Even though it tips just once it isn't a single tip being used in the calculation of rain rate. The absence of a tip also counts (it counts as 0 rain for that moment that it could have tipped). Every tipping mechanism has a maximum threshold for maximum tips per second. For ease of calculation and just as an example lets assume the tipping threshold is once per second. It could very well be higher than once per second, but lets keep it simple to grasp the concept. Please realize every tipping mechanism does have a maximum limit and this is why in really heavy rains with some tipping hardware is more prone to errors as there is then spillage if you exceed the tipping mechanism threshold.
Okay good, got that out of the way. Now back to my example of a tipping mechanism with a threshold of once per second. In this case having a single tip is not really a single tip because the system holds a memory of previous tips or possible tips that didn't occur and this is called data aging. This data age limit is hard coded in the software/firmware of the system. In my case since the reported rate for one tip was 0.05 inches per hour, I'm also going to assume my tipping mechanism is once per second (it could be more or less)...that part doesn't matter...it is what it is and then the calculation is done accordingly. So for 1 tip and with a tipping mechanism maximum of once per second for the result to be 0.05 inches per second means that the data aging is hard coded to about 10 minutes...or about 600 potential tips within that time frame. So it isn't one tip that gives you the rate. It becomes 1 tip out of 600 possible tips. Now you have a rate. 1 tip within the last 10 minutes. If you then multiply by 6 to get the rate per hour (10 minutes x 6 = 1 hour) you end up with 0.06 per hour. I didn't get 0.05 for some reason and it probably has to do with the fact that I don't really know the formula nor do I know the real data aging that Ambient is using nor do I know the threshold of the tipping mechanism (I'm also not using the Meteobridge to upload to WU), but I still think I'm close, and the bigger picture should now be clear. If you want to increase the accuracy then you increase the data age from 10 minutes to 1 hour. If you have more than 2 tips within 10 minutes then you now have also achieved greater accuracy. So for low drizzles of 1 tip per 10 minutes the accuracy is low. Having low accuracy for low numbers in a measurement is not the end of the world, our different hardware is constrained by many accuracy design limitations (temperature, humidity, wind...etc). All hardware is different. It doesn't stop us from comparing temperatures or wind or whatever.
The bigger point here it to learn that one tip alone doesn't give a rate. There really is more there than just one tip. The potential tips for the given time frame of the data aging also count.
Meteobridge data age setting change (default 10 minutes):
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