For years I’ve struggled with existing rain gauges, due in part to the use of plastic as the main component. For a start, the plastic fades over the years, becoming more and more opaque. But even when new, if the angle of the sun was wrong, reading the calibrations moulded into the plastic proved challenging. Having to decant the overflow from the large container into the calibrated inner container required not only dexterity, but some way to record the number of decants. All very fiddly. To me, reading recorded rainfall should be one quick glance at the gauge.

Out of mounting frustration, and following the old adage “necessity is the mother of invention”, I was prompted to experiment to determine if “there must be a better way”. And so there was. After two years researching materials suitable to the extremes of the Aussie climate, commissioning collection gauges that were readable without getting out of the ute, all that was left was to ensure it was presented in an aesthetically designed housing. And could record up to 200mm of rain without emptying. The result is the Crystal Rain Gauge. 

It is made of thermally toughened glass with fadeless, contrasting easy to read annealed ceramic calibrations, all presented in an “easy to install” polished stainless container that would not look out of place in a George Jensen collection.

I would have liked to manufacture the Crystal Rain Gauge in Australia, and I tried. But even with economies of scale, I was unable to obtain significant improvement to the underlying high cost of labour in Australian production. In addition to the high cost of Australian manufacture, the distribution costs, plus the usual 30%-50% retail margin, meant that even at double the price, there wouldn’t be a return on the development and manufacturing costs.

Manufacturing a significant quantity offshore, I’ve been able to hold the price down to an affordable price I think is reasonable for a lifetime purchase.

If you started nodding when you read our story, then I hope this makes you want to replace your current rain gauge once and for all!