ARC-1
Rapid Action Acoustic Release For Light Loads

Acoustic releases can greatly enhance coastal and inland water research by supporting instrument deployment beyond diver depth, and recovery without a need for diving. However, most commercial releases are designed for large loads and deep-water deployment, making them inefficient in the coastal environment. Electrolytic wire releases (often referred to as burn wire releases) are available for light loads. Yet, the wire corrosion process is slow, will not work well in fresh water and may be impeded by marine growth. Further, existing light-load releases often use very simple acoustic control systems that do not provide much feedback.

The ARC-1 is a state-of-the-art acoustic release, designed specifically for light loads up to 20 kg and working depths up to 300 meters. ARC-1 is made possible by a breakthrough in release mechanism design. The true burnwire mechanism (patent pending) explosively melts a wire in a few thousands of a second, enabling a very simple and reliable design that requires just a single moving part.

The elegant mechanism is complemented by a capable acoustic control system. The Windows based control software in conjunction with a standard Desert Star STM-1 or STM-10 surface station, supports transmitting commands to the releases, obtaining status information and precise ranging.

ARC-1 is designed and affordably priced to support deploying an extensive field of instruments. A total of 4096 unique checksum secured address codes enable the use of a large number of units in any area and practically eliminate the risk of accidental release. A GPS integrated position log keeps track of the position and deployment status of each release in your inventory.