INTEGRATION GUIDE
Rain Gauge Tipping Bucket with 9210 Datalogger Series
Rain Gauge Tipping Bucket
with 9210 Datalogger Series
Prepared by:
Sutron ISD
October, 2013
Sutron Corporation
22400 Davis Drive
Sterling, Virginia 20164
TEL: (703) 406-2800
FAX: (703) 406-2801
WEB: http://www.sutron.com/
Contents
Introduction 3
Rain Gauge Options 3
Stainless Steel Exterior and Interior 3
Plastic Interior and Stainless Steel Exterior 3
Mounting Solutions 4
Pole Mount 4
Tower Mount 4
Concrete Pad Mount 4
Wiring Diagram 5
Common Configurations 6
Summary 7
Introduction
The Rain Gauge Tipping Bucket is one of Sutron’s most commonly used sensors. This guide will describe the proper method of connecting the RGTB with the 9210 datalogger. This will apply to all dataloggers in the 9210 series, as well as all tipping bucket style rain gauges that are manufactured by Sutron.
Rain Gauge Options
There are many types of tipping bucket rain gauges to choose from. The two material options are stainless steel exterior and interior, and plastic interior with stainless steel interior. The SS interior and exterior is recommended for harsher environments, such as areas near salt water and sandy deserts. The plastic interior model is more cost effective and designed for calmer weather locations. Within each material option there is an accuracy rating for each bucket type, such as 0.1mm/tip and 0.2mm/tip. Typically, domestic users will prefer the 0.01 inch/tip option.
Stainless Steel Exterior and Interior
5600-0425-1 0.1mm/tip (includes 50ft/15m cable)
5600-0425-2 0.2mm/tip (includes 50ft/15m cable)
5600-0425-3 0.3mm/tip (includes 50ft/15m cable)
5600-0425-5 0.5mm/tip (includes 50ft/15m cable)
5600-0425-6 0.01 inch/tip (includes 50ft/15m cable)
Plastic Interior and Stainless Steel Exterior
5600-0525-2 0.2mm/tip (includes 50ft/15m cable)
5600-0525-5 0.5mm/tip (includes 50ft/15m cable)
5600-0525-6 0.01 inch/tip (includes 50ft/15m cable)
Mounting Solutions
There are two bracket options to mount the tipping bucket to. One of the brackets is shown below in white that mounts to the top of a 2” pipe. This bracket can also be used for mounting the bucket to a tower if unistrut and clamps are included. The second bracket is designed to have the bucket mount to a concrete surface and then be bolted down. The bracket looks similar to the one shown below, but has a square plate on the bottom that can be fastened to the concrete floor.
Pole Mount (shown above)
6211-1024-1 Rain Gauge Mounting Kit to 2" pipe
Tower Mount
6211-1024-1 Rain Gauge Mounting Kit to 2" pipe
9600-0001 Aluminum Unistrut, 3 Feet [Quantity 2]
9600-0002 Unistrut Clamp 2” [Quantity 2]
9600-0003 Unistrut Clamp 1” (size depends on tower diameter) [Quantity 4]
Concrete Pad Mount
RAINPLATE Rain Gauge Mounting Plate
Wiring Diagram
Physically connecting the RGTB to the datalogger is a simple task. Typically, the logger will be encased in an enclosure with pass through glands or military spec connectors. Simply take the wire that comes connected to the tipping bucket and thread it through the gland and connect the wires to one of the digital inputs on the logger. Any of the digital inputs can be used, but it is recommended that digital input 1 is used for the setup shown further in this guide. Also, the wires do not have a polarity so the ground and positive wires can be swapped.
Common Configurations
The 9210 utilizes a graphical setup in order to configure the sensors that are connected. The graphical setup is a series of blocks connected to depict a diagram showing how the data is managed. A typical series of blocks would be an Input, Display, Coms Tag, Measurement, and then a Log block. With this series the sensor would be measured based on the parameters of the input block, then the value would be visible on the front display of the logger, the data tab in the graphical setup would be updated, the measurement interval is defined, and then the value is logged in the log file. Alarms can also be added to the data management series by placing an alarm block before the Coms Tag block. For more detail on how to program a 9210, use the 9210 Operations and Maintenance Manual. The descriptions below will provide a concise description of common measurement setups for the Rain Gauge Tipping Bucket Sensor.
The following depicts a measurement configuration of the RGTB for a measurement of 1 hour rainfall. The windows shown below the graphical setup are the property values of each block. *Note that the slope will change depending on the tipping bucket chosen for the system.
Another typical measurement configuration of the RGTB is for 1 day of rainfall. The windows shown below the graphical setup are the property values of each block. *Note that the slope will change depending on the tipping bucket chosen for the system.
Summary
This guide has described the detailed options of the Tipping Bucket as well as how to connect it to the 9210 datalogger. If you have any questions about this integration guide, or if additional guidance is needed getting started or troubleshooting then please contact Sutron’s Integrated Systems Division at 703-406-2800.