Non-Shocking Report

A Non-Shocking Report. When an OTS Dealer reported that a diver complained that the MK2-DCI shocked him, gave him tingling feelings and he saw a 6" blue spark, we were SHOCKED! How can this be? Our box is only 12 volts DC and has little amperage. The full report was that a diver using a SuperLight 17 helmet rigged for 4 wire operations was connected to a MK2-DCI Two Diver Intercom. They were in the four wire mode but the topside tender was using the push-to-talk (PTT) button when talking to the diver? Typically, when a MK2-DCI is used in the 4 wire mode, the tender uses a headset with boom microphone (clearly outlined in the Operation Manual). This gives him hands free, round robin type communications. The tender said when he used the PTT button the diver complained he was being shocked. We have been trying to find out exactly what the end user had going on at the dive site (i.e. video cameras, lights, welding, grounding, recorder, GFI in place, etc.) to no avail. The client, an International Company, kept saying the MK2-DCI is unsafe and planned to send out a bulletin to the world stating so! With all this "SHOCKING" information at hand, we spent many hours in our laboratory trying to shock someone. We got things wet, dry, pressurized, all results were the same - no shocked technicians. SO, off to our local experts, The College of Oceaneering School to try and shock a student. Of course remember, 12 volts DC, low amperage! The students, future Commercial Divers (Men of Honor), couldn't wait to jump in the water. We set up a SuperLight 17 with 2 earphones and 1 microphone tied together on a screw strip located inside the helmet. The outside connector was a standard 4 pin male marsh marine connector. This all tied into the topside MK2-DCI box which was a new, out of the stock model. We started out in the 2 wire mode. The diver yakked away along with the topside tender. NO SHOCKS. We then switched to the four wire mode and yakked some more. We used the headset with boom microphone as well as just the front panel speaker and PTT button. NO SHOCKS. The diver did talk a lot about how clear four wire communications were. They have only been using 2 wire and were amazed at the clarity and fact all divers can talk together. At the end of the day, everyone was happy and NO SHOCKS! However, we have 2 more test scheduled to ensure our MK2-DCI is not a SHOCKING experience. Special thanks to the great College of Oceaneering and the following helpers: Bobby Brandow and Jason Andue (Technicians - Commercial Divers). Student diver Jeremy Casanova, Tender Cyndi Glass, Intercom topside tender Jarrod Tomassi, Ruben Compuzzano, Ella Morgan (Dean of Education) and of course Nicholas A. Trongale (President).

Bobby Brandow and Jason Andrus working on SuperLight 17. They rigged the helmet in the 4 wire comms mode.  Bobby Brandow testing comms.      The four wire screw type strip was used in the helmet along with standard speakers and mircophone. These wires terminated to a 4 pin male marsh marine connector. Test Diver Jeremy Casanova      The MK2-DCI was tested in the 2 wire mode. No Shocks.  Jarrod Tomassi talking in the four wire mode using the headset with boom microphone. Clear comms was what the diver was reporting!      Jarrod Tomassi talking in the 4 wire mode but using the PTT control. This was the mode the client claimed the diver was being shocked, seen a 6" blue flame and received lots of tingles?  If you would like to know more about becoming a Commercial Diver, visit the College of Oceaneering web site: new.diveco.com or contact them at: College of Oceaneering, 272 S. Fries Avenue, Wilmington, California 90744. Telephone: USA 1-800-432-DIVE - World wide: 310-834-2501.   Undersea Systems International, Inc. dba Ocean Technology Systems 3133 West Harvard Street, Santa Ana, Ca. 92704 Telephone: (714) 754-7848, Fax (714) 966-1639 Toll Free: 1-800-550-1984 Contact OTS: ots@oceantechnologysystems.com Copyright 2002 Ocean Technology Systems