Using Moving Heads Outdoors – Why IP65 is Replacing Rain Covers

When organising an outdoor event or festival, the weather forecast is always the wildcard. Especially in the UK, a bright sunny day can turn into a downpour in a matter of minutes. Since standard moving heads aren’t designed to handle moisture, outdoor solutions used to be limited to rain covers or inflatable rain domes. But that’s all about to change.

Space, time and money

Entertainment lighting technology is evolving at breakneck speed, and we’re seeing fixtures with built-in IP65 protection ratings take over the market. And for good reason: they make covers and domes completely redundant. This is great news for lighting techs and rental companies, as those bulky covers and domes take up a lot of precious loading and transport space in the truck. You’re also faced with the choice of whether to buy these specific accessories for just a few outdoor gigs a year or rent them every single time. On top of that, setting them up on-site adds a significant amount of rigging time.

Safety and visual performance

The fixtures themselves also struggle with these transparent “protective friends”. Once a lamp is safely tucked away and running, you run into issues like heat build-up, as ventilation inside a dome is rarely ideal. Visually, it can also be a bit of a letdown. A sleekly designed stage with a heavy-duty truss construction loses its industrial charm when there are flapping plastic covers everywhere. Furthermore, condensation and raindrops on the plastic can ruin the sharpness of your beams. Perhaps the most important risk: if you decide to hang a standard (non-IP) fixture outside unprotected and it fails due to moisture, you can kiss your warranty goodbye. You’re essentially ignoring the manual, which specifies indoor use only.

IP65

The shift towards moving heads with an IP65 protection rating is a logical step. IP65 indicates that a device is dust-tight and resistant to water jets directed straight at the housing. This means you can rig the moving head directly onto the truss, plug in the (appropriate) cabling, and you’re show-ready. Your stage maintains its clean, professional look, and you’re fully covered for sudden rain showers. Additionally, if you opt for hybrid BSW fixtures (Beam, Spot, Wash), you’ll save even more space and weight in your lighting plan, as one fixture performs multiple roles.

Ayra Vision IP

For those looking to make the switch without breaking the bank, there is an extremely affordable solution: the Ayra Vision 250BSW IP. This set of two moving heads in a flight case offers unbeatable value for money, particularly for the rental market. Each unit weighs 23 kg and houses a powerful 250 Watt LED module (8000K). Thanks to the BSW functionality, you can effortlessly switch between razor-sharp beams, crisp spot projections, and atmospheric wash effects. Under the solid, weather-resistant hood, you’ll find all the professional features you need: a colour wheel with 7 colours plus open white, 8 fixed gobos, 7 rotating gobos, and a 3-facet rotating prism. With secure IP65 Seetronic 3-pin XLR and power connections, you can safely integrate them into your outdoor lighting rig. In short: a robust workhorse for almost any temporary outdoor production.

» More information: Ayra Vision 250BSW IP