Slocum One-Pager¶

Quick-reference notes for common Slocum operations. This page grows over time — add notes as new important reminders are identified.

Power-up¶

Never power up a shallow glider without a vacuum.

External Power¶

Never power on a glider with more than 16.3 VDC from an external power supply.

Powering Down¶

Never pull the green plug or external power without first issuing exit and getting the glider's confirmation — it can corrupt the file system.

If the emergency battery is left latched (main battery disconnected without a clean exit), the BMS board sounds a buzzer until the glider is powered back up and exited properly.

Lab-Only Modes¶

Never deploy a glider that is still in lab_mode.

Never exit to Pico on a deployed glider.

Air Bladder Before Disassembly¶

Deflate the air bladder (put c_air_pump 0) before disassembling the glider.

Sealing Surfaces¶

Keep hull sealing surfaces and O-ring grooves free of debris and sharp tools — damage means a leak risk and a mandatory pressure test before the glider is operational again.

G2 vs. G3 O-Rings¶

G2 and G3 hull O-rings are not interchangeable — a G2 ring (G-024) will not close a G3 hull (304697).

CTD Dry-Run Limit¶

Never run the pumped CTD (Seabird SBE) dry for more than 30 seconds at a time.

Software Updates¶

Always read the release's readme.txt before updating glider software — and simulate afterward if possible.

Source

Paraphrased from the Slocum G3 Glider Operators Manual, the Slocum G3 Glider Maintenance Manual, and the Teledyne Webb Research user forum. Always defer to the official Teledyne documentation for your specific glider.