How to stop the "rain wobbles"?

fractonimbus · Post by **fractonimbus** » Wed 08 Jun 2011 4:40 am

I have two FO weather stations, both mounted atop a barge pole bolted onto a house eave. When the wind blows strongly (as it is at one of the stations right now - F4-F5), the mast wobbles and this triggers fake rainfall readings from the tipper. My thought was to connect two wire guys between the pole and two points on the roof in a sort of isosceles triangle to stop the pole from rocking in the wind.

Has anyone done anything like this?

DN

hills · Post by **hills** » Wed 08 Jun 2011 4:57 am

I have used 3 guy wires, I don't think 2 would do the job unless they flex or tilt the barge pole over to the point it won't move towards the guy wires. Take a look under the "sensors" tab on my website. However that is only to keep the other sensors stable. I have mounted the rain gauge on its own solid mount off to the side. I don't get any false readings at all now.

fractonimbus · Post by **fractonimbus** » Wed 08 Jun 2011 5:36 am

Thanks, Phil. I had thought to align the rain tipper perpendicular to the "pole flex" left over after the two guys were in place so that wobbling it wouldn't make it tip. A bit of experimenting is called for. I see you also have a home-brew screen for the temperature sensor. What did you use for the discs?

DN

hills · Post by **hills** » Wed 08 Jun 2011 10:48 am

My wife's picnic setting.

GraemeT · Post by **GraemeT** » Fri 10 Jun 2011 5:11 am

Here's how I did it:

fractonimbus · Post by **fractonimbus** » Fri 10 Jun 2011 5:35 am

Yes, that's the proper way to do it.

geoffw · Post by **geoffw** » Fri 10 Jun 2011 6:44 am

The other alternative is to re-site the rain gauge to somewhere firm and steady using a simple telephone extension cable.

GraemeT · Post by **GraemeT** » Fri 10 Jun 2011 7:29 am

I mean't to add the wires are 2.5mm wire rope.
The rope and fittings are available from Bunnings.

fractonimbus · Post by **fractonimbus** » Fri 10 Jun 2011 11:59 am

geoffw wrote:The other alternative is to re-site the rain gauge to somewhere firm and steady using a simple telephone extension cable.

That's a good idea, but I need to guard against the depredations of possums and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. The latter can be very destructive, but they seem to ignore my current pole-mounted system. Possibly the anemometer puts them off. Relocating the gauge might invite catastrophe...

cockies2.png

geoffw · Post by **geoffw** » Fri 10 Jun 2011 5:58 pm

fractonimbus wrote:That's a good idea, but I need to guard against the depredations of possums and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. The latter can be very destructive, but they seem to ignore my current pole-mounted system. Possibly the anemometer puts them off. Relocating the gauge might invite catastrophe...
cockies2.png

Yes, I see what you mean!

hills · Post by **hills** » Sat 11 Jun 2011 12:31 am

We've had flocks of cockatoos "aerating" our front lawn and "de-pine coning" our pine tress, but touch wood they have never gone near the weather station. I have seen what they do to pine cones so you're right, they'd shred a weather station!!

apenwith · Post by **apenwith** » Sat 11 Jun 2011 8:48 am

Hi
Bird problems have come up in other threads - could you mount the rain collector lower down the mast where the wobble is less. I have found that wind eddies through the holes in the base can also tip the bucket. So two solutions in one - make a base for the unit just larger than the collector and fix vertical wires maybe 1 foot long around the edge.
Regards
Alan

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How to stop the "rain wobbles"?

How to stop the "rain wobbles"?

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