Home » H3 Weighted Hydrophone

H3 Weighted Hydrophone

Leak finding hydrophone. Resistant to motion noise. Weighted to sink hydrophone.

Aquarian Audio SKU: H3dX6-WT
$349.00
Type

No Weight: Hydrophone is close to neutral buoyancy.

Weight installed: 150-gram adjustable cable weight. Secured to cable with compression thumbscrew. Permanently installed, but can be moved up and down the length of cable and locked into desired position. Assists in sinking the hydrophone and dampens vibrations in cable. Low-drag shape. Placing mass on the cable (rather than on the hydrophone) minimizes acoustic reflections and minimizes the likelihood of damage to hydrophone when dropped. Weight can also serve as a point to clamp flooded rubber tube for control of flow noise around hydrophone while towing. Stainless Steel with rubber collet and plastic thumbscrew. OD = 25mm.
Signal Conditioning
Connector
Cable Length
Note: only certain combinations of signal conditioning and connector are possible
  • Mechanically balanced dual-element design reduces motion and handling noise
  • Designed for plumbing and leak detection applications requiring insertion into pipes and fittings
  • High sensitivity

  • Directional sensing with two laterally oriented elements facing 180° apart

Datasheet

We are committed to prompt service. Many standard hydrophone variants are kept in stock and often ship the next business day. Custom builds are frequently completed within one week, depending on quantity and configuration.

We ship worldwide using trusted carriers including UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS. Shipping rates are calculated at checkout. International customers may be responsible for import duties, taxes, or brokerage fees assessed at delivery by their country and carrier.

Transit times and customs clearance can occasionally cause delays outside our control. Customers using their own courier account, freight forwarder, or uninsured shipping methods assume additional responsibility once the shipment leaves our facility.

For complete details on shipping methods, insurance, international shipments, delays, freight forwarding, and liability terms, please see our full Shipping Policy.
  • Aquarian made products are backed by a 1-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal use.
  • Resold products manufactured by third parties may be covered by the original manufacturer’s warranty, where applicable.
  • Returns of unused, like-new products are generally accepted, subject to inspection and approval.

Please review our full policies for details on custom products, misuse conditions, returns, exclusions, and limitations.

The H3 is our most compact hydrophone, designed for plumbing and leak detection applications requiring insertion into pipes and fittings. Its mechanically balanced dual-element design provides high sensitivity while reducing motion and handling noise. The H3 can also be used as a waterproof microphone in industrial environments where dust and coolant exposure limit the reliability of conventional microphones.

Microphone Power and Connector

1/4″ TS (Tip-Sleeve) Mono Phono connector (H3nP)

 

Raw sensor output with no integrated electronics.

Common on high-Z inputs (high input impedance) on instrument amplifiers.

BNC connector, passive (H3nB)

 

Raw sensor output with no integrated electronics.

Common on test and measurement devices, such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and data acquisition devices (DAQs).

3.5 mm (1/8") TRS connector with Plug-in Power (H3dM)

 

Integrated preamplifier to enable compatibility with powered microphone inputs.

Plug-in bias Power (e.g. 2-5V through approximately 2.2k-ohm per channel), common in microphone inputs on: recorders, computer sound interfaces, microcontrollers, radio transceivers, video cameras, etc.

XLR connector with Phantom power (H3dX)

 

Integrated preamplifier to enable compatibility with powered microphone inputs.

Phantom power bias (e.g. 48V or 24V), common in professional audio equipment.


Non-Removable Weight Option

The H3 hydrophone can be optionally assembled with our WT150g sliding stainless steel weight assembly for sinking the hydrophone. There are several advantages to placing the weight on the cable rather than building it into the hydrophone:

  • When the hydrophone is dropped, the cable flexes and deflects that impact away from the hydrophone.
  • It dampens vibrations in the cable that would otherwise be induced into the hydrophone signal as acceleration noise.

These attributes are especially useful to the leak detection specialist.

Custom Cable Length

H3 can be customized up to 300 meters. Longer is possible but please inquire to discuss your application. Long cable lengths can reduce high-frequency response due to cable capacitance effects, particularly in applications requiring extended bandwidth. Consider cable capacitance, input impedance, signal conditioning, and required bandwidth.

The H3 has three distinctly different specifications depending on configuration and use.  Raw sensor output, and integrated electronics when powered by plug-in power circuits or phantom power circuits.

In all cases, the output impedance of the H3 is set by circuit with which the hydrophone is used. This also means that there is no fixed gain, frequency response, or bandwidth across all devices and use cases. Therefore we do not publish detailed response plots for this design, and offer the following specifications with caveats of the specific conditions there were derived.

Raw Sensor Output (H3n)

The following specifications are based on typical response when the hydrophone is driving a high-impedance input:

Sensitivity
-192 dB re: 1V/µPa (+/- 5 dB 20 Hz–10 kHz)
Useful range1
10 Hz to 100 kHz
Approximate sensitivity @100 kHz = -230 dB re: 1V/µPa
Nominal capacitance
15 nF

Integrated Preamplifier with Plug-in Power (H3dM)

The following specifications are based on typical response when using the H3dM with typical microphone plug-in power:

Sensitivity
-182 dB re: 1V/µPa (+/- 5 dB 20 Hz–10 kHz)
Useful range1
10 Hz to 100 kHz
Approximate sensitivity @100 kHz = -220 dB re: 1V/µPa
Output impedance
1.1 kΩ (depends on mic preamp)
Power
0.7mA at 2 V compliance voltage

Notes: there is no standard for plug-in power, performance can vary significantly. We've found this configuration to be most common: a compliance voltage of 2.5 V and bias resistor of 1.1 kΩ (two channels at 2.2 kΩ each, 2.2 mA.

Integrated Preamplifier with Phantom Power (H3dX)

The following specifications are based on typical response when using the H3dX with 48V phantom power:

Sensitivity
-176 dB re: 1V/µPa (+/- 5 dB 20 Hz–10 kHz)
Useful range1
10 Hz to 100 kHz
Approximate sensitivity @100 kHz = -220 dB re: 1V/µPa
Output impedance
6.8 kΩ (typical)
Power
1.2 mA (typical)


Notes: There are different voltage options for phantom power, as well as different internal resistance embodiments.  We've found the following to be most common: 48V with 6.8k Pull-up resistors.

1 Please note that we have specified a very wide useful range for this hydrophone because they are often used for simple detection and timing applications with high-amplitude ultrasound devices, such as acoustic beacons and anti-fouling systems. Take special note that sensitivity is substantially reduced at high frequencies. Note the linear range in the sensitivity specification. If needing a broadband hydrophone, consider the S1.

Shared

Polar response
Omnidirectional (<10 kHz)
Operating depth
<80 meters
Operating temperature
-10 to 65 °C
Dimensions
17 mm × 32 mm (cable and output plug excluded)
Mass
10 grams
Specific gravity
1.3
Cable
4.5 mm OD low-noise cable with tough urethane jacket