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Weather Station Hardware => Davis Instruments Weather Stations => Topic started by: Bashy on July 06, 2017, 02:51:56 PM
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Hi folks, it. Looks like my bucket is under reading, I have a climet 100mm manual gauge (https://www.climemet.com/products/cm1016-professional-manual-rain-gauge) and after the storm today the climet was about 2mm more than the Davis, I also have another Davis bucket that is modified to work with my OS station and that too is under reading compared to the climet.
Where do I go from here, I read somewhere about turning those screws but I can't find anything at the minute and there's nothing in the manual.....
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Hi folks, it. Looks like my bucket is under reading, I have a climet 100mm manual gauge (https://www.climemet.com/products/cm1016-professional-manual-rain-gauge) and after the storm today the climet was about 2mm more than the Davis, I also have another Davis bucket that is modified to work with my OS station and that too is under reading compared to the climet.
Where do I go from here, I read somewhere about turning those screws but I can't find anything at the minute and there's nothing in the manual.....
Per Davis manual below:
The non-metric version of the rain collector is calibrated at the factory so the spoons tip (and records rainfall) for each 0.01" of rain. The metric version is calibrated so the spoons tip for each 0.2 mm. To adjust the calibration slightly, use a 3/16” (or 5 mm) wrench to rotate the adjustment screws which are located underneath the tipping spoons. (See “Rain Collector Internal Components” on page 2.) The adjustment guide embossed in the platform shows how far you must rotate both screws in turn to effect a 1% and a 2% change. Moving the screws in the positive (+) direction causes the spoons to tip more times (i.e. give a larger count) for a given amount of water. Note: Modify both adjustment screws by the same amount. To check the accuracy of the rain collector, compare the Davis rain collector with a tube type rain gauge. Use a rain gauge with an aperture of at least 4 inches. Any smaller and the readings obtained may not be accurate. Place the tube type rain gauge directly next to the Davis rain collector. Compare the totals on three storms to determine whether your rain collector needs calibration and by how much. Adjust the screws to fine-tune the reading for the next three storms if necessary. Note: Avoid comparison to rainfall readings obtained from television, radio, newspapers, or neighbors’ readings. Such readings are not an accurate measurement of the weather conditions in your specific location. The rain collector is carefully tested at the factory to conform to the specifications listed in the back of this manual.
© Davis Instruments Corp. 2015, Product Number 7857, “Rain Collector”
WheatonRon editorial comment. Before calibrating, make sure the gauges are level, approximately the same height from the ground, and are as close as possible to each other and don't calibrate based on a single rainfall! Use at least three storms and then average them. All this being said, getting all three of your gauges to measure rainfall in a single storm exactly the same is highly unlikely as a result of wind, nearby trees, etc., and maybe most importantly, automated "tippers" like the VP2, normally underreport rain during heavy rainfalls as they have trouble keeping up with the volume of rain falling. I have 4 gauges and they rarely read the same--it is the nature of the beast. However, if a large rainfall occurs and Station A reads .96", Station B .94", Station C .97" and Station D .93", I would be very happy and view the differences as insignificant. But when I get results .96" at Station A, .68" at Station B, .54" at Station C, and 1.06" at Station D--those are unacceptable differences requiring calibration! One final word of caution--once you decide to begin the calibration process, make sure both screws get turned in the same direction using the same number of turns or you will never fix the issue and will likely be worse off. In other words, if you turn the first screw clockwise one complete turn--make sure the other screw is turned clockwise one complete turn--use a marker, if necessary, to keep track of your process!
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All precipitation-measurement devices have errors - and that includes your Climet.
The inherent errors are always in the "under-measurement" direction, and mechanical devices (example: tipping buckets) generally have larger errors than capture devices, but they all have errors.
And most of the errors are not constant - they depend on factors like the size of drops, rain rate, wind velocity, turbulence, quantization, temperature, etc. etc.
So, feel free to adjust the screws if it makes you feel better. Just realize that you aren't making it "better".
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Thank you for the informative replies, I suppose you could say 2mm is insignificant, the climet always reads the most out of all 3, should I be more inclined to go with the climet and end of month adjust wd rainfall to suit or just leave the amounts alone? Nearing in mind that all three are on the same fence spaced about 2ft apart. Nothing over hanging them and nearest fence is about 10ft away, not ideal granted, thankfully there's no such thing as the "sensor siting police" :)
I spose the last paragraph of your post dalecoy pretty much sums up what I was wanting to hear... I would only either a) break it or b) make it worse....
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The inherent errors are always in the "under-measurement" direction, and mechanical devices (example: tipping buckets) generally have larger errors than capture devices (i.e., your Climet).
Or, as you said: "the climet always reads the most out of all 3,"
It's up to you whether you "end of month adjust wd rainfall to suit". Of course, that would assume you (when necessary because it's raining at midnight) read your Climet at midnight. [But then, of course, your Climet would miss some precipitation while you were emptying it]
Personally, I just post what the Davis says - and know that my 4-inch capture gauge will show a bit more when I check it after the storm is over.
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.... after the storm today the climet was about 2mm more than the Davis, I also have another Davis bucket that is modified to work with my OS station and that too is under reading compared to the climet.
2mm means nothing by itself, I don't see where you have mentioned the total amount of rain, the % of the total is the thing to go by regardless of what the difference is
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15.4mm Climet and 13mm (Davis) it fell in the space of about an hour
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Bashy: Had the Davis not been full enough to get one more tip in? I know last night I was fiddling with a couple different ones that I was replacing reed switches in, and when I went up on the roof to swap one out, I pulled the collecting funnel and just the sligtest touch made the tipper tip. So it was close to being another count on the indicator. The Davis is 'behind' until it tips, so being a wee bit less than the CliMet makes sense.
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Hi when I took off the cone to make sure there was nothing in there insect wise, or sommat needed cleaning from the tipper, the tipper was bone dry,
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...... the tipper was bone dry,
How long after the rain? In any case, if it was bone dry, there had obviously been some evaporation of remaining precipitate.
