cheapest possible sub / ROV for SALT water

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  • luz sandeman
    Ensign
    • May 2020
    • 1

    cheapest possible sub / ROV for SALT water

    hey guys! just found this forum. im thinking of getting some kind of rc sub / ROV / underwater rc car or asking my thrifty friend to build one of these for me.
    Or maybe someone here wanna build it for me? :) (for payment of course)

    Q1: Can I generally use these super cheap toy-like RC submarines for 30-100 usd in SALT water? it never says in the descriptions if they can take the salt without rusting.
    i live near the ocean, but i have lakes nearby too...

    I considered the "chasing dory" but its a little too expensive. im not a pro. i just want to crawl on the sea floor filming crabs and stuff.
    if it was half the price i would get it...like 250 usd.

    Is there any kind of underwater RC car / tank, maybe with a small camera. i dont mind if its both powered and steered by cable?
    that is not THAT expensive. but sure i can pay 200 usd i guess. it would be cool to have a radio operated mechanical crab but thats in my dreams....

    best regards Joakim, Sweden
  • trout
    Admiral
    • Jul 2011
    • 3545

    #2
    Luz, radio waves we use do not penetrate salt water. You will need a float or buoy that always remain above the water and A tether to the submarine.
    Check out the internet, there are some ROV forums out there. The amounts you are listing does not cover the cost of the hull of most subs we run here. The cheap toy rc submarines will not work in salt either and if it was fresh water it will not get you the depth you would want. Let me briefly talk about video. Video does not transmit through water (fresh or salt) you will need a tether or buoy for that. Anything in the GHz range will not work for submarines that are completely underwater with no antenna above the surface.

    Spend a little time looking around our forum and you will see the wonderful work this hobby is! Welcome!
    If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

    Comment

    • RCSubGuy
      Welcome to my underwater realm!
      • Aug 2009
      • 1768

      #3
      Time for some tough love...

      Unless you have the skillset to purchase materials, engineer and implement your own solution, your $250 will get you nothing but a small handful of parts and nothing else. Unfortunately, the mass-production and cheap quality RC car and airplane kits on the market nowadays have ruined people's perception of value. This is a small, specialized hobby. You can get into the Thundertiger Seawolf for something like $1200US, and that is CHEAP.

      "Or maybe someone here wanna build it for me? :) (for payment of course)".
      Your $250 isn't enough for a properly talented builder to get out of bed, let alone build you a functional, deep-water video platform. Multiply that by 10x and you'll be in the ballpark for a basic project.

      I'm not trying to be mean or quash your dreams of a fully functional RC crab, but it helps nothing to encourage unrealistic expectations. What you want is possible, just not for the amount you're willing and able to pay.


      Bob

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