IP68 waterproof connector Raytech Betty 4

Raytech’s Betty 4, from the Little Joint L range, is an IP68 waterproof connector ready to install: I assembled it in the workshop on cable and terminal block, then closed the gel-prefilled housing over the connection.

Raytech documents IP68 as officially tested by IMQ, IP69K as officially tested, and electrical performance to CEI EN 50393 as applicable. My verdict after this assembly: 3.75/5, recommended for a buried or submerged junction within the stated cable limits.

Raytech sent me the Betty 4 with its sealing gels.

What the Betty 4 is (Little Joint L)

The Betty 4 belongs to Raytech’s Little Joint L range: gel-prefilled micro junctions, supplied with their connector. The 145 × 46 × 35 mm housing accepts up to 5 × 4 mm² and cables from 10 to 16 mm in diameter.

The packaging states IP68 officially tested by IMQ and IP69K officially tested, CEI EN 50393 compliance where applicable, non-toxic gel (not classified under the CLP regulation) and UL 94-HB fire resistance. The operating temperature reaches 90 °C, and installation is done from −40 °C to +50 °C.

The installation principle comes down to one sentence: the cables enter through the integrated cable glands, the conductors connect to the supplied terminal block, and closing drowns the connection in the gel. Nothing to measure out, nothing to pour, no mixing to prepare.

The Little Joint L range covers cross-sections from 2.5 to 16 mm², from a small lighting point to the power supply for a garden shed. Raytech publishes the housing dimensions and cable-diameter ranges by model in its Little Joint L catalogue; both must be checked against the actual installation.

I handled two distinct Little Joint L models: Betty/4 (up to 5 × 4 mm², cable Ø 10–16 mm) and the smaller Fred IP68 (3 × 2.5 mm², cable Ø 8–13 mm). The Fred photos show its own screw terminal block and gel; it is a separate model in the range.

For the choice between gels and enclosures, my test of the Raytech sealing gels details the two-part Magic Gel and the Wonder Gel, with the limits of each approach.

IP68 tested by IMQ, IP69K, CEI EN 50393: what that changes

The difference with a hand-poured joint is not the gel: it is the test. A box filled on site has no third-party validation of the assembly; the Betty 4 comes out of its packaging with ratings tested by IMQ.

The IMQ (Istituto Italiano del Marchio di Qualità) is an accredited Italian certification body. The mention « IMQ Officially Tested » means that the sealing tests were carried out by the body, not merely described by the manufacturer: that is what home pouring cannot produce.

The IP68 rating means protection against dust ingress (6) and immersion (8) under the test conditions specified for the enclosure. It is not an unlimited depth or duration guarantee. IP69K covers high-pressure, high-temperature water jets; neither rating replaces checking cable compatibility and correct closure.

EN 50393 compliance covers connection devices for cables; the UL 94-HB rating concerns the fire behaviour of the gel alone. Both values are documented in the range’s data sheet, as is the −40 °C to +50 °C range for installation and the 90 °C service temperature.

Look first at the markings printed on the packaging, then at how the cables pass through the housing: a tested product can be recognised by the stated ratings and the integrated cable glands.

The gel in the housing is non-toxic and not classified as hazardous under CLP: no special safety labeling on site, unlike some casting resins.

Raytech also states that the connector remains always re-enterable (« always re-enterable »): it can be reopened for access. After rework, check the closure and the cable entries against the instructions for the model.

My workshop assembly: cable, terminal block and gel

I assembled the Betty 4 in the workshop on cable and its terminal block. The connection, the gel, the closure and the reopening are what I can judge at the bench. Ageing in the ground is a different matter.

The assembly happens in the hand: the cables enter through the cable glands, the conductors connect to the white screw terminal block, and the pre-filled gel coats the connection when it closes. I checked the connection of two black cables to the terminal block, then the inside with the colored wires and the gel.

The inside confirms the principle: the colored wires are inserted into the terminals, the gel fills the rest of the volume, and closing floods the connection. No preparation, no mixing: the product comes out of the packaging ready to receive the conductors.

1 Screw terminals for the conductors Screw terminals for the conductors 2 Sealing gel around the connections Sealing gel around the connections

Inside the Betty 4

When you open it, the terminal block and the gel are easy to spot before closing it again: this cavity is what makes the connection waterproof.

1. 1 Screw terminals for the conductors
2. 2 Sealing gel around the connections

The grey Fred IP68 connector has a white screw terminal block that can be reopened and reconnected. After closure, some gel shows at the seam. That overflow is normal and says nothing about the seal: what counts is that the housing seats all the way round and that the glands grip the cable within the stated diameter.

