Protecting Plastic Weather Instruments from the Killer Sun??

[BaronV]

Im in the process of taking down my LaCrosse WS-2308 and replacing them with an OS WMR200 (yay!). The Lacrosse has been up there for 2 years plus now, and here in Sunny Malaysia you get about 8 hours of killer Sunshine with a UV index of about 6-8 every single day!! To add on to that theres crazy thunderstorms and bugs and other such living things trying to ruin my precious equipment....

The plastic that makes up my Lacrosse equipment has hardened from exposure to the sun and while it hasnt started flaking it likely would eventually has the sun wears down the rather tough plastic. My anemometer also makes this squeeky, skreechy sound when you blow it, and you can tell there is a fair ammount of friction due to the rust and who knows what has laid eggs or built something in there

Anyway my question is any suggestions on how to protect my new equipment? Especially from the sun? I considered spray on laquer, but that might actually ruin the sensitivity of the rain gauge or anemometer...

[DanS]

Here in Thailand we get much the same killer sun. My ws-2310 has been installed and running here since the end of 2006. Same station was used in Virginia for a couple years before that. All the plastics are still holding together well for what's it's going through. I imagine the rj-11 cables to dry and crack first but even they are doing fine. The off white coloring is slightly more off white now in some areas and I'm seeing "tan lines" when I take off a cover or remove one piece from another.
I guess just keeping things cleaned the best you can is all you really can do. My ws-2810 has only been up for just over a year and a half so it isn't showing the toasted signs as much.

[stevebrtx]

Here in MX we have 4 months of rain and 8 months almost cloudless, even now during rainy season I'm showing UV at 11 almost every day. The 200 is about 2 years old and is showing signs of wear, so not sure it will last another year. I did the beer funnel mod on the rain gauge and that is now brittle, I'm getting a new one in OCT when I go to the States.

[wxtech]

I sprayed Krylon Fusion white on the VP rain funnel outside surface.  The black plastic was in view of the NWS temperature sensor and I wanted it to be white.  It held up very well for the years that it was on the mast. 
Don't spray the inside surface of the rain funnel; that may cause droplets to adhere to the funnel inside surface and not drain to be measured.
Krylon Fusion is special paint for plastic.  I don't know how well the Fusion withstands the sun or wind abrasion.  Anyway, it's an outer coating for the surface.
I also use various other spray paints on PVC pipe that I use for mast.

[SoMDWx]

I am thinking about getting a DAVIS unit sometime soon. (HOPE). I was also thinking about getting 2 covers for the rain unit. One would be white for the warmer months and black for the winter months which would aid in some heating during the day. Hopefully this would provide a longer life for the rain covers...

Jim

[BaronV]

Thanks guys. yeah I guess there really isnt much I can do about the equipment besides keeping it clean regularly. Thinking of rubber banding spikes to the rain gauge to keep birds from perching on it. Ever since my dog dies a year+ ago all sorts of creatures have been moving into my place. I have squirrels, monitor lizards, bats, lizards,ants,.... all stuff to worry about i guess...

[wxtech]

I am thinking about getting a DAVIS unit sometime soon. (HOPE). I was also thinkging about getting 2 covers for the rain unit. ONe would be white for the wamrer months and balck for the winter months which would aid in some heating during the day. Hopefully this would provide a longer life for the rain covers...

Jim

Get two cans of Krylon fusion spray paint one black and one white.  Paint it white in Spring and Black in Winter.  You'll build up enough layers of paint for protection from anything.  Krylon Fusion is for plastic.

[FrozenPenguin]

Coconut oil i hear is a great natural sun protecting agent