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I checked it probably about 2 hours later
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Hi folks, back to this if i may please, i have just done this
1. Don't even try and calibrate using single tips - it's almost guaranteed to be inaccurate. Drip eg 544ml water so that it registers 1" or 25.4mm rain as 100 tips (0.01") or ~127 tips (0.2mm) through the complete gauge, ie into the funnel.
2, Water must be dripped through slowly, for example over an hour.
Thats a quote From Johnd
When i did it, it only registered 17.4mm, thats a big drop....Advice please?
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Hi folks, back to this if i may please, i have just done this
1. Don't even try and calibrate using single tips - it's almost guaranteed to be inaccurate. Drip eg 544ml water so that it registers 1" or 25.4mm rain as 100 tips (0.01") or ~127 tips (0.2mm) through the complete gauge, ie into the funnel.
2, Water must be dripped through slowly, for example over an hour.
Thats a quote From Johnd
When i did it, it only registered 17.4mm, thats a big drop....Advice please?
If you are satisfied all your numbers are correct v the type of tipper you have (Imperial v metric etc) then you need to do the test again and maybe even a third time to confirm making sure the test is over a suitable period of time. Once confirmed then you start adjusting the tipper screws.
BTW if this test is ok then it really doesn't surprise me 20+% is not abnormal out of the box and it is extremely rare to be over, always generally under
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Thanks Matt, i will run it twice more over the course of today and see whats what :)
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I have done 4 over the course of the day, taking in to account slight miscalculations when filling jug, the scores from all 4 are
17.4
18.0
18.6
17.4
So, not quite the amount we are looking for, any thoughts please?
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Then if you are absolutely happy with the numbers then do an initial adjustment, both screws out maybe 2 full turns (12%) and test again. Don't try and adjust the full % difference in one go, it doesn't work like that.
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Then if you are absolutely happy with the numbers then do an initial adjustment, both screws out maybe 2 full turns (12%) and test again. Don't try and adjust the full % difference in one go, it doesn't work like that.
The Davis calibrating instructions, see my prior post (reply 1), state that turning each screw one complete turn will effect a 2% change, not 12%. But I agree, do at most a couple of turns and test--don't complete the change all at once.
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Then if you are absolutely happy with the numbers then do an initial adjustment, both screws out maybe 2 full turns (12%) and test again. Don't try and adjust the full % difference in one go, it doesn't work like that.
The Davis calibrating instructions, see my prior post (reply 1), state that turning each screw one complete turn will effect a 2% change, not 12%. But I agree, do at most a couple of turns and test--don't complete the change all at once.
You need to read the instructions again as 1 full turn of the adjustment equates to 6%, the adjustment guide these days is embossed shows as +/- 1% (2 or 10 o'clock), 2% (4 or 8 o'clock) & 3% (6 o'clock) which makes 6% for 1 full turn. Being probably over 20%+ low in this instance I suggested an initial 2 complete turns which is 12%
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Then if you are absolutely happy with the numbers then do an initial adjustment, both screws out maybe 2 full turns (12%) and test again. Don't try and adjust the full % difference in one go, it doesn't work like that.
The Davis calibrating instructions, see my prior post (reply 1), state that turning each screw one complete turn will effect a 2% change, not 12%. But I agree, do at most a couple of turns and test--don't complete the change all at once.
You need to read the instructions again as 1 full turn of the adjustment equates to 6%, the adjustment guide these days is embossed shows as +/- 1% (2 or 10 o'clock), 2% (4 or 8 o'clock) & 3% (6 o'clock) which makes 6% for 1 full turn. Being probably over 20%+ low in this instance I suggested an initial 2 complete turns which is 12%
I stand corrected. Sorry. I am standing in the corner for 10 minutes in punishment.
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Thanks guys, i appreciate the replies, once i have another coke bottle (binned tother one) i will adjust and test straight away
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...... once i have another coke bottle .......
Huh??????????
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My method for the delivery of water
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My method for the delivery of water
Oh, so how do you regulate the rate of delivery?
And over what period of time do you deliver the measured quantity of water?
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tiny slit in the bottom, so tiny that when the lid is tight, no leakage, well, perhaps 1 drop an hour, see where im going now?
Correct, i use the lid as the regulator, you can set the tightness or looseness (same thing in this method) of the lid, this then
regulates the flow, the tighter the lid the slower the flow :)
PS, bottle is stood upright
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tiny slit in the bottom, so tiny that when the lid is tight, no leakage, well, perhaps 1 drop an hour, see where im going now?
Correct, i use the lid as the regulator, you can set the tightness or looseness (same thing in this method) of the lid, this then
regulates the flow, the tighter the lid the slower the flow :)
PS, bottle is stood upright
So, the flow rate varies (faster when there is more liquid in the bottle, slower as there is less liquid). And there is (probably) some liquid left in the bottle at the end of the period (which is how long?)
Is the bottle suspended above the cone? Or resting in the cone? And in either case, is the "drip" in the center of the cone or is it off-center?
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The tests were done over a day, takes nearly an hour to empty the bottle, the amount left in the bottle is negligible
most certainly not the amount that we are looking for, the drip is just off center, prob about 5cm from the hole and
the bottle is sat in the cone, even if the amount lost due to error is 2 mm (of which theres no chance) it still
wouldnt equate to the amount missing, also the amount missing corresponds to the amount of difference between the
manual 4" and the bucket during rainfall, i know you are trying to find fault, but the test was done 4 times, albeit not
scientifically accurate but accurate with regards to to mount of water used, i have an accurate 60ml syringe marked in
1ml increments, so at i at least say that part is as good as i can get it, there is no way i am loosing 6-8mm during test
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Not trying to find fault - just trying to understand how you are doing this.
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I do have one suggestion for "verification". [Perhaps you have already done this]
Do the same test on your manual gauge. Same bottle, same rate, etc. [Since you're getting a new bottle, then repeat on your Davis].
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Not trying to find fault - just trying to understand how you are doing this.
