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Old 19-10-2007, 03:52   #1
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WATERPROOF ?

There are three widely-used standards of enclosure ratings. One was created by NEMA (the National Electrical Manufacturers Association), another by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), and the The JIS (Japan Industrial Standards ) for water resistance
***

The NEMA types most relevant to marine equipment include 3, 4, 6, and 6P.

NEMA 3 enclosures protect against rain, snow, and sleet, as well as light splashing and airborne dust and debris. Think of type 3 as a basic indoor-outdoor enclosure.
NEMA 4 adds protection against hosedown and heavier splashing, which makes it suitable for placement on a ship's deck.
NEMA 6 is similar to type 4, but adds protection against temporary submersion at limited depth. This is useful for areas of a ship that may dip under the surface, or be subjected to crashing waves.
NEMA 6P is protected against prolonged submersion, giving it the most complete resistance to water damage of all NEMA enclosure types.
***

The IP (International Protection) Rating System classifies the degree of protection from solid objects, and liquids afforded by electrical equipment and enclosures.

First Number
Protection against solid objects

Second Number - Protection against liquids
0 no protection
1 protected against vertically falling drops of water (e.g. condensation)
2 protected against vertically falling drops of water up to 15̊ from the vertical
4 protected against water sprayed from all directions limited ingress permitted
6 protected against strong jets of water—limited ingress permitted (e.g. for use on ship decks)
7 protected against the effects of temporary immersion between 15 cm and 1 m
***

The JIS (Japan Industrial Standards) for water resistance uses a scale from 0 to 8 to quantify the level of moisture protection built into each product.

JIS-0: No special protection.
JIS-1: Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect (drip-resistant 1).
JIS-2: Dripping water at an angle up to 15 degrees from vertical shall have no harmful effect (drip-resistant 2).
JIS-3: Falling rain at an angle up to 60 degrees from vertical shall have no harmful effect (rain resistant).
JIS-4: Splashing water from any direction shall have no harmful effect (splash resistant).
JIS-5: Direct jetting water from any direction shall have no harmful effect (jet resistant).
JIS-6: Direct jetting water from any direction shall not enter the enclosure (watertight).
JIS-7: Water shall not enter the enclosure when it's immersed under defined conditions (immersion-resistant).
JIS-8: The equipment is usable for continuous submersion in water under specified pressure (submersible).
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Old 19-10-2007, 18:29   #2
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The test can be different.

2 items - Garmin 76cx and the Raymarine Autopilot remote.

The Garmin 76cx has a hole in it where the chip goes and lets water into the electonics. The Raymarine does not and to change the batteries you need to take out 2 screws and pry off the cover that has a o-ring.

Same rating. Buyer beware!!

Some units are only rated for the front and not the back.
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Old 19-10-2007, 18:50   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynx View Post
Buyer beware!!

Some units are only rated for the front and not the back.
Thanks for the warning.

Front vs back must be for surface mounted stuff otherwise it is a bunch of bull s**t for sure.
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Old 20-10-2007, 05:35   #4
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Although the product brochures for the Garmin 76cx tout the GPS as “Waterproof”, such claims are meaningless.

In common use (vernacular) WATERPROOF means not permitting the passage of, impervious to, or unaffected by water.
In engineering, more rigorous definitions, such as provided by the standards (previously listed and/or other) are required.

The actual specifications read:
Water resistant: IEC 60529 IPX7 standards
• Unit floats when dropped in the water (which doesn’t mean “waterproof”, just less dense than water)

The first digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts, and the ingress of solid foreign objects.

The digit “X” indicates no protection rating against the noted hazard.

The second digit indicates the level of protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of water.

Hence, the IPX7 designation means the GPS case has no rating for solids, but can withstand accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.

*Note: Garmin typically uses the IEC-529 spec for the design spec for water protection level for their line of GPS equipment. Marine rated GPS equipment is usually tested to IPX7.
An IPX8 designation would be for continuous underwater use.
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Old 20-10-2007, 06:10   #5
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Gord, nice start.

I have a watch that was rated "waterproof" several years before our FTC ruled that consumer market goods can only be rated "water resistant to xx feet" or "xx atnospheres". Now, the watch companies often rate their products as waterproof to "xx g's" meaning "gravities". The force of water impacting an o-ring seal is measured as a g-force, the same way that swinging your arms around would increase g-forces like a centifuge sled ride.

AFAIK the only thing I want to see next to a "waterproof" claim is a specific explanantion of what it means, because there are too many standards for me to memorize them. And that's without even touching mil-spec, surely there are mil-spec standards too.<G>
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