Border Security Year 3 & 4

[Erik Sine]

Originally Posted Jul 12 2013 10:46 PM

Border Security
3/10/11 - Present

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!


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

7/12/13

This is the first entry for year 3 & 4.

What's new this month is the new side by side pic of the light sources in this months Test Result pdf file.

JULY REST RESULTS: BorderSec 070913.pdf



8/26/13


The two Neon manufacturers are just about neck and neck.

Those LED border units my not be as bright as Neon but some of them have barely even begun to take a lumen maintenance hit, that has to impress. Everything is not always about brightness but usable light as well and applications where Neon glass is not applicable. It's still early, we are only at 12k hours of operation. If this was Vegas where it's warm and most light sources run 24/7.

It will be interesting to see where things lay at 25k hours and again at 35k.

We'll keep doing what we do and run'em!!

AUGUST REST RESULTS: DOWNLOAD LINK



2/12/14


6 months later and in the winter months. Neon being exposed is somewhat down and they will shoot back up later in the warmer months. The Sloan Flex is really starting to fall along with the older LEDNeon Flex but we can see the newer "Pro" version is holding.

Later we will be adding "Glostertube"

AUGUST REST RESULTS: DOWNLOAD LINK



SEPTEMBER 2014
10/30/14


As I've stated in other light test evaluations it's been some time since I've entered anything other than the down loadable pdf with the light test results. Since ISA is coming closer than we know I'm sure more new red products will be coming out and we'll be adding them here.


SEPTEMBER TEST RESULTS http://www.thesignsy...arison-results/

[Erik Sine]

October 22, 2015

 

New side by side comparison of lumen maintenance over time

 

 

Other than it's been since April that we've done the evaluations and had some hibernation time there really isn't too much to report other than we will be looking for more LED border units to add in.

The Sloan flex tube is just about dead and we're having to measure the light output in decimals. We also shut down and removed the NeonFlex LED standard blue.

October 2015 Download:BorderSec 102215.pdf

For Questions or Comments regarding this benchmark use this LINK

[Erik Sine]

January 3, 2016

Nothing new to add or subtract this period but the test goes on.

January Test Evaluation Download:BorderSec 010316.pdf

For Questions or Comments regarding this benchmark use this LINK