Rain Collector II
Contents
1. leveling trough in the collector base and observe the surface of the water to ensure that the collector is level Be sure there is an unobstructed path for water runoff from the drain screens The Rain Collector II contains a magnet operated switch which may not operate correctly if you mount the rain collector on or near any object which attracts a magnet To install the rain collector on a sheet metal roof insulate the unit by making a platform out of wood Mount the base of the rain collector at least 1 4 cm away from any steel or iron surface and make sure the reed switch is at least 1 4 cm away from any steel or iron objects e g nails e Choose a location which is easily accessible for normal cleaning and is dis tant from trees or other sources of heavy pollen or debris Installing the Rain Collector Il E Te 8 9 If you have not already done so separate the cone from the base 2 If necessary disconnect the rain collector cable from the junction box 3 4 Place the base on the mounting surface and mark the location of the four holes Locate a suitable mounting surface using the guidelines above the base has eight to choose from you will use to secure the base Make pilot holes using a 3 32 2 mm drill bit You should make the pilot holes about 1 2 12 mm deep Fasten the base to the mounting surface using the 8 x 3 4 screws provided Fasten Base to Mounting Surface Attach the ra2. Rain Collector Il Installation manual This instruction manual takes you step by step through the procedures required to install the Rain Collector II The Rain Collector II is designed for use with any of Davis weather stations with the exception of the Perception II Station Each station can display rainfall in either inches or millimeters Instructions for displaying rainfall on the Weather Wizard and Weather Monitor II are also included in this manual Components The Rain Collector I includes the following components Please make sure you have all listed components before continuing e Rain Collector with Cable The rain collector comes with the cone attached to the base and has a 40 12m cable e Four 8 x 3 4 Screws e Debris Screen This screen is placed into the rain collector cone to help prevent debris from clogging the funnel hole e Metric Rain Adapter This adapter adds weight to the tipping mechanism adjusting it to tip for every 0 2 mm of rainfall instead of every 0 01 Rain Collector Internal Components The illustration below shows the internal components of the rain collector many of which are referenced in this manual Base Levelin Troughs A Magnet B Reed Switch Restraining Post Drain _ Latch l screen one e Cable Slot Rain Collector Internal Components Tools and Materials Needed You may need some of the following tools and materials to install the rain col
3. ainfall Calibration Number Each station uses a rainfall calibration number CAL to determine how much water each bucket tip i e pulse represents Calibrated Rainfall Number of pulses x 1 CAL The default rainfall CAL of 100 works for the 0 01 rain collector If you have a 0 01 rain collector you do not need to adjust CAL at all If you install the metric adapter to your rain collector first adjust the console to display rainfall in millimeters and then change CAL to 0005 To change CAL press and hold the RAIN button until CAL appears on the display Consult the station manual if necessary for further instructions Be aware that the console will revert to its default calibration i e inches if it loses power Note Make sure you display rainfall in the appropriate units of measure before changing CAL otherwise you will be setting the wrong calibration number If by mistake you change CAL before switching to the appropriate units you can rectify the error by switching to the appropriate units and then entering the appropriate CAL for millimeters 0005 for inches 0100 Once the console is calibrated for 0 01 default or 0 2 mm you can switch the display units as often as you like the console accurately converts rainfall amounts regardless of the type of rain collector you use Page 3 Caution to Pre 1994 Station Owners If you purchased a Monitor or Wizard station prior to 1994 it may be pre calib
4. ar rainfall To Set Total Rainfall You may enter a total rainfall amount to represent any rainfall which accumulated before you obtained the Rain Collector II 1 Press RAIN once or twice to select total rainfall 2 Use ENTER to set the total rainfall amount See Using the Enter Key in the weather station manual Calibration of Older Model Weather Stations This information applies only to users of the Weather Wizard II S Weather Wizard III and Weather Monitor II manufactured prior to April 1993 To check if your station meets this criterion press the RAIN button on the console If when set to inches the display reads 0 0 rather than 0 00 you have an older model station Standard Setting When using the 0 01 setting of the Rain Collector II with an older model station note that the station is pre calibrated for an earlier model 0 1 rain collector To re calibrate your station first set the display to inches then change CAL to 0100 See Rainfall Calibration Number on page 2 and or your station user s manual for instructions on how to change CAL Be aware that the console will revert to its default calibration i e 0 1 if it loses power Metric Setting When using the 0 2 mm setting of the Rain Collector II with an older model station note that the station stores rainfall amounts in 0 2 mm increments but displays amounts rounded to the nearest whole millimeter Note Keep in mind when testing th
