IPX8 is not enough

[Chloe]

Reading accounts of lights failing^[1][2] when they should be waterproof led me to look further into what IPX8 means at minimum.

Here is a nice breakdown of ingress protection rating:
http://www.ce-mag.com/archive/06/ARG/bisenius.htm

Relevant parts:

Ratings IPX7 and IPX8. Tests for the ratings IPX7 and IPX8 address the possibility of moisture ingress from submersion in water. For IPX7 testing, the sample is submerged for 30 minutes. The lowest point of the enclosure should be 1000 mm below the surface of the water, and the highest point at least 150 mm below the surface. For IPX8, the test time and submersion depth are according to the manufacturer’s specifications and must be marked on the product (for example, “submersible for up to 1 hour at a depth up to 2 meters”).

Simply put, a manufacturer can submerge a light in a 2 metre deep tank (water at room temperature) for one hour to gain IPX8. It does not cover changes in temperature or pressure over time.

Additionally, IPX8 rating doesn’t mean it is IPX5 or IPX6 (high pressure water jet). But one can understand why light manufacturers aim for IPX8.

Some of the uses may even require military-grade compliance, such as MIL-STD-810 specifically temperature shock, rain, and humidity.

Anyway, I think more rigorous testing is required of lights aimed for use in dire conditions.

Here is a nice video of a waterproof testing machine (Lisun JL-X), capable of performing tests grades IPX1, IPX2, IPX3, IPX4, IPX5, IPX6, IPX7 and IPX8:

JL-34 Waterproof Tester

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1. REVIEW (IN PROGRESS): EagleTac TX25C2 XM-L2 U2 ↩︎

2. EA4 didn’t survive labor day weekend! ↩︎

[borked]

IS the UK weather that bad ?

[Chloe]

@borked

IS the UK weather that bad ?

Yes, as you may know it can be quite miserable although it is sunny today!

[kreisler]

@Chloe

Reading accounts of lights failing[1][2]

dang Chloe how did you do this with the links inside the same post??

[Chloe]

Drupal supports footnotes :bigsmile:

[Tumbleweed48]

I suppose a Chinese manufacturer can label his product with anything he wants - what are the consequences if you are XYZ Flashlights in Guangdong and are over enthusiastic in your labelling? I would assume nothing at all.

If a lot of people complain and you lose sales, you just change the design slightly, change the name to ZXY Flashlights and carry on.

Nowadays black plastic can be labelled HAIII / IPX8. Just throw an O-ring and a $.05 lanyard in the box to impress the suckers.

[Chloe]

Very true. I wonder how many type III are actually type II or even I. With cheap lights it’s not so much a problem but premium brands like EagleTac, Fenix, Zebralight, Nitecore, Crelant; we should expect some honesty.

[borked]

@kreisler

@Chloe

Drupal supports footnotes!

o i c thx

i give up

u win :bigsmile:

oh and please don’t call Crelant a premium brand!! :drunk:

Would you rather bespoke ?

[borked]

But but, what’s your point ?

[kreisler]

[B42]

Chloe, you mean you dont trust Trustfire’s specs? Trust is even in the name

[lightme]

I’ve got a couple C12s that came with rattling 1.6mm thick lens when they should’ve been 2mm and wrong or missing O-rings. Once those issues were addressed, they took quite a bit of force to assemble.