What are ATEX radios?
ATEX radios are designed to protect employees in potentially dangerous oil, gas, mining and chemical environments where atmospheric explosions may occur. The ATEX certification is an EU standard (Appareils destinés à être utilisés en ATmosphères EXplosibles) designed to ensure that electrical equipment including radios and accessories do not provide an ignition source such as a spark that might cause an explosion. These are known as intrinsically safe radios as they meet stringent health and safety rules to protect workers, the facilities, the surrounding population and the wider general environment.
ATEX radios have particular properties to set them apart from standard waterproof and rugged radios. They do not release sufficient electrical or thermal energy under normal conditions to ignite hazardous material such as fuel, fibres, dust and gas.
Each element of the radio including batteries, circuit boards, casing and antennae are designed to be as safe as possible, with shielded connections and anti-static shells.
ATEX Compliance
For a radio to meet ATEX standards it must meet the following considerations:
- Devices must be able to cope with extreme temperatures ranging from +45°c to -20°c.
- Devices also have to be resistant to sand, dust (including metal dust), oil/fuel, chemicals and water
- Devices need to be thoroughly tested for resistance to thermal shock (the ability to withstand sudden changes in temperature) and thermal cycling (the effects of alternating heat and cold) to ensure their reliability.
- The equipment also needs to be rugged enough to withstand hits and drops. High levels of IP and MILSTD protection are therefore necessary.
Hytera offers both DMR and TETRA intrinsically safe two way radios which meet ATEX standards and also comply with IECEx standards, certifying they are explosion proof radios. Our ATEX radio range includes models which can operate in Zone (or 20), Zone 1 (or 21) and Zone 2 (or 22). These provide the perfect robust, reliable and intrinsically safe communication device for fire fighters and workers in oil and gas, petrochemical, mining and processing and manufacturing industries; such as flour and powder. They are also ideal for jobs involving the use or storage of hazardous liquids or gases at petrol stations, airports, ports and events.
ATEX Certified Radios
The PD715 Ex and PD795 Ex handheld radios are compliant with the open ETSI standard for DMR, the European ATEX Directives, the FM standard, the IEC standard for market leading performance. All the ATEX radios are MILSTD-810 C/D/E/F/G certified for resistance to drops, thermal shock and vibration and IP67 rated for dust and moisture protection. The easily identifiable, robust design provides reliable communication, even in hazardous environments where explosive gases and combustible dust are likely to occur.
PD715Ex – ib ATEX certified radio
The PD715Ex is an ATEX DMR radio with ib certification, for use in Intrinsically Safe Zones 1 and 2 areas where high or abnormal levels of hazardous product are present. Both the radio and battery are encapsulated to keep internal connections safe from gas and dust particles. A fail safe design also means that batteries and accessories that do not comply will trigger an alarm when connected to avoid compromising safety. The battery is protected from detaching with a patented battery locking system to prevent separation and exposure of contacts when knocked or dropped.
The PD715Ex has plenty of communication features too. DMR technology means the radio can operate on conventional analogue, Digital DMR mode or advanced MPT, XPT and DMR trunked radio set ups for maximum versatility and compatibility with other devices. This results in outstanding audio quality and noise cancellation so users can be heard in loud and harsh environments.
The PD795Ex ATEX DMR radio is also ib certified, and as with the PD715Ex it also complies with FM standards and IEC standards with IP67 rated protection against dust and water. The PDC795 Ex also features a High-strength LCD screen, protected by a scratch resistant cover which can withstand being struck by a 1 kg hammer. The display is easy to see in low light situations and includes an easy to use menu. The compact and large textured keys can be used with gloves on, in the dark and one handed, with a dedicated orange emergency button on top to raise the alarm.
PD795Ex (ib)
The PD795Ex ATEX DMR radio is also ib certified, and as with the PD715Ex it also complies with FM standards and IEC standards with IP67 rated protection against dust and water. The PDC795 Ex also features a High-strength LCD screen, protected by a scratch resistant cover which can withstand being struck by a 1 kg hammer. The display is easy to see in low light situations and includes an easy to use menu. The compact and large textured keys can be used with gloves on, in the dark and one handed, with a dedicated orange emergency button on top to raise the alarm.
Further worker safety features of the PD795Ex radio include lone worker monitoring to trigger a warning or alarm if the user has been abnormally inactive. The man down feature alerts the control room if a radio has been tilted past a certain angle to detect workers who may have fallen over, sustained an injury or are unconscious.
PD795IS (ia)
The PD795IS ATEX radio provides the highest grade of intrinsic safety, ‘ia’, certified for use in zone 0 environments where very high levels of hazardous product are continuously present. These Zone 0 ATEX areas include environments with long standing explosive mixed gases such as coal mines, power stations and methane plants. The PD795IS is one of the first DMR handsets in the world to achieve ‘ia’ classification, thanks to innovative design solutions including silicone encapsulation technology to provide triple protection of the internal circuits to ensure they are not exposed to intrusion by liquid, inflammable dust or explosive gas. The IP67 rated waterproof and dustproof cover stops dust intrusion and allows the radio to survive submerged in 1 metre of water for up to 30 minutes. The screen and full keypad provides functionality covering text messaging, programmable shortcuts and sending and receiving of notifications, with a battery life of up to 17 hours to accompany long shifts.
PT790Ex (ia)
The PT790Ex is an intrinsically safe TETRA two way radio, providing ia level intrinsic safety for operation in the most dangerous environments including those with explosive gas and dust. The PT790Ex offers secure TETRA voice and data services over Trunked or Direct mode (TMO or DMO) and also features GNSS to support GPS. GLONASS and Beidou tracking for maximum connectivity. As well as advanced communication features, the PT790Ex is built to an advanced specification with shielded PCB to minimise faults, a patented battery latch design and dustproof and waterproof IP67 rating.
ATEX radio accessories
A range of intrinsically safe accessories are available for the ATEX radios to extend functionality, adapt to situations and scale operations.
The Intrinsically Safe Swivel Earpiece with Microphone and PTT controls enable covert communications and elimination of background noise when listening and receiving.
The leather carrying case allows the radio to be worn around the neck or on a belt with swivelling clip, keeping the dry and easy to access.
Additional batteries are available to purchase to minimise downtime, featuring a capacity of 1800mAh and adopting the same Intrinsically safe principles as the original batteries. These can be charged using our charging units for batteries or handsets, allowing six radios / batteries to charge up simultaneously.
Other IP67 compliant waterproof and heavy duty radios
ATEX radios are specialist devices for the most dangerous environments, and you may not need an ATEX certified radio for your industry or application. We offer a range of rugged, dustproof and waterproof radios, bodycams and PoC handsets designed to stand up to the elements. Here are some of our most popular waterproof and rugged two way radios.
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