18 SEPT 2025 | 03:00 PM CET
Atlanta Instruments CC, a South African company led by Jan Raaths, specialises in precision water flow measurement solutions—including those with large-diameter pipes like the ones exceeding 6 metres in diameter at the Gariep Dam. Their technology plays a critical role in managing key components of South Africa’s water infrastructure.
The Gariep Dam, located on the Orange River near the bquotation of the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces, is South Africa’s largest dam, boasting a capacity of about 5.5 billion cubic meters. It serves as a vital source for irrigation, municipal water supply, and hydroelectric power generation. For such a major facility, accurate measurement of water flow is essential to efficiently manage resources and optimize power output.
For a project at Gariep Dam, Atlanta Instruments required a reliable wireless communication link to connect Zigbee-based flow sensors mounted along the dam wall to the control room monitoring systems. That’s where Inteto Connect, a long-standing POYNTING reseller, stepped in, providing expert antenna guidance and a fit-for-purpose wireless solution.
The project required transmitting sensor data from within enormous water pipelines to a central control office using Zigbee modems at 2.4 GHz. However, the installation presented several technical challenges:
With a mix of long and short distances, the team needed a solution that ensured consistent data transmission throughout the system.
After a detailed consultation with Jan Otto and Saadique Mentor from IntetoConnect, the following solution was proposed and implemented:
For shorter cable runs (~15 metres):
For longer cable runs (~45 metres):
While omni-directional antennas initially worked for the closer sensors, communication from the farther sensors only succeeded after installing the LPDA antennas with higher-grade cabling.
While the A-OMNI-0293-V1-01 antennas initially performed well, only two of the four sensors were able to transmit their signals successfully to the control room. This was due to signal degradation caused by the longer cable runs on the other two sensor points. To resolve this, LPDA-92 directional antennas paired with LMR-240 low-loss cable were installed. Once this was done, all four sensors achieved consistent and reliable communication with the control room.
Only Two Sensors Online
Initial setup using omni-directional antennas. Two sensors successfully connected; two failed due to long cable runs.
(Antennas: A-OMNI-293 | Cable: LMR-195)
All Four Sensors Online
Upgraded setup with directional antennas resolved signal loss. All four sensors now successfully connected to the control room.
(Antennas: A-OMNI-293 + A-LPDA-92 | Cable: LMR-195 and LMR-240)
The team also recommended switching to LoRa 868 MHz in future projects for extended reach and improved signal penetration, thanks to the lower frequency range.
“We are very satisfied with the performance of POYNTING antennas. The combination of omni and directional antennas ensured solid data transmission across our water flow monitoring points. We will continue using POYNTING for our future projects.”
— Jan Raaths, Owner, Atlanta Instruments CC
This case study highlights how choosing the right antenna for the job—combined with proper cable selection—can overcome environmental and installation obstacles, even in large-scale water infrastructure projects.
“We are very satisfied with the performance of POYNTING antennas. The combination of omni and directional antennas ensured solid data transmission across our water flow monitoring points. We will continue using POYNTING for our future projects.”
— Jan Raaths, Owner, Atlanta Instruments CC
This case study highlights how choosing the right antenna for the job—combined with proper cable selection—can overcome environmental and installation obstacles, even in large-scale water infrastructure projects.
This successful implementation was the result of close collaboration between:
If your business requires robust wireless communication in complex environments—such as utility management, infrastructure monitoring, or IoT—contact your local POYNTING partner to discuss a custom solution.
