Author Topic: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel  (Read 4074 times)

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Offline Buford T. Justice

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Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« on: October 28, 2018, 03:28:07 PM »
I made some bird spikes with some black zip ties for my Ambient Weather WS-2902A rain gauge funnel.  The bag of 100 Hyper Touch 11-Inch Cable Ties was like $4 at Walmart and are resistant to UV light so hopefully they hold up well in the sun (and wind).  It took 16 of them with 2 zipped together to make one long enough to secure the other 14 around the funnel.  STAY OFF MY RAIN GAUGE YOU LITTLE TICK TURD BIRDS!!!
« Last Edit: October 28, 2018, 03:43:55 PM by Buford T. Justice »

Offline galfert

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2018, 04:47:22 PM »
Looks great. Nice solution! Did you consider using any glue? Please keep us up to date on how it holds up to the wind and if any of those spikes get tilted.

Also please participate in the following post where there is a poll regarding this topic. And please comment and let us know if you did this modification preemptively or if you had real bird problems.

https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35254.0

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Offline Buford T. Justice

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2018, 05:03:32 PM »
So far so good on the wind as it has been very windy here today.  The attached picture of my weather station is during the wind today.

I put the two zip ties together first to form a circle then carefully pulled it tight around the funnel.  Then I took clippings from the other 14 zip ties sticking them in the space left by the zipper.  Doing this one at a time took the space away until it was really tight.  They will move left/right if forced to, but they have stood straight up all day during this 30+ MPH wind.

Offline MrM1

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2018, 06:03:58 PM »
I tried the Zip-Ties too.  Nice and tight as the OP said.  I doubt there will be much trouble with the spikes.  Seems really stout. Thanks @Buford T. Justice. 







Offline Buford T. Justice

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2018, 02:44:41 PM »
You're welcome.

Offline ShermanCT

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2018, 04:04:39 PM »
I like that idea, thanks for sharing👍

Offline drew1021

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2018, 09:29:27 PM »
Or order some of the Davis bird spikes. They are slender metal spikes with blunt ends. You could tape them using duct tape around the perimeter.
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Offline CSB

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2018, 08:50:24 AM »
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Been using this set-up for 5+ years
« Last Edit: November 05, 2018, 08:53:33 AM by CSB »

Offline DonJoseofOC

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2019, 03:26:55 PM »
I followed your method and it seems to work. I had a little trouble keeping the spikes that same size but it seems that it work. I was considering using some sort of adhesive but I think just replacing whatever gets lost/falls out is easier than having to remove adhesive or damage the unit. Thank you for the great homemade solution.

Offline OldAlaskaGuy

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2019, 03:35:09 PM »
A question, during a rain event will there be additional rain collection due to the spikes collecting water and it is directed into the cup and causing inaccurate reporting? Just thinking that if you throw a bit of wind into the mix it may be an issue.

Offline havtrail

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2019, 05:10:04 PM »
You are right that bird spikes are not good for rainfall accuracy. CWOP siting guidelines say that a rain gauge should have nearby things, that are higher than its top, located at a distance away of at least half of the height difference. The bird spikes do not meet this, and could deflect or spatter any non-vertical rainfall. But, if birds are a greater problem in a particular situation, people need to do that they need to do.

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Offline Mapantz

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2019, 07:02:19 AM »
I have 3 gauges up, one manual, one Davis and one Ecowitt. They're all at the same height, but spaces around 6ft from each other. The Davis is the only one with bird spikes, but all three gauges record the same amount of rainfall -  literally down to the last half mm. The bird spikes make no difference to rainfall totals in my experience.


Offline galfert

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #12 on: July 31, 2019, 08:06:39 AM »
But this DIY zip tie method although ingenious as a solution it may just not be the same as real bird spikes because of their added width. They just may catch and deflect too much rain in situations where it is windy and rainfall is not perfectly vertical.

Both Ambient and Ecowitt now sell proper bird spikes for the Osprey sensor Array and it is totally priced very reasonably.
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Offline DonJoseofOC

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #13 on: August 01, 2019, 03:36:21 PM »
The Bird Spikes from Ambient Weather are sold out and have been for about a month or so. I'm thinking of just keeping these zip ties up in Summer through late fall.

Offline galfert

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #14 on: August 01, 2019, 03:40:31 PM »
You can also order the same spikes from Ecowitt. Why not order from them?
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
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CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
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Offline coherent

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #15 on: September 03, 2019, 11:31:32 AM »
For those interested, I just ordered a WS-2000 today and it shows the bird spikes in stock... when you order with the station from Ambient they are only about $6. As a separate order they are $14 or so.

Offline etaf

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Re: Zip Tie Bird Spikes for Rain Gauge Funnel
« Reply #16 on: June 13, 2020, 05:42:22 AM »
i added the tie-wrap to my station , as we have loads of birds so preventative , not sure how much impact it will have on the rain-fall , but I guess with a + - 10% error rate on my unit specification anyway, its probably not going to make a huge difference, we shall see
I also noticed when i first got that unit and tested the sensor, that any heavy rainfall could be lost as the bucket is tipping anyway. And any really small amount of rain, that does not tip the bucket would evaporate.
based on the above theory I assumed a few spikes may be OK
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