Topic: Davis bucket calibration

[ValentineWeather]

Does it have to be cemented into the ground?

Looks like it from photo. The TE for sure is cemented but you supply pipe also.

[Bashy]

1st decent rain amount since fiddling, it looks like i am now about +10% per 10mm against the 4" manual
I will dial about back a smidge or 2 once it stops raining, least its making up for all the time its been too low lol

[jgentry]

Finally got my RainWise rain gauge installed. I decided not to get the RainWise mount because it's too costly. So with the help of my step father, we did some rednecking...

[jgentry]

I used a yellow mark to show where RainWise had a "gold ball" or whatever you want to call it in the middle hole. The directions didn't say anything about it but I just removed it after the gauge recorded over 16" today with a peak rain rate of 72"/h. when in reality I had .66" today. Lol

[CW2274]

Finally got my RainWise rain gauge installed. I decided not to get the RainWise mount because it's too costly. So with the help of my step father, we did some rednecking...

Looks good. Hopefully no rain shadow from the ISS and all, but you'll soon find out with the Coco there.
If you want to "spruce" it up some, I'd cut all that excess cable off, it'll look much cleaner and less worry with cable wear from the wind moving it around.

[CW2274]

"gold ball" or whatever you want to call it in the middle hole.

[ValentineWeather]

I used a yellow mark to show where RainWise had a "gold ball" or whatever you want to call it in the middle hole. The directions didn't say anything about it but I just removed it after the gauge recorded over 16" today with a peak rain rate of 72"/h. when in reality I had .66" today. Lol

Something's not right for sure. Only time I've seen readings like that wiring was getting wet somewhere. There's a goldish cotter pin  holding the strainer down cut don't recall a ball on it.

[CW2274]

OK, now I see. He superimposed a yellow mark over the cotter pin, I though his came with this feature, hence my  .
His high readings certainly do indicate a short though...

[floodcaster]

I'm definitely not a DIY electronics guy but I did get my RW connected to my VP2+ recently as well, with many thanks to CW2274 and Valentine Wx for the great info. Connecting directly to the existing RW wire nuts made for an easy task. But I seem to recall having issues until I remembered to disconnect the RW counter. Can't tell in the pic if the counter is connected (and powered), so not sure if this could be causing the erroneous rain data. Otherwise, aside from a possible short already mentioned, maybe it was bouncing in the wind?

In any case, hope you find a solution. I'm very happy having replaced my original tipping bucket with the RW one.

[jgentry]

If there is a short in the wiring, where would it be and why? 

[ValentineWeather]

I'm definitely not a DIY electronics guy but I did get my RW connected to my VP2+ recently as well, with many thanks to CW2274 and Valentine Wx for the great info. Connecting directly to the existing RW wire nuts made for an easy task. But I seem to recall having issues until I remembered to disconnect the RW counter. Can't tell in the pic if the counter is connected (and powered), so not sure if this could be causing the erroneous rain data. Otherwise, aside from a possible short already mentioned, maybe it was bouncing in the wind?

In any case, hope you find a solution. I'm very happy having replaced my original tipping bucket with the RW one.

Yes good idea not to have the counter hooked up also. I've also found exposed wire tends to short out with water. I had an issue with my TE recently and went out and sprayed wiring with water hose and it started going nuts so replaced line. I think it was just in splice but went ahead and replaced everything.

[jgentry]

I'm definitely not a DIY electronics guy but I did get my RW connected to my VP2+ recently as well, with many thanks to CW2274 and Valentine Wx for the great info. Connecting directly to the existing RW wire nuts made for an easy task. But I seem to recall having issues until I remembered to disconnect the RW counter. Can't tell in the pic if the counter is connected (and powered), so not sure if this could be causing the erroneous rain data. Otherwise, aside from a possible short already mentioned, maybe it was bouncing in the wind?

In any case, hope you find a solution. I'm very happy having replaced my original tipping bucket with the RW one.

Yes good idea not to have the counter hooked up also. I've also found exposed wire tends to short out with water. I had an issue with my TE recently and went out and sprayed wiring with water hose and it started going nuts so replaced line. I think it was just in splice but went ahead and replaced everything.

I do not have the counter hooked up to the wire. I left the wiring there just in case I ever needed to calibrate the gauge using the counter. So I'm guessing water is getting into the rj11 phone line?

[CW2274]

If there is a short in the wiring, where would it be and why?

