Pole Mount for PCR800

thingiverse

I've always been puzzled by the fact that the PCR800 rain gauge is designed to be mounted on a flat surface. It seems like it would make much more sense to mount it on a pole, perhaps even a piece of 20mm plastic conduit or 25mm aluminum tube. To solve this problem, I created an adapter that allows you to attach your PCR800 (Oregon Scientific Rain Gauge) to a vertical pole. The adapter consists of two parts: the part that attaches to the rain gauge and the part that serves as the base mount. This base mount has a hole in it so that the measured water can flow straight out. One advantage of this design is that it encloses the base of the rain gauge, which reduces the likelihood of bug or spider infestation. It's also easier to access when you need to replace the batteries. To make it easy for others to adapt and adjust the design as needed, I used OpenSCAD to create a customizable model. I've also included pre-made STL files for poles with diameters of 20mm and 25mm. I printed my adapter using ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate) for maximum durability, but ABS would likely be sufficient. To assemble the adapter, you'll need to remove some support material where the rain gauge's feet are bolted on. I used 10mm M3 stainless steel bolts for this purpose. If the fit between the adapter and the pole is not tight, simply drill a small hole and insert a small screw to prevent it from blowing away. The photos should provide a clear illustration of how everything comes together. When printing the adapter, be sure to use a warm or hot build surface and environment to minimize warping. However, you may need to provide more ventilation towards the top part of the cone as the plastic layers may not harden enough, leading to some slumping.