Tipping Bucket - Simple

After this

instructable you will have your very own water sensor using the principle of a tipping bucket.

You’ll need the following supplies:

- Arduino uno

- Some jumpers

- Bottle (1 Liter/more) - using a see-through bottle makes it easier

- Glue + hot glue gun

- Super glue

- Access to a 3d printing service

- 4 mm round piece of metal

- A strong magnet

- Hall sensor for arduino

- Display 16x2 for arduino

- Batteries

- Battery supply pack for arduino

- Plastic bowl/cup with lid

- Shrink sleeves

- Soldering iron

- Tin for soldering

The two 3d designs need to be printed. For the same results as we had, use PLA to print these items. These fit in each other with a tolerance of 1 mm. So make sure a printer is used with a tolerance of around 1 mm or less.

For the following step, the electric circuit has to be built, so it can be tested before assembling the tipping bucket and electronics. In the following figure, this is shown how this can be done. One cable needs to be split (the one supplying 5V), this can be done either by using a splitter or soldering two cables.

Then for the third step, the bucket and bowl have to be cut.

Make sure the bottle is large enough in diameter so it fits onto the 3d printed base. Attach the top of the bottle to the part underneath as is shown in the picture. Attach the bowl or cup to the 3d printed base. Poke a hole in the bottlecap and let some water flow through to make sure a good flow goes out.

Add the strong magnet to the middle of the bucket. Hot glue or super glue can be used for this. Use the 4mm round piece of metal to balance the bucket in the base. Make sure the bucket can flip both ways without getting slowed down by the friction of the magnet to the base. If this is the case, file the base a bit so there is no contact.

Now, the electronics have to be attached to the base. For the sensor, shrink sleeves can be used to make sure the system is waterproof. In order to do this, solder the jumpers to the sensor and add the shrink sleeves to each one. Slightly add warmth to the sleeves and add another one covering all three of these sleeves. Heat this up as well and then this can be closed using hot glue.

Poke a small hole in the bottle and lie the sensor in its sleeve down the side of the bridge holding the bucket. Superglue this down. Then the battery pack can be attached and the Arduino can then started.

Use the code given and upload it to the arduino. The intervals for light, medium and heavy rain can be changed. The formula for x can be changed to show the actual mm/hour.

Enjoy your rain sensor and measure the rainfall!