More rain reading problems

[MyTemp]

Good day
I know this is a bad subject, but I will ask at any rate.
I have a WS1090 and am using Cumulus V1.9.2 build 1032. The problem I am having is that every day, with out fail i get a rain reading of rate .12 and rain fall .01 in.
I thought at first this happened at the same time each day, but on looking deeper I have found that this happens at the same time that the Max Solar Rad readings begin.
If I catch it in time I can set the rain rate back to zero, but then if it rains later in the day I get no reading at all. This happens if the rain gage is plugged in or unplugged.

My question is, is there a way to turn off the Max Solar Rad reading in Cumulus or does this reading come from the WS1090? The max solar readings are of no use to me.

Thanks in advance
Gerry in Niagara Falls Canada

[steve]

I have a WS1090 and am using Cumulus V1.9.2 build 1032. The problem I am having is that every day, with out fail i get a rain reading of rate .12 and rain fall .01 in.
I thought at first this happened at the same time each day, but on looking deeper I have found that this happens at the same time that the Max Solar Rad readings begin.
If I catch it in time I can set the rain rate back to zero, but then if it rains later in the day I get no reading at all. This happens if the rain gage is plugged in or unplugged.

This suggests that perhaps the sun is having some effect - unless it also happens on cloudy days, which seems to be the case? If you zip up the diags log and attach it, I'll take a look.

My question is, is there a way to turn off the Max Solar Rad reading in Cumulus or does this reading come from the WS1090? The max solar readings are of no use to me.

Cumulus calculates it. Where is it that you are seeing it that you don't want to see it?

[AllyCat]

This happens if the rain gage is plugged in or unplugged.

Hi Gerry,

Strange. Does the LCD on the Console indicate any rainfall?

Cheers, Alan.

[MyTemp]

I have a WS1090 and am using Cumulus V1.9.2 build 1032. The problem I am having is that every day, with out fail i get a rain reading of rate .12 and rain fall .01 in.
I thought at first this happened at the same time each day, but on looking deeper I have found that this happens at the same time that the Max Solar Rad readings begin.
If I catch it in time I can set the rain rate back to zero, but then if it rains later in the day I get no reading at all. This happens if the rain gage is plugged in or unplugged.

This suggests that perhaps the sun is having some effect - unless it also happens on cloudy days, which seems to be the case? If you zip up the diags log and attach it, I'll take a look.

Hi Steve
I don't see how the sun would have any effect on the reading, the only solar panel I have is for charging the batteries, but then again I have been wrong once or twice before. Yes it does happen on cloudy days.

My question is, is there a way to turn off the Max Solar Rad reading in Cumulus or does this reading come from the WS1090? The max solar readings are of no use to me.

Cumulus calculates it. Where is it that you are seeing it that you don't want to see it?

The reading shows in my total daily, month and year total and adds to the longest wet period. It also sends the reading to Wunderground even if I edit todays rain fast enough to get it out of my daily log.
I have attached the files that are in my Diags folder. I have no idea what is in them as I can't view the contents.
Gerry

[MyTemp]

This happens if the rain gage is plugged in or unplugged.

Hi Gerry,

Strange. Does the LCD on the Console indicate any rainfall?

Cheers, Alan.

Hi Allan
Yes the reading shows on the panel. It shows for one hour and then returns to zero.

Gerry

[steve]

Your station is recording a rain tip, as you say, at around 06:00 every day, and Cumulus is correctly recording this. Perhaps one of the hardware experts (like Alan) can offer an explanation.

[AllyCat]

Hi Gerry,

No, I don't have any explanation, except that the Console is presumably set to display "hourly" rain (other options are 24 hours, weeky, etc.) and so clears the tip after an hour (or maybe on the hour).

AFAIK the Console is not even "aware" of the time of sunrise, so a "bug" in the code is unlikely. My suspicion is that the Console (or the external transmitter/sensor) is being affected by an "external influence". Perhaps interference from some electrical equipment starting up, or local "wildlife" perching or climbing on the sensor or cable at sunrise.

