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Fathom ROV Tether (ROV-ready)

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This professional-grade neutrally buoyant tether combines rugged strength and durability with high-performance electrical characteristics for wide-ranging ROV and subsea applications. The 4UTP tether comes with a pre-installed Binder 770 connector and Wetlink Penetrator, while the 1UTP comes with preinstalled cable penetrator and Binder 770 connector.

A note about the communication’s length: Blue Robotics has conducted ranged communications testing and found that 300m is the maximum communications length for the Standard Fathom Tether and 200m is the maximum communications length for the Slim Fathom Tether.

 

The Fathom Tether is a high-quality tether cable designed specifically for ROVs and other subsea applications. It is neutrally buoyant, has 300-350 lb breaking strength, and is embedded with water-blocking fibers to seal any leaks. With diameters of 4mm and 7.6mm, these tethers are slimmer than the vast majority of comparable ROV tethers.

The tether carries one or four unshielded twisted pairs (UTP) of 26AWG wire. These pairs are colored and arranged in the same fashion as a Cat5 networking cable including cross-talk resistance. A pre-installed Binder 770 plug makes it easy to connect to the FXTI and Fathom Spool. A cable penetrator is installed at the other end to interface with the BlueROV2 or any of our watertight enclosures.

The slim tether really shines when it comes to its size. Its slim profile makes it ultra low-drag, making it ideal for deep dives, high current dives, and long-distance dives where the drag from the tether is really noticeable. The size also makes it incredibly portable and easy to handle. A hundred-meter tether weighs just 3 lb (1.4 kg) and can be managed by hand very easily.

Since the slim tether only has two wires, it can only be used for the primary communication of the BlueROV2. There are no spare twisted pairs when using this cable, which means that it is not compatible with applications where you need extra tether pairs.

The core of the cable contains Kevlar strands for strength and Dacron fibers for space filling. Both fibers are impregnated with waterblocking compound to block any leaks caused by nicks or rips in the cable. The high-visibility yellow polyurethane foam jacket resists abrasion and provides neutral buoyancy.

The stiffness of the cable is designed to be flexible enough to give plenty of freedom to your ROV, but stiff enough that it does not become tangled easily.

The capabilities of this tether are meant to provide design flexibility and a wide variety of uses. Pololu carries the 3 positions 0.1” (2.54mm) Crimp Connector Housings and male crimp pins that may be used for connecting your own devices to the spare tether terminations.

We also have this cable available by the meter with no terminations at either end.

 

Standard Fathom ROV Tether

Parameter Value
Performance
Maximum Rated Depth (seawater) 950 m 3116 ft
Design Lifetime¹ 3 years or 500 cycles to rated depth
Temperature Rating (air) -25 to 60°C -13 to 140°F
Temperature Rating (water) 0 to 40°C 32 to 104°F
Installed Penetrators and Connectors
Topside Binder 770 Plug
ROV Side WLP-M10-7.5MM-HC
Twisted Pairs 0.1″ Header Pins, 3 Position
Tools
Compatible Bulkhead Wrench WL-M10-BULKHEAD-WRENCH
Recommended Installation Torque 3.5 Nm
Physical
Tether Diameter 7.6 mm
Weight 0.043 kg/m
Outer Jacket Polyurethane Foam
Buoyancy in Freshwater Neutral
Buoyancy in Saltwater Slightly Positive
Wire Gauge 0.14 mm² 26 AWG
Working Strength 35 kgf 80 lb
Breaking Strength 155 kgf 350 lb
Minimum Working Bend Diameter 75 mm 3 in
Recommended WLP Thru Hole Diameter 10.2 mm
Bulkhead Thread M10 x 1.5
Bulkhead Thread Length 20 mm
Bulkhead/Nut Wrench Flats 16 mm
Overall Assembled Height From Endcap 25 mm
Overall Outer Diameter 18 mm
Bulkhead O-ring Size AS568-013 Buna-N 70A
Bulkhead/ Plug Material 7075-T6 Anodized Aluminum
Wetted Materials Buna-N Rubber
Molykote 111 Compound
7075-T6 Anodized Aluminum
PUR Foam
Electrical
DC Resistance @ 20°C 0.0386 Ω/ft 0.127 Ω/m
Insulation Resistance @ 500 VDC > 500 MΩ/kft > 1640 MΩ/km
Voltage Rating 300 VDC
¹ Design life was used to inform testing in an accelerated environment, does not reflect the warranty period.

