New optical rain gauge improves accuracy while reducing maintenance needs
Gill Instruments has announced the launch of the TruMet PW100, a new optical rain gauge designed to improve how rainfall is measured. For many years, rainfall monitoring has depended on mechanical tipping bucket gauges. While these systems are widely used, they can clog, wear out over time, and struggle to measure heavy rainfall accurately.
The TruMet PW100 uses a modern infrared optical method instead of mechanical parts. It sends a beam of light across a sensing area. When raindrops pass through the beam, the system measures their size and speed. This allows the instrument to calculate rainfall accurately while ignoring unwanted interference such as insects or debris.
Because the sensor has no moving parts, funnels, or tipping mechanisms, it requires far less maintenance than traditional rain gauges. This design reduces the risk of failure and helps ensure consistent data quality over long periods. The result is reliable rainfall measurements with lower lifetime ownership costs.
The new optical rain gauge delivers accuracy comparable to mechanical tipping buckets while avoiding common problems such as mechanical drift and frequent recalibration. This makes it well suited for long-term monitoring in widely distributed systems.
“Rainfall is changing, yet the industry relies on legacy mechanical technology,” said Greg Koch, Product Manager at Gill. “We didn’t set out to reinvent rain measurements for novelty’s sake. We set out to remove the weakest link. This optical rain gauge delivers trusted accuracy without moving parts and minimal maintenance, which fundamentally changes how rain data can be collected at scale.”
Typical agriculture applications include precision irrigation planning, rainfall modelling in agriculture, and asset protection across solar and wind assets on farms. Reliable rainfall data helps farmers make informed decisions about water use, crop health, and weather-related risks.
To support easy adoption, the TruMet PW100 produces the same standard pulse output used by traditional rain gauges. This allows it to be installed as a direct replacement without changes to existing monitoring systems or additional training.
The sensor will be available as a standalone device and as part of Gill’s MaxiMet weather station range, including upcoming models that combine multiple weather measurements into a single compact instrument. This launch reflects Gill’s focus on delivering dependable and practical solutions for modern environmental and agricultural monitoring.
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