The terminal block is tightened with a screwdriver, with the stripped installation cable in the background: each screw holds a conductor before the gel floods the whole assembly.

The terminal block seated in the gel shows the alternative version: the connection is flooded inside the Fred, and the wires remain accessible if any work is needed.

With the Fred closed, gel shows at the seam and the 2.5 mm² installation cable stays held by the connector.

Held in the hand, the closed connector with the terminal block inside shows gel at the edge and a cable entering its gland.

Open, filled with transparent Magic Gel and held in the hands, the Betty 4 shows its usable volume: the cavity fills up, the terminal block is submerged, and the connector closes over the gel.

Two practical observations stand out from this assembly. First, the order of operations matters: prepare the cables and the conductors before opening the housing, so as not to leave the gel or the terminals exposed unnecessarily.

Then I inspect the housing closure and cable entries: the parts must seat as designed and the glands must grip cables within the approved diameter range.

Raytech describes the product as always re-enterable. On my bench, reopening does give access to the terminal block again.

Prepare, install, close up: my workshop method

Before opening the housing, I prepare the lengths and line up the tools on a clean cloth: wire stripper, screwdriver, cable markers. The gel thus stays sheltered from the sand during preparation.

I start by identifying the conductors that look alike. On a lighting junction, two identical wires are easily confused: a marker placed before cutting avoids cross-connecting and having to redo the tightening.

Stripping comes next: I remove only the length needed for the terminal, without nicking the core. One nicked strand or loose strands hanging around the terminal, and the contact becomes unreliable.

The circuit is switched off before anything else: I lock out re-energisation and check for absence of voltage with the two-pole voltage tester before opening the box, never after. Opening without checking means a connection that can end up live in my hands.

Then comes tightening. Each conductor goes into its terminal, the screw is tightened with a screwdriver while holding the sheath, then I gently pull on each wire to check that it does not move. A conductor that moves is redone right away.

Before closing it up, I run a clean cloth over the rim of the box: a grain of sand on the seal and the closure may no longer seat properly. A clean rim and a fully seated closure count for more than the gel that escapes.

Finally, I count the connected conductors before closing up. A forgotten terminal is caught at that moment, not at the first fault.

My reservation: the screw terminal block

My reservation is the screw terminal itself, not a defect: I have not seen a Betty 4 come loose.

For a junction that will remain hard to access for years, I personally prefer, for an equivalent use, a spring connection rather than a connection whose clamping force is set manually by a screw. On the Fred screw terminal block shown in my workshop photos, I therefore take care with the initial tightening and check each conductor before closing.

That preference is the only reason my score is 3.75/5 and not 4.

Betty 4 or DIY pouring: two routes

To protect an outdoor joint, two routes are available on the market. The Betty 4 brings its terminal block and its gel in a pre-filled and tested enclosure; DIY pouring drowns generic terminals in a sealed box.

DIY pouring still has a place: it stays economical and quick on a box that’s already installed and whose lid you never close again. I do it with the Magic Gel in bottles, never with a cartridge from which I can’t get a reliable coating.

On an outdoor box, a small hole at the bottom lets condensation out. On a buried or submerged junction, no: the enclosure has to stay sealed, and drainage only applies where the manufacturer provides an approved method.

Prices and formats

Raytech doesn’t publish a list price for the Little Joint L range: the price must be requested from a trade distributor or via a quote. The formats range from the Barney (2 × 2.5 mm²) to the Tom (5 × 16 mm²), by way of the Betty/4 from the test (5 × 4 mm²) and the Betty/6 (5 × 6 mm²).

The Betty 4 is priced per connection: that’s its main cost, to be set against a DIY pouring that requires a box, gel and manual work. For a single buried joint, the extra cost is justified; for ten joints, the bill adds up fast.

The complete installation of an outdoor circuit, meanwhile, is costed elsewhere: the guide to installing an outdoor garden socket covers the location, the circuit and the tests before commissioning.

Choosing the reference in the range

The Little Joint L range reads like a grid: first the number of conductors to connect, then the cross-section, and finally the cable diameter. The three criteria are checked before purchase, in that order.

For a simple incoming supply, the Barney or the Fred are enough. As soon as four or five conductors are involved, the Dino or Betty boxes take over: the Betty/4 from the test covers five conductors in 4 mm², the Betty/6 steps up one notch in cross-section.

The diameter often decides the choice. A cable bigger than the box’s range must not be forced: the cable gland no longer grips properly. So I open the range as a table before ordering, to choose on the actual cross-section and diameter.

I move up to the next box size as soon as the cable reaches the top edge of the range, or as soon as a fifth conductor shows up. A wider box is more comfortable to work with, and the gel keeps material around each terminal.

