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Rain Collector Heater

with Cone (#7721)

User Guide

The Rain Collector Heater with

Cone may be used to protect the

Rain Collector’s internal

components from freezing and/or

to measure the moisture content of

snowfall. When the heater is on, it

is capable of melting snow at a rate

of 1/4'' (6 mm) of liquid

precipitation per hour. It may not

be able to keep up with larger rates

of snowfall.

The rain collector heater warms only the inside of the rain collector and the

cone itself.

Please note that we have made every attempt to design and manufacture a

safe product, but Davis Instruments assumes no liability for any injury or

damage caused directly or indirectly by the installation or use of this

product.

Note: Although the nominal heater voltage is not hazardous, a short in the wall

transformer could cause hazardous voltage to appear on the heater

wires. For safety, you should always turn the heater’s power unit to the

“OFF” position before removing the rain collector’s cone. We also

recommend that you unplug the wall transformer before removing the

rain collector’s cone.

This instruction manual is designed to take you step-by-step through the

process required to install and use your rain collector heater. Please take the

time to read through this manual before beginning the process.

Note: This heater is not compatible with AeroCone rain collectors. You will need

to replace the AeroCone on your sensor suite with the included old-style

cone.

Summary of content (12 pages)

PAGE 1
Rain Collector Heater with Cone (#7721) User Guide The Rain Collector Heater with Cone may be used to protect the Rain Collector’s internal components from freezing and/or to measure the moisture content of snowfall. When the heater is on, it is capable of melting snow at a rate of 1/4'' (6 mm) of liquid precipitation per hour. It may not be able to keep up with larger rates of snowfall. The rain collector heater warms only the inside of the rain collector and the cone itself.
PAGE 2
Components Components The rain collector heater includes the following components. Please make sure you have all listed components before continuing. • Cone & debris screen-- Replaces the existing AeroCone • Heater assembly — Includes heater element, thermostat, and terminal block for power cable.
PAGE 3
Components Tools and Materials Needed for Installation In addition to the components listed above, you will need some of the following tools and materials. Please be sure you have everything you need before beginning the installation. • Medium Phillips-head and slot-tip screwdrivers • Drill with 5/32” (4 mm) or 3/16” (4.8 mm), and 9/32” (7.
PAGE 4
Installing the Rain Collector Heater Installing the Rain Collector Heater CAUTION: Make sure the wall transformer is unplugged until you are instructed to plug it in. Attaching the Heater to the Rain Collector 1. Remove the AeroCone rain collector from the rain collector base, and if necessary, the mounting screws from the base of the rain collector. 2. Position the heater as shown on the next page (with the terminal block facing away from the bucket) over the holes in the base. 3.
PAGE 5
Installing the Rain Collector Heater 4. Secure the heater assembly to the rain collector. Stand-alone rain collectors come in two versions, one with a flat base, and one with a Vantage Pro2 base. For stand-alone rain collectors with a flat base (#6463), secure the heater assembly to the rain collector base using the #6-32 x 3/4” (19 mm) screws, a lock washer, and a hex nut, as shown below.
PAGE 6
Installing the Rain Collector Heater For Vantage Pro2 rain collectors and stand-alone rain collectors on a Vantage Pro2 base (#6465), secure the heater assembly to the rain collector base using two #4 x 3/8 self-tapping screws, as shown below. #4 x 3/8" Self-tapping Screws Heater Assembly Knock-out Hole for Heater Cable Securing the heater in an Vantage Pro2 rain collector 5. Using wire strippers or a knife, strip 3/8” (10 mm) of insulation from the heater cable wires. 6.
PAGE 7
Installing the Rain Collector Heater 8. Bend each bare wire into a U-shape and secure each one under a screw head on the terminal block as shown below. It does not matter which wire goes to each screw as long as only one wire goes to each screw.
PAGE 8
Installing the Rain Collector Heater 9. Secure the cable to the heater assembly by running a cable tie over the cable and through the hole as shown. You can cut off excess cable tie. Cable Tie Securing cable to heater 10.To provide strain relief for the cable, place a cable tie around the cable just above the hole through which this cable is running, as shown below. You may want to cut off the excess cable tie. 11.Re-attach (or attach) the rain collector to the mounting surface.
PAGE 9
Powering the Heater 2. Attach the rain collector cone (with insulation blanket) to the base. 3. Place the debris screen, pointed end up, into the cone over the funnel hole. 4. In some installations, bird droppings can Debris Bird Screen clog the rain collector. To use the bird Spikes spikes, insert one spike into each socket around the rim of the cone. The sockets are tapered: push firmly or tap lightly with a hammer for a more secure fit.
PAGE 10
Powering the Heater 4. Feed the cable through the hole in the power unit.. 5. Bend each bare wire into a Ushape and secure under a screw head on the terminal block, as shown below. It does not matter which wire goes to each screw as long as only one wire goes to each screw Power unit terminal block 6. To provide strain relief for the cable, place a cable tie around the cable just inside the hole through which this cable is running as shown below.
PAGE 11
Using the Rain Collector Heater Using the Rain Collector Heater You may switch the rain collector heater on and off from the power unit. • OFF — When the rain collector heater is off, the indicator light on the power unit is also off. • ON — When the rain collector heater is on, it is capable of melting snow at a rate of 1/4” (6 mm) of liquid precipitation per hour. It may not be able to keep up with larger rates of snowfall.
PAGE 12
Contacting Technical Support For questions about rain collector heater, please contact Davis Technical Support. We’ll be glad to help. Note: Please do not return items to the factory for repair before calling to get a Return Materials Authorization number. www.davisnet.com Online Find copies of user manuals, product specifications, application notes, software updates, and more. E-Mail support@davisnet.com Telephone (510) 732-7814 Monday - Friday, 7:00 A.M.- 5:30 P.M.