Author Topic: Very occasional false tips from Vue raingauge  (Read 624 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline PraveenC31

  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 58
Very occasional false tips from Vue raingauge
« on: September 09, 2019, 03:06:53 AM »
Hi,

Off late my vantage vue records very occasional false tips of 0.3mm rain. Never seen a false tip of more than 0.3mm at one shot. This happens not more than once in 2 weeks and mostly there would hav been a rain spell a day or two earlier atleast. Could it be that some water remaining from previous spell tips it very late? I read some theories tat mud in the spoon could cause water to cling and later it may evaporate causing a tip etc (not sure where I read it).

I dont have the debris filter on as birds keep plucking it out and I am fed up having to search for it everytime and then fit it back (I am in India and getting spare parts is not easy). I dont see any correlation between winds and tips. Stronger gusts have occurred without any tips than the winds when the false tip occur.

Not bothered too much at this point because the false tips are not frequent enough to greatly corrupt my readings but seeing what I can do to avoid it.

Regards,
Praveen

Offline miraculon

  • Sunrise Side Weather
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 4107
  • KE8DAF
    • Sunrise Side Weather in Rogers City MI USA
Re: Very occasional false tips from Vue raingauge
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2019, 08:11:25 AM »
Quote
I don't have the debris filter on as birds keep plucking it out

This might be the cause. When the birds are dislodging the filter, it might shake the entire ISS enough to give a false tip. Even if the filter has now been removed, they might "return to the scene of the crime"... :-)

Greg H.


Blitzortung Stations #706 and #1682
CoCoRaHS: MI-PI-1
CWOP: CW4114 and KE8DAF-13
WU: KMIROGER7
Amateur Radio Callsign: KE8DAF

Offline PraveenC31

  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 58
Re: Very occasional false tips from Vue raingauge
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2019, 09:26:09 AM »
Yes, i would see a false tip and next day when I go to investigate i would see the filter plucked out. I thought with no filter birds won't have anything interesting to come back. Looks like that is not the case

Offline AWL

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 727
    • Ardmore Weather Live
Re: Very occasional false tips from Vue raingauge
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2019, 09:44:36 AM »
Maybe something making a new home in there causing a random tip? Wasp, ants ect?


Doug

Offline PraveenC31

  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 58
Re: Very occasional false tips from Vue raingauge
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2019, 10:14:01 AM »
The ISS is 8+ feet off the terrace with nothing around it. No trees etc. I have never seen any ants or wasps around it when I have cleaned. From bottom also looks fine.

Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: Very occasional false tips from Vue raingauge
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2019, 12:26:34 PM »
Perhaps dew?

Offline PraveenC31

  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 58
Re: Very occasional false tips from Vue raingauge
« Reply #6 on: September 09, 2019, 11:52:25 PM »
Perhaps dew?

No, no dew here. Also checked that dewpoint and temperature have considerable difference. It was 10am in morning and partly cloudy. My other suspect is that the spoon was partially tipped due to some remaining water from last rain. And as the water evaporated the spoon may have moved again resulting in a tip. Will try to clean it over the weekend and see if I can spot anything else.

Offline clweb

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 16
Re: Very occasional false tips from Vue raingauge
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2019, 04:14:42 AM »
I had a problem with spiders. The Vue is on top of a 39 feet mast, with no trees around.