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The rain sensor is not measuring any precipitation.

Please follow the steps of this guide only, if the following conditions are true:
  • your weather station has a tipping bucket rain sensor
  • the station doesn't report any rain reading after a rainfall


Theory: Inside these rain sensors there is a magnet and magnetic (reed) switch. Every time when its tipping bucket gets full with water it empties itself due to the gravitation. In this case the magnet generates contact in the reed switch. The station can sense this contact and calculates the amount of water/rainfall.
Tools required:
  1. Cross/Phillips (+) screwdriver
  2. Mini flat-head (-) screwdriver (maximum 2mm wide head) for the green wire terminal of the main board.
  3. Multi meter to measure resistance (0-50kOhm), and voltage (DC 0-5V)
  4. Tweezers (metal)
Possible causes of the problem:
  1. The wire of the sensor is broken or went loose from the screw wire terminal of the main board. If you found a disconnected wire please connect it back to the right position. You find the pinout guide at the end of the manual.
  2. Something (dirt,a leaf, etc.) is blocking the waterflow in the cone of the rain gauge
  3. The reed switch in the rain gauge is defected and it doesn't send any signal
  4. The magnet broke off from the neck of the tipping bucket inside the gauge
  5. The main board is defected.
Testing steps:
  1. Check if the cone of the rain sensor is not filled with dirt/leaves which could block the way of water into the gauge.
  2. Check if the wire of the rain sensor is not broken.
  3. Open the station's enclosure.
  4. Check the connections of the rain sensor. The GREEN wire should be connected to PIN 12 and the BLACK to PIN 13 of the main board's green wire terminal.
  5. Measure the voltage between PIN12 and PIN 13. You should measure ~3-4V when the station is turned ON and online.
    If you can measure less than 3V, then the rain sensor is probably defected. Please disconnect the GREEN wire of the rain sensor and repeat the measurement. If you still can't measure more than 3V, then the main board is probably defected.
  6. Disconnect the GREEN wire of the rain sensor from PIN 12 of the wire terminal.
  7. Remove the plastic cone from the top of the rain sensor and check if the black spoon (tipping bucket) is moving easily.
  8. Measure resistance (in "beep" mode with the multimeter if possible) between the open end of the green wire and PIN 13 of the wire terminal (to which the black wire of the rain sensor is still connected).
  9. When the spoon of the rain sensor is up at normal position the resistance should be infinity/open circuit (no beep).
  10. When you push down the spoon the resistance should be 100Ohm or short circuit (beep).
    If the resistance is not changing by moving the spoon, the upper reed switch of the rain sensor is probably defected, or the circular magnet at the end of the spoon is not at its place.
    Photo: measurement unit of the rain sensor with the black tipping bucket and the electronics

  11. If you haven't found any issues with the rain sensor after the steps above, please test the main board also:
  12. Reconnect the GREEN wire of the rain sensor to PIN 12 of the main board.
  13. Do few short circuits between PIN 12 and PIN 13 on the wire terminal of the main board with the metal tweezers
    Wait for the next weather data packet sent by the station (~1-2 minutes).
    If you see a new not zero rain value at the station's data monitor page, then the main board is working fine!
  14. Please send us the result of your tests and measurements by email!


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