why a dome?

[scubersteve]

should I use a dome instead of the flat plexiglass I was planning on?
I'm probably not going deeper than 75 feet.
why are domes sometimes used on Rovs with fixed cameras?
Is it just for strength?

thanks

Steve

[bikerbones1968]

The single biggest advantage is while moving your ROV through the water. A dome has better hydrodynamics and less drag. As far as the camera or image is concerned there isn't much of an advantage or disadvantage.

[thegadgetguy]

Dome's also allow pan/tilt cameras greater view. Basically, the camera can have 180 degrees of rotation, both vertically and horizontally, without the edges of the housing getting in the picture.

[jenswilly]

As you mention, a dome will also handle the pressure better.
If you are using a flat disk you can calculate whether the disk will hold (for a given diameter, thickness and depth) using this InstaCalc formula (in metric units – sorry, America).

(And you can read about the formulas used on my blog – I sure hope I got it right )

/Jens W.