We’re excited to announce that R.M. Young Company has acquired Texas Electronics (TE), a manufacturer of tipping bucket rain gauges and meteorological sensors since 1956. With the acquisition, five TE rain gauge models and a wide range of optional add-ons join our precipitation lineup. Together with our existing 52202 and 52203 rain gauges, you now have more ways than ever to match a rain gauge to your site, climate, and data requirements.
70 Years of Precipitation Expertise
TE was founded by J.R. Tozer in 1956 and was family owned for 70 years. Over that time, TE built a reputation for precision tipping bucket rain gauges trusted by meteorologists, researchers, engineers, and environmental monitoring professionals around the world. Some customers have been recording rainfall with TE instruments for decades.
“For 70 years, Texas Electronics has been built on two groups of people: the ones who make our gauges and the customers who count on them, some of whom have been recording rainfall with our instruments for decades,” said Jim Sutherland, CEO of TE. “Finding the right company to carry that forward mattered more than anything else in this process. R.M. Young builds instruments the way we always have, in-house and made to be repaired rather than replaced, and they treat customers as long-term partners. I know our customers are in good hands.”
Why We’re a Great Fit
We share more with TE than a product category. We’re both mid-sized manufacturers with more than 60 years in business. We both build our instruments in-house and design them to be maintained and repaired in the field. We share the same passion for accurate environmental measurement, and we serve the same professional community of meteorologists, researchers, engineers, and public agencies.
“When a team has collected rainfall data at the same site for 20 years, they need to know their gauge, and the people behind it, will still be there for the next 20,” said Eric Mannix, President of R.M. Young Company. “That continuity is what R.M. Young has been built on since 1964, and what Texas Electronics has given its customers since 1956. We made this decision to support our customers better. Being easy to do business with means giving them more choice in precipitation measurement and fewer vendors to manage, with one partner who cares about their data as much as they do.”
Why One Rain Gauge Doesn’t Fit Every Site
Many networks are built around a specific collector size, whether that’s set by national meteorological standards, regional requirements, or long-term data records. When a gauge doesn’t match your standard, you face a difficult choice: compromise on your data or adapt your network to the gauge.
Our expanded range removes that compromise.
Six Collector Sizes
Our precipitation lineup now includes six collector sizes:
- 100 mm (4″): A compact gauge for cost-sensitive deployments.
- 154 mm (6″): A versatile mid-size collector.
- 160 mm (6.3″): Our established 52202 and 52203 gauges, which meet WMO requirements.
- 200 mm (7.9″): A metric collector for networks built around a 200 mm diameter.
- 203 mm (8″): For networks that follow the 8-inch standard.
- 245 mm (9.66″): A high-catch collector.
Every TE collector features a knife-edge rim and deep funnel design to optimize rainfall catch and reduce splash-out in high winds.
Accuracy When It Rains Hardest
In extremely heavy rain, standard tipping bucket gauges can undercount. Water keeps arriving while the bucket is tipping, and some of it is never measured. Unfortunately, the heaviest storms are often when accurate data matters most.
TE’s siphon versions solve this problem. A siphon controls the flow of collected water into the bucket, so the bucket fills and tips at a steady rate instead of being overwhelmed. The result is accurate measurement across a much wider range of rainfall intensity: ±2% up to 254 mm per hour and ±3% up to 508 mm per hour. That’s about 10 times the accurate range of a standard gauge.
If you run a flood warning network, a hydrology program, or sites in tropical and monsoon regions, the siphon option means your most important rainfall events are measured with confidence.
Calibration Options
Different networks also report rainfall in different units and resolutions. The TE models offer calibrations of 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, and 0.01 inch per tip, depending on the model, so you can keep your data consistent with your existing records.
Configure Each Gauge for Your Site
Optional add-ons let you build the exact instrument your site needs:
- Sapphire jewel pivots: For long-term consistency.
- Pendant data logger: For standalone rainfall recording at sites without a separate logging system, available on select models.
- Heater (120 VAC): To keep your gauges working through snow and freezing rain.
- Field calibration kit: For verifying calibration on site, with no need to ship the gauge back.
- Bird repellent and pole mounting base: To protect the collector and simplify installation.
More of Your Station From One Partner
Every gauge uses a simple switch closure output that works with virtually any data logger, so it fits easily into your existing systems. And because we also design and manufacture wind, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, visibility, and snow depth sensors, you can source more of your weather station from one partner, with one team supporting it.
Already a TE Customer?
Ordering remains the same. All TE products are still available through texaselectronics.com or by contacting R.M. Young Company.
Get Started
The TE rain gauges are available now through our sales team and international distributors. To find the right gauge for your site, contact us at [email protected] or +1 (231) 946-3980, or reach out to your local Young distributor.