 
Sounding Reels
The A-Pack Reel is used
to position stream gaging and sample collection equipment. The reel is
small and compact and was designed for use at remote sites where it is
necessary for the hydrologist to backpack or hand carry the stream gaging equipment for some distance. It is for use with weights up to
50 pounds (23 kg). The USGS bridge board mount plate and the cable car
reel mount plate are drilled to accommodate this reel. The reel is
equipped with a removable handle, and is equipped with a counter to
measure water depth in feet. The drum has 45 feet (13.7m) of 0.10 in.
Ellsworth cable. The A-Pack reel comes in a steel carrying case as
shown with the reel. See the Technical Data page for more information
on sounding reel selection.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-006 |
USGS A-Pack Reel |
24 lbs. |
TOP
The A-55 Sounding Reel is used to
position stream gaging and sample collection equipment. The reel is used
with weights up to 100 pounds (45 kg) and holds 75 feet (22.9 m) of
0.10-inch (0.25cm) cable. The reel can be mounted on Type A and Type E
cranes, the bridge board, the sit-down or stand-up cable car, and the boat
boom assembly. The A-55 reel is equipped with a USGS-type computing depth
indicator and can be furnished to read in either English or metric (A-55M)
units. The computing depth indicator has a main dial graduated in feet or
meters and tenths of a foot and decimeters. The numbered inner dial shows
total depth. The main dial has a graduated spiral to indicate directly the
0.8 depth position. The Model 3227 (Canadian) comes with a 4-digit counter
which displays the depth digitally in centimeters. Additionally, each reel
is equipped with a removable crank, 0.10-inch (0.25 cm) cable and
electrical connections for two-conductor cables; and each comes with a
steel carrying case. The reel is supplied with a pressed sleeve connector
and the Type B connector can be specified if required.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-010 |
A-55 Sounding Reel, English |
35 lbs. |
|
104-014 |
A-55M Sounding Reel, Metric |
35 lbs. |
|
104-017 |
A-55 Metric Canadian |
35 lbs. |
TOP
The Type A Sounding Reel
has the same design specifications as the A-55 but uses the same counter
as the A-Pack reel. This allows for a higher capacity reel than the A-Pack
with a simpler, lower cost counter than the A-55 reel. The Type A reel can
be specified to read in either English or metric units.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-015 |
Type A Sounding Reel, English units |
35 lbs. |
|
104-016 |
Type A Sounding Reel, Metric units |
35 lbs. |
TOP
The B-56 Sounding Reel
is used to position stream gaging and sample collection equipment. The
reel is intended for either power or manual operation. The power
drive, Model 3260, is an option and is described on the this page. The
reel has 144 feet (43.9 meters) of 0.10-inch (0.25 cm) or 115 feet
(35.1 m) of 0.125 inch (0.32 cm) cable. The reel is equipped with a
USGS-type computing depth indicator which can be furnished to read in
either English or metric units, and has a clutch for controlling
free-fall speed of the sounding weight or sediment sampler. The Model
3237 (Canadian) comes with a 4-digit counter which displays the depth
digitally in centimeters. The reel is equipped with a ratchet and pawl
which must be engaged to hold the metering or sampling equipment in
position. The reel is provided with a removable two-position crank to
enable manual operation, 0.10-inch (0.25 cm) cable and a steel trunk;
and it is supplied with a Type B connector.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-020 |
B-56 Sounding Reel,
English |
65 lbs. |
|
104-022 |
B-56M Sounding Reel,
Metric |
65 lbs. |
|
104-025 |
B-56 Metric Canadian |
65 lbs. |
TOP
The E-53 Sounding Reel is used to
position stream gaging and sample collection equipment. It is equipped
for power operation and is used with up to 300 pound (136 kg) weights
and samplers. The reel has an effective drum circumference of 2 feet
(61 cm) and has 165 feet (50.3 m) of 0.125 inch (0.32 cm) cable or 200
feet (61 m) of 0.10 inch (0.254 cm) cable. It is equipped with a
USGS-type computing depth indicator. It comes with a friction brake
which is controlled by a permanently attached crank on the right side
of the reel, which is located on the end of the jack shaft next to the
double "V" drive pulley. A hand crank which can be fitted to the
pulley end of the jack shaft is supplied for emergency use.
Additionally, the reel comes with 0.125-inch (0.32 cm) cable and a
steel trunk, and is supplied with a Type B connector. See the
Technical Data section for more information on sounding reel
selection.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-030 |
E-53 Sounding Reel,
English |
95 lbs. |
|
104-031 |
E-53M Sounding Reel,
Metric |
95 lbs. |
TOP
The USGS Power Drive Unit has a 12 VDC electric motor equipped with dual
V-belt pulleys for use with B-56 reels converted for power drive, and all
E-53 reels. The DC motor is a heavy-duty, high-inertia starting motor.
