The Rain Gage counts the number and size of the drops hitting the sensing surface. The algorithms within the Rain Gage interpret this data and produce the same sort of output produced by a tipping bucket style rain gauge. Except the RG-10 can do a number of things a tipping bucket cannot.

A tipping bucket works by gathering water into a large funnel. Like the name would imply, the water flows into a bucket that tips when the weight of the water reaches a threshold. This approach is simple, accurate, fragile, and high-maintenance. If you jostle a tipping bucket it will register it as rain, making them unsuitable for mobile applications. Debris can clog the collection funnel. They should be cleaned periodically, because the water and dust leave residue behind on the moving part.

The RG-10 features an LED that lights whenever the output is active, helping with troubleshooting.

But, perhaps the biggest shortcoming of a tipping bucket is sensitivity. A tipping bucket cannot begin to register water until enough has gathered on the collecting funnel to flow into the bucket. And then, the smallest amount of water that a tipping bucket can register is set by the limits of the mechanical system. For most commercially available tipping buckets, this is one one hundredth of an inch. In contrast, the RG-10 counts individual droplets. Thus, it is a hundred times more sensitive than a typical tipping bucket. Further, the RG-10 uses beams of infrared light, and contains no moving parts. The RG-10 is quite unaffected by motion. The sensing surface of the RG-10 is convex and self cleaning. There is no good place on the sensing surface for a leaf to land and stay, or for a spider to build a web.

Tipping buckets remain the gold standard in meteorology. For applications where their shortcomings do not prevent their deployment, we continue to recommend them. We use tipping buckets to calibrate the RG-10. When properly maintained, and for a rainfall amount that is at least several hundredths of and inch, a tipping bucket is more accurate than an RG-10.

Great for Meteorology

The RG-10 can be used in these meteorology applications:

Mobile application where the jostling of the sensor precludes the use of a tipping bucket Marine rain sensing, where wave motion would make a tipping bucket not work. Sensing very small amounts of rain for data gathering and correlating to other factors Use in conjunction with tipping buckets to extend the range to small amounts Remote data gathering applications where tipping buckets may not be readily maintained

Note: Not usually drop-in compatible with existing Tipping Bucket Installations
The RG-10 provides open collector outputs that may be used to drive relays, external loads, or data logging equipment.  Tipping buckets generally provide a "dry contact" switch closure.  So, in most cases you will need to supply your own interface for the RG-10, such as an external relay.  If you design a system based on the RG-10 from the outset, of course, this will not be a factor.

Note: The Rain Tracker Rain Gage is not as accurate as a properly maintained Tipping Bucket in ideal conditions. 
We do not claim an accuracy specification for the Rain Gage.  The Rain Gage is very repeatable, and over a variety of conditions will yield an average result that is reasonably  close to that of a tipping bucket.  But, for any given rainstorm the result can be off by as much as 2:1 in either direction. 

The strength of the Rain Gage is that it works in many situations where a tipping bucket simply does not.   That is, the Rain Gage is vastly more accurate than a tipping bucket that has ceased to work properly due to dirt or mineral deposit or mechanical difficulty, or a tipping bucket in a mobile application that is constantly giving false indications due to motion.  The Rain Gage is more accurate for a small (but in some applications, meaningful) amount of rain, such as 0.01", that will simply not register in a tipping bucket.

This said, if you do not need the ruggedness of the Rain Tracker Rain Gage, and maintaining the tipping bucket is not a problem, use a tipping bucket. 

But not just for Meteorology

You can use the tipping bucket mode in a rain sensing application where you would like a repeatable, quantifiable rain sensor as part of a control system. Unlike a mechanical tipping bucket, the RG-10 will indicate a ten-thousandths of an inch.

• Process controlled
• Device control
• Input for Irrigation Control System

Our Tipping Bucket Story

Our first calibration tests with the Rain Gage were against an inexpensive tipping bucket we bought at a discount store. The product is a wireless tipping bucket rain gauge, and an outstanding value for the money. But fairly soon into the tests we found our Rain Gage to be producing widely divergent results from the inexpensive tipping bucket. We soon determined that the tipping bucket had stopped registering. At first, we blamed the wireless communications. After all, what could go wrong with a tipping bucket in a short time? Well, it turned out the bucket mechanism was sticking against the sensor switch. We used a little oil on the joints, and simply pushed the bucket within the play on its hinges to be further from the sensor. It has worked like a champ ever since.

We have since bought three wired tipping buckets built to National Weather Service specifications, and we use these as the reference for our ongoing calibration. They have thus far given us no trouble. The home unit was a great buy, and we would recommend it to others, especially now that we know how to maintain it. But the whole experience confirmed what we already knew: tipping buckets must be properly maintained.