Author Topic: $30 Rain Collector Heater - simple!! (Read 128501 times)

NiceBill · « **Reply #50 on:** November 28, 2008, 09:46:28 PM »

Our TV weather man who is generally pretty good, would not commit ether way. In cases like this storm is presenting, south gets rain, just north gets the snow and we get the ice. I have had my heater set to go since this past summer. If it goes to total melt down, oh well. Now if it works real well and melts the ice and if some snow, as well as, keeps the collector working, good. But the resistors I now have up for sale since this past summer for $10.00 ea. will go up to $20.00 ea. $\:D/$ $\:D/$ $\:D/$

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

sam2004gp · « **Reply #51 on:** November 29, 2008, 07:12:25 AM »

Still hope for pics and details....

sam2004gp · « **Reply #52 on:** November 30, 2008, 05:07:13 PM »

Quote from: jwyman on November 26, 2008, 02:30:53 PM

Quote from: Anthony on March 07, 2008, 07:43:57 AM
Thanks for the info. Don't think you application would be practical for those of us who have stations like the OS WMR-968. The rain guages on these stations are much smaller (almost 4x).

But it is a very practical design for Davis station owners. And much less expensive that the Davis heated rain guage option.

Anthony and all,
I have just completed an intial heater for my WMR-968 gauge. It uses a 10 watt halogen lamp. I am using refelctive duct tape in the cylinder to reflect the heat... I will let you all know the results and post the photos if sucessful.. Now a little sleet, freezing rain and the such...

Jim

Any Precip results or pics yet?

jwyman · « **Reply #53 on:** November 30, 2008, 06:00:21 PM »

Well, my main concern was heat buildup and possible melting and failure of the unit which thankfully neither happened....

We did get sleet and rain mixed last night but by this morning, it had turned to all rain.... The unit had recorded ~.25 ins of rain... I really need to get snow or a heavy mix of sleeat/freezing rain to see what happens....

Jim

sam2004gp · « **Reply #54 on:** November 30, 2008, 06:16:50 PM »

Do you have any preliminary design specs available yet?

Bushman · « **Reply #55 on:** November 30, 2008, 07:35:22 PM »

COuld this thing work with a 12 v supply? Assuming a proper resistor, that is. BTW, for the insulation, Reflectix would be the stuff to use. I'd love to see plans... TIA!

jwyman · « **Reply #56 on:** November 30, 2008, 07:48:10 PM »

I had a technician build a standoff for a 12v, 10W halogen lamp. It sits about an inch from the bottom. I used aluminum foil adhesive tape from the hardware store. I followed the direction for making a template for the tamp by using paper and lining the inside to form it correctly. I then cut the form to fit just right. Taking the form I aplplied the tape to both side and trimmed. I then fitted the reulstant shield inside the funnel area. I only lined the outside wall, NOT the funnel itself. I ran the 12v lines from the lamp out the bottom of the base to a junction box which powers my FARS. I have a switch on the outside of the box so I can turn it on and off on very cold night w/ chance of precip. It gives off a glow which is really neat. My concern was the lamp was too hot for the unit but after running all night, the unit was just fine. I turned it off this morning when the forecast turned to all rain.... My next step will be to invest in a thernal switch of some kind to automatically turn it on and off at ~ 40 degs..... I will try to get photos posted soon...

Jim

sam2004gp · « **Reply #57 on:** December 01, 2008, 11:33:16 AM »

{Begin of design thoughts}

Hmmm, and I just happen to have a few left over 12 volt 10 watt hallogen bulbs, from changing out my landscape lighting. Perhaps I could hack one of the lamp bases and install it myself. I do recall that when ever it snowed, and then at night when the landscape lights came on, it would melt a nice little about 1.5 inch ring around the light fixture. I could install it, bring a lead out of the rain gauge about 6 inches or so, and then put some sort of plug on that. So during the summer I would not have other wires around. Then I could run the lead down my mast, into the side vent on my storage building and then to the electrical outlet below. I will also need to purchase one of those temp sensitive outlets at my local big box hardware store, and a cheap 12 Volt walwart from somewhere or perhaps I have an extra one in my junk drawer.

{End of design thoughts}

Sorry for the thread hijack, but again I would love to see some pics of your setup.

jwyman · « **Reply #58 on:** December 02, 2008, 10:22:17 PM »

Update: Just ordered a $16 board which contains a termistor and relay circuit to turn on/off a nornal open connection or closed connection. You can you it to control a heater or a fan , depending on the preset temperature you set. The range is from 41 deg to 85 deg F. It runs on 12v and supports up to 3 amp load. I hope to get it in a cople of days a put it in my setup to automatically turn on/off the heater when the temperature gets around 40 degrees. No more running outside to turn on and off the switch... $\:D/$ $\:D/$

Jim

sam2004gp · « **Reply #59 on:** December 03, 2008, 06:40:36 AM »

And you did not provide a link, for this board.

