jb

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

Probably just another coincidence but, the wire/cable highlighted with the red arrows appears to be heading into the back of the PFM box/reciever?

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

Having read about the conditions on the reef from the daily reports and, the problems they have caused. I am not surprised that whatever it is on the reef face is, how shall we say, not in pristine condition.
My original hope was that they would find something tangible to report. This has now changed to hoping that they, and the equipment actually come away un-scathed and, in one piece.

[richie conroy]

Tell in ye Jeff

Who would have thought a simple Rov dive would turn out to be similar to Deadliest Catch 

[Tom Swearengen]

Hey Richie, I dont think any of us thought the ROV dive was going to be simple. Sure wish it was. But from the original video we saw, it had some drop offs, and crevasses too. Still looks like the Napali Coastline to me. I would think that the sunberged landscape might keep the AUV, and the ROV from getting close enough for some really good HD pics and video. I wonder if they have some sort of proximity alarm when they get really clode to a coral outcropping? Guess I should have asked that question in DC.

[richie conroy]

Tom

The Ship Sonar, AUV, ROV

Should work in tandem

The Ship Sonar should map the area, reef slope, floor, out crops etc

then that data loaded onto AUV so it knows were everything is sort of like a car sat nav

however we know even sat nav's have there issue's 

Let's just hope they find video, photograph and have a safe journey home

[richie conroy]

just found this video on youtube

that might help us understand the scale of objects in wire/rope video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fuvt2AviexQ&feature=g-hist

[Tom Swearengen]

Yep, I got that Richie. Obviously there is something more to this than we can see.

[Dan Swift]

Apologies in advance as I am sure this was covered, but have not been able to join the forum in a while.  Reading the "Dailys" however, have they attempted to look at any of the targets from the original "wire and rope" footage.  Seems that wheel, several other strong and more shallow targets, would have been 1st order of business.  Again, sure it was addressed in this forum....but would appreciate being updated.   

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

Don't think that was in the plan Dan, if I recall they didn't have the exact co-ordinates for the wire and rope dive so, would be difficult to locate. If the AUV has trouble finding huge chunks of NC wreck then...

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

Looking on the positive side though. Not knowing the co-ordinates isn't the end of the world. From the 2010 expedition we know one important co-ordinate, the depth at which the 'wire and rope' was, 300 metres. That narrows down the search area considerably.