Fathom Slim ROV Tether

Parameter Value
Physical
Tether Diameter 4.0 mm 0.16 in
Weight in Air 0.012 kg/m 0.00805 lb/ft
Jacket Material Polyurethane Foam
Buoyancy in Freshwater Neutral
Buoyancy in Saltwater Slightly Positive
Wire Gauge 0.14 mm2 26 AWG
Working Strength 35 kgf 80 lb
Breaking Strength 155 kgf 350 lb
Minimum Working Bend Diameter 25 mm 1 in
Compatible WetLink Penetrator WLP-M06-4.5MM-HC
WLP-M10-4.5MM-HC
Electrical
DC Resistance @ 20°C 0.0445 Ω / ft 0.146 Ω / m
Voltage Rating 300 VDC

Pinout

Standard Fathom ROV Tether

Pair Wire Color Binder Connector Pin #
Pair 1 Wire 1 Blue 1
Wire 2 Blue/White 2
Pair 2 Wire 1 Orange 3
Wire 2 Orange/White 4
Pair 3 Wire 1 Green 5
Wire 2 Green/White 6
Pair 4 Wire 1 Brown 7
Wire 2 Brown/White 8

Fathom Slim ROV Tether

Pair Wire Color Binder Connector Pin #
Pair 1 Wire 1 Blue 1
Wire 2 Blue/White 2

Cross Section

Standard Fathom ROV Tether

Fathom Slim ROV Tether

  • Standard Fathom ROV Tether
    • 1 x Fathom ROV Tether with Installed Binder 770 Plug and WetLink Penetrator (of the selected length)
    • 1 x Header Pin to Ferrule Adapter to Connect to Fathom-X
    • 1 x Tether Cable Thimble
    • 1 x M10 Nut
    • 1 x O-ring for Bulkhead
    • 5 x Heavy Duty Zip Ties
  • Fathom Slim ROV Tether
    • 1 x Slim Tether Cable with Cable Penetrator and Binder 770 Connector (of the selected length)

Revision History

  • 14 March 2022 | FATHOM-TETHER-NB-4P-26AWG-XX-R3 – Initial Release | Updated preinstalled penetrator to WetLink Penetrator
  • 7 August 2018 | FATHOM-TETHER-NB-4P-26AWG-XX-R2 – Update to new construction with polyurethane foam jacket
  • 3 November 2017 | FATHOM-SLIM-NB-1P-26AWG-XX-R1 – Initial Release

 

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

A note about the communication’s length: Blue Robotics has conducted ranged communications testing and found that 300m is the maximum communications length for the Standard Fathom Tether and 200m is the maximum communications length for the Slim Fathom Tether.

 

The Fathom Tether is a high-quality tether cable designed specifically for ROVs and other subsea applications. It is neutrally buoyant, has 300-350 lb breaking strength, and is embedded with water-blocking fibers to seal any leaks. With diameters of 4mm and 7.6mm, these tethers are slimmer than the vast majority of comparable ROV tethers.

The tether carries one or four unshielded twisted pairs (UTP) of 26AWG wire. These pairs are colored and arranged in the same fashion as a Cat5 networking cable including cross-talk resistance. A pre-installed Binder 770 plug makes it easy to connect to the FXTI and Fathom Spool. A cable penetrator is installed at the other end to interface with the BlueROV2 or any of our watertight enclosures.

The slim tether really shines when it comes to its size. Its slim profile makes it ultra low-drag, making it ideal for deep dives, high current dives, and long-distance dives where the drag from the tether is really noticeable. The size also makes it incredibly portable and easy to handle. A hundred-meter tether weighs just 3 lb (1.4 kg) and can be managed by hand very easily.

Since the slim tether only has two wires, it can only be used for the primary communication of the BlueROV2. There are no spare twisted pairs when using this cable, which means that it is not compatible with applications where you need extra tether pairs.

The core of the cable contains Kevlar strands for strength and Dacron fibers for space filling. Both fibers are impregnated with waterblocking compound to block any leaks caused by nicks or rips in the cable. The high-visibility yellow polyurethane foam jacket resists abrasion and provides neutral buoyancy.

The stiffness of the cable is designed to be flexible enough to give plenty of freedom to your ROV, but stiff enough that it does not become tangled easily.

The capabilities of this tether are meant to provide design flexibility and a wide variety of uses. Pololu carries the 3 positions 0.1” (2.54mm) Crimp Connector Housings and male crimp pins that may be used for connecting your own devices to the spare tether terminations.

