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Border Security Year 1 & 2


Erik Sine

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Originally Posted Mar 10 2011 09:52 AM


Border Security
3/10/11 - Present

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The only thing we ask is, if you like what you see and if it helps you make better buying decisions for your sign applications that you build then you can support us and the tests we do by either upgrading your free membership to a Board Patron which has it's additional benefits or by purchasing electrical sign supplies that we sell here on The Sign Syndicate as you'll see in the test result sheets! sml%20(26).gif


One thing that we don't sell here on The Sign Syndicate for the exact reasons of these tests is sell Neon Glass or LED Modules because I know most would think us bias if we did. So because of this, we'll only sell electrical sign supplies that compliment these light sources such as LED power supplies, and neon wiring & Transformers etc.

You'll also notice a lot of Light Source MFG's signed up here on the Sign Syndicate and submitted their lamps for the testing. Some did not, and you'll see "Non-Willing Participant" next to their name in the Tutorial product listings. Most did not want to because they did not want to be compared to their competition or called out on their claims when they show up to your shop and tell you you should buy theirs because they are superior to their competition. Well, all we can do here is include some of those MFG's anyway and throw them up on the board and see where they might fall. We hope some of them at some point join us and take part because they want to. They ALL have an open invitation to do so. We thinks it's a good idea and there is a lot to learn and most of the time it just begs more questions than results can answer. If you are a Light source manufacturer interested in having your lamps included then please upgrade your free membership to a Board Vendor (which includes a free advertising package for the duration of your membership) and submit your lamps



Project Description

First as usual, for questions or comments about this tutorial please visit the private support topic for this test.
http://www.thesignsy...order-security/

Second, I'd like to thank the newest Board Vendors that help & participate to make this Tutorial and Test possible. So a big thank you and welcome to EGL, LED-Neon Flex, & FMS Neon.

This is a Comparison and performance test of both Blue Neon & LED border components for outline lighting applications. We are also doing a few select in green as well, maybe even dab into a few red in the near future.


Project Specifications

All units will be 2' units end to end and housed in a 5" individual deep channel that will be covered with a blue acrylic lens at the time of measuring light on a monthly or bi-monthly basis for lumen maintenance. All light sources will be cycled twice per day running for two periods of 10 hours on, 2 hours off.

The Neon lamps will range from 15mm to 18mm and powered by a electronic transformer but energy figures off a magnetic, LED border units will be powered by 12v to 24v power sources.


Blue Products used

  • 18mm EGL Neon Horizon Blue lamp
  • 15mm EGL Neon Horizon Blue lamp
  • 18mm FMS Rich Blue lamp
  • 15mm FMS Rich Blue lamp
  • Sloan ColorLINE (*Non-willing participant)
  • Sloan FlexiBRITE(*Non-willing participant)
  • GE Contour(*Non-willing participant)
  • LED Neon Flex - Blue Plus
  • LED Neon Flex - Blue Flex
  • US LED Accent 2(*Non-willing participant)

Red Products used

  • LEDNeon-Flex Pro Red lamp
  • SloanLED StripeLED Red lamp

Future Lamps

  • 15mm EGL Neon Tropic Green lamp
  • 18mm EGL Neon Tropic Green lamp (Future)
  • 18mm FMS Mint Green lamp
  • 15mm FMS Mint Green lamp
  • LED Neon Flex - Green Plus
  • LED Neon Flex - Green Flex

Transformers & Power Supplies

  • Ventex 4030 30ma
  • Meanwell 24v
  • Axiom 12v

3/10/11

Today marks the day where all materials have been ordered for this new project.



4/08/11

Alright, just got in the neon yesterday from EGL and this completes our current vendor list. Participating Board Vendors are welcome to join in.

I do have to make one point when it comes to these products before we begin.

I had to search far and wide for SOME of these LED products, the most difficult was GE's Contour, with US LED's Accent 2 as a second. I think it's very important to note as a service point of view on the GE contour that if you needed to order a four foot section or two foot section, this product is very hard to come by, and you will need to buy a whole 8' section which runs $400 plus. GE never returned any phone calls or emails on trying to purchase a sample piece for this test. Many distributors that I did contact who carried both Sloan or GE, pushed the Sloan because of the easability of availability, and communication to the manufacturer.

The easiest LED line to obtain from a typical supplier/distributor goes to Sloan, I just called a Vendor and ordered what I needed and in a few days BAM it was there, this goes for any color. LED Neon Flex is just as easy from a direct wholesale source as well.

Our tests is mainly blue, but I'm also including a few greens as well as maybe Red too for participating Vendors



5/27/11
Early pre-start Intro Video











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7/15/11

Today marks the kick off of Border Security.

We can expect as usual, for the CCFL lamps to take their first initial Lumen Maintenance drop in their first 1000 hours of life taking a 10% - 18% drop in light, then planing out gradually.

We will get to the green lamps shortly with also doing a few lamps in red as well. I have plans to jump the CCFL lamps to a 60ma transformer too for some quick energy consumption numbers as well as light readings.


Here is our first initial light source lamp shot.