My bad, sorry, just felt like it..
I do have one suggestion for "verification". [Perhaps you have already done this]
Do the same test on your manual gauge. Same bottle, same rate, etc. [Since you're getting a new bottle, then repeat on your Davis].
Yes, i will try but not sure it will be possible, depends on if i can balance the bottle on it, I will video it next time just to show
whats what :)
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Yes, i will try but not sure it will be possible, depends on if i can balance the bottle on it, I will video it next time just to show
whats what :)
Oh. It was a big coke bottle? [or a small manual gauge?]
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Yeah, large, well, 1.75L bottles
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Yeah, large, well, 1.75L bottles
If that won't stand easily in your manual gauge, perhaps the 500mL bottle would work (for both tests, of course).
The important thing is to get as close to "identical" test setups as possible.
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All I use is a gallon milk jug with a hole poked in the bottom corner. Sits in the cone just fine. Certainly not a NovaLynx calibrator, but a heck of a lot cheaper and it works.
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I use the NovaLynx calibrator on 8" gauge, this information may be handy for someone with the 6.5" gauge also.
If you have a gram scale 1 milliliter (ml) of water weighs 1 gram (g).
Example I use 946ml + container weight= total. It takes about 25 minutes to empty bottle using 1/16" orifice with the NovaLynx calibrator. This is the 6" per/hr rate and works very well for my area.
NovaLynx has supplied this information on their 6.5" diameter gauge which may be useful.
Using 1/32 nozzle which is 3.5" per hour they recommend 1.74 tips for the .01 bucket tipper so converting to metric tipper the math for metric gauges. 0.01" of water = 5.44 ml.
So even without the calibrator any jug with hole can simulate something in the ballpark you just won't get the steady flow rate the calibrator provides.
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This only makes sense if the manual gauge and the Davis are the same diameter. For instance, 544 ml should equal 1.00" of rain in a Davis 6.5" tipping bucket, but the same 544 ml volume in a 4" Stratus manual would be 2.72".
I do have one suggestion for "verification". [Perhaps you have already done this]
Do the same test on your manual gauge. Same bottle, same rate, etc. [Since you're getting a new bottle, then repeat on your Davis].
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So even without the calibrator any jug with hole can simulate something in the ballpark you just won't get the steady flow rate the calibrator provides.
Exactly. My present "hole" starts at 4.5-5" rate (I use rope putty to vary the hole size to get the desired rate) and after an "inch" empties out I'm at about .5 to 1" per hour.
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A reasonable feed arrangement can be made using a irrigation dripper, some drippers work ok some don't, it takes a little experimenting to find one that works ok, adjustable for different feed rates which typically need to be 60 minutes plus, the more time allowed will be more typical of most rain rates. For standard Davis cone & 0.2mm tippers run 425ml which should click over a tad under 100 tips, round out to the next tip with a syringe and calc things back from this.
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A reasonable feed arrangement can be made using a irrigation dripper, some drippers work ok some don't, it takes a little experimenting to find one that works ok, adjustable for different feed rates which typically need to be 60 minutes plus, the more time allowed will be more typical of most rain rates. For standard Davis cone & 0.2mm tippers run 425ml which should click over a tad under 100 tips, round out to the next tip with a syringe and calc things back from this.
I don't find this true. I started with the slow drip and gauges rarely matched. In fact Novalynx out of California recommends and calibrates all new tipping buckets at 6" per hour rate.
Here is NovaLynx quote: For the rain gauges manufactured by NovaLynx, the factory calibrated flow rate is six
inches per hour, unless otherwise specified.
Another: Factory calibration uses the 1/16" diameter orifice at 6"
per hour for an 8" rain gauge. This rate gives a good overall results.
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This only makes sense if the manual gauge and the Davis are the same diameter. For instance, 544 ml should equal 1.00" of rain in a Davis 6.5" tipping bucket, but the same 544 ml volume in a 4" Stratus manual would be 2.72".
I do have one suggestion for "verification". [Perhaps you have already done this]
Do the same test on your manual gauge. Same bottle, same rate, etc. [Since you're getting a new bottle, then repeat on your Davis].
Yes, of course - but there is a rather simple calculation (given the diameter of the manual gauge) to convert the measurement. That would be within reasonable limits.
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A reasonable feed arrangement can be made using a irrigation dripper, some drippers work ok some don't, it takes a little experimenting to find one that works ok, adjustable for different feed rates which typically need to be 60 minutes plus, the more time allowed will be more typical of most rain rates. For standard Davis cone & 0.2mm tippers run 425ml which should click over a tad under 100 tips, round out to the next tip with a syringe and calc things back from this.
I don't find this true. I started with the slow drip and gauges rarely matched. In fact Novalynx out of California recommends and calibrates all new tipping buckets at 6" per hour rate.
Here is NovaLynx quote: For the rain gauges manufactured by NovaLynx, the factory calibrated flow rate is six
inches per hour, unless otherwise specified.
Another: Factory calibration uses the 1/16" diameter orifice at 6"
per hour for an 8" rain gauge. This rate gives a good overall results.
As we know from many studies and reports tipping gauges are not constant across the range of very low to medium to heavy rain rates. Six inches an hour (2.5mm/minute) is way up there and beyond what most gauges would ever see on any regular long term basis. NovaLynx may do this for some specific reason, have no background with NovaLynx but have spent many hours over many years calibrating & comparing Davis gauges and have enough figures to know what works and what doesn't.
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A reasonable feed arrangement can be made using a irrigation dripper, some drippers work ok some don't, it takes a little experimenting to find one that works ok, adjustable for different feed rates which typically need to be 60 minutes plus, the more time allowed will be more typical of most rain rates. For standard Davis cone & 0.2mm tippers run 425ml which should click over a tad under 100 tips, round out to the next tip with a syringe and calc things back from this.
I don't find this true. I started with the slow drip and gauges rarely matched. In fact Novalynx out of California recommends and calibrates all new tipping buckets at 6" per hour rate.
