The chief attractions of these devices are ease of use, low cost and operational reliability due to their simplicity. Both systems consist of two components, a transmitter (pinger) and a receiver. Using the indicators on the receiver, a diver can easily return to any location or object marked with a transmitter. To aid in the return to a boat, the transmitter may be lowered from the boat or attached to the anchor line. To serve as a distress beacon, the transmitter can be carried by a diver, to be activated when an emergency occurs. A diver can carry transmitters, then use them to mark underwater object or locations for a later return. Any number of receivers can be used with one transmitter, allowing a group of divers to use the system.

SCOUT and SPORT perform the same basic function; they show the distance and direction to the transmitter. But, there are a few differences. Choose the one that best meets your needs.

SCOUT is small, easy to use, and inexpensive. The SCOUT receiver is not much larger than a magic marker; it won’t get in the way. Attach it to a D-ring of your B/C and you’ll hardly know it’s there. SCOUT uses a simple 2-color light to indicate both distance and direction. Sweep it around until the strongest signal is found. That’s the direction to the transmitter. Now just watch the light. If it’s red, you are 300 to 1,000 feet away. A combination of red and green means 100 to 300 feet. And if the light is green, you are less than 100 feet away. The light blink speed will vary as well. It will indicate that you’re 100 feet away (slowly blinking green) or 20 feet away (quickly blinking green).

SPORT offers the greatest performance. Its range of up to 4000 feet makes it suitable for just about any diver operation, and offers a greater margin of safety in difficult environments. In very low visibility, SPORT guides you within 6 feet of the target, closer than SCOUT can. In very bright light, its indicator is more readable. A manual gain selection switch provides greater control over operation. SPORT has a 10-segment LED graph with a distance scale. SPORT is used by sweeping the receiver until the greatest number of LED lights. This is the direction to the transmitter. Read the distance scale at the point of the last lid LED to find the approximate distance to the transmitter. SPORT can distinguish between the signals of several SPORT transmitters. The transmitter also has a longer battery life.

We recommend SCOUT for general navigation tasks and operations where small size is of the essence. Use SPORT in difficult and challenging operations to obtain the maximum level of performance.