Rain Everyday? WH1081

[glen.day]

Ever since I updated to beta Build 892 my weather results display rain everyday - something weird is going on as I'm sure it hasn't rained every day for the last 8 days, maybe it did rain 1 or two days but not 8 in a row.

Please help, you can see my trends page by clicking this link http://www.daygle.net/trends.htm - you can see it displays raining 8 days straight.

I'm now on build 896 and still have the issue.

[RCE]

If it isn't raining the most likely explanation is that the rain detector is being moved (by wind, birds, etc) and causing the see saw to move.

If you are confident the rain gauge is stable then remove the lid and place something under the see saw so it can't move and see if you still get rain.

[glen.day]

Hmmm good explanation but I don't think that's the case the rain gauge is pretty sturdy.

[RCE]

Then your only option is to wedge the see saw, if you still get rain then look further.

Is the receiver showing rain, if it is then the problem is defo with your equipment or setup.

[glen.day]

Sorry missed an important fact receiver isn't displaying rain received the days I looked at it, that is why I'm convinced that its not the sensor.

[steve]

If you look in jan10log.txt at the 'total rainfall counter' field, you will see where Cumulus is getting the rainfall from (I think you're saying that Cumulus is showing rain but the Console apparently isn't?). If the total counter goes up from time to time, that's where Cumulus is getting the rain from, and if it's not real rain, then it's caused by wind or some other interference.

[glen.day]

Thanks Steve,

I have had a look at the "jan10log" file and yes it does display rain readings for the past few days, I still think something is fishy. In fact the last couple of days have reached the 40's and rain was recorded these days?

Also checked wind speeds which seemed low. I'm stumped to where these rain readings are coming from?

I also have another weather station (WMR200) running parallel with my WH1081 which has not recorded rain readings for the times that Cumulus has.

I will monitor closely for the next couple of days and see what happens.

[steve]

There seems to be two ways that these stations can invent rain; "physical" interference, where the buckets do tip - wind, birds etc, and electrical interference, where the buckets don't move, but the rain counter somehow gets increased.

[glen.day]

Maybe I have the same bird landing on it every day for the last 8 days? Ha-Ha, just joking.

Don't get me wrong not having a go at Cumulus and I understand what your saying - physical or electronic interference, I just think its bazaar that its only started happening 8 days ago and now happening giving me readings for every day.

I'll see what happens in the next couple of days.

[steve]

If you attach your jan10log.txt then I can look at the total counter to confirm (or otherwise) that Cumulus is doing the right thing, bizarre or not.

[glen.day]

Yeah no worries, please find it attached.

[dane]

When did you last change the batteries in the transmitter?
We have seen quite a few cases where 'funny' readings were caused by batteries running low.
Too bad the Fine Offset stations do not report battery status.

[glen.day]

Actually I changed them just after I reported these rain readings today, before then was about a month ago.

[steve]

It looks quite reasonable - the counter just clicks up a tip or two every so often, so Cumulus is quite correct in registering rainfall.

Something odd happened at about 1935 today, though. The rain counter reset to zero and the pressure jumped from 1020.2 to 1013.1. Did you reset the station?

[glen.day]

Yeah that's probably around the time I was on the roof changing the batteries/checking the rain gauge.