Author Topic: Rain Gauge Prob.  (Read 6357 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline 1988lebaron

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Rain Gauge Prob.
« on: September 14, 2009, 08:33:24 PM »
I have a Lacrosse ws-2308al; about 2 yrs. old, I  bought it new. the display doesnt record any rain fall. I replaced the sensor(tipper), with still no results. I have changed all batteries, reset etc. Any Ideas?

Offline wxtech

  • Weather Equipment Technician
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 1698
  • USAF Weather Equipment Maintenance Tech (retired)
    • Lexington, Ga. Weather
Re: Rain Gauge Prob.
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2009, 10:03:33 PM »
I have a Lacrosse ws-2308al; about 2 yrs. old, I  bought it new. the display doesnt record any rain fall. I replaced the sensor(tipper), with still no results. I have changed all batteries, reset etc. Any Ideas?
I'm reading the manual.  I don't have a Lacrosse WS-2308.
Do all other sensors work normally?  
Did it record rain for about 2 years, then fail?  Or, did it never record rain?  
Your replacement of the tipper -- Did you replace the entire rain sensor all the way from the rain base/funnel to the plug that connects to the sensor sockets on the thermo-hygro unit?
Does the plug click when you push it into the rain sensor socket?
Do the tipping buckets move freely?  When you tip the buckets by hand, do you register rain on the console?
« Last Edit: September 14, 2009, 10:29:40 PM by wxtech »
Al Washington, Lexington, Ga.,  NWS Coop station=LXTG1, Fischer Porter, SRG, MMTS. 
CoCoRaHS=GA-OG-1. CWOP=CW2074.  Davis VP2+ WLIP 5.9.2, VP(original) serial, VWS v15.00 p02. ImageSalsa, Win7 & Win8 all-in-one.

Offline 1988lebaron

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Rain Gauge Prob.
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2009, 09:33:59 AM »
Everything worked fine for the two years. It's only the rain gauge that doesn't work now. the tipper works smoothly and replacement came with a new cord. I make sure it clicks into the thermohygrometer. I let a hosw trickle into the tipper for about 30-40 mins. and it did not record anything. Here in the north east we have had a lot of rain so it should be recording several inches. I have even replaced the cord from the thermohygrometer to the unit itself. the only thing left is the thermohyg. or a whole new unit.

Offline wxtech

  • Weather Equipment Technician
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 1698
  • USAF Weather Equipment Maintenance Tech (retired)
    • Lexington, Ga. Weather
Re: Rain Gauge Prob.
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2009, 10:27:44 AM »
If you've eliminated the rain sensor and cable, then the thermo-hygro sensor is probably bad.  You should check around the rain sensor socket for spider webs, dirt or damage.
I can tell you how to test the rain sensor switch but that probably isn't necessary.
Al Washington, Lexington, Ga.,  NWS Coop station=LXTG1, Fischer Porter, SRG, MMTS. 
CoCoRaHS=GA-OG-1. CWOP=CW2074.  Davis VP2+ WLIP 5.9.2, VP(original) serial, VWS v15.00 p02. ImageSalsa, Win7 & Win8 all-in-one.

Offline 1988lebaron

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Rain Gauge Prob.
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2009, 12:32:51 PM »
Just to be safe, please tell me how to check the sensor switch. The new tipper cost me $45.00 and a new t-h will cost me another $45.
Thx, Mike

Offline wxtech

  • Weather Equipment Technician
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 1698
  • USAF Weather Equipment Maintenance Tech (retired)
    • Lexington, Ga. Weather
Re: Rain Gauge Prob.
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2009, 06:19:38 PM »
The object is to just 'short' around the switch briefly.  Find the switch that is located below or beside the tipping bucket.  Two wires will be connected to it.  It may be a glass reed switch or other kind of switch.  Check to see if some kind of protective coating is painted on the switch leads.  Scrape a bare spot if necessary.  Prepare a wire with 1/4 inch insulation stripped from the ends.  Briefly touch the two terminals of the switch with the ends of the wire.  For each brief touch with the wire, you should increment the rain amount.  Touch it a few times and check the console for an increase in rain accumulation.
Al Washington, Lexington, Ga.,  NWS Coop station=LXTG1, Fischer Porter, SRG, MMTS. 
CoCoRaHS=GA-OG-1. CWOP=CW2074.  Davis VP2+ WLIP 5.9.2, VP(original) serial, VWS v15.00 p02. ImageSalsa, Win7 & Win8 all-in-one.

Offline 1988lebaron

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Rain Gauge Prob.
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2009, 08:01:01 PM »
Thx, will give it a try.

Offline middlecalf

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 23
Re: Rain Gauge Prob.
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2009, 10:45:26 AM »
You can also use a voltmeter to see if your getting a response from the rain gauge.  Just touch a probe to each side of the reed switch (voltmeter set to low dc voltage) and flip the teeter-totter.  You should see a momentary spike in the voltage reading.  If not, then the reed switch is bad.

I had almost the same thing happen as you did, but only after about 10 months of error-free operation.  I sent the whole unit back to LaCrosse (still under warranty) and it came back with a new thermo-hygro sensor (rain sensor checked out ok).  This worked fine for about another 3 months, then same thing, no rain recorded.  So LaCrosse sent me another thermo-hygro sensor, which is still working ok today.  They told me to pitch the old one if the new one works, or if the new doesn't work to send them both back along with all sensors (which I didn't have to since the new thermo-hygro sensor is working well).  Based on other discussions/emails with LaCrosse, I'm under the impression that something has changed in the internal circuitry of the thermo-hygro sensor and the new one has corrected this.  But this is only a guess.  BTW, I run wireless.

Offline 1988lebaron

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Rain Gauge Prob.
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2009, 10:52:04 AM »
Great, Thanks for the advice.

Offline weather1967

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 290
    • Μeteo station Peristeri Athens - Greece
Re: Rain Gauge Prob.
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2009, 03:51:42 PM »
Hi
After all this where i read.
I suppose your problem it is from reed switch ,if you have a soldering iron ,you can buy a new one and change it ,the cost it is very low

Look here i have a project about the change it

http://users.otenet.gr/~meteo/raingauge.html

Best regards from Greece
Dimitris
http://users.otenet.gr/~meteo/index.html

 

anything