Davis VP2 - rain not being recorded.

[Mapantz]

Thanks @mapantz. Your experience seems to confirm the feelings of others on wx.net.

Davis seem to have a problem with quality. Users shouldn’t need to calibrate their rain gauge. It should come calibrated.

I may have just been unlucky, Ray, but I certainly don't back my record rain rate last year.. 411 mm/hr

Rain records are probably my most important stat, and I simply didn't trust the spoon tipper, so I stayed with the trusty see-saw!

[RayProudfoot]

Hi Mapantz, you’ve made the right decision I think. It was confirmed by my mate this morning that the reed switch was, in all probability, the reason for the bizarre rainfall readings yesterday and overnight even when it wasn’t raining.

And why was rainfall was being recorded when the cable into the rain socket had been pulled out?

The reed switch has now been removed but until I get past midnight there’s no point editing my rain records as they’re overwritten by the data in today.ini and Dec21.log.

It just so happens yesterday was one of the wettest in this area all year with many stations on WU recording 1.3” or more. I’ll be estimating my rainfall based on those and also using Mark’s station 4 miles from me.

Fortunately the editing capability of the original Cumulus software is excellent making it easy to revert to my original all-time and monthly records. Records I really do treasure.

I’ve ordered two reed switches from WeatherSpares and those should arrive by Saturday. My mate will then fit one and with any luck it will last another 13 years.

It’s always a stressful time when weather kit plays up but why never on a warm summer day? Yesterday was filthy up here.

[RayProudfoot]

Despite there being no functioning reed switch in my ISS rain is being recorded and the umbrella icon is showing on the console.

How on earth is this possible?

[mcrossley]

Beginning to sound like the in ISS may have a fault. No water got into the connector did it?

[RayProudfoot]

Not that I can see Mark. My mate checked it this morning and although there was a little dampness it didn’t appear to concern him.

Rain rate was low and umbrella now off. Reed switches are on their way.

[RayProudfoot]

Hi Mark,

You might be onto something. Found someone with a similar problem on wxforum.net and John Dann suggested a new sim board or even a new ISS given his was bought in 2006 - 3 years before mine.

https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=42125.0

Thoughts?

[forestedge]

I replaced my see saw mechanism with the tipping spoon model after the old one started under recording, it was probably sticking. Not had any issues at all with the new one. I checked it against my old school Snowden rain gauge over a period and it matched up fine!

[RayProudfoot]

Thanks @forestedge, that’s reassuring. It would be strange if Davis changed the design of something robust to a lesser one. The blurb on the Prodata site says it is calibrated and accurate.

New ISS due Tuesday. In the meantime ignore my rain readings. Just 70” yesterday!

[RayProudfoot]

New ISS now up and running. But should have left it in the garden for an hour so my December all-time high wasn’t broken.