How Waterproof is that Unit?

One of the first couple questions users often ask about tablets, lasers, or GNSS receivers is how waterproof it is, especially those in the Pacific Northwest!

As you can see with all the equipment that we sell, there is an internationally recognized rating provided on the specification sheets from the manufacturer.  This rating is known as the IP Rating (Ingress Protection or International Protection).  The Ingress Protection rating system is a classification system showing the degrees of protection from solid objects and liquids.  The first number refers to the protection against solid objects, normally dust in relation to testing Pocket PCs.  If the first number is 0, there is no protection provided.  A number 5 refers to limited protection against dust.  The number 6 is for total protection against dust.  The second number of the IP rating system refers to protection against liquids.  A 0 indicates no protection while an 8 indicates protection from water immersion beyond 1-meter depth for an amount of time specified by the manufacturer.

The equipment that we sell ranges from IP54 to IP68, meaning that they are protected from dust ingress ranging from “protected from limited dust ingress” to “protected from total dust ingress” for the first number.  Then protected from water ranging from as little as “protected from water spray from any direction” (or about a “foggy day”) to as much as “protected from long-term immersion up to a specified pressure (depth of water for a certain amount of time).  For example, the Arrow Gold RTK and Basic units are rated IP67, submersion 30cm for up to 30 minutes.

Below is a shortened version of the IP Rating table.