Rain gauge suggestion Topic is solved

[kjellb]

Hello

My Oregon Rain sensor PCR800 has left this world after only two years of duty.
What is the best alternative for my old unit. I can use 433 MHz, wifi ,bluetooth Zigbee and Z-wave protocols
I am thinking aboat replacing it with a Netatmo weather station.
Is there any problem getting measured values from Netatmo weather station to Domoticz?
A second solution is to go for a Popp Z-Rain. Is that unit working ok?
Or is there a better alternative?

/ Kjell

[Egregius]

I'm gonna follow this topic as I'm also on the look for a rain meter
One thing important is the precision of measurement. Lot's of rain meters only respond to 1mm rain. I'd like that smaller but am afraid that that'll rise the price a lot.

[iganin]

I have just finished building using a cheap rain gauge + WeMos D1 mini with espeasy. The accuracy is about 0,37 mm
https://www.letscontrolit.com/forum/vie ... php?t=4799

[Toulon7559]

@kjellb

Do you have an RFXCom of RFLinkGtw included in Domoticz?
Then look for a rain gauge compatible with those 433-TRXes:
some suppliers have list with devices compatible with RFXCom.

[henrivb]

@kjellb Popp Z-Rain is working fine with 2020.2 build 12200 and later. I am using it for a 4 days now using that version and it works great.

[kjellb]

Hi !
Very interesting I will contact you in a couple of weeks and Se if You still is satisfied with Z-Raim...

[kjellb]

Is there a god way to convert my old Oregon PCR800 rain gauge with new electronic. Itś gor a working tippin bucke but it does not cumunicate.

[Toulon7559]

if the tipping bucket is correctly closing a contact, you could consider to interface this contact to a counter-interface of an ESP8266 with ESPEasy.
ESPEasy reports to Domoticz.
In Domoticz you need to select or to construct the functions for translation of the counter-values into 'rain-info'.
Next/last then to invent application of this 'rain-info'.

[wlaarhov]

Also interested in this topic, as there is a lot out there, but reviews are really all over the place.
my preference would be zwave.
Was looking at Netatmo, but again reviews range from "don't waste your money" to "lovin it, works great" and everything in between.

With what happened last June (and seems to happen more and more)I am taking a higher interest in rain in particular.

All notes/experience most welcomed.

[kimhav]

@kjellb Popp Z-Rain is working fine with 2020.2 build 12200 and later. I am using it for a 4 days now using that version and it works great.

Based on this thread I got the POPP rain gauge and it works fine; but noticed that when the POPP doesn't send any data Domoticz doesn't automatically register zero (0) for the last 24h which it didn't receive any measurements (based on of course that it didn't rain) which ultimately then of course renders the graphs a bit odd. So if you look in the below graph it didn't rain 21 and 22 October but since Domoticz didn't register zero in the Db it ends up weird. Any one else have the same issue?

[commentator]

@kjellb Popp Z-Rain is working fine with 2020.2 build 12200 and later. I am using it for a 4 days now using that version and it works great.

had one for about a year then it stopped working because the battery compartment was swimming in the rainwater from above :S and it died

[kimhav]

had one for about a year then it stopped working because the battery compartment was swimming in the rainwater from above :S and it died

Can only concur with the above, the Popp Z-Rain, when it works works kind of alright, but mine stopped working after 8 month including that when it's not raining, it's doesn't communicate anything which makes the graph look bad in Domoticz. Here it would be nice if it would be possible to config in Domoticz for specific devices that if nothing has been received that it automatic uses 0 (zero) with a pre-defined interval. But, having said that, even if it was raining really heavy, the Popp Z-Rain quite often didn't report and then other times did. So no, can absolutely not recommend this rain gauge. Worst domoticz device investment ever. Sadly.

[gizmocuz]

You probably mean, worst ZWave device ever bought....

Alexco devices are quite good, like the WS 5500

[kimhav]

You probably mean, worst ZWave device ever bought.... Alexco devices are quite good, like the WS 5500

True, it's a zwave device, but part of my Domoticz system, hence the references, But, the Popp has only been a lot of grief , so replacing it, well it haven't worked since last year October . Anyway thanks for the hint about the WS5500 which I'm going to look into.