DAVIS Rain Collector for Vantage Pro2 User Manual
Rain Collector (#7857 & 7857M)
This rain collector can be used with Vantage Pro2™
weather stations, including Vantage Pro2, Vantage
Pro2 Plus, and the Anemometer/Sensor Transmitter Kit.
The following instructions assume the rain collector
is being used with a Vantage Pro2 or Vantage Pro2
Plus Integrated Sensor Suite (ISS). Refer to the user
manual that came with your station for more information.
Manuals are available online at www.davisnet.com in the Weather Support section.
Note: Model number 7857 is factory-calibrated to take rain measurements in 0.01 inches. The
metric version of the rain collector, number 7857M, comes factory-calibrated to take
measurements in 0.2 mm.
Components
Please make sure you have all listed components before continuing.
• Rain collector cone latched onto base
• Base with tipping mechanism and 40’ (12 m) cable
• U-bolt, backing plate and 2 each: lag screws, flat washers, lock washers, and
hex nuts
• Debris Screen
•16 3.5” (9 cm) bird spikes (optional)
Debris Screen
(ts snugly
inside cone)
Bubble Level
BASE
14 Bird Spike
Sockets
RAIN
CONE
Finger Grips
TIPPING
MECHANISM
Latch
40’ Cable
U-Bolt
1/4" Flat
Washers
1/4" Lock
Washers
1/4" Hex
Nuts
Backing
Plate
HARDWARE KIT
1/4" x 3" Lag Screws
(~6 x 75 mm)
Bird Spikes (16)
3.5” (9 cm)
Prepare the Rain Collector
Tools and Materials Needed
You may need some of the following tools and materials to install the rain collector.
• Drill with 3/32” (2 mm) drill bit
• Medium Phillips screwdriver
• 3/16” (or 5 mm) wrench
• Cable clips or weather-resistant cable ties with screw holes or other means for
mounting
Rain Collector Internal Components
(Can be used to thread cable out and down)
Hole in Base
Tipping
Spoons
Magnet
Reed Switch
Bubble
Level
1
+ -
2
1
%
2
Restraining
Adjustment
Screw
Adjustment
Guide
Post
Drain
Screen
Cable Slot
Note: The rain collector is shipped with the 40’ cable coiled and exiting through one of the cable
slots. You may want to uncoil the cable and feed it down through the hole in the base
behind the tipping spoon.
Prepare the Rain Collector
1. Remove the cone from the base by rotating the base
until the latches on the cone line up with the latch
openings in the base, then lifting the cone away
from the base.
Twist off the rain collector cone
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Installing the Rain Collector
2. Carefully cut and remove the plastic tie
Tipping Spoons
which holds the tipping spoons in place
during shipping.
Plastic Tie
Test the Rain Collector
Before installing the rain collector, test the unit. If you are replacing a rain collector
you previously installed, make a note of the total rainfall amount displayed. You
may want to reenter this amount after you test the rain collector.
1. Open the transmitter shelter on the ISS. Remove the foam insert and feed the rain
collector cable up through the opening. Plug the cable to the appropriate
connector in the sensor interface (See illustration on page 6.)
2. Press the RAIN
3. While watching the display on your console to see if it changes, slowly tip the
bucket until it drops to the opposite side. Each tip indicates 0.01" or 0.2 mm of
rain. (It may take up to a minute for the first tip to register at the console.) If the
display does not change, you may be tipping the bucket too quickly. Try again,
more slowly this time. If the rainfall amount displayed on the console increases
by the expected increment (either 0.01" or 0.2 mm) each time you tip the bucket,
your rain collector is working properly.
DAY button on your console to display rainfall.
Installing the Rain Collector
If you have not already done so, separate the cone from the base and disconnect the
rain collector cable from the sensor interface in the transmitter shelter.
Choosing a Location for the Rain Collector
Keep the following in mind when choosing a location for your rain collector:
• For accurate readings, you must mount the rain collector so that it is level. A
bubble level is built-in to the base to simplify this process.
• The rain collector contains a magnet-operated switch which may not operate
correctly if you mount the rain collector on or near any object which is attracted
to a magnet.
• Exposure to winds can reduce the measured rainfall amounts. Mount the rain
collector where there are no obstructions of rainfall at low angles -- such as trees,
houses, fences -- and as low as possible out of the wind.
• Choose a location which is easily accessible for normal cleaning and is distant
from trees or other sources of heavy pollen or debris.
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