IP65 covers rain, IP66 heavy spray, IP67 temporary immersion and IP68 continuous immersion at the maker's stated depth — but IP ratings say nothing about UV, salt fog or thermal cycling. Material (ASA or UV-stabilised PC, not plain ABS) and connector sealing usually decide whether an outdoor antenna survives five years.
IEC 60529 defines two independent digits — "IP67" is not a combined score, it is digit 6 (solids) plus digit 7 (liquids).
First digit — solids: 5 = dust-protected (some ingress, not enough to interfere); 6 = dust-tight.
Second digit — liquids:
| Level | Test | Typical outdoor meaning |
|---|---|---|
| IPX4 | Splashing water from any direction | Sheltered outdoor only |
| IPX5 | Low-pressure water jets, any direction | Rain and hose cleaning |
| IPX6 | Powerful water jets and brief flooding | Exposed coastal / industrial, wash-down |
| IPX7 | Temporary immersion — typically 1 m for 30 minutes | Flooding, temporary submersion |
| IPX8 | Continuous immersion at the depth and duration the manufacturer states | Permanent or repeated submersion — check the datasheet figures |
| IPX9 / IP69K | High-pressure hot water jets | Vehicle wash-down, food industry |
1. IP67/IP68 do not mean "works underwater". They mean the unit still works after being taken out of the water. A rating does not certify operation while submerged. 2. IP69K is not a better IP68. It tests a completely different hazard — dynamic jet force and thermal shock, not static underwater pressure. A deep-water-rated connector can fail a steam-jet test, and vice versa. Specify both if you need both. 3. IP68 has no fixed depth. It is whatever the manufacturer declares. Always ask for the depth and duration in writing. 4. IP ratings are tested on new samples. They do not account for UV ageing, thermal cycling, mechanical damage or adhesive failure. A part that passes IP67 in the lab can fail after one winter of freeze-thaw cycling.
| Environment | Minimum sensible rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Under an eave, sheltered | IP54–IP65 | Rain splash only |
| Exposed wall or pole, normal weather | IP65–IP66 | Rain and wind-driven spray |
| Exposed, with periodic pressure washing | IP66 | Powerful jets |
| Flood-prone, in a pit or below grade | IP67 | Temporary immersion |
| Meter pit that fills with water | IP68 — with the declared depth | Continuous immersion |
| Vehicle, food plant, wash-down | IP66 + IP69K | Hot high-pressure jets |
| Coastal / marine | IP66–IP67 plus salt-fog and UV data | Material matters more than the rating |
The radome is what the sun, salt and weather actually attack.
| Material | Outdoor behaviour | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| ASA | Excellent UV and weather resistance; retains colour and impact strength | Best default for long-life outdoor |
| UV-stabilised polycarbonate (PC) | Good UV resistance and high impact strength | Good choice — confirm the stabilisation level explicitly for tropical or desert deployments |
| ABS (standard) | Chalks, yellows and cracks under sustained UV | Avoid for permanent outdoor use |
| Fiberglass / glass-reinforced | Tough, weather-resistant, common for high-gain outdoor whips | Standard for mast and base-station whips |
| 316 stainless hardware | Excellent corrosion resistance in persistent salt fog | Specify for coastal and marine |
| 304 stainless | Meaningfully worse than 316 in salt fog | Indoor or inland only |
| Zinc-plated hardware | Not suitable for coastal or marine | Avoid |
Note that black pigment helps but is not a substitute for UV-stabiliser additives. Do not assume a black ABS housing is UV-stable.
Water enters an outdoor antenna assembly at three places: the bulkhead, the cable jacket, and the antenna base. Sealing only one of them is the classic mistake.
| Element | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Permanent outdoor feeder connector | N-type with weather boot, or a purpose-built sealed variant |
| SMA / TNC outdoors | Not appropriate for permanent exposure without extra protection — use an O-ring bulkhead plus adhesive-lined heat-shrink or a moulded boot |
| Cable-to-antenna joint | Gel-filled or fully potted where standing water or repeated submersion is possible |
| Self-amalgamating tape | A field fix, not a designed-in seal |
| Drainage | Leave a drip loop so water runs off instead of tracking along the cable into the connector |
1. UV exposure — expected service years under real sun. Ask for the stabilisation package and any accelerated weathering data. 2. Salt fog — essential for coastal, marine and roadside (de-icing salt) deployments. 3. Thermal cycling — outdoor surface temperatures can span −20 °C to +60 °C, and every cycle stresses the seals and the radome-to-base joint. 4. Freeze-thaw — water in a micro-gap expands about 9 % when it freezes, progressively opening the gap. This is why a lab-passing IP67 part can fail after one cold winter.
`` Where does water actually go? Rain / spray / flooding / submersion / pressure wash? → pick the liquid digit Is the site coastal, marine or roadside? → 316 hardware + salt fog data How many years in full sun? → ASA or UV-stabilised PC, not ABS Will it freeze? → continuous seal, not gasket compression alone Is the connector outdoors? → N-type + boot, or a sealed bulkhead + heat-shrink Is it on a vehicle or mast? → add vibration and wind loading to the spec ``
1. Specifying "IP67" and stopping there. The rating covers a new sample in a lab, not five years of UV and freeze-thaw. 2. Assuming IP68 means a fixed depth. It does not — read the manufacturer's declared figures. 3. Sealing the connector but not the base. Water tracks along the cable and enters at the antenna. 4. Outdoor SMA with no boot. It will corrode, and corrosion at the centre conductor shows up as rising VSWR long before it looks bad. 5. Forgetting the cable. A standard PVC-jacketed indoor cable will stiffen, crack and wick water. Use a UV-resistant outdoor jacket (PE) for exposed runs.
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