Hi Jimmie,

Even we use IP 66 panels for on-board ships and all do is run a cable from my pc to the control pcb through a water-tight gland (that protects the IP'ness of your panel in everyway). Also the cable we use is Fire-Retardant type. Trust me, we use it and got no problems with either the connections or the protection of the components inside the panel.

Ofcourse, if IRDA is anyway there (but how is it setup, i mean is there a transperant window and the unit is mounted outside?) then maybe you can use it, as suggested by others. I am really interested to know the modus operandi of your setup. Would you mind briefing me the details of your project, its usage area and its functionality? :)

Cheers
Harsha