Here is NovaLynx quote: For the rain gauges manufactured by NovaLynx, the factory calibrated flow rate is six
inches per hour, unless otherwise specified.
Another: Factory calibration uses the 1/16" diameter orifice at 6"
per hour for an 8" rain gauge. This rate gives a good overall results.
As we know from many studies and reports tipping gauges are not constant across the range of very low to medium to heavy rain rates. Six inches an hour (2.5mm/minute) is way up there and beyond what most gauges would ever see on any regular long term basis. NovaLynx may do this for some specific reason, have no background with NovaLynx but have spent many hours over many years calibrating & comparing Davis gauges and have enough figures to know what works and what doesn't.
I have a little experience calibrating also and know the slower rate calibration doesn't follow my 8" STG and have found the Novalynx recommended calibration works best on both the 8" Texas Electronics and 8" Rainwise.
I stopped chasing the calibration on Davis buckets long time ago because they were all over the place non consistent and unreliable can't recommend to anyone.
I've never tried the aeroCone and don't plan on it when a quality 8" rainwise replaces and works great. They are consistent and as accurate as many high end buckets if calibrated at 6" per/hr rate.
Edit: I should say this 6" hr rate actually shows about 5 1/2" per the Davis console. Why it works best? I'm not sure, but even after an inch of rain with this calibration I can have zero error or within .02 on the 8". It just works, I was first skeptical and now I understand why they recommend it.
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Six inches an hour (2.5mm/minute) is way up there and beyond what most gauges would ever see on any regular long term basis.
I dis-agree on this, rates more than 150 mm/hr are nothing that unusual during thunderstorms. My record-rainrate, this in south Finland and with 10 years of data, are 400+ mm/hr. Yes, it REALLY rained then :lol:
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Six inches an hour (2.5mm/minute) is way up there and beyond what most gauges would ever see on any regular long term basis.
I dis-agree on this, rates more than 150 mm/hr are nothing that unusual during thunderstorms. My record-rainrate, this in south Finland and with 10 years of data, are 400+ mm/hr. Yes, it REALLY rained then :lol:
I have had this quite regular this summer......
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No, 150mm/h is not normal but you will see intensities higher than this over short periods of time and in Davis's case this is based on timing the tipping bucket but to say it rains 150mm per hour, hour on hour is quite unreasonable so lets differentiate between rain rate and periodic intensity.
Over 10 minute archives I've seen close to the 20mm mark which is serious intensity (2mm/min) and equiv to ~ 120mm/h but this is not the norm and one won't generally see sustained rainfall like this over extended periods of time which is way tippers should be calibrated for the average mid range expected
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but to say it rains 150mm per hour, hour on hour is quite unreasonable so lets differentiate between rain rate and periodic intensity.
Granted it doesn't happen every day, but if you're under a land falling tropical system, these sustained rates are very reasonable and do happen. If your tipper can handle a 6"/150mm rate accurately and still be at 10% that, why would you not?
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95/5 rule. Because you calibrate for 95% of the expected normal average not 5% of the unexpected
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95/5 rule. Because you calibrate for 95% of the expected normal average not 5% of the unexpected
So by your reasoning even if the tipper can handle 6" an hour just as accurately as 2", don't bother because 2" an hour is good enough. Backwards thinking. I personally ALWAYS strive to get the utmost from my equipment, PWS or otherwise. Why leave accuracy on the table...
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....So by your reasoning even if the tipper can handle 6" an hour just as accurately as 2"
Who said it can? Do you have the figures to prove that statement? Even 50mm/h is above normal as far as rain rates, intensity and duration is concerned.
Re the comment that it may be off 10%, so some are then happy with a 10% inaccuracy 95% of the time ? I don't think so. Maybe can accept 10% inaccuracy 5% of the time?
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....So by your reasoning even if the tipper can handle 6" an hour just as accurately as 2"
Who said it can?
The people who do this as a profession and respected opinions to back it up. What is your basis?
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Even 50mm/h is above normal as far as rain rates, intensity and duration is concerned.
That's less than 2" hr. Many areas are 3-4" average. Here 5-8" over short periods are common, even much higher occasionally. The rain may continue on for 45 minutes or longer bringing the average way down but most of the rain 80-90% fell during that 10-15 minute (5-8") rate so if you calibrate the gauge at 1-2" guaranteed you see a 20-30% shortage every time it rains. Been there done that 5-6" rate is perfect for my area.
https://www2.iccsafe.org/states/Virginia/Plumbing/PDFs/Appendix%20B_Rates%20of%20Rainfall%20for%20Various%20Cities.pdf
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....So by your reasoning even if the tipper can handle 6" an hour just as accurately as 2"
Who said it can?
The people who do this as a profession and respected opinions to back it up. What is your basis?
An opinion doesn't back anything up. can you try and answer a question with an actual subjective answer.
A blanket calibration rate of 6"/hr just doesn't cut anything, some really need to be a little subjective here.
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....So by your reasoning even if the tipper can handle 6" an hour just as accurately as 2"
Who said it can?
The people who do this as a profession and respected opinions to back it up. What is your basis?
An opinion doesn't back anything up.
OK. We'll just stick with all your facts.
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....So by your reasoning even if the tipper can handle 6" an hour just as accurately as 2"
Who said it can?
The people who do this as a profession and respected opinions to back it up. What is your basis?
An opinion doesn't back anything up.
OK. We'll just stick with all your facts.
Now don't be like that, all I want is your justification not some opinion that is third hand.
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....So by your reasoning even if the tipper can handle 6" an hour just as accurately as 2"
Who said it can?
The people who do this as a profession and respected opinions to back it up. What is your basis?
A blanket calibration rate of 6"/hr just doesn't cut anything, some really need to be a little subjective here.
Seems to "cut it" for these guys...See 6.0, bold lettering too boot. http://novalynx.com/manuals/260-2595-manual.pdf
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Quite the discussion on this subject so I will spew my 2 cents about the subject.
