Two Way Radio Durability – What the IP Rating Means for You
If you are working in Canadian industries, your job is tough, and you put in long hard hours to get your job done. If you’re a two way radio user, you’re doing so for one or all of the following reasons – productivity, communication and safety. All of those reasons require a device that can hold up in not only the tough industries of Canada, but also the exposure to various environmental factors such as water, weather and dust.
If you’re looking to upgrade or purchase two way radios for your team, there are a number of things to consider – often times involving radio durability.
The IP rating on a two way radio (or Ingress Protection) is a rating that determines the particle and water resistance a technology has when exposed to various elements. The first digit is a solid resistance rating (such as dust, rocks etc.) and the second is water.
Let’s take a look at the various ratings that you often see in two way radios:
- IP54 – Anything with a ‘5’ at the beginning of the IP rating is dust proof, but not tight – meaning it’s protected from most dust particles, but not all. It is also protected against water spray.
- IP55 – Both protected from most dust particles and low pressure water jets from any direction.
- IP56 – Protected from dust particles and able to withstand high pressure water jets from any direction.
- IP57 – Protected from dust particles (again not all), and protected from water immersion between 15 cm and one metre in depth.
- IP67 – This is a completely dust proof radio option, with a waterproof rating of up to 30 minutes in three feet of water.
- IP68 – This is the cream of the crop for IP ratings for your radio. When you’re looking for something that’s both dust-tight (think the tiniest of particles) and waterproof (up to six feet of water for two hours), then this is the rating you’re looking for.
It’s important to note that the latest line of two way radios from Motorola, the “E series” radios, offers a number of options with both IP67 and IP68 ratings. This means that radio durability is truly a factor, and you have no need to worry when you’re using it in your industry.
If you’re looking at two way radios, you need to know you are using one that can hold up against the toughest user, and continue to provide communication when you need it the most. You may have looked at radios that claim to be waterproof or dust proof, but there could easily be various degrees of those claims, and that product may not be able to withstand being used around certain water sources or particles.
Motorola radio durability is the best in the industry. In addition to the options above, Motorola does Accelerated Life Testing on its products that ensure they can stand up to your demands on a daily basis and provide the unsurpassed quality you’ve come to expect.
Accelerated life testing includes extreme temperature tests, vibration and shock tests, rusting and corrosion tests, cable durability and reliability tests, and solar radiation tests.
And, with the latest in technology, you know you can rely on it when you need it the most. We often hear from our customers that they require more rugged technology for their industries – some require specific IP ratings for safety and protection, which our staff here at Nova Communications can help you to figure out.
Want more information about two way radios? Nova Communications has been in the business for more than 30 years and has the knowledge and staff to answer any and all of your radio questions. Contact us today for more information. Want to get a start on determining which two way radio is right for your team? Try out the FREE Radio Selector Guide below.
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