Where? Literally anywhere along the stretch. Why? Did you guys accidentally nick/cut the wiring while installing? Mine shorted due to critters chewing through it. If it is shorting, each time it shorts counts as 0.01", that'll get to 16" in a hurry, mine was like 34" before I noticed it.

[jgentry]

Maybe the phone line I'm using is bad and needs replacing but here are some pics of how it's hooked together. Maybe y'all can spot something that's wrong. So far, I can't see anything wrong with the phone line wire itself.

[ValentineWeather]

Maybe the phone line I'm using is bad and needs replacing but here are some pics of how it's hooked together. Maybe y'all can spot something that's wrong. So far, I can't see anything wrong with the phone line wire itself.

Yellow/green to one side, Red the other black isn't used but I would keep dry anyway.
What happens when you tip the bucket does it do a single count each time or go nuts?
I would just use the phone line for now until you figure out what's wrong so undo the counter wire altogether. If the counter wire ends were getting wet this may have caused the problem.
If you are getting single counts on each tip do a hose test spray over entire phone line and see if it goes nuts.

[CW2274]

Maybe the phone line I'm using is bad and needs replacing but here are some pics of how it's hooked together. Maybe y'all can spot something that's wrong. So far, I can't see anything wrong with the phone line wire itself.

Yellow/green to one side, Red the other black isn't used but I would keep dry anyway.

Yes, in the pic I see that he's cut the yellow and used black in it's place. Now whether that fixes the problem...

[jgentry]

Thanks for the help and advice gang! Ended up eliminating the excess phone line wire and got rid of the original black wire that connects to the counter. So far I believe that it has resolved the problem.

[CW2274]

 

[ValentineWeather]

I'm definitely not a DIY electronics guy but I did get my RW connected to my VP2+ recently as well, with many thanks to CW2274 and Valentine Wx for the great info. Connecting directly to the existing RW wire nuts made for an easy task. But I seem to recall having issues until I remembered to disconnect the RW counter. Can't tell in the pic if the counter is connected (and powered), so not sure if this could be causing the erroneous rain data. Otherwise, aside from a possible short already mentioned, maybe it was bouncing in the wind?

In any case, hope you find a solution. I'm very happy having replaced my original tipping bucket with the RW one.

Nice, It works just as well as the TE gauge at 1/4 the price.

Thanks for the help and advice gang! Ended up eliminating the excess phone line wire and got rid of the original black wire that connects to the counter. So far I believe that it has resolved the problem.

Good deal

[jgentry]

I'm definitely not a DIY electronics guy but I did get my RW connected to my VP2+ recently as well, with many thanks to CW2274 and Valentine Wx for the great info. Connecting directly to the existing RW wire nuts made for an easy task. But I seem to recall having issues until I remembered to disconnect the RW counter. Can't tell in the pic if the counter is connected (and powered), so not sure if this could be causing the erroneous rain data. Otherwise, aside from a possible short already mentioned, maybe it was bouncing in the wind?

In any case, hope you find a solution. I'm very happy having replaced my original tipping bucket with the RW one.

Nice, It works just as well as the TE gauge at 1/4 the price.

Thanks for the help and advice gang! Ended up eliminating the excess phone line wire and got rid of the original black wire that connects to the counter. So far I believe that it has resolved the problem.

Good deal

Awesome!

[ocala]

Had some heavy rain move through at times yesterday.
The Cocorahs gauge measured 6.09 for the 24 hour period.
For the same period the Davis reported 4.33. A 29% difference!
Thing is for light to moderate rains they are almost exactly on.
The gauges are back to back on a 4x4.
Just another nail in the coffin for tipper gauges.

[ValentineWeather]

Just do the Rainwise conversion and be done with 30% errors. Guaranteed you won't see those errors again.
I'll be PC and just say the Davis gauges are flawed.
The Rainwise I use is more consistent than the 4x more expensive Texas Electronics TR-525USW. TE sent me a email notice the other day they had a fix for the inconsistencies by replacing the whole tipper assembly for another $120 charge.
The Rainwise RAINEW 111 hit a homerun with the tipping assembly design and for the money $73 directly well worth the effort.

[ocala]

I take it this just plugs right into the rain jack on the ISS and that's it?

[ValentineWeather]

I take it this just plugs right into the rain jack on the ISS and that's it?

You need to modify plug simplest way use existing Davis plug with a slice. Yellow/green together and red on other side.

[ocala]

Wow that's pretty easy. I imagine the bucket isn't an exact fit but i'm sure it could modified rather easily.
Silly question but I assume it will still send the data to the console wirelessly.
Only reason I ask is that I see it comes with a counter.