Author Topic: Making a Davis VP-2 rain gauge cap from a Red Vines container.  (Read 3361 times)

elagache

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Dear WeatherCat do it yourself types,

Many moons ago, I wrote up how I created a dust cap from a leftover container that held Red Vines licorice.  Alas, it seems to have been lost.  It might have even predated WeatherCat, so I better recreate it.  The container I used is a tub of Red Vines that looks this:



I found that I could use the end of the tub and it fit very snugly over the Davis station collector cone.  It turns out you can have the cap no taller than 2-3/8" to provide enough clearance for the solar radiation sensor support:



This is the second such cap I have made.  The first one was badly damaged and discolored by the sun:



It eventually became so brittle that it shattered.  To avoid this I painted the second one:



To provide it lots of UV protection, I applied 12 coats of paint!  It has performed well for several years.  All it needs is a little cleaning when it comes back inside from the long dry season.

Of course a cap like this will prevent you from collecting rainfall data should rain fall unexpectedly.  Even in California, there are unexpected rainy events in the summer.  Still, I carefully monitor the weather forecasts, and when there is any change of rain, I remove the cap.  Thanks to my vigilance, I've never missed a bucket tip.  If you have a mission critical station, a cap like this would not be permitted.  But for the hobbyist it is a welcome way to keep your rain gauge clean, especially if you have extended periods of predictably dry weather.

Cheers, Edouard

 P.S. Red Vines is a product that most likely can only be found in the San Francisco Bay Area.  It is produced by the American Licorice Company only in their Union City plant.  However, it is possible that the same sort of container is used for other products in other parts of the country.

xairbusdriver

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Re: Making a Davis VP-2 rain gauge cap from a Red Vines container.
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2017, 12:56:36 AM »
At first I thought you were talking about Union City, TN, which is less than 100 miles north. However, I was planning on waiting until the flood warnings ended. Then I discovered that the town is actually in CA! Probably too far for a two-way day trip. I'm not sure we ever have longer than two weeks between rains, anyway. OTOH, if I had one of these caps, I'd probably get more exercise! ;) Of course, I'd need it after having to eat that much licorice (except that I very much dislike the taste of it, so it would be a real battle to eat it...). I think I'll just stick to weekly inspections of the funnel... while wearing a dust mask! [lol]
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


Weatheraardvark

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Re: Making a Davis VP-2 rain gauge cap from a Red Vines container.
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2017, 03:26:56 AM »
I have a friend in Wisconsin that sells a cap for the Davis cone. it fits even the Aerocone (you have to take off the bird spikes).   I have one

This is  better than anything I have seen .  It goes on and off easily, yet won't blow off in the strong Iowa winter winds.    It is available from Chann Barnhart (cbarnhart@wi.rr.com)

it fits snugly, is flexible in hot and cold temperatures and you don't have to eat a lot of candy or ice cream (and you might say'where is the fun in that?')

you do have a nice concept, but I think Chann's is better.
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Blicj11

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Re: Making a Davis VP-2 rain gauge cap from a Red Vines container.
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2017, 07:32:46 AM »
P.S. Red Vines is a product that most likely can only be found in the San Francisco Bay Area.  It is produced by the American Licorice Company only in their Union City plant.  However, it is possible that the same sort of container is used for other products in other parts of the country.

Happy to report that Red Vines is sold in almost every grocery store in Utah.
Blick


elagache

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Can't beat the price! (Re: Rain gauge cap from a Red Vines container.)
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2017, 11:50:12 PM »
Dear X-Air, Weatheraardvark, Blick, and WeatherCat industrious weather station owners, 

I have a friend in Wisconsin that sells a cap for the Davis cone. it fits even the Aerocone (you have to take off the bird spikes).   

Perhaps and indeed I don't have the problem of extreme conditions like you do.

you do have a nice concept, but I think Chann's is better.

Perhaps so, but you can't beat the price of mine!  [biggrin]

You don't have to eat a lot of candy or ice cream (and you might say'where is the fun in that?')

Of course you don't!  Bring the Red Vines to some sort of party or group function where you are supposed to bring some food and let everyone else get fat!  lol(1)

Since you had to bring something anyway, you can honestly insist you got the cap for free!

Alternatively, find someone who is addicted to Red Vines and just get them to buy in the tub.  Then it will be 100% free.

Happy to report that Red Vines is sold in almost every grocery store in Utah.

So there!  So if you want to DYI your own, your path to grandeur (or at least a decent cap for your rain gauge) is before you!  [biggrin]

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Weatheraardvark

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Re: Making a Davis VP-2 rain gauge cap from a Red Vines container.
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2017, 11:59:23 PM »
they don't have them here. I suspect that I would have to join Costco or Sams club, then haunt them by measuring the diameter of their containers.   since I yelled "you are out of toilet paper," in the dressing room at the attached wallmart, things have been dicey.
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