Border%20Security%201000.jpg


Rear Power Source and Tranny shot

BS%20-%20Backshot.jpg



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Password: uncle sam
Revision: 07/20/11 08:42 PM



8/16/11

Just like The Red Light District, I think this will be another surprising result test that we are doing here on the Syndicate.

Nothing to really report, the Neon units are presently taking their initial lumen maintenance hit in the first 1000k hours and we'll see them slowly plane off.

Anything right now is too early to report or forecast with this month being hotter than last. Can't wait for the colder months here in sunny San Diego.



Download: CLICK HERE
Password: NFL
Revision: 07/20/11 08:42 PM



9/16/11

The average 1000 hour standard lumen maintenance for the neon is probably just about done. 77 F this month and probably the warmest we'll see till next year, maybe. After all I am in San Diego. With the second month, not much to report.



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Password: patriot
Revision:



10/15/11

The CCFL lamps are down a little bit this month, could be a result of the lumen maintenance or slightly cooler open air ambient temps. The LED Neon Flex took a single foot candle drop which knocked it down significantly, that single FC could mean something or nothing, we;ll have to watch and see what happens down the road.

We may try and see f we can get some iLight strips for this project, but still looking to get into and add some reds, with LED neon Flex and Sloan with a neon unit.



Download: CLICK HERE
Password: bye week
Revision:



11/19/11

Not a whole lot going on this month.

Interesting to look at though. Compared to the other light testing the LEDs did not go up in light output probably because the LEDs are so insulated, and the CCFL's did take a dramatic drop in light mostly because they are uninsulated with no acrylic covers.



Download: CLICK HERE
Password: thanks
Revision: 11/22/11



12/17/11

With the coldest month to date in ambient temperatures we are seeing a huge drop in light output from the neon sources. As you can imagine with no face covers to insulate compartment temperatures we get an even larger drop in light sources as it relates to neon in this test, as high s 31%.

What is odd interesting is hardly a rise in temps coming from the LED tubing sources, and that's likely because they are insulated to begin with.

This month we started our RED section introducing Sloan LEDs StripeLED, and LEDNeon-Flex's pro line. This will be followed by neon source as well



Download: CLICK HERE
Password: snow
Revision:



01/16/12

Wow what a raise in light output a little 10 degrees Fahrenheit of ambaient temps will do to those CCFL lamps huh?

I'm goign to try and track down a few more red lamps them start working on the green LED lamps as I already have the Neon lamps



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Password: playoffs
Revision:





02/19/12

The temps are just a few degrees warmer, so the that the CCFL lamps went up in light output slightly. Have new pics so look for those when I update the evaluations sheet.

Oh yeah, we added a new category that you will notice for at the bottom. Along with monthly light output chart above that you'll see that we added what the ambient temps were for that month



Download: CLICK HERE
Password: mine
Revision:




03/17/12

Not a whole lot to report again.

But what we did do this month is add some information to the chart. We added two categories. We added the 500' lamp scenario for cost of operation, but we left out PS and Transformer break down and just kept it raw. We also added with the 500' scenario, the raw lamp cost leaving out tube supports/lamp supports, GTO cable, endcaps for neon & LED, just pure raw figures.



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Password: madness
Revision:




05/22/12

"It is what it is". I had that quote but, what yaa gonna do?



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Password: mayo
Revision:






07/15/12

We skipped a month from May to July so we can get back to doing this on the 10th of every month.

I asked the question on the open forum, what MFG modules would you like to see in our tests. We're open to suggestions.



Download: CLICK HERE
Password: endless summer
Revision:






08/19/12

This is THE hottest month so far in our testing since we've started. We will be temporarily cutting back on the hours of these tests, that time hasn't been determined yet but again, it will only be temporarily.



Download: CLICK HERE
Password: nfl
Revision:






09/22/12

We'll have some new updated products from LED Neon Flew here soon and we'll get those into the mix. One thing I've been meaning to add and just never have because of the red light district is add a 2 ft. neon red unit to compare with the RED LEDs. I'll get working on it so the side by side is there.

Stay patient, I'll get there!



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Password: touchdown
Revision:




02/10/13

It's been some time since we've entered anything here.

We're back into the swing of things five months later, ad we're going to consolidate and change these logs instead of entering them in four different places but we'll discuss that another time. But testing will now be done on a bi-monthly basis

In November we added two revised LED Border Tube Lamps from LEDNeon-Flex and I have to say I'm VERY impressed. It used to be that the straight border tubes had the brightness advantage over the flexi's, the new Pro line Blue and Red surpassed those, especially in the red line.

I'll update this entry with some pics or video, so stay tune for that!!!


NOVEMBER 2012
Download: CLICK HERE
Password: turkey
Revision:


FEBRUARY 2013
Download: CLICK HERE
Password: ravens
Revision:





06/07/13

It's going! Anyone you want to see added to this test, it's Definitely been a BIG surprise for sure!

Big jump coming from the Neon lamps as ambient temps heat up, not much of a big drop coming from anything. As usual we'll see the LED lamps drop due to the warmer temps and rise again in the cooler periods


June 2013 Test Results Download: BorderSec 060713.pdf

Revision:



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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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