Lets be honest the Davis tipping bucket rain gauge is inconsistant, I threw mine in the trash a few years ago and have had a Rainwise which is not only more accurate as well as cheaper than a Davis with my Vantage Pro 2, I wouldn't go back. Had a deluge yesterday with Pro 2 console showing high rain rate of 6.62", this am my manual gauge showed 0.75" and the Rainwise recorded 0.76", even in steady, light rains the gauges don't differ more than a couple 0.02".
I can just guess at the problem with Davis tippers from the smaller collection area, different tipping bucket shape than most quality tipping gauges.
Lots of mention sometimes of water loss with high rain rates which is true however I don't think there's a tipping bucket that all the water actually flows out of the bucket when tipped, surface friction, dirt etc can make water stick which increases the weight of the bucket and more water needed to tip the elevated bucket. Maybe that's one reason Novalynx says the 6" hour rate for calibration gives good overall results along with most of the time rainfall rates are higher than 1-2" an hour across the country.
When I got my Rainwise I called Rainwise and spoke to Lonnie White about the accuracy. He told me they calibrate their gauges which are 8" using 8 ml per tip which is very close to Novalynx's 7.95 ml per tip for 2" hr rain rate for 8" diameter.
I would trust what Novalynx manual says, it's about the same as what Rainwise does to calibrate their gauges which perform great.
Did Davis release anything to back up their claim about the new Aerocone improving rain gauge accuracy in wind ? Or likely just another company trying to improve their bottom line by sucking in customers with no hard data to back up their claim.
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....So by your reasoning even if the tipper can handle 6" an hour just as accurately as 2"
Who said it can?
The people who do this as a profession and respected opinions to back it up. What is your basis?
A blanket calibration rate of 6"/hr just doesn't cut anything, some really need to be a little subjective here.
Seems to "cut it" for these guys...See 6.0, bold lettering too boot. http://novalynx.com/manuals/260-2595-manual.pdf
So they claim but don't be selective on this one as nobody else really does and typically the general average calibration rain rate that most use is 2"/hour and no doubt you have noted this in your "internet research" but fail to mention it as it doesn't fit with your thinking.
This concept that 6"/hour is somehow a common rain rate is a little flawed but yes you will see it at times but nothing like what some claim.
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....So by your reasoning even if the tipper can handle 6" an hour just as accurately as 2"
Who said it can?
The people who do this as a profession and respected opinions to back it up. What is your basis?
A blanket calibration rate of 6"/hr just doesn't cut anything, some really need to be a little subjective here.
Seems to "cut it" for these guys...See 6.0, bold lettering too boot. http://novalynx.com/manuals/260-2595-manual.pdf
So they claim but don't be selective on this one as nobody else really does and typically the general average calibration rain rate that most use is 2"/hour and no doubt you have noted this in your "internet research" but fail to mention it as it doesn't fit with your thinking.
This concept that 6"/hour is somehow a common rain rate is a little flawed but yes you will see it at times but nothing like what some claim.
It NEVER ceases to amaze me how some people on this board ask for proof of something, it's supplied for them, but STILL want to argue about it. (I can't possibly be wrong syndrome). Do what you want, you obviously know better than the rest of us.
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Quite the discussion on this subject so I will spew my 2 cents about the subject.
Lets be honest the Davis tipping bucket rain gauge is inconsistant, I threw mine in the trash a few years ago and have had a Rainwise which is not only more accurate as well as cheaper than a Davis with my Vantage Pro 2, I wouldn't go back. Had a deluge yesterday with Pro 2 console showing high rain rate of 6.62", this am my manual gauge showed 0.75" and the Rainwise recorded 0.76", even in steady, light rains the gauges don't differ more than a couple 0.02".
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Did Davis release anything to back up their claim about the new Aerocone improving rain gauge accuracy in wind ? Or likely just another company trying to improve their bottom line by sucking in customers with no hard data to back up their claim.
I agree 100% with your comments about the accuracy of the VP2. I have two of them and they never read the same, and when compared to my CoCo guage and my Rainwise 111 they are off too--usually under reporting. And yes, I have the Aerocone on one of my VP2 ISS, and it adds no value to accuracy (wind or no wind) in my opinion. If I could hookup my Rainwise to my VP2 without creating an ugly visual mess (my wife is not happy with my current PWS setups, visually speaking) I would do it, as it always is very close to my CoCo guage.
And I have tried calibrating the VP2s (using the "correct" approach noted above) and the results remain inconsistent. I wonder if Davis reads this Forum, as the less than stellar accuracy of its VP2 rain guage has been discussed in numerous postings and threads and the best they can do is the Aerocone? Yet Davis enhances its product with the outstanding SHT31 sensor. Occasionally Davis does hit a home run!
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On the subject of Davis rain collectors (as apparently Novalynx has the only right answer and every other calibrator and gauge manufacturer have it wrong, arh well) with the VP1 and certainly the VP2 these certainly were not up to the same standard as the original WMII versions. Quite a bit of time was spent at that time analysing and comparing the WMII, VP1 & VP2 against standard 8" gauges and most was done under actual rain conditions. The results could not be disputed and were also sent to Davis.
Out of the box VP2 collectors were/are always on the low side and no where near the standard of the WMII but they can be calibrated, but they do need to be properly setup and out of the box there is no levelling mechanism, which is a weak design point. Without being able to be levelled then don't waste your time, but then this is no different to any tipping gauge. How VP2's are calibrated (as such) before leaving the factory is rather obscure based on tipper angles but setup properly they do work as per the spec.
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There is hope for the Davis gauge.. Three years ago, I had decided to give up on the Davis and switch to the Rainwise gauge, but thought I'd give Davis one more chance via calibration.
A member here loaned me his Novalynx calibrator. I marked the adjustment screws showing the factory settings before I made changes. After several hours of runs and many adjustments, the final screw turns ended up almost exactly where they were from the start. ?? It had been under reporting as compared to a 4" Stratus gauge, so this didn't make a lot of sense. ..
Anyway, I went with it and it's been within .02 of the Stratus ever since... I do gently clean dirt from the tippers and bucket every week or two.
