Before You Start

Safety Precautions

For full safety precautions and warnings, see Important Safety Information.

• It is important to always be powered OFF when disconnecting and reconnecting equipment. 

• Do not probe pins on connectors with metal objects.

• If any accessories are disconnected, use a port plug to cover the port before putting the ROV in water.

• Do not touch the propeller when the motor is spinning. Pay close attention to items such as loose clothing, shirtsleeves, ties, scarves, long hair, or anything else that may become entangled in the spinning propeller. If your fingers, hands, etc. come into contact with the spinning propeller, you may be severely injured.

• Be aware of dangers around you, including weather, and obey all applicable laws while using standard water safety procedures.

• The REVOLUTION ROV is equipped with lithium batteries, completely enclosed in both the ROV, and the controller. Under no circumstances should you try to open or disassemble the batteries or expose the batteries to extreme heat or mechanical shock such as dropping them on a hard surface.

Leaked Equipment / Direct Power Kit

If your equipment has leaked, do not proceed with troubleshooting. Please refer to the Support Website for information on leaked batteries and hazards.

If you have the direct power kit please disconnect hardware direct power before proceeding with any additional troubleshooting.  To troubleshoot the direct power kit itself please go to the Direct Power Kit section of the Support Website.

Contacting Service

Service can be contacted at support@deeptrekker.com or 519-342-3177, extension 2. Ensure you have these details ready for your service tech:

• Your contact information

• Model and Serial Number (to verify warranty)

• Equipment add-ons

• Tools available 

• Event(s) leading up to the issue(s)

• Vehicle hours (explained below)

Guide

ROV Won't Power On

Potential reasons:

Controller

• • Low Battery: Charge Battery (red when charging, green when fully charged)

  • SD Card: Remove SD Card. If this fixes the issue, consider reformatting the card

  • Harness: Inspect harness to reel for signs of damage. If damaged contact Deep Trekker Support

  • Power Button: Contact Support if no LED is seen and black screen

Reel

• • Harness: Inspect harness to controller for signs of damage

  • Termination: Inspect connection to ROV for signs of debris, corrosion, dirt

  • Tether (Umbilical): Inspect tether for signs of cuts, tears, stretch. Use Diagnostics cable in place of reel to verify (cable provided in accessory case, 6m cable OK for light use in water)

  • Slip Ring: Engage the reel by pulling out tether quickly. Use Diagnostics Cable. 

ROV

• • Low Battery: Charge Battery (red when charging, green when fully charged). Swap to spare set if available and fully charged.

  • Tether Port: Inspect tether port for signs of damage, debris, dirt, corrosion. 

  • Verify LEDs: Green and Blue LEDs should be seen in main body viewing window. Blue=Power, Green=Communications (REV/PIVOT - 2 BLUE + GREEN FLASHING). If incorrect, contact Deep Trekker Support.

Direct Power System (REV, PIVOT, PHOTON only)

Warning: The power supply provided with the Direct Power kit is supplied with a minimum of 400VDC. Improper use may result in electrical shock or electrocution. 

Do not attempt to open or service the Power supply or replacement battery packs. See: https://support.deeptrekker.com/power-systems#h.3foj127cikcu

• • Ensure proper order of operations to power on the ROV system with a direct power supply.

1. Connect the ROV, Controller, Tether and Power Supply box

2. Turn on the power supply box

3. Wait approx. 30-60s to allow the system to reach proper voltage

4. Power on the controller and wait for the standard boot  

5. If experiencing issues still, see Direct Power guides for REVOLUTION and PIVOT

• Power Source: Test the system with an alternative power source or outlet. See power specifications here

• Power Supply: Turn OFF system power. Disconnect the ROV tether from the supply box. Turn ON system power and see if the unit trips the GFI. If yes, there is likely an issue with the power supply box. Contact support. 

• Tether: If the system does not trip the GFI, power down and connect the tether. If the GFI trips now, the tether may need to be repaired.  Contact support. 

• Connectors: If the power supply does not trip with the tether connected, power down the unit and reconnect to the vehicle. Test again, likely suspect that one or more connector was not properly seated. 

