Comparing backup rain gauges

Mothman

More and more of us are installing AWS (automatic weather stations), but how many are sure they are recording accurately.

My Davis regularly is inaccurate. Reasons due to not cleaning and going off level because installation is not the tightest.
But at least I know because of a manual gauge which I know is accurate.

IMO, if one is serious about long term stats, every AWS gauge must have a manual backup. Doesn't need to be emptied every day, just after a "rain event" or weekly etc.
Also AWS gauges do break down and personally I'd hate to miss a month.

If some of you are willing to spend £10-£20 on a manual gauge then I will gladly try out about 3 of them (at my own cost) to see if they can give reasonably accurate measurements and provide feedback here.
I would compare them to met office gauge

Perhaps some on this page or this one on EBay.

Most garden centres have cheap ones that may last a few years.

Note if your site is quite enclosed then rainfall could vary quite a bit across a few metres, and this variability could be more than the inaccuracy of a rain gauge.

Feedback on this idea welcome.

Supercell

Even calibrating them incorrectly, I just discovered mine had been calibrated incorrectly to 0.2mm increments after I reset it after cleaning and levellling instead of 0.1inches and my daily total leaped up as a result.

My gauge apart from needing cleaning was way off level - I guess the gardener is bashing of it as he cuts the grass so its highly likely i've been recording far below true as a result.

I'd be interested in seeing manual guages results, I'm game.

Deep Easterly

I was thinking of getting one of these:



ever since Supercell mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. Would be nice to have an official manual. My only concern is how would it stay in one place, since we don't actually live on an island of calm gentle breezes? How would one keep it in one place without it tipping over in a squall? I know if I put it out the back that it would end up in a middle of a field upside down in a lump of cow/sheep/elephant ****e after a windy day.

Not much good if that was to happen.

Mothman

That copper gauge would be partly buried.
It is the same diameter as the official gauges but the funnel is shallow meaning hail and heavy rain may bounce/splash out and under record.
I wasn't going to suggest including this one in my trial as I assumes it would be out of most people's budget.

Make sure it has a measuring cylinder with it. It's not pictured!

Mothman

Not much interest really so I won't bother, but I do happen to have one of those copper gauges lying around

I've set it up and will compare it with standard gauge.
Once I get idea of accuracy, I'll offer it to Supercell for a while.

Deep Easterly

Mothman wrote: »

That copper gauge would be partly buried.
It is the same diameter as the official gauges but the funnel is shallow meaning hail and heavy rain may bounce/splash out and under record.
I wasn't going to suggest including this one in my trial as I assumes it would be out of most people's budget.

Make sure it has a measuring cylinder with it. It's not pictured!

Apparently, there is a measurments marked within it.(according to the UK Weather Shop) With regards the funnel, good point. Would it read as correctly without the funnel? since the opening is of equal width with the base?