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I do have one suggestion for "verification". [Perhaps you have already done this]
Do the same test on your manual gauge. Same bottle, same rate, etc. [Since you're getting a new bottle, then repeat on your Davis].
Yes, i will try but not sure it will be possible, depends on if i can balance the bottle on it, I will video it next time just to show
whats what :)
Have you had a chance to try this verification (of course, with appropriate calculation for the different diameter [capture area] of the manual gauge)?
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Not so sure i need to do it for the manual gauge, all i need to do is pour what ever the calculated amount is into the center tub and check the measurement on the side, its pointless doing it with a manual gauge, i know the manual gauge is accurate, it would be like you measuring a cochoras (spell check?) gauge, i see no gain from doing this?
If i just pour a measured out 5mm down the spout, that is what it will measure, no mater how slow or how fast its poured, its manual ;)
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Not so sure i need to do it for the manual gauge, all i need to do is pour what ever the calculated amount is into the center tub and check the measurement on the side, its pointless doing it with a manual gauge, i know the manual gauge is accurate, it would be like you measuring a cochoras (spell check?) gauge, i see no gain from doing this?
If i just pour a measured out 5mm down the spout, that is what it will measure, no mater how slow or how fast its poured, its manual ;)
...unless there is some previously-undiscovered error in the actual method of dripping water into the Davis gauge.
The purpose of doing the exact same test, using the same method and equipment, is verification of the end-to-end results.
For instance: there is some amount of evaporation of water that wets the funnel. Maybe not significant in this case, but maybe it is significant. And that's just one possibility.
Another instance: at the conclusion of the test, there will be some water left in the delivery equipment. That would be different if you "pour into the manual gauge" and "drip into the Davis gauge". Maybe not significant, maybe significant.
Etc.....
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Results of yesterdays rain 2 separate locations 2 miles apart. 2 tipping buckets both calibrated with Novalynx calibrator at recommended 6 inch/hr rate and it never went over 2" per/hr rate.
Results
TBRG1- .33 actual .32
TBRG2- .22 actual .22
It works, not sure why. I'm sticking with it after finding the slower calibration rates didn't.
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I have it at 24.8mm, I cant see me doing much better than that, going to see what the real rain ☔ says about it and go from there...
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I have been tweaking over the last few weeks, just had a decent rain, 5.4mm in about an hour, the manual says 5.6mm, thats pretty good, i have just twiddled a wee bit more
hopefully that should do it.
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I have been tweaking over the last few weeks, just had a decent rain, 5.4mm in about an hour, the manual says 5.6mm, thats pretty good, i have just twiddled a wee bit more
hopefully that should do it.
It would be interesting to now re-do the "drip" test.
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I have been tweaking over the last few weeks, just had a decent rain, 5.4mm in about an hour, the manual says 5.6mm, thats pretty good, i have just twiddled a wee bit more
hopefully that should do it.
You will never get an exact match, every time, all the time anyway. If you are in the range +/- 4 to 5% +/- 1 tip then you are within the spec
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Today had a T/storm with pea size hail dropping .34" ( 8.6mm) in 13 minutes reaching 5.4" (137.1mm) per/hr rate at heaviest point.
Using the 6" (152mm) per/hr rate calibration the tipping bucket still came up short .01 (.33) (0.25mm) vs actual (.34) in 8" SRG.
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So.... If I use the Novalynx rain gauge calibrator for my Davis VP2 rain gauge, would it improve the accuracy of the Davis gauge?
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So.... If I use the Novalynx rain gauge calibrator for my Davis VP2 rain gauge, would it improve the accuracy of the Davis gauge?
I would think so. You would at least know if the gauge is capable of repeatability. If not and it's very possible if like my Davis gauge and all over the place replace with Rainwise 111 8". https://www.rainwise.com/products/detail.php?ID=6697
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So.... If I use the Novalynx rain gauge calibrator for my Davis VP2 rain gauge, would it improve the accuracy of the Davis gauge?
I would think so. You would at least know if the gauge is capable of repeatability. If not and it's very possible if like my Davis gauge and all over the place replace with Rainwise 111 8". https://www.rainwise.com/products/detail.php?ID=6697
Thanks! How do you get the RW gauge to report to the Davis console or to WeatherUnderground etc. in one piece?
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So.... If I use the Novalynx rain gauge calibrator for my Davis VP2 rain gauge, would it improve the accuracy of the Davis gauge?
I would think so. You would at least know if the gauge is capable of repeatability. If not and it's very possible if like my Davis gauge and all over the place replace with Rainwise 111 8". https://www.rainwise.com/products/detail.php?ID=6697
Thanks! How do you get the RW gauge to report to the Davis console or to WeatherUnderground etc. in one piece?
rj11 phone line Green/yellow together go on 1 post and red on other rainbucket terminal. Black is not used.
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So.... If I use the Novalynx rain gauge calibrator for my Davis VP2 rain gauge, would it improve the accuracy of the Davis gauge?
I would think so. You would at least know if the gauge is capable of repeatability. If not and it's very possible if like my Davis gauge and all over the place replace with Rainwise 111 8". https://www.rainwise.com/products/detail.php?ID=6697
Thanks! How do you get the RW gauge to report to the Davis console or to WeatherUnderground etc. in one piece?
rj11 phone line Green/yellow together go on 1 post and red on other rainbucket terminal. Black is not used.
Thanks!
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While I haven't touched my own VP2 in regards to rain calibration, I'm curious about how others measure the bucket tips without upsetting their live data.
It would make simple sense to me to unplug the rain sensor from the ISS & patch it into a micro (Micromite, Arduino etc), and then log the tips in there.
Has anyone tried that sort of approach?
It would make it easy to log the bucket tips along with time stamps & compare results at different "Rain rates".
Phil.
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So.... If I use the Novalynx rain gauge calibrator for my Davis VP2 rain gauge, would it improve the accuracy of the Davis gauge?