5. crews see Adjusting the Rain Collector I on page 11 to adjust the rain collector s sensitivity if necessary If you believe the rain collector to be installed and calibrated cor rectly and you still detect a small error you can tweak the con sole s calibration Use the rainfall calibration equation on page 3 to adjust the calibration number Note Tweaking will only work with the 0 01 rain collector the calibration number for millimeters 5 is too small to be tweaked precisely Page 11 Product Number 7852 Rain Collector II Part Number 07395 224 Rev A Manual 9 16 04 This product complies with the essential protection requirements of the EC EMC Directive 89 336 EC Copyright 2004 Davis Instruments Corp All rights reserved ant laill aati e Davis Instruments 3465 Diablo Avenue Hayward CA 94545 2778 U S A 510 732 9229 Fax 510 732 9188 E mail info davisnet com www davisnet com
6. e rain collector with older weather stations that the display adds 1 mm for each 5 tips of the bucket Because the display rounds however the first change occurs after the bucket tips 3 times 0 6 mm rounded to 1 mm Page 9 To calibrate your station for rounded millimeters set the console to display rainfall in millimeters and then change CAL to 0005 See Rainfall Calibration Number on page 2 and or your station user s manual for instructions on how to change CAL Be aware that the console will revert to its default calibration i e 0 1 if it loses power If you want your station to display rainfall in tenths of a millimeter you can trick it into displaying in 0 2 mm increments To trick the station first display rainfall in INCHES and then enter a CAL value of 0005 To display rainfall thereafter leave the unit of measure set to inches Even though the display will show IN on the right hand side the value will actually be in millimeters Please note however that if you do employ this trick the maximum total rainfall will be 999 8 mm rather than 9999 mm Troubleshooting Guide Page 10 Before calling Technical Support 1 510 732 7814 carefully check the following troubleshooting guide You may be able to solve the problem yourself e Rainfall is not registering on the console or the console has a large error Try the following e Check the cable connections from the sensor to the co
7. h the cone and replace the screen 7 Reconnect the rain collector cable to the junction box Using the Rainfall Function Page 8 The instructions below explain how to display rainfall on the Weather Wizard III and Weather Monitor II To Display Rainfall 1 To display daily rainfall press RAIN The daily rainfall and the word RAIN appear on the display aN NW NE lf m IUT k J i Li IN S a TREND Sy Daily Rainfall 2 To display total rainfall press RAIN again The total rainfall and the words RAIN and TOTAL appear on the display aN iw NE aIacr Co m s TREND Sy Total Rainfall To Change the Unit of Measure 3 Press RAIN once or twice to select daily or total rainfall as desired 4 Press UNITS The amount shown changes from inches to millimeters or vice versa and the symbol in the display changes from IN to MM or vice versa 5 To return to the original unit of measure press UNITS again To Clear Rainfall Daily and total rainfall are independent of each other You must clear each register separately 1 Press RAIN once or twice to select daily or total rainfall as desired 2 Press CLEAR and hold it down The display will flash several times and then the weather station clears rainfall aN NW NE i m mmm k Lg Li IN NS sS lt A TREND Sy Daily Rainfall Cleared Note Performing a total clear on the weather station does not cle
8. in collector cable to the appropriate connector on the junction box To be certain the rain collector is functioning properly after installation retest the unit as described Testing the Rain Collector IT on page 2 Once you are sure the unit is functioning properly place the cone back onto the Page 6 base by putting the latches on the cone into the latch openings in the base and rotating the cone clockwise until the latches lock into place As you reattach the cone make sure to run the cable to the cable slot in the base or the cone will not fit snugly against the base 10 Place the debris screen points down into the cone The screen prevents large bits of debris from blocking the funnel hole 11 To prevent fraying or cutting of the cable where it is exposed to weather it is important that you secure it so it doesn t whip about in the wind Use cable clips or weather resistant cable ties to secure the cable Place clips or ties approximately every 3 to 5 feet 1 to 1 6 m Do not use metal staples or a staple gun to secure cables Metal staples especially when installed with a sta ple gun have a tendency to cut the cables Extending Cable Runs If the cable length supplied with the rain collector is not long enough for your purposes you may extend it The maximum length of cable is 900 feet 270 m Note that this length represents the total length from the rain collector to the console including any length
9. ing properly If the display changes only after you tip the bucket several times the rain collector may be functioning correctly but you may have an older version of the station console See Calibration of Older Model Weather Sta tions on page 14 for details Page 4 Installing the Rain Collector II CAUTION Climbing on your roof may be hazardous If you are uneasy about installing your unit please have a qualified professional complete the installation Davis specifically disclaims any liability for injury or loss resulting from the installation or use of the Rain Collector Il Follow the instructions in this section to install your rain collector Make sure you read Choosing a Location for the Rain Collector on page 5 as it contains important information concerning placement of the rain collector Typical Weather Monitor II Installation The illustration below shows a typical rain collector installation for the Weather Wizard III and Weather Monitor II Rain Collector DENN a Underside of Console WEATHER COMPUTER Connect to RAIN on Junction Box Typical Installation Page 5 Choosing a Location for the Rain Collector Keep the following in mind when choosing a location for your rain collector e You must mount the Rain Collector II on a level surface To make sure the surface is level use a bubble level or pour water into the T shaped
