Turns Indicator

The Turns Indicator displays the direction and number of times the ROV has consecutively turned through 360 degrees. It also indicates which direction the pilot should turn in order to "unwind" the tether.

Display

Use

The Turns Indicator can help the ROV pilot manage the ROV and tether by indicating the number and direction of horizontal turns. This information can help prevent tether tangles and provide a quick reference for the direction the ROV is facing without having to interpret the compass heading. The Turns Indicator has three display elements and a Reset button. The display elements are: the Turns Display, Left and Right "Unwind" Directional Indicators, and Turns Count.

Turns Display

The Turns Display arrow shows the direction the ROV is heading relative to the ROV heading and a user selected starting reference direction (see the Reset button below for information about setting the reference direction). The Turns Display also provides an indication of the tether status by showing how many coils have been created by the turns. The number below the display shows the degrees through which the ROV has turned consecutively from the reference direction. The background of the Turns Display will turn from green to red if more than three complete consecutive turns in one direction have been executed.

Unwind Directional Indicators

If the ROV has turned from the user selected reference, the Left or Right Unwind Directional Indicator will highlight showing which way the ROV needs to be turned in order to return to the reference direction.

Turns Count

The Turns Count displays the number of complete consecutive turns.

Reset Button

When the system powers up, the heading of the ROV is used as the reference direction of the turns arrow. The Reset button allows the user to set the starting reference direction to any other direction. To set the reference direction, point the ROV to the desired heading, and click on the Reset button. This will align the turns arrow with the current heading of the ROV and set the turns to zero.

Reference Orientation

Normally, North is indicated as straight up on the turns indicator arrow. This can be adjusted so that the arrow can be used to indicate the relative direction of the ROV with respect to the operator. For example, if the ROV is pointing straight ahead (relative to the operator), the arrow can be adjusted so that is it straight up. When the ROV turns 90 degrees to the right, the arrow will be pointing to the right. See the sections on the Turns Indicator settings and Relative Heading for more information.

The reset button should not be clicked when the Turns Count is equal to or greater than one.

The size and display of the Turns Indicator can be adjusted. See the Instruments section of this guide for more information.