Topic: When does the rain totals reset on the 5 in 1?

[damageddolphin]

Aloha,

I've hacked together a station to report to wunderground with a 5 in 1, a Raspberry Pi, rtl_433, and some Python code. One thing I found is the sensor continues to report the rain totals for days and sometimes weeks after the rain event. I thought this was a daily total and should reset every 24 hours at midnight, but after yesterday's rain it is still reporting the same total accumulation:

{"time" : "2020-02-11 08:32:34", "model" : "Acurite 5n1 sensor", "message_type" : 49, "sensor_id" : 711, "channel" : "A", "sequence_num" : 0, "battery" : "OK", "wind_speed_kph" : 5.139, "wind_dir_deg" : 337.500, "rain_inch" : 0.520}
{"time" : "2020-02-11 08:32:34", "model" : "Acurite 5n1 sensor", "message_type" : 49, "sensor_id" : 711, "channel" : "A", "sequence_num" : 1, "battery" : "OK", "wind_speed_kph" : 5.139, "wind_dir_deg" : 337.500, "rain_inch" : 0.520}
{"time" : "2020-02-11 08:32:34", "model" : "Acurite 5n1 sensor", "message_type" : 49, "sensor_id" : 711, "channel" : "A", "sequence_num" : 2, "battery" : "OK", "wind_speed_kph" : 5.139, "wind_dir_deg" : 337.500, "rain_inch" : 0.520}

The only other thing I could think is maybe it's 24 hours from the last detected rain? That was about 15 hours ago.

[galfert]

Acurite uses a rolling rain total that lasts a few days.

I'm sure someone else will jump in and explain this further.

[nincehelser]

The rain counter on the 5n1 is transmitted every 36 seconds, rain or no rain.

To get the rainfall for a given period, you first need to record the value of the current counter.  When it changes, that means that rain has been recorded for that time period.

The 5n1 sensor itself keeps no record of rainfall other than this.  In other words, it doesn't reset at midnight or any other time period.  It's up to the receiving station to keep track of rainfall totals and reset them when appropriate.

[daman]

On my 5n1 the rain resets every 24hr's(midnight)display model 01512 on the "today rainfall"

[galfert]

Okay thank you. I now have more clarity. What the sensor itself does is just send rain event data for the period of 36 seconds. It's up to the console to keep totals. When using SDR you need to make your software count and reset at the interval that you want.

[nincehelser]

Okay thank you. I now have more clarity. What the sensor itself does is just send rain event data for the period of 36 seconds. It's up to the console to keep totals. When using SDR you need to make your software count and reset at the interval that you want.

Again, it's just a counter.  It may send, for example, 123 for days until it starts raining and incrementing.

This allows for breakdown in radio communications for a period of time, but rainfall remains accurate.

[damageddolphin]

I'm still not understanding. The sensor sends, rain or no rain. It hasn't been raining but it is still sending:

{"time" : "2020-02-11 11:03:26", "model" : "Acurite 5n1 sensor", "message_type" : 49, "sensor_id" : 711, "channel" : "A", "sequence_num" : 0, "battery" : "OK", "wind_speed_kph" : 3.483, "wind_dir_deg" : 0.000, "rain_inch" : 0.520}
{"time" : "2020-02-11 11:03:26", "model" : "Acurite 5n1 sensor", "message_type" : 49, "sensor_id" : 711, "channel" : "A", "sequence_num" : 1, "battery" : "OK", "wind_speed_kph" : 3.483, "wind_dir_deg" : 0.000, "rain_inch" : 0.520}
{"time" : "2020-02-11 11:03:26", "model" : "Acurite 5n1 sensor", "message_type" : 49, "sensor_id" : 711, "channel" : "A", "sequence_num" : 2, "battery" : "OK", "wind_speed_kph" : 3.483, "wind_dir_deg" : 0.000, "rain_inch" : 0.520}

Shouldn't it be 0?

What I have observed in the past is this will go back to 0 in a few days so I have been tracking this to see when that happens.

[nincehelser]

I'm still not understanding. The sensor sends, rain or no rain. It hasn't been raining but it is still sending:

{"time" : "2020-02-11 11:03:26", "model" : "Acurite 5n1 sensor", "message_type" : 49, "sensor_id" : 711, "channel" : "A", "sequence_num" : 0, "battery" : "OK", "wind_speed_kph" : 3.483, "wind_dir_deg" : 0.000, "rain_inch" : 0.520}
{"time" : "2020-02-11 11:03:26", "model" : "Acurite 5n1 sensor", "message_type" : 49, "sensor_id" : 711, "channel" : "A", "sequence_num" : 1, "battery" : "OK", "wind_speed_kph" : 3.483, "wind_dir_deg" : 0.000, "rain_inch" : 0.520}
{"time" : "2020-02-11 11:03:26", "model" : "Acurite 5n1 sensor", "message_type" : 49, "sensor_id" : 711, "channel" : "A", "sequence_num" : 2, "battery" : "OK", "wind_speed_kph" : 3.483, "wind_dir_deg" : 0.000, "rain_inch" : 0.520}

Shouldn't it be 0?

What I have observed in the past is this will go back to 0 in a few days so I have been tracking this to see when that happens.

It's sending a counter, not a rain amount.  You have to multiply by 0.01" to get an amount.

Let's say the counter is currently "100" and you're in a drought.  It will stay that way for months reporting "100" until rain comes along and starts incrementing the counter.  The software you're using appears to be converting the counter to rain amount to inches, but it is pretty much the same thing (depending on the size of your rain buckets... the 5n1 size is 0.01").

I'm guessing you might be using RTL_433.  It does convert to inches, and it tries to reset the amount when it flips over.  However, I don't think they're doing it quite right.  For example, the counter might flip in the middle of the day, which isn't very helpful.

[damageddolphin]

It's sending a counter, not a rain amount.  You have to multiply by 0.01" to get an amount.

Let's say the counter is currently "100" and you're in a drought.  It will stay that way for months reporting "100" until rain comes along and starts incrementing the counter.  The software you're using appears to be converting the counter to rain amount to inches, but it is pretty much the same thing (depending on the size of your rain buckets... the 5n1 size is 0.01").

I'm guessing you might be using RTL_433.  It does convert to inches, and it tries to reset the amount when it flips over.  However, I don't think they're doing it quite right.  For example, the counter might flip in the middle of the day, which isn't very helpful.

Ok, I think I get it now. The RTL_433 software is seeing the counter as inches and that's where I am getting confused. I'll have to dig through their docs a bit more to see if I can figure this out.

Thank you.