Short answer: To close gaps in radio coverage along more than 20,000 km of Western Australian coastline, Marine Rescue WA moved to a radio over IP (RoIP) network built by Direct Communications. The equipment in each of the 44 rack servers is protected by a PowerShield Commander RT 2000VA UPS, chosen because it is expandable with additional battery modules as the system grows.
Outcome: constant connectivity for a 24/7/365 radio monitoring service, with room to add backup time later. The equivalent today is the Commander RT 2000VA (PSCRT2000) with the PSRTBB8 battery module. ARC IP Networks is a trusted PowerShield supplier in Australia: genuine stock at competitive prices, with the full PowerShield Australian warranty, Australia-wide delivery and trade pricing.
Project at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Client | Marine Rescue WA, with radio systems provider Direct Communications |
| Sector | Not-for-profit marine search and rescue (38 member groups, more than 1,400 volunteers) |
| Location | Western Australia: more than 20,000 km of coastline and surrounding islands |
| Challenge | Gaps in radio coverage; many groups could only monitor radios on weekends and public holidays |
| PowerShield solution | Commander RT 2000VA UPS protecting the equipment in each of 44 rack servers, expandable with battery modules |
| Key models | Commander RT 2000VA (PSCRT2000) + extended battery module (PSRTBB8) |
Source: PowerShield case study, Marine Rescue WA / Direct Communications.
Source: Powering Waves of Safety: PowerShield Boosts Radio over IP for Marine Rescue Services (PowerShield case study), published by PowerShield (powershield.com.au). This is a PowerShield project, summarised from PowerShield’s published case study. ARC IP Networks was not involved in the project; we supply the same genuine PowerShield models to Australian businesses.
The challenge: 24/7 radio cover for a whole coastline
Marine Rescue WA is a not-for-profit organisation representing 38 member groups and more than 1,400 volunteers. It works with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, WA Water Police and DFES Marine Services to keep mariners safe along more than 20,000 km of Western Australian coastline.
Its aim is a 24/7/365 radio monitoring service covering the entire WA coastline and surrounding islands. Feedback from volunteers and the boating public showed large gaps in radio coverage. Many groups could only offer weekend and public holiday service, and others did not have the volunteers to monitor radios at all. The organisation needed complete, safe and uninterrupted radio coverage for every area and every volunteer, at all times.
The solution: radio over IP, protected by the Commander RT
Radio over IP was chosen so radio traffic in less populated areas could be monitored, and incidents answered, by remote operators. Direct Communications, a Western Australian radio systems provider, built the system on Tait equipment, Omnitronics’ Omnicore Enterprise Dispatch software and the PowerShield Commander 2000VA UPS.
Because the communications in each of the 44 rack servers are critical, the UPS was central to the design: it protects the equipment and keeps connectivity constant. PowerShield’s case study notes that the expandable Commander RT 2000VA accommodated future system demands with additional battery modules.
Why the Commander RT 2000VA suits radio over IP racks
The design brief had two parts: protect sensitive comms gear now, and allow more backup time later. These Commander RT 2000VA specifications from PowerShield line up with both:
- Pure sine wave output with line-interactive topology and built-in boost and buck AVR. PowerShield positions it for networking, telecom and other mission-critical applications.
- 2000VA / 1800W with a 0.9 output power factor, in a 2U rack/tower chassis 480 mm deep (480 × 438 × 88 mm, 22 kg).
- Expandable: the PSRTBB8 extended battery module adds eight 12 V 9 Ah batteries in another 2U, 480 mm deep, so runtime grows without replacing the UPS.
- Hot-swappable batteries, programmable outlets, emergency power off (EPO) and an ECO mode that PowerShield rates at up to 98% efficiency.
- Remote visibility: USB and RS-232 as standard, NetGuard software included, and a slot for the optional PSSNMPV4 SNMP card, which suits unattended sites.