ROV Won't Boot

What to verify:

Verify message on Connection screen. This will identify what items have been discovered and what the system is still trying to locate.

Verify LEDs: Green and Blue LEDs should be seen in main body viewing window. Blue=Power, Green=Communications (REV/PIVOT - 2 BLUE + GREEN FLASHING). If incorrect, contact Deep Trekker Support

Potential reasons:

Sensor Pod Failure

• • Swap the Sensor Pod to another available 7 pole ETH port to verify if functions are normal OR

  • Open the Sensor Pod by the two M3 screws, slowly and inspect for signs of water or damage

Camera Failure

• • Inspect harness to ensure no damage, corrosion etc. If damaged contact Support

Tether (Umbilical) Failure

• • Inspect tether for signs of cuts, tears, stretch. Use Diagnostics cable in place of reel to verify  (cable provided in accessory case, 6m cable OK for light use in water)

Controller Black Screen

Potential reasons:

Controller

• • SD Card: Remove SD Card. If this fixes the issue, consider reformatting the card

  • LCD:  Use a flashlight and shine it on the screen at different angles. If text/images can be made out the LCD has failed. You can use the Micro/Full HDMI output or LAN streaming. Contact support for screen replacement.

  • Software: Press and hold power button for 10-15seconds. Disenage and let the system sit for 30 seconds. Single press button as normal. 

Thruster Malfunctioning

Potential reasons:

Controller

• • Joystick Inputs: Verify joystick inputs are correctly mapped and to scale. Menu>Diagnostics>Inputs and verify Scaled Value is 90+. if required, joysticks and be replace and/or calibrated

Thruster

Never put fingers or loose objects in the path of the propeller. Power down to inspect.

• • Debris: Debris such as fishing line, Ice etc. may be caught in the thrusters. Visually inspect and clean if required. If repair is necessary refer to this guide

Software

• In-water detection not engaged: Verify that the Wave logo center on top of screen is BLUE. Blue indicates in water, white indicated out of water. Increase thruster gain and drive to engage, you can then lower again if needed after in water is on.

• Possible bug/out of date software: Check for software updates by navigating to Settings > Software Updates > Check for Updates. If on BRIDGE app, ensure connected to internet and restart the app to get prompted

Propellor

• Verify orientation is correct: Right hand props are stamped with a V. DTG3, right hand prop is light gray. See propellor orientation guide

Bell Housing (REV, PIVOT, PHOTON)

• Bearing failure may be causing the shaft to wobble: By hand, check for prop play when powered off, comparing to other thrusters. If required, see the Thruster Repair Guide

  • Check Power currents: Menu>Diagnostics>Power

    • Thruster values will change due to variances in production and tolerances. 

    • Observe the Current Draw values in mA.

    • At 12 gain in air thrusters should be operating at <= 600mA (Revolution/Pivot/Photon)

• O-Ring Failure: O-ring failure may cause a leak to the motor. Current draws will be out of spec. Follow the Thruster Repair Guide to remove the male rotor only after all other steps have been inspected to visual confirm if water is present inside the motor housing. 

Motor

• Motor has burnt out: Check thruster currents as above. You can also attempt to 'swap' the position of the thruster with another one to ensure the behaviour stays the same. DTG3s are unable to swap thrusters.

Harness (REV, PIVOT, PHOTON)

• Pin failure or short: Swap the thruster with another known working to verify if the thruster itself has failed, or if the internal harness has failed. Inspect the pins to ensure free of debris, corrosion and none are bent

Camera Head Won't Rotate

Potential reasons:

Controller

• • Joystick Inputs: Verify joystick inputs are correctly mapped and to scale. Menu>Diagnostics>Inputs Scaled Value should be 90+. If replacement or calibration is necessary, see here

Motor

• Motor Failure: Verify the camera head motor current, navigate to Menu>Diagnostics>Power: If values are too low (~ <100mA motor failure possible)

  • Pivot: ~400 mA

  • Revolution: ~300 mA

  • Photon: ~400 mA

  • DTG3: ~300 mA

Debris

• Mechanical Block: Inspect visually for signs of debris that may be jamming the camera head. Ensure when powered off that the camera head can move by hand. Camera heads have a slip clutch to prevent failure to the gearbox

Software (REVOLUTION)

• Settings: Verify the Top and Bottom limits for the camera head, navigate to Menu>Settings>ROV. For standard configurations:

  • Top Limit 150 degrees

  • Bottom Limit -110 degrees

Grabber Won't Rotate or Open/Close

Potential reasons:

Grabber

• • Grabber won't rotate when fully closed. This is expected behaviour. Slightly open the grabber to complete rotations.

