I was given a Texas Electronics Instruments tipping bucket rain gauge. This one looks like a gold anodized top that goes onto a white base, with three little legs that hold it to the appropriate mount.
It was really grundged up, and before just putting it in the shed to try to get to sometime, took it apart and cleaned it up in the sink.
As I did so, other than noticing that it was really quite old, how well it must have been built to hold up to the sun. The wiring to it was well hardened and will need replacement, but the exposed stuff was nicely preserved and shed the grime both on the outside and in the funnel and in the bottom of the inner bucket were very nice, indeed. The magnet triggered contact closure and when cleaned, dried and sitting here, looks pretty darned nice.
The innards seem well made, better than most stuff nowadays. Precisely bent formed metal for the support, the tipper itself was robust and the overall impression was it was on par with the RM Young, Handar, etc.
It's a 6" throat, but a nice stamped non-wimpy metal screen with a nice stainless steel hold down spring wire.
But things can look nice and function poorly. The group here has extensive experience with junk to NOAA, DOT and NASA quality so I'm wondering what the opinion is of those who've had experience with implementing or maintaining stations that use this type of gauge.
I've only seen one at a station at a park in Arizona near Peyson, and no one was around to ask about it.
Is this a good, accurate instrument?
I wouldn't have to do much work to put it up with a new station this spring, but don't want to open up a can of worms with something that is a headache.
Thanks for any thoughts, encouragement, recommendations on this gizmo.
Dale
