[wxqc] Improving Rain Gauge Response Time

[Victor Engel]

Thanks for asking the question. I was wondering the very same thing
some time ago but haven't treated my gauge with Rain-X yet. It reacts
negatively with certain things (read the label), so I've been nervous
about trying it for that reason. Considering the container it's in,
though, I most likely have nothing to fear. Nevertheless, I wanted to
do more research before actually trying it.

By the way, what is your rain gauge made of? Rain-X, I believe, is
designed to bond to glass. Does it even bond to plastic?

On 3/9/07, dean at mevis.org <dean at mevis.org> wrote:
>
>
>
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> I have noticed, and read others say that there is a delay between when it
> actually starts raining and when your rain gage starts to register some
> rain.  Apparently the issue is that the initial rain just sits on the sides
> of the rain gauge until there is enough rain to break the surface tension of
> the water and let it flow down to the tipping-bucket mechanism.
>
>
>
> There is a product out on the market called RainX available at Auto Parts
> stores.  It is used to keep your automobile windshield clear during the
> rain.  I have used it on my car and found that water immediately beads up
> and runs off of the windshield.  I don't understand the chemistry of this
> product, but it apparently works by making the water slide more easily off
> of your windshield.
>
>
>
> So it occurs to me that you can apply this product to your rain gauge and it
> will make the rain slide right down into your tipping-bucket, and you will
> see rain registered sooner.
>
>
>
> I have applied this product to my rain gauge.  However, I live in the San
> Diego area and it only rains here about 3 times a year, so I have not been
> able to see if makes a difference yet.
>
>
>
> Does anybody have any experience using this product or a similar product on
> their rain gauge?  Does it make a difference?
>
>
>
> Is there anyone out there that lives in a rainy part of the country that can
> give this a try and see if it makes a difference?
>
>
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