Discrepancy in rain amount on Maplin display and Cumulus

[Dave Walker]

Very new to the forum so I hope I'm putting this in the right place!
I've just recently set up my Maplin station and am using Cumulus rather than the EasyWeather software that came with the kit. Cumulus is giving what looks like sensible rain readings but the Maplin display is totally different - just had a shower and Cumulus reports 0.9mm in the past hour with a rain rate max of 10.8mm/hr. Also shows 0.9mm in the last 24hr (which is correct as it's been dry for that long before this last shower). However, the 24hr rain figure shown on the Maplin display has shot up from 0.0mm to 34.8mm. Is this some problem with the Maplin display.
Thanks.

[steve]

It could be that the rain gauge erroneously registered a very large amount of rain, which Cumulus filtered out but the console didn't. If you zip up the diags folder and attach it, I'll take a look at what the rain counter was doing.

[Dave Walker]

OK, Thanks Steve, zip attached.

I just tried looking at the Maplin using the EasyWeather software (having shut down Cumulus of course) and there are some figures associated with rainfall that I don't understand but seem relevant:
On Easyweather the 1hr figure shows 0.0 (its now more than 1 hr since the rain) but below that is a MAX figure which is showing 33.9mm. I don't know what that figure actually means but interestingly under the 24hr figure of 0.9 (same 24hr figure that Cumulus was showing) is a MAX figure of 34.8 (which was showing on the Maplin display for the 24hr reading).

The figures for week, month, and Total on EasyWeather don't seem to tally at all with the Maplin display:
week Maplin display = 39.3mm. Easyweather = 19.2 and max 43.2
month Maplin display = 39.3mm. Easyweather = 33.9 and max 43.2
total Maplin display = 39.3mm. Easyweather = 34.8 and max 43.2

I've added a screenshot of the easyweather into the diag zip file, Hope that's ok.

As I said, I'm completely new to the weather station stuff so I'm probably not understanding the EasyWeather and/or the Maplin displays and there is a definate lack of detail in the User Guides. Certainly the Cumulus figures are looking much better and more sensible.

I wasn't planning on having Cumulus running 24/7 but just connect up every so often to update the records, so was intending just using the Maplin display for routine checks. Guess that might have to change if that display can't be trusted.

Dave

[steve]

Yes, it's now showing a total since it started of 34.8mm. I don't know what that max figure of 43.2 is supposed to represent. Unlike Easyweather, Cumulus calculates all of its rain figures from that total figure, it doesn't use any of the other rain data from the console.

[sfws]

The 'Max' figures on your EasyWeather screen are supposed to hold the highest figures that have been shown in the boxes just above each max figure. EDIT: On my system they sometimes show silly values.

As for your console (Maplin display), I think you have the touchscreen model where if you touch the rain display enough times, the word 'CLEAR' will appear where the date is normally shown. A further touch will reset the rainfall display without affecting Cumulus, although to be safe I would stop Cumulus before trying this. Cumulus does provide a facility in the Edit menu for adjusting Today's rainfall if you do have a problem after restarting it.

[Dave Walker]

OK. I had a look at the console this morning. The 24hr figure had gone back to 0. I looked (using the console touch screen) at the Week, Month, Total and then 1 hr figures. Then back to the 24hr which then read 36.9mm and has stayed like that.

The console seems to be displaying the MAX figures rather than the actual amount in the various periods, but goes back to 0 if that time period expires without any further rain. However, as soon as some more rain comes the console display jumps up to the max figure again.

Did you have a look at the rain counter figures from the diag files? It would be good to know that that is working correctly.

I've reset the rain display on the console touchscreen and uninstalled EasyWeather. Will continue using just Cumulus and see what the console indicates for a while.

Dave

[sfws]

(deleted)

[steve]

Did you have a look at the rain counter figures from the diag files? It would be good to know that that is working correctly.

I can't say whether the figures are correct, because I don't know how much rain you've actually had. But the figures looked reasonable, and I didn't see any sudden increases.

[Dave Walker]

OK. Good to know the rain gauge looks to be behaving reasonably. I think I'll wait a while now I've reset things and uninstalled EasyWeather and see what happens. If the issue with the console display persists then it's a call to Maplin I suspect.

Thank goodness Cumulus is making sense!!!

Thanks for your help.

Dave