What rain gauge do you use?

Agree @JennyJB I do the same with my snow records.
Thanks a lot for your ideas

 

I empty mine every day it has rained, which seems like every day this winter. It’s accurate enough for me.

I only started last June as it had been so dry and I wanted to have a better grasp of how little rain we were getting. Since installing it we have had lots and lots of rain, maybe it’s my fault …..

 

I've always found weather interesting, but my OH is a bit of a weather expert from his former job, and it's really, really interesting!
Even more interesting is the ability we've now got to affect weather on a global scale.

 

We're all different. I also think sport is boring but many people enjoy it.

 

Sport bores me too!
We Brits are weather obsessed, but the furthest we ever get is to state the obvious about it at the time, me included, lol!

 

I have the same ones as @JennyJB and it was a 2 pack combo. Can't remember how much they were, but it was less than a tenner.
I check/empty it every morning, usually when I feed the birds - which is around now, so I'd better go and do it! I sometimes empty it at night if it's getting a bit too near the top of the measurement area, and it doesn't look like it's stopping, but I just add the total to the next day's page in my little notebook as I would do normally.
Like Jenny, if it's been dam, smirry, it often doesn't register much, so it's only when there's a clear .5mm showing that I'd add it into the total.
I swap them every so often because they get a bit algae covered and I have to clean them out.

 

I don't have a proper rain guage. Just a bucket which was emptied last week and is now half full. Assumption - we're having far too much rain.

 

I don't think I've ever experienced "too much rain" here, in over 35 years. Inconveniently timed rain, yes, often, but not too much overall. Normally in the spring and summer there's not enough for my liking.

 

Mine is an Amtast wireless rain gauge (have a look on Amazon, they're around £35), it also shows indoor and outdoor temperatures as well as rainfall amounts over 1 hour, 24 hours, a week and a month.
The only problem with it, is that in dry weather spiders have been known to make their home in the "tank", which stops it from working until they are rehomed .

 

Thanks a lot for your tip @AnniD
The only concern I have is the use of batteries. I would more look for a dove/JennyJB solution since I can’t turn my wheelbarrow to collect the water

 

A friend of mine has a professional quality Davis weather station, it's great. Not cheap though at over a grand, it does record everything you would need and has been going for at least six years now

 

I use rechargeable batteries, although I understand your point Simone

 

I must admit there are times when I'm tempted by the expensive options, but my cheap and simple approach does what I need it to. I don't really need improved accuracy, it's just for personal interest. I started off wanting to know if we really were in a rainfall "black hole" or whether it was my imagination.
What I might pay money for would be something that gives me an accurate warning (ping on my phone or some other kind of audible alert) 5 minutes before it starts raining, so I can get the washing in .