Before deploying a Fetch instrument for a long-term measurement campaign you want to confirm it is working nicely and to do this, there are some basic tests you can conduct. These include checking acoustic communications, battery status, that the sensors are working and for a Fetch with an acoustic release and/or AZA mechanism, checking those too. Fetch instruments aren’t fitted with display screens and they generally don’t have connectors to allow a computer to be plugged in, so how can you connect to a Fetch to run some basic testing?

When a Fetch is out of the water, there are a number of options for connecting to it:-

1. Using an iWand
2. Using Bluetooth
3. Using an RS232 test cable (if connector is fitted to Fetch, e.g. release option)
4. Using an acoustic transceiver.

We recommend using the first option since an iWand is suitable for all elements of testing and it is convenient. The table below summarises which elements of testing can be conducting when connecting to Fetch in different ways.

You can find out more about how to connect to Fetch with an iWand, Bluetooth, RS232 cable or acoustic transceiver by reading more Fetch knowledge base articles or watching the video below.