If the boxes are deep enough to be below the thermocline I wonder if that would disrupt detecting the pings.
Well if its deep in a trench the pings may not be going out in all directions. It may be distorted. So thats why I postulated that turning in a circle would eventually put you on the signal line.
Not that I think for a minute the plane went down out there. I think this stuff is all smoke and mirrors to cover up whats really going on.