mm43,
the SSCVR ULB finished up getting itself half buried
Do you know that for a fact ?
One thing that surprised me was the statement that the pingers could only be detected by TPLs at a bit more than 1700m. Important variables necessary to asses the valididy of this statement are missing: I couldn't find acurate specifications for the TPLs on the net. Another essential variable was the noise intensity spectrum level around the pingers frequency. In this frequency band I think that rainshowers and, to a lesser degree the sea state play a major role. But rainshowers randomness may make detection rely on luck.