I would think so. You would at least know if the gauge is capable of repeatability. If not and it's very possible if like my Davis gauge and all over the place replace with Rainwise 111 8". https://www.rainwise.com/products/detail.php?ID=6697
Thanks! How do you get the RW gauge to report to the Davis console or to WeatherUnderground etc. in one piece?
rj11 phone line Green/yellow together go on 1 post and red on other rainbucket terminal. Black is not used.
Fancy, smancy, I just twisted mine together. ;)
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While I haven't touched my own VP2 in regards to rain calibration, I'm curious about how others measure the bucket tips without upsetting their live data.
It would make simple sense to me to unplug the rain sensor from the ISS & patch it into a micro (Micromite, Arduino etc), and then log the tips in there.
Has anyone tried that sort of approach?
It would make it easy to log the bucket tips along with time stamps & compare results at different "Rain rates".
Phil.
The rainwise has a counter that comes with unit for easy calibration but for davis tipping bucket station you could wire a no voltage counter.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NC9M0U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Baomain-H7EC-BLM-Counting-No-voltage-Required/dp/B00W16DLFC/ref=pd_sim_469_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AFX1J3ZQ579TVVCQRF30
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So.... If I use the Novalynx rain gauge calibrator for my Davis VP2 rain gauge, would it improve the accuracy of the Davis gauge?
I would think so. You would at least know if the gauge is capable of repeatability. If not and it's very possible if like my Davis gauge and all over the place replace with Rainwise 111 8". https://www.rainwise.com/products/detail.php?ID=6697
Thanks! How do you get the RW gauge to report to the Davis console or to WeatherUnderground etc. in one piece?
rj11 phone line Green/yellow together go on 1 post and red on other rainbucket terminal. Black is not used.
Fancy, smancy, I just twisted mine together. ;)
You can wire both Iss rj11 plug and RW counter plug to posts at same time just pop the blue cover off and post are exposed. I left a section of wire with counter plug coiled up under cover so if I ever need a calibration it's ready to go. Just unplug from Iss and plug counter in.
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So.... If I use the Novalynx rain gauge calibrator for my Davis VP2 rain gauge, would it improve the accuracy of the Davis gauge?
I would think so. You would at least know if the gauge is capable of repeatability. If not and it's very possible if like my Davis gauge and all over the place replace with Rainwise 111 8". https://www.rainwise.com/products/detail.php?ID=6697
Thanks! How do you get the RW gauge to report to the Davis console or to WeatherUnderground etc. in one piece?
rj11 phone line Green/yellow together go on 1 post and red on other rainbucket terminal. Black is not used.
Fancy, smancy, I just twisted mine together. ;)
You can wire both Iss rj11 plug and RW counter plug to posts at same time just pop the blue cover off and post are exposed. I left a section of wire with counter plug coiled up under cover so if I ever need a calibration it's ready to go. Just unplug from Iss and plug counter in.
Ah yes, that's a hellofalot easier your way.
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Where does one buy a Novalynx calibrator gauge at a reasonable price, and what is that reasonable price?
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If I go decide to get the RW gauge, do I need to calibrate it out of the box or does it perform well right off the bat?
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If I go decide to get the RW gauge, do I need to calibrate it out of the box or does it perform well right off the bat?
They are hand calibrated, but some people I know had to jack with it outta the box and screw it up. I, uhummm, I mean they got it back. :roll:
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If I go decide to get the RW gauge, do I need to calibrate it out of the box or does it perform well right off the bat?
They are hand calibrated, but some people I know had to jack with it outta the box and screw it up. I, uhummm, I mean they got it back. :roll:
Gotcha.
Can you & ValentineWeather both send me pics on how your RW gauge is installed relative to the Davis ISS location? I'm trying to think of a way to install the RW gauge without much fraying of the wire of the RW gauge.
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Where does one buy a Novalynx calibrator gauge at a reasonable price, and what is that reasonable price?
Only place I know is retail directly from Novalynx. 260-2595 Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge Calibrator - $125.00
This is the best field unit I've found because unlike most other rain gauge calibrators flow slows with head pressure. These keep same drip speed throughout calibration.
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If I go decide to get the RW gauge, do I need to calibrate it out of the box or does it perform well right off the bat?
They are hand calibrated, but some people I know had to jack with it outta the box and screw it up. I, uhummm, I mean they got it back. :roll:
Gotcha.
Can you & ValentineWeather both send me pics on how your RW gauge is installed relative to the Davis ISS location? I'm trying to think of a way to install the RW gauge without much fraying of the wire of the RW gauge.
Any rain gauge needs mounted securely. I've mounted RW gauges on top of cinder block drilling and screwing down into block, another is mounted on large heavy block of wood. Main thing it's mounted securely and not swaying or vibrating with the wind. It's been covered before but many pole mounted gauges are prone to tip early from vibration causing gauge to read high or sometimes normal on under calibrated gauges but then a rain with little wind if gauge is under calibrated will be short. You end up chasing your tail basically not understanding why one time it was close and short another.
How you protect the wire is your choice if gauge is located some distance away from ISS I run underground in pvc pipe. If you want wire can be exposed on top but I would replace every few years.
It's easy to hook up this is one of my backup gauges with Davis heater I was experimenting with. Just pop blue cover off and wire. Red goes on one post, green yellow on other.
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If I go decide to get the RW gauge, do I need to calibrate it out of the box or does it perform well right off the bat?
They are hand calibrated, but some people I know had to jack with it outta the box and screw it up. I, uhummm, I mean they got it back. :roll:
Gotcha.
Can you & ValentineWeather both send me pics on how your RW gauge is installed relative to the Davis ISS location? I'm trying to think of a way to install the RW gauge without much fraying of the wire of the RW gauge.
Any rain gauge needs mounted securely. I've mounted RW gauges on top of cinder block drilling and screwing down into block, another is mounted on large heavy block of wood. Main thing it's mounted securely and not swaying or vibrating with the wind. It's been covered before but many pole mounted gauges are prone to tip early from vibration causing gauge to read high or sometimes normal on under calibrated gauges but then a rain with little wind if gauge is under calibrated will be short. You end up chasing your tail basically not understanding why one time it was close and short another.