Warranty is 2 years, extended to 3 years when you register the UPS with PowerShield.
What the client said
“PowerShield has been an invaluable partner in ensuring the success and reliability of our critical communication project. With the stakes being as high as life and death, we needed the right protection and backup for our equipment. PowerShield not only covered our existing needs but also anticipated and met future demands for power and backup time. Collaborating with a fellow Australian company to support such an essential service was truly rewarding.”
What this means for your site
The pattern here is simple: one pure sine rack UPS per comms rack, sized for today and expandable for tomorrow. It fits Australian sites such as:
- Two-way radio and RoIP racks for volunteer emergency groups, councils, ports and marinas.
- Remote or regional comms cabinets where a site visit is a long drive, so runtime and remote alerts matter.
- Dispatch and control rooms that must stay on air during a blackout.
- Multi-site rollouts where you want the same UPS model, spares and battery module in every rack.
If your racks are shallower or you want online double conversion, the Centurion RT 2000VA Short Base (PSCERT2000SB) is also 480 mm deep and takes the same PSRTBB8 module. See our comms rack UPS guide for depth and rail planning.
Build the same setup with ARC IP
Every model in this case study maps to genuine PowerShield stock we supply today:
| In the case study | ARC IP equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Commander RT 2000VA UPS | PSCRT2000 | 2000VA / 1800W pure sine, 2U, 480 mm deep |
| Additional battery modules | PSRTBB8 | Extended battery module for PSCRT2000 and PSCERT2000SB |
| Remote monitoring (optional) | PSSNMPV4 | SNMP card: monitoring, alerts, scheduled shutdowns |
| Rack mounting | PSRK | Telescopic rails, 470 to 780 mm; not included with the UPS |
Model equivalents from PowerShield product pages. Check rack depth and load before ordering.
Genuine PowerShield for radio and comms racks
Live Australian pricing (inc. GST) and availability are shown on each product page.
Online double conversion, 480 mm deep, takes PSRTBB8.
Genuine PowerShield, supplied by ARC IP Networks
ARC IP Networks is a trusted PowerShield supplier in Australia: genuine stock at competitive prices, with the full PowerShield Australian warranty, Australia-wide delivery and trade pricing.
- Genuine PowerShield stock with the PowerShield Australian warranty, and warranty and RMA questions handled locally by our team.
- Australia-wide delivery, or free pickup from 6 George Street, Blackburn VIC 3130.
- Trade accounts for installers, integrators and MSPs, plus project and volume pricing on larger jobs.
- Pre-sales help on 1300 100 440 (Mon to Fri, 9 to 5 Melbourne time) or info@arcip.com.au.
Rolling out the same UPS and battery module across many racks? Ask about trade and volume pricing on 1300 100 440.
See the full PowerShield range at ARC IP Networks.
Common questions
Straight answers from the ARC IP Networks team. Last reviewed October 2026.
PowerShield’s case study names the PowerShield Commander RT 2000VA, installed by Direct Communications to protect the equipment in each of 44 rack servers.
The case study says the expandable Commander RT 2000VA accommodated future system demands with additional battery modules, so backup time can grow without replacing the UPS.
The PowerShield PSRTBB8 extended battery module. It holds eight 12 V 9 Ah batteries in a 2U, 480 mm deep chassis and also suits the Centurion RT 2000VA Short Base.
Yes. It is a line-interactive UPS with pure sine wave output, built-in AVR and a 0.9 output power factor, rated 2000VA / 1800W.
No. This is a PowerShield project delivered with Direct Communications. ARC IP Networks supplies the same genuine PowerShield models with the PowerShield Australian warranty.
Yes. Call ARC IP Networks on 1300 100 440 or request a quote for trade and volume pricing on PowerShield UPSs, battery modules and SNMP cards.
Planning radio or comms racks like this?
Send us your rack count, load and target runtime and we will quote the Commander RT, battery modules and SNMP cards.
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