I have my VantageVue on an 8' pole mounted above the peak of my garage roof. I live in a forest and have a tree canopy that covers my entire lot. Every month the rain gauge gets clogged with tree scum/debris/residue/crap. Yes, I could climb up there every 20 to 30 days and clean it out 8 months of the year, but I'd rather not.
I'd like to run a possible solution by you and get your reaction.
I'm considering fabricating a fine aluminum wire screen (window screen material) into a cone shaped object maybe 4 or 5" high, with the diameter of the largest end a little smaller than the diameter of the large top opening of the VantageVue rain gauge. The idea would be like a "gutter helmet" where the pointed tip of the screen cone would be up, and the large side setting into the gauge. The tree crud would settle or drop off along the lower perimeter of the opening while the rain would still be able to enter the screen over a the entire surface area of the screen (except where crud gets stuck along the bottom perimeter outside of the screen material.) I'd have to monitor it to see to what extent the crud drops off versus collects on the screen. The reason the screen cone would be mounted just INSIDE the top opening of the gauge cup is to be sure water is directed into the cup and not run down along the screen and miss the cup. I'm thinking that while some crud may collectd along the perimeter edge, all the water would still be collected and measured.
Has anyone done anything like this to help minimize the need to clean and unclog the the rain gauge in difficult to reach locations?