There is testing ongoing involving CoCoRaHs, et.al., and a new design gauge... it'll still be a 4", but handle more volume, laser calibrated consistency, and couple of intriguing features / innovations. It looks like a significant 'replacement/upgrade'. The last eval period should begin in a couple of weeks, and if all good, perhaps available in spring... Guys, if properly built and designed, and consistent, what the heck difference is there between a 4" and and 8" except the 8 is more expensive and holds more water???????, whatever, IMO,... ...problem I've noted is inconsistencies in production of the last 2 or 3 of the 'Stratus' builds I've received...both quality and calibration... Apparently I'm not the only one... heh.
I hope you are right about a new CoCo gauge and I, like you, prefer the smaller 4” gauge. I also hope your source of information is more reliable than the rumored replacement, years ago, of the Davis VP-2 with a VP-3!
Hey, I'm not trying to announce a new replacement gauge! Sorry if I gave that impression. There's ALWAYS testing and eval going on! Many 'improvements' and 'new suppliers' etc have gone by the wayside since CoCoRaHS began... though my 'info' is good (heh), and this seems to look much better than other alternatives, I wouldn't bet my retirement checks on anything to supplant the Stratus, in all considerations., but this may have a 'shot'.
In a manner of speaking, it would seem fairly simple to 're-invent' the wheel, but, you know there is a WIDE variation in age, physical abilities, economics, etc across the 'citizen science' group, especially CoCoRaHS observers, so outside of accuracy and reliability of any device, any such instrument's simplicity, cost, life expectancy, ease of maintenance, installation and observation are incredibly important factors... and that's one reason, I suppose, the CCR Stratus has remained the 'official' tool, since inception, though many others have been evaluated and tested over the years. And the folks at CSU (CCR team), and NOAA et.al. have heard about all the 'wishes' and 'wants' we participants could dream up...
It's hard to beat the user 'cost' of the Stratus, mostly because of it's manufacturing source here in the U.S., and its historical consistency, (at least up to the last couple of years), so any 'newcomer' must prove out exceptional, in order to even be considered an alternative, much less the 'replacement' or 'alternative'... I've a 4" metal tomato juice can I use for snow cores at our typical depths, which is every bit as accurate as the 4" gauge cylinder, and MUCH easier to use, and it'll melt the snow in a jiffy when plopped into warm water...actually easier than weighing etc. for me. ...and it's water, not math...and the price is right.
