NOAA National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

This is the interior view of a Fischer & Porter rain gage. This gage is the most common form of mechanical rain gage used by the National Weather Service. It has been used since the early 1960's.  The electromechanical system punches a tape every 15 minutes. At the end of each month, the cooperative observer sends a month's worth of tape for evaluation. In some cases, this gage is used for real-time data, as a telephone device (modem) can be placed on this gage, and data can be interrogated by phone.