INTEGRATION GUIDE
Rain Gauge Tipping Bucket with 7310/8310 Datalogger Series
Rain Gauge Tipping Bucket
with 7310/8310 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:
Contents
Introduction
Rain Gauge Options
Stainless Steel Exterior and Interior
Plastic Interior and Stainless Steel Exterior
Mounting Solutions
Pole Mount
Tower Mount
Concrete Pad Mount
Wiring Diagram
Common Configurations
Summary
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 7310 and 8310 dataloggers. This will apply to 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
5600-0525-20.2mm/tip (includes 50ft/15m cable)
5600-0525-50.5mm/tip (includes 50ft/15m cable)
5600-0525-60.01 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)
6211-1024-1Rain Gauge Mounting Kit to 2" pipe
Tower Mount
6211-1024-1Rain Gauge Mounting Kit to 2" pipe
9600-0001Aluminum Unistrut, 3 Feet[Quantity 2]
9600-0002Unistrut Clamp 2”[Quantity 2]
9600-0003Unistrut Clamp 1” (size depends on tower diameter)[Quantity 4]
Concrete Pad Mount
RAINPLATERain 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 7310 and 8310 datalogger uses a terminal interface where fields are modified based on the configuration that is desired. The interface is highly customizable and offers the full range of standard datalogger options. The simplest method of programming these dataloggers is to use the descriptions below as a template and change the values that differ from your ideal setup. For more information on the 7310/8310 interface use the 8310 Operations and Maintenance Manual.
The following depicts a measurement configuration of the RGTB for a measurement of 1 hour rainfall.
The following depicts a measurement configuration of the RGTB for a measurement of 1 day rainfall. This measurement uses the 1 hour rainfall as a reference, and therefore must have the 1 hour rainfall shown above in the configuration. If a 1 hour measurement is not desired then see the above example, but change Interval from 01:00:00 to 24:00:00.
Summary
This guide has described the detailed options of the Tipping Bucket as well as how to connect it to the 7310/8310 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.