  • Mechanical Block: Inspect visually for signs of debris that may be jamming the grabber.

  • Power:  Verify the motor currents of the grabber: Menu>Diagnostics>Power. Nominal values during operation. Note currents will spike and stall temporarily when hitting hard stops, this is expected behaviour. 

    • Rotate: ~90-150 mA

    • Open/Close: ~250-300 mA

  • Debris: Debris / salt may be building up in the grabber. Complete cleaning. See guide

Controller

• Joystick Inputs: Verify joystick inputs are correctly mapped and to scale. Menu>Diagnostics>Inputs Scaled Value should be 90+. If replacement or calibration is necessary, see here

Shaft (REV,  PIVOT, PHOTON)

• Shaft may be wearing: NOTE THIS IS A MORE ADVANCED CLEANING. ONLY PROCEED IF CONFIDENT, CONTACT SUPPORT.  See full guide here

Grabber Won't Park Correctly (REVOLUTION)

Potential reasons:

Grabber

• • Grabber motors do not have encoders to know their position and therefore will not Rotate if in a vertical position. It is expected behaviour for only the open close motor to engage. 

Software

• Settings: Verify the Top and Bottom limits for the camera head. Navigatge to Menu>Settings>ROV. For standard configurations:

  • Top Limit 150 degrees

  • Bottom Limit -110 degrees

Sensor Pod

• ROV Pitch: Verify that on a level surface the ROV Pitch is 0 (+/- 1d). If value is incorrect complete an IMU Calibration: Menu>Calibration>IMU Calibration> Acc/Gyro Calibration. Must complete on a flat level surface. See calibration guide

No Video Feed

Potential reasons:

Controller

• • LCD:

    • Verify that the LCD is functioning. Attempt to swap cameras if available. 

    • Attempt to view the video feed externally via micro/full HDMI or LAN streaming

  • Settings: Verify your camera settings are correct. How to access camera settings

Environment

• Low Light: Test the system in a well lit environment

Tether

• Low Bandwidth: Verify the bandwidth of the tether being used: Menu>Diagnostics>Tether:

  • TX/RX values on the second line should read ~ >60mbit/s

Lights

• Lights not engaged/failing: Verify lights are functioning. If in a bright environment, verify in air or via: Menu>Diagnostics>Inputs. Press LED button(s) and ensure value changes from 0>1

Camera

• Camera failure: Inspect harness to ensure no damage, corrosion etc. Contact support if you see damage

Network

• Software Issue: Check for software upgrades available. See guide here

Harness

• Pin failure or short: For auxiliary cameras, you can swap them to an available 7 pole ETH port (or other accessory such as sensor pod). If the camera functions on another port the harness is likely failure. Contact Support. 

Text Data Missing

Potential reasons:

Controller

• • Settings: Verify camera settings for Text Overlay (OSD). 

Controller Overheating

Potential reasons:

Environment

• • Direct sunlight: Remove/limit exposure to direct sunlight. 

Fan

• Fan Failure: Listen for sound of fan while powered on. 

Depth is Incorrect

Potential reasons:

Sensor Pod

• • Calibration required: Depth reading should be reset to zero before every dive. To do this, set the ROV down outside of the water and navigate to Menu > Calibrate > Calibrate Depth and press ENTER.

Harness

• Pin failure or short: Swap the sensor pod to another available 7 pole ETH port to verify if functions are normal. Contact Support

Sensor Pod Disconnect

Potential reasons:

Software

• • Boot up: Power cycle the ROV and confirm if the fault is still present. 

