Kongsberg Launches New Multibeam Echosounder
Kongsberg Maritime has launched an advanced MK-II version of its de facto industry-standard EM 710 multibeam echosounder. With the EM 710 MK-II, the company aims to set new standards for seabed survey by increasing range and swath coverage over the original EM 710 by up to 40%.
Like its predecessor, The EM 710 MK-II is a high to very-high-resolution seabed mapping system capable of meeting all relevant survey standards. The EM 710 MK-II has a maximum range of approximately 2,800m, a significant improvement over the original version’s 2,000m, while swath coverage has increased to 3,000m from 2,000m. This will result in reduced survey time for the end user. Kongsberg Maritime’s engineers have achieved this by increasing the frequency band used when transmitting from 40 to 100kHz.
All users of the original EM 710 will be able to upgrade to the enhanced MK-II by replacing some hardware and software in the transceiver unit, which enables the use of the lower frequencies. The hardware changes are simple enough to be carried out by the user, with no intervention from Kongsberg Maritime required.
When released in 2005, the EM 710 was one of the first multibeam echosounders in the market to offer the benefits of wide band technology and FM chirp as transmitter pulse. By using FM chirp the system has a range and resolution that made it become a standard multibeam echosounder for seabed mapping in shallow to medium depth.
