MainPower New Zealand Deploys New Turnkey System

When MainPower required a replacement conventional radio system for its ageing 20-year-old AM system that would give guaranteed coverage and low operating costs, they looked to Tait to provide an effective and reliable solution.

MainPower New Zealand Ltd owns and operates the electricity distribution system throughout the North Canterbury, Kaikoura and Wigram regions in New Zealand. It also supplies line maintenance services to more than 30,000 customers.

The company's new system needed to be a platform for future upgrades, ensuring it could evolve with technology. So Tait installed a conventional network for MainPower, consisting of the flexible and high-performing TB8100 base station/repeaters and TM8110 mobile radios.

Three existing sites were upgraded and equipped with TB8100s in UHF and VHF bands, and a further two solar sites were built. Equipment batteries, solar panels, cabling and antennas were installed into the site enclosures.  Helicopters delivered equipment, fixtures and concrete to remote hilltop sites.

With such remote site locations, remote monitoring of the TB8100 base station/repeater has proven indispensable. This enables both MainPower and Tait to dial into the base station to check performance while any faults or error messages are sent through the alarm reporting email notification system.

Tait TM8110 mobiles the ideal choice

A total of 86 TM8110 mobiles were installed in the MainPower control centre and its trucks and vehicles, and more than 100 staff were trained in using the radios. MainPower uses mobile features such as scanning, horn honk and man down. 

Scanning ensures voice communications always get through while horn honk notifies field staff of any calls missed. Man down means the radio will automatically signal for help in the event of an emergency.

Better coverage across a wider terrain from a more reliable system makes it safer for field workers working on the lines.  Low operating costs and the flexibility to adapt the system in the future provided the answer to MainPower’s need for an economic and upgradable system.  

Excellent customer service was just as important to MainPower. “When Tait said they’d do something they did, and there was never a problem with something getting out of control and them backing away from it,” says Peter Hurford, Network Manager for MainPower.