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Weather Station Hardware => Hydreon RG-11 Optical Rain Gauge/Sensor => Topic started by: miraculon on January 05, 2013, 04:11:17 PM
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I received my RG-11 this week. I am planning on using mine as an "it's raining" indicator. I am going to interface it to a Smarthome "I/O Linc #2450" to trigger an X-10 beeper. I will use the 15 minute delay feature.
I am planning on mounting it on the equipment mast in the spring with a 3/4" aluminum square channel and a U-bolt.
One thing that I noticed was the desiccant. At first I thought that this was just a storage/packaging piece, typical of what you find in a lot of electronic device packaging. However, there is a reference to "... add extra desiccant packets" in the instructions.
Should I leave it in the RG-11 when I install it? How long will it last before it saturates? Where can you get more, since they indicate they are "not supplied"?
Greg H
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A quick search on EBAY (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=desiccant&_sacat=0&_from=R40) will help you source extra packets.
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I received this reply from Hydreon on the desiccant.
The desiccant in the RG-11 is not all that necessary. We thought it might be needed so we had the supplier place them in the units and still continue to do so.
What we have found though is that customers set the RG-11 and do not open it. In our testing we would continually open and close the units, many times while it was raining so water would be trapped. The RG-11 is sealed quite well so water should not make its way into the sensor.
But if you want to replace the desiccant and can't any locally, you can certainly try to reactivate it by drying it out in a oven.
I think that I am just going to treat it as a shipping item and toss it.
Greg H
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A good alternative to purchasing new desiccant is to place dry rice in at tea bag or similar container the use that in place of the desiccant.