Conversely, I don’t oversize for comfort: a box that is too wide for the cable centres less well in the trench and takes up space for nothing. The right reference is still the one whose range matches the cable installed.

Screw terminal block or connector block: how I decide

The screw terminal block offers a contact I can trace terminal by terminal, tightened with a screwdriver. The connector block suits when I want to group several conductors together or redo the joint without touching the fixed part of the connector. Both fit in the Fred’s gel.

My criterion comes down to the number of interventions planned. A joint that will be reopened to add a spur is prepared with a connector block, even if it means re-tightening at every visit. A permanent joint goes to the screw terminal block, tightened once and then buried in the gel.

Who it’s for, what it’s for

The Betty 4 is for anyone who wants a ready-made watertight junction for garden lighting, a path supply or a terrace feed. Raytech positions it for buried or submerged joints and publishes IP68 and IP69K protection ratings.

Before buying, check two things: the conductor cross-section (max 5 × 4 mm²) and the cable diameter (10 to 16 mm). A cable outside the range cannot be forced into a cable gland: that’s the product’s dimensional limit, not an installation fault.

The housing is worked with a screw terminal block or a connector block: the difference shows when it is opened, before closing over the gel.

The Betty 4 protects the junction itself. Its IP code is classified under Recommandation IEC 60529 . Cable type, burial method, circuit protection and special-location requirements still have to follow the rules that apply where it is installed.

Swimming pools are a special-location case. IEC 60364-7-702 covers pools and their surrounding zones, and a connector rating has no say over the rules that apply there.

For a buried cable, follow the local requirements for cable type, depth, mechanical protection and route marking.

For an unused cable end, keep the conductors inside a suitable weatherproof enclosure rather than leaving them exposed.

For a buried or submerged junction within its stated dimensions, the Betty 4 is a ready-to-use option. Cable selection and circuit protection remain separate installation choices.

If you install it on site: conditions to respect

A buried junction is prepared at the end of the trench, cables laid and marked before opening the housing. I then keep the sachet and the gel away from the sand, on a clean cloth, during the connection.

The weather dictates the timing: in pouring rain, I postpone the opening. The housing is fitted onto dry cables, and I close it again as soon as tightening is finished, without leaving the cavity open between two round trips to the van.

On an occupied site, I secure the area before opening: circuit locked out, voltage tester within reach, nobody else on the circuit. An outdoor junction is treated like a distribution board, even if the lighting goes out a few meters away.

Maintenance and reopening: what I check

Raytech describes the Betty 4 as always re-enterable. When an outdoor junction is reopened for work, I use the opportunity to check the connection before closing it again.

First the gel: I remove it with one hand, I put it back where it was, and I clean the surrounding area before closing, so as not to trap sand in the closure.

Then the terminal block screws: I check the tightening and the condition of each conductor before closing.

Finally the cable glands: I check that each cable is gripped over its entire circumference and that none has slipped. The check is done by pulling gently on the sheath, without forcing on the connection.

On the wear side, I look at the plastic and the seals before the terminals. A buried enclosure takes the pressure of the soil and tool strikes: I note its position on each visit so as not to stick a spade into it later.

When a seal looks marked to me, I replace the connector rather than count on tired sealing. Reopening makes it possible to recover the cables and prepare them again if the length allows.

If an outdoor junction is accessible during maintenance, I inspect the enclosure and check the 30 mA residual current device at the panel at the same time.

Common mistakes and how I avoid them

The first mistake is forcing an entry: a cable outside the range, a cable gland pried apart with a screwdriver, and the whole thing no longer protects. The cable must enter without being forced and hold on its own in its passage.

The second comes down to stripping. Too short, and the conductor floats in the terminal; too long, and bare strands cross between two terminals. I strip to the length of the terminal, then pinch the strands to align them before inserting.

The third is opening the housing too early: it stays open on the edge of the trench while I look for the pliers, and dust sticks to the gel. I open it at the last moment, when everything else is ready.

Then comes forgetting the final checks: I inspect the connection, enclosure and cable glands while the circuit remains isolated, and only then restore power and test the applicable RCD.

Last mistake: pinching a conductor under the cover, or closing it back up on a dirty seal. In both cases, the enclosure is no longer being closed under clean conditions.

Speed excuses nothing: the installation is short, but every move keeps its place. What costs time is redoing a badly closed junction, not taking a little more time on the tightening.

And circuit identification is prepared at the panel, not at the end of the cable: I note the relevant circuit on the lockout, and I find it again when powering back up.

Quiz: which waterproof route to choose

Quiz: Betty 4 waterproof connector

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