On rare occasions I have observed a single "rain tip" more associated with sunshine than current rainfall, but have assumed that the sensor had been "primed" with drops of rain or condensation resting in its "funnel", which are released by the heat from the sun (lowering the surface tension?). But that certainly can't explain the uniformity of tips that you have observed.

Cheers, Alan.

[MyTemp]

Hi Gerry,

No, I don't have any explanation, except that the Console is presumably set to display "hourly" rain (other options are 24 hours, weeky, etc.) and so clears the tip after an hour (or maybe on the hour).

AFAIK the Console is not even "aware" of the time of sunrise, so a "bug" in the code is unlikely. My suspicion is that the Console (or the external transmitter/sensor) is being affected by an "external influence". Perhaps interference from some electrical equipment starting up, or local "wildlife" perching or climbing on the sensor or cable at sunrise.

On rare occasions I have observed a single "rain tip" more associated with sunshine than current rainfall, but have assumed that the sensor had been "primed" with drops of rain or condensation resting in its "funnel", which are released by the heat from the sun (lowering the surface tension?). But that certainly can't explain the uniformity of tips that you have observed.

Cheers, Alan.

Hi Allan
The only thing I could come up with is that some bug was useing the rain gage as a short cut to work in the morning. That went out the window when I haven't had the rain gage hooked up for over two weeks. So a bug in the transmitter is all that's left.

Gerry

[steve]

Is your solar charger connected permanently? Have you tried disconnecting it?

[MyTemp]

Is your solar charger connected permanently? Have you tried disconnecting it?

Yes the charger is connected. I'll unplug it and see what the morning brings. I would think the batteries should be good for awhile.

Gerry

[AllyCat]

Hi,

Ah! Well spotted Steve, I hadn't noticed it's a Solar (charging) model.

Isn't the Solar Pod plugged into the "Rain" socket of the Transmitter unit, and the Rain cable daisy-chained through the Pod? Either it's not been assembled correctly or perhaps there's a short-circuit (or maybe just moisture) between the Solar and Rain pins (or PCB tracks).

The voltage from the PV cell is probably pulling up the "Rain" line at sunrise which the transmitter sees as a tip of the see-saw. I've never checked whether the tip is sensed on the positive or negative edge of the pulse (since they normally occur close together) but my guess is that it's the positive edge (or you'd get the false rain at sunset).

We can probably help with debugging the fault if necessary, but IMHO the solar charging is largely a gimmick on those models. A pair of good quality Lithium (non-rechargeable) AA cells will probably last as long as the rest of the hardware, without solar assistance!

Cheers, Alan.

[MyTemp]

Good morning Steve and Alan

Well no rain reading this morning with the solar charger unplugged. I'll keave it another day and then try connecting the rain sensor.

I should have tried this long ago

Thanks Gerry

[AllyCat]

Hi Gerry,

Note that (if it's the same as the 308x models) you can connect the Rain cable/plug directly into the socket on the Transmitter module and just ignore the Solar Pod cable. IMHO generally a better solution anyway, because you can locate the "Transmitter" unit where it can give more accurate temperature readings (i.e. in the shade), rather than put it in the sun to (unnecessarily) attempt to "charge" the batteries.

Cheers, Alan.

[MyTemp]

Hi Gerry,

Note that (if it's the same as the 308x models) you can connect the Rain cable/plug directly into the socket on the Transmitter module and just ignore the Solar Pod cable. IMHO generally a better solution anyway, because you can locate the "Transmitter" unit where it can give more accurate temperature readings (i.e. in the shade), rather than put it in the sun to (unnecessarily) attempt to "charge" the batteries.

Cheers, Alan.

Hi Alan & Steve

Yes the rain gauge is connected through the solar charger, and will run on it's own.

Sunday I plugged the rain sensor back in. I poured about 8 ounces of water in it and went back inside and there was no reading. Back outside I went and there was a spider nest built under the cups, so big it wouldn't let it move. I cleaned it out put it back together. Last night it rained, after a 24 day dry spell, and I now have no rain reading at sun up and the rain last night registered the way it should.

Now I'm off to the store for spider killer.

Thanks to you both.

Gerry

[CrasHBoneS]

Hi MyTemp,
finally how did You solve the problem?
Rain gauge is plugged in solar panel or directly to thermo/hygro transmitter?