Harness

• Pin failure or short: Swap the sensor pod to another available 7 pole ETH port to verify if functions are normal. Contact Support

Heading Incorrect (Basic Sensor Pod)

Potential reasons:

Sensor Pod

• • Calibration Required: Change in environment may require system to be recalibrated. Calibration guide

Harness

• Pin failure or short: Swap the sensor pod to another available 7 pole ETH port to verify if functions are normal. Contact Support

Heading Incorrect (Sensor Pod+)

Potential reasons:

Sensor Pod (REV, PIVOT)

• • Calibration Required: If a major accessory has been added, removed, or exchanged on the ROV this can affect the magnetic field and sensors. Recalibration is required.. SP+ Calibration guides

ROV Floating/Sinking

Potential reasons:

Ballast

• • Re-ballasting is required for any change in body of water. Recommend adjusting your ballast to be slightly positive in event of emergency. Apply correct ballast for your operating conditions/ SOPs.

    • REVOLUTION

    • PIVOT

    • PHOTON

    • DTG3

Leak Warning

If your equipment has leaked, do not proceed with troubleshooting. Please refer to the Support Website for information on leaked batteries and hazards.

Potential reasons:

Main Body

• • Water Entry: Contact Support. Open main body if customer requires, this is more high risk. 

    • DTG3: Inspect through the center window for water. Remove water by opening if risk to batteries. See hazards of damaged batteries. Do not ship damaged batteries

Camera Head:

• Water Entry: Contact Support.

Batteries:

• Water Entry:

1. Customer must review Hazards of Damaged Batteries. Clear area and contact fire department/emergency services if signs of damaged batteries. Recommend storing in pelican case in a safe area if low risk

2. If safe: Swap the batteries to the other side, confirm if the fault message stays with the battery, or harness. 

• • • If harness, contact support for replacement. 

    • If battery, store safely, follow warnings and recommended actions, contact support. Do not ship damaged batteries

Critical Battery Warning

Potential reasons:

Batteries

• • Low charge: Fully charge the batteries (red when charging, green when fully charged). Verify the voltage by navigating to: Menu>Diagnostics>Power. Reference here for Voltage Thresholds.

    • Controller: ~12v full.

    • Contact support with details if after a full charge the voltage is below threshold.

  • Corrosion (REV, PIVOT, PHOTON): Inspect pins and connectors for signs of corrosion or debris. Clean with a non-metal object and use isopropyl alchohol. Contact Support

Charger

• Incorrect Output: Ensure charger LED behaviour is normal, red when charging and green when fully charged. Reference the information sticker on the back of the charger. If available use a multimeter to verify the output is correct for the charger. Only use Deep Trekker Inc. provided chargers.

ROV

• High Power Consumption: Navigate to Menu>Diagnostics>Power and inspect motors and thrusters for any unusually high mA draws that could be a sign of a failing component drawing too much power

Environment

• Weather: Batteries will not operate to full potential in extreme cold or hot situations.  See here.

Sonar Not Discovered

Potential reasons:

Harness

• • Corrosion, Pin/harness failure:

    • Visually inspect connectors and ports to ensure free of corrosion, debris and that all pins are straight and intact.

    • Test Sonar directly on an available 7 pole ETH port. Contact Support if still experiencing issues. 

DVL Disconnect Warning

Potential reasons:

DVL

• • Overheating: The DVL has built in overheat protection, if operating/setting system up in air when powered on the environment may be too warn for the DVL as it is made to operate in water. Power cycle the ROV to restore connection to the DVL and operate in water. 

  • Corrosion, Pin/harness failure: Test DVL directly on an available 7 pole ETH port. Contact Support if still experiencing issues. 

USBL Issues

Please see reference for USBL Setup Guide and contact support for further troubleshooting. 

ROV GPS Not Discovered

Potential reasons:

Mount

• • Corrosion, Pin/harness failure:

    • Visually inspect connectors and ports to ensure free of corrosion, debris and that all pins are straight and intact

    • Test GPS directly on an available 7 pole ETH port, excluding the mount. Contact Support if still experiencing issues