10. lector Drill with 3 32 2 mm drill bit Medium Phillips Screwdriver 3 16 or 5 mm Wrench Cable Clips or Weather Resistant Cable Ties with screw holes or other means for mounting Bubble Level standard versions only Insert the Optional Metric Measurement Adapter Page 2 The rain collector tipping bucket mechanism contains a standard measurement weight magnet that takes measurements in 01 for every tip of the bucket The Weather Monitor II assembly contains a metric measurement that adjusts the tipping bucket mechanism so that it takes 2 mm metric measurements To change the weight magnet 1 Find the metric measurement adapter included in the hardware 2 Locate the standard measurement weight magnet between the arms of the tip ping mechanism 3 Open the arms slightly with one hand while pulling the magnet out with the other hand 4 Separate an end cap from one side of the magnet 5 Slide the magnet with the exposed end of the magnet first into the open slot of the metric measurement adapter Pe sp 6 Insert the metric measurement adapter between the arms of the tipping bucket with solid side of the metric measurement facing up l I Note Although the rain collector is now ready to take accurate metric measurements the console does not register the rain collector measurement weight has changed The rain measurement type must be changed on the console R
11. nsole Cable connections account for a large portion of the potential problems Connections should be firmly seated in the jacks and plugged in straight If you think a connection may be faulty try jiggling the cable while looking at the display If a reading appears intermittently on the display as you jiggle the cable the connection is faulty e Make sure there is no magnetic steel or iron object near the rain collector e Make sure the funnel hole in the cone is clear so water can empty into the bucket e Make sure the bucket moves freely when tipping to both sides The console should show an increase in rainfall for each tip of the bucket If the bucket does not move at all check that you have cut the cable tie that holds it in place during shipping e Make sure the console is calibrated correctly by setting the con sole to your unit preference before viewing or changing the CAL value to 0100 for inches to 0005 for millimeters If this does not correct the problem see Calibration of Older Model Weather Stations on page 14 to determine if your station is an older model station that warrants re calibration The console will revert to its default calibration if it loses power You will need to re calibrate on power up if you have an older model station or a 0 2 mm rain collector e Rainfall amount shown on console has a small error Make sure the rain collector is mounted on a level surface Use the adjustment s
12. of cable from the junction box to the console To extend the cable purchase standard 4 Conductor Extension Cables from Davis and connect them to the existing rain collector cable Adjusting the Rain Collector Il The Rain Collector II is calibrated at the factory so the bucket tips and records rainfall for each 0 01 or 0 2 mm if the metric adapter has been fitted of rain To adjust the calibration slightly use a 3 16 or 5 mm wrench to rotate the adjustment screws which are located underneath the bucket see Rain Collector Internal Components on page 2 The adjustment guide embossed in the platform shows how far you must rotate both screws in turn to effect a 1 and a 2 change Moving the screws in the positive direction causes the bucket to tip more times i e give a larger count for a given amount of water Adjustment Guide Note Modify both adjustment screws by the same amount Page 7 Maintaining the Rain Collector Il For greatest accuracy you should thoroughly clean the Rain Collector II at least once or twice a year 1 Disconnect the rain collector cable from the junction box 2 Separate the cone from the base 3 Use warm soapy water and a soft cloth to clean pollen dirt and other debris from the cone cone screens and bucket 4 Use a pipe cleaner to clear the funnel hole in the cone and the drain screens in the base 5 When all parts are clean rinse with clear water 6 Reattac
13. rated for an earlier model rain collector See Calibration of Older Model Weather Stations on page 9 for instructions Testing the Rain Collector Il Before installing the Rain Collector II test the unit If you are replacing a rain collector you previously installed make a note of the total rainfall amount displayed You may want to reenter this amount after you test the rain collector 1 Turn the rain collector upside down and remove the cone from the base by rotating the base until the latches on the cone line up with the latch openings in the base then lifting the base away from the cone Remove the Cone from the Base 2 Carefully cut and remove the plastic tie which holds the bucket in place during shipping 3 Attach the rain collector cable to the appropriate connector on the junction box Consult your station manual or system installation manual 4 Press the appropriate key on your console as necessary to display daily rainfall Press UNITS if necessary to display rainfall in the rain collector s native unit of measure 5 While watching the display on your console to see if it changes slowly tip the bucket until it drops to the opposite side If the display does not change you may be tipping the bucket too quickly Try again more slowly this time If the rainfall amount displayed on the console increases by the expected incre ment either 0 01 or 0 2 mm each time you tip the bucket your rain collector is work
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