STR - Echo Sounder Enhances STR's Rental Inventory

Subsea Technology and Rentals Ltd (STR), has increased its portfolio of specialist rental equipment with the acquisition of EdgeTech’s 6205, an enhanced and fully swath bathymetry and dual frequency side scan sonar system which utilizes next generation bathymetric technology.

The 6205, a Multi-Phase Echo Sounder (MPES) produces real-time, high resolution, three dimensional (3D) maps of the seafloor while providing co-registered simultaneous dual frequency side scan imagery. The 6205 uses ten receive element transducers and one discrete transmit element. The high number of channels enables superior rejection of multipath effects, reverberation and acoustic noise commonly encountered in the shallow water survey environment.

Utilising EdgeTech’s Full Spectrum® technology, the 6205 exceeds IHO SP-44, NOAA and USACE specifications for feature detection and bathymetric point data uncertainty. Near shore and shallow water hydrographic surveys are completed faster and safer utilising the 6205 due to the wide swath (over 200º view angle), which is typically more than three times that of existing sonars that rely solely on beam forming techniques.

The 6205 utilizes EdgeTech’s latest electronics and arrays resulting in an extremely lightweight, modular design required for shallow water applications and vessels of opportunity.

The standard configuration for the 6205 includes an integrated sound velocity sensor and interfaces with standard GPS, MRU, SVP, CTD, Altimeters and Gyros. The 6205 interfaces to most 3rd party acquisition and processing software as well.

Tom Hiller, Director, International Business for EdgeTech, commented “The 6205 has proven performance in surveys worldwide, and we are very pleased that the latest generation of EdgeTech bathymetric technology is now available to STR’s customers for rental. This enables more projects to take advantage of the sonar capabilities and the enhanced support that STR can provide.”

Neil Jackson, Sales and Operations Manager at STR, commented on expanding their product inventory: “Our customers already benefit from the widest range of EdgeTech products available in our rental pool and this new addition will only strengthen our ability to supply our customers with marketing leading technology. At STR we are keen to work with innovative manufacturers of high quality products and as UK sales and service agents for EdgeTech we have complete confidence that this new system will prove popular with our customers worldwide.”