Also included is a trigger switch, a trunk, two V-belts, connecting
battery cables, and a mounting bracket for cranes. The unit is designed
for mounting on a Type A or Type E bridge crane on the vertical angles
beneath the reel mounting plate. Also, it is designed to be mounted on the
boat boom. Standard USGS cable cars must be modified to attach the power
drive unit. Cable car modification kit details can be found with the cable
cars. A heavy-duty 12-volt battery can normally be used from a vehicle,
but one can be supplied if necessary. The power unit provides power for
lifting the weight assembly only. Lowering the device is accomplished by
gravity.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-040 |
USGS Power Drive Unit |
55 lbs. |
|
104-042 |
12 Volt Deep Cycle
Battery w/ case |
52 lbs. |
|
104-043 |
10 ft. Booster
Cables |
6 lbs. |
TOP
This is a new option for the A-55 which
can be factory installed or bolted on to your existing A-55 with
simple tools. The drag brake allows the field technician to control
the descent of the sounding weight or sediment sampler from the A-55
without cranking it the whole way down to the water. Also, it is a
safety feature which allows the unit to automatically brake if the
operator would lose grip on the handle during lowering or if a
sounding weight is snagged by large debris carried in a fast-moving
flow. The operator turns a collar to select a line tension at which
the brake will slip. If that tension is reached, the brake will slip,
thereby maintaining the set amount of tension while allowing the line
to pay out from the reel drum.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-048 |
A-55 Drag Brake |
6 lbs. |
TOP
Often with increased jet ski and boat
traffic on some rivers, the field technician needs a high visibility
way to flag and identify the sounding cable so that river traffic can
"see" the cable and avoid it. The safety orange foam is 4" dia. x 6
ft. long spiral sliced to fit on the cable and slide up and down on it
while floating on top of the water when it is deployed. Also vinyl
safety flagging is often tied to taglines for increased visibility. A
more complete selection of vinyl flagging is listed in the surveying
section.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-050 |
4" Orange Float |
6 lbs. |
|
104-052 |
Orange Vinyl Flagging |
1 lb. |
TOP
The extended length
option for sounding reels was primarily intended to extend the B-56
Sounding Reel to allow it to be used with Tacoma Bank Operated
Cableway (BOC) and extend the Tacoma BOC range to 290 feet (90 M).
This is accomplished by building the reel with a longer drum.
The basic USGS sounding reel design philosophy has always been a
single layer of sounding cable on the drum rather than multiple
layers which can crush the outer sounding cable strands thru the
insulator surrounding the inner copper conductor causing a short.
Two extended length B-56 models are available. The Model
104-055 has 220 feet (68m) of .10" sounding cable or 175 feet (53m)
of 0.125" sounding cable. The Model 104-057 has 290 feet (90m)
of .10" sounding cable or 230 feet (70M) of 0.125" sounding cable
The extended B-56 sounding reels are designed for the same sounding
weight or sediment sampler operating loads up to 220 lbs (100kg). The extended reel will fit on existing
Type A and E cranes also.
***EXTENDED REELS DO
NOT INCLUDE A CARRYING CASE
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-055 |
B-56 Extended Length-220ft
(68m) .10 |
80 lbs. |
|
104-057 |
B-56 Extended Length-290ft
(90m) .10 |
90 lbs. |
The E-53 Reel can also be extended and
will hold 250 ft. (76M) of 0.125" cable or 300 ft. (91M) of 0.10"
cable. 104-060 E-53 Extended Length 110 lbs.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-060 |
E-53 Extended Length |
110 lbs. |
TOP
The standard B-56 is supplied with a bull
drive gear on the end of the drum to be used for power drive. Most
applications just require hand cranking so all the components to use
the reel with the power drive unit are not supplied. The Power Option
includes jack shaft, bearings, V-belt drive sheave and miscellaneous
parts to allow the B-56 to be used with power. These components can be
installed at the factory or are designed to be easily installed in the
field with no special tools. The jack shaft gearing remains engaged at
all times and when the reel is used with power, the motor is used only
to raise the equipment.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-062 |
B-56 Power Option |
12 lbs. |
TOP
The M-B Hanger Bar Adapter allows the
suspension of an electro-magnetic current meter from a sounding reel
cable suspension system. This works for any electro-magnetic current
meter which fits on a standard top set wading rod - 7/16" dia. post.
It attaches to (slides on) a standard 12" hanger bar and allows the
electro-magnetic current meter to fit on the front and an AA tailfin
assembly to fit on the back allowing improved alignment in the
streamflow. Note: The electro-magnetic current meter does not meet
USGS stream gaging accuracy requirements. A USGS Test report
concerning this is included. Also because this current meter's signal
does not work through the Ellsworth cable, it requires the separate
cord to suspend down increasing drag significantly in high flow
conditions.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-065 |
M-B Hanger Bar
Adapter |
0.3 lb. |
TOP
The Sounding Reel Cable
Breakaway kit is a retrofit item which can be installed on any USGS
sounding reel. This breakaway kit was designed to make discharge
measurements at high flows safer. During periods of high flow, debris
in a stream could be caught by the equipment attached at the end of
the sounding reel cable in the water. Even after complete payout of
cable from the sounding reel, the debris caught on the end of the
cable could pull the equipment and the streamgager into the dangerous
floodwaters. Standard USGS procedure has always required using cable
cutters in the event of a complete cable payout. However, a
modification to the cable has been devised to provide a quick release,
or breakaway, of the end of the cable from the sounding reel in the
event that the cable payout from the reel reaches the end. The
Breakaway Cable Kit allows the cable to safely separate from the reel
when cable has completely payed out and a load of 500 pounds is
applied to the cable. This safety feature is required on all sounding
reels operated by the USGS. A technical information sheet that
provides installation instructions, is provided with each kit. .
.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-068 |
10" Cable Breakaway Kit |
0.5 lb. |
The components for this kit allow
0.125" cable to break with a load up to 500 lbs. and has the same
installation requirements.
|
Item No. |
DESCRIPTION |
WEIGHT |
|
104-069 |
125" Cable Breakaway Kit |
0.5 lb. |
TOP
|
