Topic: DFARS fan replaced and YARCH thermostat change

[miraculon]

I replaced the Davis fan today. It was really easy and it literally dropped right in.
From the instructions, they imply that this will be an annual ritual. I have been looking at the alternative fan substitutes, but getting power out to the ISS isn't easy. I did run "Malibu lights" wire and buried it just under ground for the rain gauge heater, but I am not keen on repeating that process.

I obtained a 40°C (104°F) N.C. disc thermostat for the rain gauge heater, and changed that out as well. The old one was 60°F which worked OK if the temperatures are not too cold. I am hoping for better results with the new setting. A few months remain (hopefully) before I can see how that works out.

I did notice some white residue on the underside of the funnel, that might have come from the heater resistor area. It also got on the silvered bubble wrap insulation. I am not sure what the source of this might be, possibly from silicone dielectric grease? Anyone else see this residue on an ISS equipped with the heater?

Since the new thermostat is closer to the "official" Davis value, I am assuming that the plastic parts will be happy with the increased temperature. Hopefully the entire works will not melt into a glob, Salvador Dali - like...

YARCH is my acronym for my home brew clone of the Davis heater board. (Yet Another Rain Collector Heater). I posted photos about a year ago.

Greg H.

[ValentineWeather]

So you're thinking by keeping the inside at 100 instead of 60, snow will melt more efficiently. I can see that working better but not sure about evaporation. 
I need to get my Davis heater setup for this winter also, the reptile mod didn't work that great but then again I never had any heavy wet snow.  I think I lost most through evaporation and doubt there is a fix for that. Even the NWS redesigned their snow gauges for that very issue.

[ValentineWeather]

Interesting read about automated tipping buckets. Toward the bottom are replies from NWS employees ED and Larry.
"40 thoughts on “Measuring rain the easy way: using an automatic logging rain gauge”
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/05/13/measuring-rain-the-easy-way-using-an-automatic-logging-rain-gauge/

[miraculon]

So you're thinking by keeping the inside at 100 instead of 60, snow will melt more efficiently. I can see that working better but not sure about evaporation. 
I need to get my Davis heater setup for this winter also, the reptile mod didn't work that great but then again I never had any heavy wet snow.  I think I lost most through evaporation and doubt there is a fix for that. Even the NWS redesigned their snow gauges for that very issue.

I have a digital temperature controller that shuts off the transformer to the heater at temperatures below 7.5°C. The heater will not be running above that temperature, so I hope that the evaporation effects are kept to a minimum.

I can easily alter the setting, but I chose a slightly higher temperature to account for the sun heating the "shutter" that I hid the temperature sensor behind. My yard is already festooned with multiple temperature shields and I get strange looks from the neighbors.... I suppose that I could always add another one... 


Greg H.

[ValentineWeather]

This graph was showing inside the Davis tipping bucket, I find interesting. http://postimg.org/image/4i0gmpfdn/
He was using a thermo-cube that kicked on at 35 degrees off at 45. Looking at this, even with a 110 thermostat internal temps struggle to go above 55 with 20F degree outside temperature so the heating is limited by the 25 watt heater no matter what the thermostat is set at.  The red line is temperature outside and the orange inside. You can also see how wind blowing increases heat loss.
 
I'm set up the same way with power to Davis heater kicking on at 38F off 50F instead of 35-45. Instead of thermo-cube I'm using Easy Heat EH-38 kicks on a little sooner and off later. 

It would of been interesting what the outside cone temperature where snow collects was when the internal temperature was 55.