ROV manufacturers---who is the most dependable

Member Joined: Apr 04, 2006

I never did see MRV 5 with its extra thrusters and power pack that is true. I am also well aware that the fibre mux systems are different on both vehicles however the differences I was refering to are the different frame sizes, The fact that MRV 5 has individually comp'd bearing housings, the pot housings are protected with a compensation system and in general it has a lot of the available extras that MRV's had the option of.

MRV 6 is as the manual calls it the zero option version. Two vert thruster no lighting junction box, etc.

I never profess to be an expert but with the exception of one MRV I have found them to be reliable if you stay on top of the maintenance and keep at them at every opportunity.

However other people who I know have had horrendous multiple trips on the vehicles and these are guys who are good at what they do and stay on top of the maintenance.

Member Joined: Mar 14, 2007

MRV 5 was a hybred vehicle and is totally differnt from the earlier and later MRV's.
It was originally built for pipeline work in Norway for Geoconsult in the late 90's.

The pot housings are a retro fit mod that can be fitted to any MRV or even the Spartan's and Olympians that Fugro use. Smile

As far as horrendous trips go i think we have all had one of those sometime in our working life Smile

Member Joined: May 08, 2007

One of the guys here compared ROV manufacturers to car makers:

- Perry are like Ford or GM - mass produced, simple
- Schilling are BMW. Mercedes, Audi - complex, engineering driven, expensive

- SMD like to think they are Jaguar or Aston Martin but wind up more like British Leyland !

Member Joined: Apr 04, 2006

I think everyone has a bad trip now and again. I was on a rig with an MRV when MRV 5 was on another rig very close by and for months had an horrific amount of down time.

When I worked on it off a vessel in the dutch sector it performed very well and I even enjoyed assisting with the pot housing mod being fitted to the vehicle.s

To say it is totally different is stretching it a little.

MRV 8 is almost identical in its set up with the exception of the fibre optics which is now apparently also being changed due to the fibre optic system now no longer being manufactured.

5 used to have a third pod which was removed when the fibre upgrade was fitted.

So in reality it is now a virtually standard MRV. When I initially mentioned the vehicle on here I was attempting to be sarcastic as 90 per cent of people I have worked with on them do not like them very much.

The vehicles are either loved or hated. I have not heard many people sit on the fence about them at all.

Member Joined: Feb 20, 2007 Location: Outer Mongolia

Prophet,

Correct me if i'm wrong but i don't remember MRV5 being built for GeoConsult, Fugro GeoTeam maybe, Ray can you clarify?

Member Joined: Mar 14, 2007

commando

I think your right about that it was GeoTeam my mistake old age i'm afraid to say. Laughing

Member Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Location: Aberdeen

geoteam! northsea surveyor. back when it flew straight lines with turbos

Member Joined: Feb 20, 2007 Location: Outer Mongolia

Should never have got rid of the turbo pack, only good thing about it, still has the switch on the console which is cool (well it did a couple of years ago).

Member Joined: Jan 30, 2004 Location: Aberdeen

I've got some pictures of MRV5 with the turbo thrusters on it if anyone's interested; on sea trials around Bergen (I think it was Bergen it's been a while Wink

).

It did look pretty cool and went well too; nothing like it for pipeline survey in its day.

ROVworld Webteam Joined: Dec 26, 2003 Location: Scotland

Yeah Ive still got loads of photos and video.

The additional 100HP power pack was taken off without any consultation with the people who used the vehicle. At the time the reason given was that the system needed too much electrical power to run it.

I did point out afterwards that if the vessel couldnt supply the power then all we had to do was not switch on the second pack! It was a shame to lose 100HP, all it saved was 25cm off the back of the sub as well.

It is now running with a multimode 903 mux for all of its comms, unfortunately it now only has the 4 video channels instead of the ELEVEN we had originally (the survey cameras were true SVHS, 2 channels per camera plus 2 channels for Seabat heads).

A lot of the problems we had at the start in Egypt was due to the LARS and TMS - they came off another system that had been in Far East for 2 years with zero maintenance. The sub also had never been in the water since the buoyancy upgrade, never had the TMS fitted onto it etc. until we went onto the rig - never a good time to do all of this and expect it all to work (which it didnt)

Off Libya just now with it. I was in Tripoli last Saturday night on the way out and met up with 2 boys who were motorbiking from John o Groats to Cape Town, chatted with them for half an hour or so and then had a photo taken with them.

It was Ewan Mgregor and Charley Borneman, they were filming the new series, Long Way Down!

Member Joined: Jan 25, 2007

Ray Shields~ MRV 5 encyclopedia on legs lol!!
Nice one on the McGregor and Boorman meet Ray, were they as heavily supported as they were on "Long way round"? Been watching te repeats here in Alexandria on Dubai TV
Did I tell you I'd bought a new bike to replace the smashed one? Yamaha YZF-R1. Yay!

Member Joined: Jan 06, 2006

Wait a minute guys, dont lead the original question astray by mentioning the MRV5. Help ma bob!

And, I disagree with Ford being like Perry. Perry is the best. Simple: Yes, Reliable: Yes, Mass produced: Probably. (Good for spare parts). Never see milky water. Handy drawer for extra bits and bobs. Plently of survey channels; 110v and 24v. Plently of sloenoids with Aux system on and with a couple of proportional valves for grinder, torque tool etc. And, the XLX is equipped with DP so you can have a coffee at the same time as being on the hot seat. Perry is more like Mercedes.

The Quests are more like the latest James Bond car that nobody can figure out how to work because were pilot techs and not 007's.