| Norway. Simrad electronics help unravel mysteries of the Amazon |
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| Wednesday, 13 April 2005 | |
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Press release: Since the beginnings of human history, South America’s Amazon River has been shrouded in mystery – particularly the secrets concealed beneath her green, roiling waters. When a crew of naturalists and filmmakers recently set out to unravel some of the Amazon’s mysteries—and film the adventure for a BBC Television documentary series Amazon Abyss—they turned to leading marine electronics manufacturer Simrad. “Mankind knows more about the surface of the moon than about the underwater world of the Amazon River,” said Paul Comyns, Marketing Director for Simrad, Inc. “This expedition discovered never before seen species and mapped underwater waterfalls that millions of years ago would have been on the surface. It’s humbling to know that our technology could play a part in such important scientific discoveries,” Comyns added. Simrad provided the expedition with its sophisticated Olex seabed mapping system and one of its new CX34 NavStation Series multi-function navigators operating with C-MAP digital charts. “They required equipment to help them navigate the treacherous waters of the Amazon and record information on riverbed depth and topography. The equipment also had to be portable, operate on a 12-volt power source and be able to perform well in the extremes of the jungle climate – bright sunlight, relentless heat and stifling humidity,” added Comyns. The combination of an Olex System (running on a BBC-provided laptop computer) and Simrad’s new CX34 provided accurate GPS navigation and chart plotting, echosounding to provide depth information to diving teams and topography information to show sites of interest for divers to investigate. Studies were done not only on the Amazon River, but also on the Rio Negro and Rio Tapajos. The Simrad gear not only helped the crew achieve and record their objectives for five 30-minute BBC programs, it received high marks for its performance from those involved. “I was very pleased by the simplicity of the set-up and operation and delighted by the very clear and well presented graphics,” said expedition member Steve Sargison of Comex Deep Sea Salvage. “With its bonded glass screen technology, the CX34 presented sharp, clear images even in direct sunlight. At no time did we suffer any screen condensation in our open boat, even after experiencing heavy rain followed immediately by sun and high temperatures. I’ve been working in the Philippines and the Far East for the last five years, and I wish I had had this machine with me all that time,” added Sargison. The highly sophisticated Olex seabed mapping system was developed for commercial and fisheries use. The Simrad CX34 used in the filming of Amazon Abyss is the same multi function GPS/chart plotter/echosounder/radar system available for recreational vessels. With its compact case and seven-inch diagonal sunlight viewable color display, the CX34 is ideal for a wide range of boats, even open center console sportfishers. |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 April 2005 ) |
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