7. Select the output options.
8. Click Finish and save the program. Send the program to the data logger if the data logger
is connected to the computer.
9. If the sensor is connected to the data logger, check the output of the sensor in the data
display in
LoggerNet
,
RTDAQ
, or
PC400
to make sure it is making reasonable
measurements.
5. Overview
The RainVUE-series funnels rainfall through a stainless-steel screen that traps debris, preventing
it from impeding the flow of precipitation. Rainfall flows through a nozzle into one of two bucket
halves. The internal tipping mechanism assembly rotates around a pivot point. The tipping
mechanism tips when the first bucket fills to a fixed calibrated level, then the tipping mechanism
moves the second bucket under the funnel. A magnet attached to the tipping mechanism
actuates a reed switch as the bucket tips. The outgoing water drains through outlets.
The aerodynamic design of the RainVUE-series reduces the amount of rain that wind carries away
from the collecting vessel. With traditional cylindrical tipping bucket rain sensors, wind can
reduce the rainfall catch by up to 20 percent. The RainVUE-series also includes a microprocessor
that corrects for rainfall intensity and outputs an SDI-12 signal.
During intense rainfall, extra water can accumulate in the bucket before the tipping mechanism
tips. The following graph shows the relationship between bucket volume and rainfall rate. The
RainVUE-series microprocessor corrects for the intensity sensitivity of the bucket mechanism.
RainVUE-Series SDI-12 Precipitation Sensors
4