We also have this cable available by the meter with no terminations at either end.

 

Standard Fathom ROV Tether

Parameter Value
Performance
Maximum Rated Depth (seawater) 950 m 3116 ft
Design Lifetime¹ 3 years or 500 cycles to rated depth
Temperature Rating (air) -25 to 60°C -13 to 140°F
Temperature Rating (water) 0 to 40°C 32 to 104°F
Installed Penetrators and Connectors
Topside Binder 770 Plug
ROV Side WLP-M10-7.5MM-HC
Twisted Pairs 0.1″ Header Pins, 3 Position
Tools
Compatible Bulkhead Wrench WL-M10-BULKHEAD-WRENCH
Recommended Installation Torque 3.5 Nm
Physical
Tether Diameter 7.6 mm
Weight 0.043 kg/m
Outer Jacket Polyurethane Foam
Buoyancy in Freshwater Neutral
Buoyancy in Saltwater Slightly Positive
Wire Gauge 0.14 mm² 26 AWG
Working Strength 35 kgf 80 lb
Breaking Strength 155 kgf 350 lb
Minimum Working Bend Diameter 75 mm 3 in
Recommended WLP Thru Hole Diameter 10.2 mm
Bulkhead Thread M10 x 1.5
Bulkhead Thread Length 20 mm
Bulkhead/Nut Wrench Flats 16 mm
Overall Assembled Height From Endcap 25 mm
Overall Outer Diameter 18 mm
Bulkhead O-ring Size AS568-013 Buna-N 70A
Bulkhead/ Plug Material 7075-T6 Anodized Aluminum
Wetted Materials Buna-N Rubber
Molykote 111 Compound
7075-T6 Anodized Aluminum
PUR Foam
Electrical
DC Resistance @ 20°C 0.0386 Ω/ft 0.127 Ω/m
Insulation Resistance @ 500 VDC > 500 MΩ/kft > 1640 MΩ/km
Voltage Rating 300 VDC
¹ Design life was used to inform testing in an accelerated environment, does not reflect the warranty period.

Fathom Slim ROV Tether

Parameter Value
Physical
Tether Diameter 4.0 mm 0.16 in
Weight in Air 0.012 kg/m 0.00805 lb/ft
Jacket Material Polyurethane Foam
Buoyancy in Freshwater Neutral
Buoyancy in Saltwater Slightly Positive
Wire Gauge 0.14 mm2 26 AWG
Working Strength 35 kgf 80 lb
Breaking Strength 155 kgf 350 lb
Minimum Working Bend Diameter 25 mm 1 in
Compatible WetLink Penetrator WLP-M06-4.5MM-HC
WLP-M10-4.5MM-HC
Electrical
DC Resistance @ 20°C 0.0445 Ω / ft 0.146 Ω / m
Voltage Rating 300 VDC

Pinout

Standard Fathom ROV Tether

Pair Wire Color Binder Connector Pin #
Pair 1 Wire 1 Blue 1
Wire 2 Blue/White 2
Pair 2 Wire 1 Orange 3
Wire 2 Orange/White 4
Pair 3 Wire 1 Green 5
Wire 2 Green/White 6
Pair 4 Wire 1 Brown 7
Wire 2 Brown/White 8

Fathom Slim ROV Tether

Pair Wire Color Binder Connector Pin #
Pair 1 Wire 1 Blue 1
Wire 2 Blue/White 2

Cross Section

Standard Fathom ROV Tether

Fathom Slim ROV Tether

  • Standard Fathom ROV Tether
    • 1 x Fathom ROV Tether with Installed Binder 770 Plug and WetLink Penetrator (of the selected length)
    • 1 x Header Pin to Ferrule Adapter to Connect to Fathom-X
    • 1 x Tether Cable Thimble
    • 1 x M10 Nut
    • 1 x O-ring for Bulkhead
    • 5 x Heavy Duty Zip Ties
  • Fathom Slim ROV Tether
    • 1 x Slim Tether Cable with Cable Penetrator and Binder 770 Connector (of the selected length)

Revision History

  • 14 March 2022 | FATHOM-TETHER-NB-4P-26AWG-XX-R3 – Initial Release | Updated preinstalled penetrator to WetLink Penetrator
  • 7 August 2018 | FATHOM-TETHER-NB-4P-26AWG-XX-R2 – Update to new construction with polyurethane foam jacket
  • 3 November 2017 | FATHOM-SLIM-NB-1P-26AWG-XX-R1 – Initial Release

 

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

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