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Holt Systems

Power gone at the bore? A power outage notification device texts you

We fit battery-backed sensors at the bore and a gateway at the tank. When the power drops, your phone gets a text, no wifi needed.

  • WatchesMains, generator, pump current
  • You getA text and email, no wifi
  • Sends byStarlink or 4G from the tank
Get a quote for bore power alerts See the SMS alerts or call 07 2150 3666
Bore 4 alerts

  1. 12:03 am

    Bore 4 mains lost for 2 min. Pump stopped. Tank 20,000 L full. Check supply.

  2. 12:08 am

    Bore 4 no generator run signal after 5 min. Sent to all nominated people.

  3. 6:10 am

    Bore 4 mains restored after 6 h 07 min. Pump current present. Tank refilling.

Example alerts from this system

up to 70 L

A dry cow can drink up to 70 L a day at 32 °C, so a tank empties fast.

Source: FutureBeef (Queensland DAF and Meat & Livestock Australia)

about 65,000 km

Ergon Energy looks after about 65,000 km of SWER line, about 40 per cent of its network.

Source: ESD News

up to 30%

A Winton stock agent reported mobile coverage down by up to 30 per cent after the 3G shutdown.

Source: North Queensland Register

The power drops at midnight and the bore is 60 km from the house

When the power goes at a bore, the tank is the clock. A power outage notification device has to reach you in minutes, from a spot with no wifi and often no phone signal.

A fault on the SWER line stops every bore downstream, and the fix is Ergon's job. A generator that won't start leaves you in the same boat.

  • Hours to empty is tank size divided by what the herd drinks a day, times 24.

How long 20,000 L lasts 500 head

  • 500 head, 20,000 L usable, no inflow, power lost at midnight.
  • Alerted: text at 5 minutes, then a 2 hour drive.
  • Found: the 6 am bore run, arriving at 8 am.
45 L a head, beef average: empty after21.3 h
60 L a head, beef peak: empty after16.0 h
70 L, dry cows at 32 °C: left on arrival, alerted or found11.6 h or 5.7 h

Alerted, you get there with 11.6 to 19.3 hours left. Found on the bore run, only 5.7 to 13.3. The drive, the repair and the refill all have to fit inside the smallest number.

How a power outage notification device works at the bore and tank

Power outage notification device without wifi at a station bore and tank Cross-section of a station water point, not to scale. A SWER pole supplies a switchboard beside a bore with an electric pump in the aquifer. A generator and a solar array are shown as the alternative supplies. Orange sensor dots mark the incoming supply at the switchboard, the generator run signal and the pump current. A buried pipe rises to a 20,000 L tank on a stand. Beside the tank, a gateway on a mast with a Starlink dish receives the sensors by LoRaWAN radio and sends an SMS to nominated phones. A trough line runs from the tank to troughs in two paddocks. Below, a chart of tank level against hours after supply is lost at midnight, for 500 head. The level falls in a straight line from full to empty after about 14 hours at 70 litres per head a day, 16 hours at 60 litres and about 21 hours at 45 litres. A shaded band marks an assumed drive to the bore of up to 3 hours. The SMS target of under 5 minutes sits at the start of the chart. Station water point, not to scale Aquifer SWER pole Generator Solar Switch board Bore and electric pump Gateway Starlink SMS to nominated phones Orange dots mark sensors LoRaWAN 20,000 L tank Trough line to two paddocks Tank level after supply is lost at midnight 500 head, 20,000 L usable, no inflow SMS target: under 5 minutes Drive to bore, up to 3 h (assumed) Full Empty 0 h 6 h 12 h 18 h 24 h 70 L per head a day: empty at 14 h 60 L per head a day: empty at 16 h 45 L per head a day: empty at 21 h
Cross-section of a station water point, not to scale. Orange sensors at the switchboard, generator and pump feeder send by LoRaWAN radio to the gateway at the tank, which sends the SMS by Starlink. A chart shows tank level falling for 500 head after power is lost at midnight.
  1. 1

    Sensors watch the power

    A battery-backed sensor watches the mains at the switchboard. Others watch the generator run signal and the pump current.

  2. 2

    Radio to the tank

    Each sensor sends by LoRaWAN (long range wide area network) radio to a gateway at the tank, on battery or solar.

  3. 3

    Starlink or 4G sends the text

    The gateway sends out by Starlink where it can see the sky, or by 4G where the signal's good.

  4. 4

    Gone quiet? That's an alert too

    If the gateway stops checking in, the cloud raises a site silent alert after 50 minutes.

What lands on your phone when the power goes

Bore 4 tank level after power loss

Dashboard view

Mains at bore
Lost
Generator run
Not running
Tank level
15 kL
0 10 20 Refill must be under way 12 am4 am8 am12 pm4 pm kL
500 head at 60 L a day (FutureBeef beef peak), 20,000 L usable, no inflow. Planning figures only.

What we fit at the bore and the tank

  • Mains loss sensor

    Watches the incoming power and keeps sending after the mains drops.

    Battery backed

  • Pump current clamp

    Tells you whether the pump is pulling current.

    Alert after 2 min absent

  • Generator run input

    Reads a dry contact to see if the generator is running.

    Escalates after 3 to 5 min

  • Gateway at the tank

    Picks up every sensor by radio, on battery or solar.

