A new method of automatic recording raingauge is developed to measure rainfall with 0.01mm resolution. This use two different signals to measure rainfall more accurately compare than other raingauges. One is weight of the tipping bucket with rainfall amount and the other is pulse from tipping bucket reverse. New method applied 1 mm tipping bucket mechanism and install loadcell under tipping bucket mechanism for measuring rainfall weight. Loadcell measure weight of rainfall until 1 mm with 0.01 mm resolution and more than 1 mm than bucket reverse and pulse signal generate, after that loadcell measure weight again. The validation of new instrument was examined in the room 65 mm/hour rainfall rate total 53 mm range. There is below than 1 % error of absolute rainfall amount and 0.01 mm resolution. The field test of instrument was carried out by comparing its measured values with values recorded by weight type and standard type on June 1 2003 at Terrestrial Environmental Research Center at Tsukuba University in Tsukuba of Japan, when it has recorded total amount of 40.58 mm rainfall by standard raingauge and new raingauge recorded 41.032 mm. Same rainfall intensity pattern observed in field observation with weight type raingauge. Rainfall intensity between weight type and Lee-A type raingauge reached 0.9947 correlation in 3 minute average.
Read full abstract