Fremantle Ports in Western Australia had a problem. They had hundreds of buoys throughout the port waters but no good way to monitor the buoys’ status.
They needed a reliable method of retrieving buoy information like position, battery voltage, solar panel charging, light status, and equipment faults. Keeping tabs on the buoys is particularly important because maintenance crews use the information to maintain the buoys in a high state of performance.
Challenges
But the project also faced considerable challenges. The buoys are deployed over a wide area, with distances out to five nautical miles, and some locations are obstructed with objects preventing line-of-sight with the base station. The constantly moving buoys also operate in tough environmental conditions, complicating an already difficult application.
The port operator decided against cellular or GPS solutions because these involved recurring costs and third-party involvement, and lapses in connectivity were a potential problem.
That’s when integrator eProNAV recommended ESTeem’s Horizon 900 Series – the frequency fit within the required band, and ESTeem’s wireless MESH network ensured that connectivity wouldn’t be a problem. The port finally had a high-powered, high-speed Ethernet radio that met its needs.
Solutions
Starting with a five-unit pilot around two years ago, the wireless network is now up to 50 installed radios, with more to come, eventually covering hundreds of square miles. Since the pilot began, the Horizon 900 Ethernet radios have operated without incident.
The project highlighted other ESTeem advantages, including our superior customer service. Using information gathered over the phone along with Google Earth plot points provided by eProNAV, we were able to provide the preliminary analysis over the phone. After delivering the RF design, we helped eProNAV with configuration issues, plugging into the Ethernet network remotely and reprogramming the system in Australia without leaving the office.
Our industrial-hardened NEMA 4 case also plays a role in the project’s success. “We are using the radios on marine navigation buoys deployed in harsh sea conditions with storms and high seas, and the radios perform extremely well,” said eProNAV’s Pete Dolan.
The application is unique for ESTeem, and our Horizon 900 Series Ethernet radios are a unique solution for the port’s needs – no one else can provide a MESH network in the 900 MHz frequency range.
Contact us today to find out how ESTeem can uniquely meet your wireless network needs.