    Heartbeat every 20 min

  • Starlink backhaul

    Sends the text out where the dish can see the sky.

    4G where signal is good

Today versus with a power outage notification device

TopicTodayWith monitoring
Finding outA dry trough or the next bore runA text within minutes of the power dropping
Phone coverageA mobile alarm can drop out with the powerRadio to the gateway, then Starlink or 4G out
Generator failureFound when someone drives outNo run signal alerts everyone on the list

On a station water point

We check the power at each bore (SWER, generator or solar) and test the radio and the Starlink view of the sky. A Meat & Livestock Australia trial reported hills limiting coverage from one installation.

Want to know how hard each pump is working? Add bore pump run hours. Add bore pump surge protection to hear when a surge device has failed.

For the pump itself, see bore pump monitoring. For bore water quality, see bore water salinity.

Cattle grazing a misty valley paddock lined with gum trees
Illustrative photo. Photo: Daniel Akselrod on Unsplash

What it costs

We fix the price after a short scoping call or a site visit. It depends on how many sensors, how far the bore is from the gateway, and how it gets out.

Get a quote for bore power alerts

The fixed price covers

  • Sensors at each supply you want watched
  • Gateway, battery and Starlink or 4G backhaul
  • Installation and electrical work under QLD Electrical Contractor Licence 1513082
  • Alert set-up, who gets the text and the order they're called
  • Ongoing support and a weekly test message

What this alert won't do

  • It tells you the power or the backup has failed. It won't start a generator or refill a tank.
  • LoRaWAN suits alerts and records, not control or certified safety systems, and readings stop outside gateway range.
  • The gateway battery doesn't last forever. A long outage can end in silence, which is why we add the site silent alert.
  • The text only reaches phones with coverage. Alerts reach your nominated people. We support the system behind them.

With you every step

How the five stages go on a station water point.

  1. 1

    Discovery

    We look at the power at each bore, note tank size and drive time, and test the radio and Starlink view of the sky.

  2. 2

    Design

    You get a written scope: sensors, gateway, battery, backhaul, who gets the texts, and your hours to empty table.

  3. 3

    Build and test

    We bench test the sensors, gateway and alert rules, including a mains loss test, before anyone drives out.

  4. 4

    Install and commission

    We do the electrical work under Licence 1513082, isolate the supply safely, then time the text on your phones.

  5. 5

    Ongoing support

    We confirm who gets the texts, the call order and the weekly test message, and set up ongoing support.

Why Holt Systems

We design, install and commission every system ourselves, then look after it with an ongoing support plan. Monitoring supplements the site's own control, protection, fire and safety systems; it does not replace them.

Alerts
SMS to any phone, no app
Based in
Brisbane, QLD
Electrical licence
QLD 1513082
After install
Ongoing support plans
Call
07 2150 3666

Station power outage alert questions

Will it alert me if there's no phone coverage at the bore?

Yes. Sensors send by radio to the gateway at the tank. It sends out by Starlink or 4G. The phone getting the text needs coverage, so we set up two people.

What if the outage takes out the gateway too?

The gateway and Starlink run from a battery or solar. If the link drops anyway, the missing heartbeat raises a site silent alert after 50 minutes. An example 1,024 Wh battery runs an assumed 30 to 45 W load for 23 to 34 hours.

Can it tell me the generator didn't start?

Yes, if the generator controller has a run contact or we can clamp the output current. Mains lost with no running signal after 3 to 5 minutes goes to everyone on the list. It won't start the generator. Changeover work stays with a licensed electrician.

How long does a 20,000 L tank last for 500 head?

About 21 hours at 45 L a head a day, 16 hours at 60 L and 14 hours at 70 L (FutureBeef intake figures), full tank, no inflow. Your tank, herd and weather change it, so we work out your own water points.

How far from the tank can a bore be?

The LoRa Alliance reports up to 15 km in good rural conditions. A Meat & Livestock Australia trial reported hills limiting coverage. We test each bore. One out of range needs its own gateway.

Sources

  1. Water requirements for cattle, FutureBeef (Queensland DAF and Meat & Livestock Australia)
  2. SWER still going strong, ESD News
  3. Queensland agents face 30 per cent coverage drop post 3G shutdown (20 February 2025), North Queensland Register
  4. Starlink vs Telstra: remote cattle farms internet switch (February 2025), North Queensland Register
  5. Telstra boosts mobile site power resiliency ahead of disaster season (4 November 2021), Telstra
  6. Understanding the value of farm specific sensors with LoRaWAN (2019 to 2020 trial), Meat & Livestock Australia
  7. A smart work tool on a remote outback cattle station (Kalala Station, Northern Territory), Beef Central
  8. About LoRaWAN, LoRa Alliance

Get a quote for bore power alerts

Tell us what you need to watch and where. We confirm the sensors, gateway location and alert recipients, then give you a fixed price.

Or email hello@holtsystems.com.au

Your details are handled in accordance with our privacy policy.

  1. 1

    Tell us about the site

    A few lines on the assets, distances and what you need to know about.

  2. 2

    A call to scope it

    We confirm the sensors, gateway location and alert recipients, and whether a site visit is needed.

  3. 3

    Fixed price

    You receive a defined scope and a fixed price before any work starts.

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