How you protect the wire is your choice if gauge is located some distance away from ISS I run underground in pvc pipe. If you want wire can be exposed on top but I would replace every few years.
It's easy to hook up this is one of my backup gauges with Davis heater I was experimenting with. Just pop blue cover off and wire. Red goes on one post, green yellow on other.
Ok. Thanks!
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Mine is also screwed into the cap of a cider block wall, makes it easy to balance too. As far as the line to the ISS, I used just the phone cord itself running through the desert (knew it wouldn't last) and sure enough was chewed through within a week. So I got smart and fished it through a garden hose (talk about a PITA), that got chewed through the next day (really, what the hell I got out here?) Soooo, I really got smart and fished it through flexible metal conduit, 10 times easier than the hose, and knew that's how I should have done it in the first place. :roll: That was the first of the year and ain't nothin' chewed through that. =D>
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If I go decide to get the RW gauge, do I need to calibrate it out of the box or does it perform well right off the bat?
They are hand calibrated, but some people I know had to jack with it outta the box and screw it up. I, uhummm, I mean they got it back. :roll:
Gotcha.
Can you & ValentineWeather both send me pics on how your RW gauge is installed relative to the Davis ISS location? I'm trying to think of a way to install the RW gauge without much fraying of the wire of the RW gauge.
Any rain gauge needs mounted securely. I've mounted RW gauges on top of cinder block drilling and screwing down into block, another is mounted on large heavy block of wood. Main thing it's mounted securely and not swaying or vibrating with the wind. It's been covered before but many pole mounted gauges are prone to tip early from vibration causing gauge to read high or sometimes normal on under calibrated gauges but then a rain with little wind if gauge is under calibrated will be short. You end up chasing your tail basically not understanding why one time it was close and short another.
How you protect the wire is your choice if gauge is located some distance away from ISS I run underground in pvc pipe. If you want wire can be exposed on top but I would replace every few years.
It's easy to hook up this is one of my backup gauges with Davis heater I was experimenting with. Just pop blue cover off and wire. Red goes on one post, green yellow on other.
Can the RainWise RainNew gauge be installed on a mast like their rainlogger gauges?
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And btw Randy, how does the RainWise gauge compares to your Texas Electronics gauge?
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And btw Randy, how does the RainWise gauge compares to your Texas Electronics gauge?
Both work the same. The TE is just made of higher quality material and should last long time.
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Can the RainWise RainNew gauge be installed on a mast like their rainlogger gauges?
I like that..Look into it and report back what's needed.
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Can the RainWise RainNew gauge be installed on a mast like their rainlogger gauges?
I like that..Look into it and report back what's needed.
Yes, it looks cool, but with that really high center of gravity I wonder about shimmy in stronger wind. That's the whole reason why I left my VP2 rain bucket on a tripod for the RW, the RW is completely solidly mounted.
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Can the RainWise RainNew gauge be installed on a mast like their rainlogger gauges?
I like that..Look into it and report back what's needed.
Just emailed RainWise. Waiting for a response from them.
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Can the RainWise RainNew gauge be installed on a mast like their rainlogger gauges?
I like that..Look into it and report back what's needed.
Just emailed RainWise. Waiting for a response from them.
Nice, I look how it looks if nothing else... :grin:
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So.... If I use the Novalynx rain gauge calibrator for my Davis VP2 rain gauge, would it improve the accuracy of the Davis gauge?
I would think so. You would at least know if the gauge is capable of repeatability. If not and it's very possible if like my Davis gauge and all over the place replace with Rainwise 111 8". https://www.rainwise.com/products/detail.php?ID=6697
Thanks! How do you get the RW gauge to report to the Davis console or to WeatherUnderground etc. in one piece?
rj11 phone line Green/yellow together go on 1 post and red on other rainbucket terminal. Black is not used.
Thanks for sharing this great info!! I saw this post as heavy showers were approaching and decided to quickly hook up my no longer used Rainwise MKIII rain gauge last night. I measured:
RainWise .28
Davis (as calibrated as I can get it) Aerocone .26
Cocorahs 4" Manual (non-electronic): .28
Novalynx 8" Standard Manual (non-electronic): .31
Thanks again!
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Sounds like the old saying, a man with 1 rain gauge knows how much rain, man with 2 rain gauges is never quite sure.
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Can the RainWise RainNew gauge be installed on a mast like their rainlogger gauges?
I like that..Look into it and report back what's needed.
Just emailed RainWise. Waiting for a response from them.
Nice, I look how it looks if nothing else... :grin:
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Can the RainWise RainNew gauge be installed on a mast like their rainlogger gauges?
I like that..Look into it and report back what's needed.
Just emailed RainWise. Waiting for a response from them.
Nice, I look how it looks if nothing else... :grin:
Cheaper than the Texas Electronics base however.
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What's nice about having a base it takes all the mounting issues away plus gauge can be precision leveled .
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Does it have to be cemented into the ground?
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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.
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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 :D
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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...
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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
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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.
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"gold ball" or whatever you want to call it in the middle hole.
:?:
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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.
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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...
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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.
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If there is a short in the wiring, where would it be and why?
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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.
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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?
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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. #-o
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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.
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=D>
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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
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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!
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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.
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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.
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I take it this just plugs right into the rain jack on the ISS and that's it?
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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.
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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.
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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.
You won't use the counter other than calibration if needed and yes it works like the Davis, as bucket tips it sends data to console wirelessly.
This bucket shouldn't be mounted same place as Davis.
Securely mount no higher than 4' above ground on some kind of platform. Part of the Davis issue is the way its mounted.
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Here is my RW next to TE. Notice my Davis gauge is gone.
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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.
This bucket shouldn't be mounted same place as Davis.
Securely mount no higher than 4' above ground on some kind of platform. Part of the Davis issue is the way its mounted.
For sure. And don't forget to level it too!