TETHER
Since FUSION is battery powered the tether is a link only for data and communications, no power. As a result, it is possible to have a very small diameter, which greatly reduces the drag on the vehicle. Emphasis on tether diameter is important as the more tether in the water the greater the drag that will exceed a vehicles performance.
FUSION is available with two types of tethers.
COPPER
At 3mm (0.12in) diameter the copper tether offers a rugged and carefree solution to tethered operations. Available in a 500m (1,650ft) length there is sufficient tether for virtually all operations. The copper tether is neutrally buoyant in fresh water (slightly positive in salt) and strong enough to handle high strain. A wet mate connector ensures ease of connection and a strain relief bonded to the internal strength member for full transfer of load.
FIBER OPTIC
Where greater lengths are required, the FUSION can be equipped with a single mode fiber optic tether that is a tiny 2.75mm (0.11in) in diameter. The fiber is surprisingly resilient and only requires a small amount of additional care, but at the benefit of longer lengths. Available in 1,000m (3,280t) or 2,000m (6,560ft) lengths the fiber tether provides added excursion capability.
Utilizing the same strength member as the copper the tether the fiber tether can handle high loads without any issues. The dry mate fiber connector is robust and easy to maintain while providing a simple push and lock connection. Fiber tether doesn’t have to be something to be afraid of and especially useful for ultra-high bandwidth requirements.
REEL
Tether management is easily accomplished with the included reel system. The reel is a compact and lightweight design that includes a number of useful features and shares the same attention to detail as the FUSION itself. Quiet battery operation (electronics), quick change spool, large capacity, rugged design and lightweight.
RUGGED CONSTRUCTION
The reel is constructed from composites and hard anodized aluminum. All enclosures and connections are waterproof for use in harsh conditions.
QUICK CHANGE SPOOL
Should a tether change be required, such as swapping between the long and short lengths the spools can be changed out in minutes. No longer the requirement to peel off all the tether and respool. If a new tether is ordered it comes already installed on a spool.
LEVEL WIND & LINE COUNTER
To simplify tether management there is a level wind that ensures the tether is always spooled correctly. The spring loaded tensioner opens to allow the vehicle connector to pass through if a tether swap is required. On the side of the reel is a digital readout that displays the tether length paid out from the reel.
BATTERY POWERED (ELECTRONICS)
Like the FUSION itself the reel is also battery powered, this means no generator power required. Battery life is a typical eight (8) hours and there is a spare battery included with the system. No tools required to change and a charger is built into the same charging case used for the FUSION batteries.
