Vintage Diver Hand Held Sonar

[momof4buoys]

Hello,

If I am in the wrong forum, please let me know. I was given a Burnett Electronics Model 500 Diver Hand Held Sonar. You would think with all of that information I could find out more about it, but I cannot find another example or even a site to learn more about hand held sonars. I believe that it dates to the 1950s but that is my guesstimate because of the label. Any information I can get would be so appreciated.

Thank you!

Julie

[Bryan]

The Google Machine returned this......Not sure if it's that exact model involved ...

Plaintiff was the low bidder on a fixed price contract awarded on December 19, 1962 for the supply to the Navy of 48 hand-held sonar sets for use by underwater divers, at a price of $921 each. The contract provided that plaintiff was, as a new supplier of such sets, required to submit a preproduction sample, fully tested by the contractor at its plant. Ninety days were allowed, after delivery of the sample, for the Government to test and conditionally to approve or disapprove. Following approval, production could take place

Whole Article Here

[8dust]

WOW! It's super cool, that's for sure

Pretty interesting court papers too. Sounds like it should end up in a museum.

[Popeye]

I was qualified to use this Hand Held Sonor in 1963 at Underwater Swimmers School at Key West ,Fl and used it a number of times in my Short Active Duty Career.

[8dust]

Hey Bernie!

Can you tell us what it was intended to be used for?
Looking for a sub or something? or an underwater pass through some rocks?
I'd be interested to hear.

Hope all's well!
Fred

[crimediver]

I used this type sonar as well as the newer version. I have much more experience with the newer model but it basically sends out a tone that can be heard through the divers headphones, I wore a type of nylon Snoopy hat that held the earpieces over your ears. I would normally lay flat on the bottom and use it to locate an object. The sonar was pointed in a certain direction and if it was pointed at an object the tone would bounce back to the receiver. The best way I can describe it is that the tone goes Woooomp, Wooomp, Woooomp. When it hits something it makes the tone shorter and it goes Woomp, Woomp, Woomp. You can take a compass bearing from the compass located on the top of the sonar. As the diver approaches closer the tone goes tighter as in Womp, Womp, Womp. Next thing you know you are on the object.
I got a bunch of these from the military for our underwater criminal investigation unit. They were surplussed items that had been used to conduct the salvage and investigation from the TWA crash that went down in Long Island. The govt. bought a ton of them to use and after it was all done a lot of them were surplused. They are pretty useful tools but work best when the underwater terrain is flat.

[8dust]

very cool, indeed.
Hadn't thought about looking for plane wreckage or a sunken boat or anything. Seems like it would work pretty well in a place like the gulf, but most of the places I dive are too bumpy and/or full of snags.

Thanks for sharing your .2 c

[crimediver]

They work well in areas where it is flat. Anything sticking up will return a ping and it is worthless in a place like a lake with cut off tree trunks as there are pings everywhere you point it. Diving wrecks with scattered debris is cool if you have a sonar as you can locate far off objects that you would otherwise miss. We used an old metal wastepaper basket in training when we were learning to locate objects. With some use and practice you could find it in a short time even in black water. The newer units are even handier and are similar to a police radar gun with a compass on it. They are about 6 inches in diameter and about 18 inches long.