Firehouse ARC V IP67 rated? Not so fast.

[Bad Santa]

Well, I bought 3 Firehouse ARC V lights for my drone.
I also am designing a holder for them. That's related.

Since I'm designing the holder, I'm looking at them very close. In fact, I used a set of 10X magnifier glasses I use for examining faulty circuit boards and such.

Well, what did I discover? I discovered there's a gap between the clear housing and the black housing. Big enough to slide a piece of paper into it and touch electrical components.

Now, I'm not expert (I have stayed at a Holiday Inn) but I don't think IP67 allows for water touching electronic components.

I can slip paper in both ends and I can see a void on one of the sides.

I'm not saying it's not a good product but I AM saying it's not IP67.

Being fair, the picture below id the RED one.
The GREEN one has a gap at one end I can see but it's a smaller gap.
The WHITE one doesn't appear to have any gaps.

HOWEVER:

All three have gaps at the button where water could easily pass to the circuit board.

 

[DoomMeister]

Any chance the components are conformal coated to keep water out? I can’t really determine from the photo.

 

[JoelP]

Even if it it has a conformal coating it is difficult to imagine that such a coating would continue to have no cracks under the vibration normal for a drone.

 

[Bad Santa]

The components have no coating.

 

[mavic3usa]

You just need to request the certification documentation and they should be able to provide it.

 

[MS Coast]

Well, what did I discover? I discovered there's a gap between the clear housing and the black housing. Big enough to slide a piece of paper into it and touch electrical components.

I just took a close look at my 3-year-old ARC V light and there are no gaps. The clear cover is sealed to the black case all around. Does yours reflect a design change? Defect?

You just need to request the certification documentation and they should be able to provide it.

That probably won't help close those potential leaky gaps.

 

[Bad Santa]

I just took a close look at my 3-year-old ARC V light and there are no gaps. The clear cover is sealed to the black case all around. Does yours reflect a design change? Defect?


That probably won't help close those potential leaky gaps.

Did you look around the button? I have open area there too.
2 of 3 have gaps between the clear and black housings. I think it's a manufacturing error and not a design change.
I'm not the type that enjoys chasing warranty issues but I might with this one. It's either that or I have to find a way to make them watertight (or live with them knowing I can't get them wet).

 

[DoomMeister]

Even if it it has a conformal coating it is difficult to imagine that such a coating would continue to have no cracks under the vibration normal for a drone.

We used conformal coating on the cruise control modules we built. They underwent much more extreme weather and vibration than being mounted on a drone. Most conformal coatings will not crack.

 

[MS Coast]

Did you look around the button? I have open area there too.
2 of 3 have gaps between the clear and black housings. I think it's a manufacturing error and not a design change.
I'm not the type that enjoys chasing warranty issues but I might with this one. It's either that or I have to find a way to make them watertight (or live with them knowing I can't get them wet).

There's a very small gap around the button, but I'm assuming there's a flexible membrane inside the case or some other means of preventing moisture from entering.