Author Topic: No rain recorded 1400ip  (Read 3051 times)

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Offline SimonB

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No rain recorded 1400ip
« on: June 24, 2015, 12:45:02 AM »
Any ideas why my 1400ip rainfall has stopped recording?  It hasn't even been up three weeks.

We had a downpour last night and nothing happened.

Could it be a stuck tipping bucket?  I moved the station several days ago and this is the first rain it has received since.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2015, 01:41:04 AM by SimonB »

Offline SimonB

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Re: No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2015, 12:17:21 PM »
I'm starting to get really annoyed with this weather station. Rainfall recording, the primary reason why I bought it, is unreliable and inaccurate.

It underreads significantly. It is level, stable and has been cleaned several times, although it's only a couple of months old and no debris or dirt.

If I gently pour water into it it definitely registers as you hear the tipping bucket click over.

It seems to me that it can empty itself without registering, unless the rain is heavy

Any thoughts?

Offline gregvet

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Re: No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2015, 02:46:50 PM »
It is mounted reasonably level?  Is the post it is mounted to subject to swaying?  Never mind the first two questions.  i did not read your post fully.  My WS-1001 works well and has seemed to record rain quite accurately.  I looked at your PWS and yesterday it only recorded 0.01 inch but today it seems to be registering additional rainfall.  Maybe moving it helped.  If it is not accurate, I think you can adjust the calibration from your console.  Also I read somewhere that you can get more responsive drops (thus tips of the bucket) if you spray a LIGHT coat of cooking oil (PAM in US) on the bucket as it reduces adhesion of the drop to the bucket and increases surface tension of the drop.
« Last Edit: July 23, 2015, 02:57:38 PM by gregvet »

Offline SimonB

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Re: No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2015, 02:12:27 AM »
Greg

The additional rainfall was me manually adding it from the readings I got from my normal rain gauge.

Very frustrating indeed

Offline gregvet

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Re: No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2015, 08:48:35 AM »
Maybe a faulty sensor/bucket.  Sound like a product replacement since you are within the warranty period.

Offline SimonB

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No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2015, 02:22:59 AM »
I've taken it down, pulled it apart to make sure all is OK. I then tested by pouring water gently into the gauge and it is definitely registering each tip. So it's not the sensor.

I now have a suspicion that despite me thinking it's stable where it is mounted, the guard is too sensitive and the mounting not stable enough. What might be happening is that it's tipping water out without registering.

I will move it somewhere completely solid to test.
« Last Edit: July 30, 2015, 02:25:31 AM by SimonB »

Offline SimonB

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Re: No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2015, 01:04:47 PM »
Ok, so I took the station down and mounted it on a much more stable platform (although not totally rock solid).  Tested with a sprinkler and all looked to be fine.

Then I took a syringe and looked to see exactly how much water it took to trigger the bucket to tilt and register, thus getting a known amount of water.  Then what I did was put in half the known amount of water and then shake the station fairly vigorously without getting the bucket to tilt and register.  It was plainly obvious in doing so that water was being released from the bucket without it registering.

I then put the exact amount of water from the previous experiment from the syringe, and it triggered a tip.  I did this a few times but my conclusion is that the rain gauge is a lot more sensitive to shaking than I gave it credit for, and that the big problem with an unstable mount is not the bucket tipping, but its failure to tip because water is released from the bucket.

I'm keeping the station mounted in its current location to wait for the next winter storm in a few days time, and will compare with a standard rain gauge.  If all good I'm going to have to find another location because the test location is a poor one for wind.

So basically lesson learned... When they say mount in a stable position, they mean a REALLY stable position.

Also another lesson learned.  All in one weather stations are great and convenient, but the locations that are suitable for one sensor aren't always suitable for another.

Offline ggsteve

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Re: No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2015, 01:48:25 PM »
True enough about locating an all in one station.  Every position is a trade off in one way or another.

As far as your precipitation measurement goes, I hope you have figured out the problem.  You may want to contact the manufacturer and tell them what is going on, just so you have a record that you reported the problem early on, especially if they keep records in a database.  Also, they may be able to provide suggestions you haven't thought of.  After all, they should be presumed experts.

Offline SimonB

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Re: No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #8 on: August 05, 2015, 01:03:46 AM »
Just an update. We had the storm  that was predicted and the rain gauge recorded the rain correctly so, yup, it needs a decent stable mount.

I will build a more stable platform  for its previous location.

Offline Pooley

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Re: No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2015, 06:55:00 AM »
So I am having the same trouble with my unit as well (HP-1001 - identical outdoor unit to the 1400IP). We have been having a rain event today and my unit is not recording any of the rainfall either. I poured about 1/2 a cup full of water into the funnel and heard the bucket tipping and this registers on the indoor console. When the next heavyish shower of rain came down nothing registered again. I have taken the outdoor unit off of the roof and opened it up. There was a little bit of grime in the bucket which I have cleaned out. I have set the unit up in my laundry tub to test it again with slight flow of water from the tap above it (ensuring that the unit is completely level which it is). When the flow of water into the unit is a very slight trickle the bucket functions correctly. When I turn the tap back to a steady drip drip drip (about 2 drops per second) I can see water steadily trickling out of the bottom of the unit and hear the bucket slightly moving but without a full 'clicking' sound of a full measure therefore not registering with the console.
Just wondering what I can do about this. By having it set up like this it takes the wind factor out of the equation. I don't know if maybe I could spray some WD40 on the hinges of the tipping bucket mechanism to encourage it to fully tip? Any suggestions?

Offline Cooper94

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Re: No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #10 on: August 13, 2015, 01:26:10 PM »
I think you need to operate it with the top off and see if you can figure out what is really happening. Could the hing have side to side movement that is jamming it up? Get a small hose or something and drip water directly onto the bucket and see what it does. I don't think WD40 ever hurt anything. :)

Offline Pooley

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Re: No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2015, 02:02:59 AM »
Hi Cooper.

So I did exactly that. I unscrewed the top section from the bottom and held the top above the bottom while dripping some water through the funnel. Sure enough the bucket was just getting to the tipping point but only letting a little bit of the water out before returning to the upright position and therefore not registering a measure. I sprayed a quick squirt of WD40 on either end of the pin that holds the tipping bucket and repeated the dripping water test. It all appears to be OK now and rain has registered fine since then.

Offline KTXBALCH2

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Re: No rain recorded 1400ip
« Reply #12 on: October 24, 2015, 06:25:24 PM »
G'day mate.

I just posted about inconsistent results on my 1400IP (Rainfall sensor reporting accurate data by KTXBALCH2 (Ambient Weather Station))...Although I live in the States, my info may be helpful to you down there.

Regards
Ian (Aussie/American)
KTXBALCH2
« Last Edit: October 24, 2015, 06:28:27 PM by KTXBALCH2 »

 

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