Shame Shame. Just Kidding.

jwyman · « **Reply #60 on:** December 03, 2008, 07:47:13 AM »

Man, you don't have any patience do you!

Ok, here you go.... http://apogeekits.com/thermostat_vm137.htm

Any btw, will TRY to get photos up this weekend of the heating setup.....

Jim

sam2004gp · « **Reply #61 on:** December 03, 2008, 08:00:15 AM »

Nah, do much darn caffine in the mornings when I check on here.

NiceBill · « **Reply #62 on:** December 03, 2008, 08:04:44 AM »

Looks like that $17.00 + S/H thermostat puts this subject of a $20.00 Rain Collector Heater down the drain.
What's it up to now??

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

sam2004gp · « **Reply #63 on:** December 03, 2008, 08:16:59 AM »

When I have the time to do mine for the OS WMR-968, I am going to take alot of pics, and make a write-up to put on my webpage. I am going to try to go as cheap as possible as well.

But I would say the cost of retrofitting would be closer around $40.

JOE · « **Reply #64 on:** December 03, 2008, 10:27:57 PM »

I found this product where I could just use one piece of insulating material. It has adhesive on one side, so I just put regular aluminum foil on that side.

Then I used a template that I drew up in my CADD software and plotted out full size.

Cut out the foil piece...

And taped on the heat cable with aluminum tape...
I only used about 50% of the heated portion on the cable.

And the finished piece ready to get stuffed into the rain collector.

I have about $50 invested, but that includes making two of these and I have plenty of the insulating material left over, so I don't have much over $20 total per heater invested.

.

SlowModem · « **Reply #65 on:** December 03, 2008, 10:39:32 PM »

Here's a link to a rain guage heater from a group I belong to. It's for a WMR968, but I'm sure that any cylindrical tipping bucket gauge would be adaptable.

http://www.gartholson.net/weathersensors/raingauge.htm

jwyman · « **Reply #66 on:** December 06, 2008, 07:32:39 PM »

Well, just got the thermostat unit installed in the box and all wired up.. We are supposed to have rain and snow tonight.....The really neat thing about this is that the unit glows in the dark and if you look real closely, you can see warm air eddies from the funnel. I think this will not be a problem for the unit and snow melting...

Jim

Mark / Ohio · « **Reply #67 on:** December 06, 2008, 08:51:51 PM »

Quote from: jwyman on December 06, 2008, 07:32:39 PM

.....The really neat thing about this is that the unit glows in the dark and if you look real closely, you can see warm air eddies from the funnel. .....

I have this vision of snow flakes hovering above it in the thermals until they melt and drip into the funnel.

JOE · « **Reply #68 on:** December 08, 2008, 09:30:58 AM »

I had just a little bit of freezing rain last night.

Heater was on. It recorded 0.01 inch of rainfall.

I guess mine works.

Doesn't seem to affect temp reading.

chief-david · « **Reply #69 on:** December 10, 2008, 04:23:11 PM »

I bought the 15 watt, 6 foot cable. It does not seem to be doing the trick. Should I get a longer cable or wrap the cable around the cone?
Would it melt the cone?

sam2004gp · « **Reply #70 on:** December 10, 2008, 05:47:33 PM »

I do not have my "test setup" in my rain collector yet, but I am doing some outside testing with it...............

MOVED TO http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=2686.msg19457#msg19457

NiceBill · « **Reply #71 on:** December 10, 2008, 05:58:04 PM »

Most heat cables are meant to be in direct contact with the item wished to keep from freezing, like a pipe.
They are not meant to give off radiant heat to a large area.
I would think that you can place 20' of heater cable in your unit and it will do nothing.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

sam2004gp · « **Reply #72 on:** December 11, 2008, 06:30:54 AM »

I started a thread for us Oregon Scientfic / "smaller in size" rain collector folks over at... http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=2686.msg19457#msg19457
Last night's MAX temp test did great.

sam2004gp · « **Reply #73 on:** December 11, 2008, 06:58:30 AM »

Quote from: jwyman on December 03, 2008, 07:47:13 AM

Man, you don't have any patience do you!

Ok, here you go.... http://apogeekits.com/thermostat_vm137.htm

Any btw, will TRY to get photos up this weekend of the heating setup.....

Jim

Still being impatient, do you have those photos yet?

jwyman · « **Reply #74 on:** December 11, 2008, 07:45:49 AM »

It's raining cats and dogs here and I need to find a decent camera to get the photos.....

jim

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Author Topic: $30 Rain Collector Heater - simple!! (Read 128501 times)

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