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  1. 2014 CHRISTMAS NEON SPECIALS From now until Christmas Specials On TC200 Housings, Casino Bushings, Silicone Caps & Boots, Novaglo Lead Free Electrodes, Brass Electrode Buttons & Caps. http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/store/category/3-sign-supplies/
  2. FLUORESCENT & NEON LAMP TESTER A Transco To Go Lamp Tester perfect for use on the field during service calls, or in the shop to test your lamps before installation. The Features: • Tests Neon (Cold Cathode) Tubes • Tests Fluorescent (Hot Cathode) Lamps • Tests Mercury, Metal Halide & Sodium Vapor Lamps • Telescopic Aerial For Extended Reach • Continuity Test & Test Leads • Battery Powered Lamp Tester Spec Sheet Below For Download: TRANSCO Tester File.pdf You can now buy this product direct from our online shopping cart by clicking this LINK Feel free to contact us to receive a full product & price list , or to order this product - (858) 880-1400 or orders@thesignsyndicate.com
  3. Neon still shines bright http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20141108/NEWS01/141109495#.VF-p_Ie0iOg Jason Layton has been a tube bender for 15 years, an old-school artisan who burns straight sticks of glass over hot flame to form neon signs. “He’s great at intricate bending. He thrives on most things that benders don’t like,” said Ken Schmidt, office manager and layout artist for Neon Doctor in Pittsburgh, where Layton works. There aren’t many tube benders left. Through the 1980s and some of the '90s, accomplished neon benders worked long hours, sometimes around the clock. They were craftsmen who began as apprentices and spent years perfecting their skills. But neon’s popularity has dropped in the past decade, as businesses switch to cheaper, more energy-efficient LED bulbs. Schmidt isn’t writing off neon yet, though. “People say it’s a dying art, and to a point it is. But thousands of signs are still being lit by neon. LED will never replace the brightness and the art of neon,” said Schmidt. “There are a lot of people who like the nostalgic look and won’t settle for anything else. We’re as busy as we’ve ever been.” A brief history of neon, courtesy of Neon Doctor’s employees: The gas was discovered in 1898 by two British chemists, who named it “neon,” the Greek word for “new.” It’s one of several gases that light up (neon turns red) when an electrical charge passes through them. The first neon bulb was created by French engineer Georges Claude in 1902 when he sent electricity through a sealed glass tube containing neon. Tube benders add other gases such as argon and xenon to create the familiar bright hues that neon signs emit. Before neon, incandescent bulbs were sign makers’ favorite lighting, said Tod Swormstedt, founder of the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio, which contains more than 4,400 artifacts, including 600 signs and a working neon shop. Neon signs arrived in the U.S. in 1923 when a Los Angeles Packard auto dealership installed two signs that caused traffic to stop as drivers gawked at them. By 1940, the downtowns of nearly every U.S. city were bright with neon signage, and there were 2,000 shops nationwide designing and making neon signs. H&R Signs in Washington fabricated dozens of neon signs in the city, including the black-and-white Observer-Reporter sign that hangs in front of the company’s building. By the late 1950s, though, neon began losing ground to newer technology. It enjoyed a resurgence in the 1970s, when architects on the West Coast and in New York City incorporated it into homes and buildings as a light source, and neon artists like Rudi Stern, who ran a Soho studio called Let There Be Neon, created neon sculptures. “If you want that exposed neon look like you have in Las Vegas and New Orleans, you have to go with neon. But basically, the market for lighting belongs to LEDs now,” said Swormstedt. “You can pay a kid $10 an hour to do LED lighting because there’s no art involved, it’s easy to install and it’s low voltage.” According to a survey by the trade publication Signs of the Times (Swormstedt’s great-grandfather was the first editor of the family-run magazine and Swormstedt worked there until he started the museum), just 18 percent of neon signs were lit by neon in 2010, compared with 40 percent that were lit by LEDs. Inside the windows of Shorty’s, an iconic hot dog shop in Washington, hang two neon red “Shorty’s” signs. Neon red tubes frame the windows. “We opened the store in the early '30s, and I’m in my 40s, and those neon signs have been there as long as I can remember,” said Steve Alexas, owner of the family-operated business. “The restaurant is the same as it was when I was a kid, and the nostalgia is something that people like about it. There are things I’d like to change and update about the place, but the lights and booths are a package deal, people love the look and we’re not supposed to change anything.” Over the years, the tubes have broken (once during a robbery at the restaurant and, occasionally, when workers are cleaning the windows), and H&R Signs has repaired the damage. Age and elements have taken their toll on other 20th-century neon artifacts throughout Washington County, including the neon sign that graced the Coyle Theater in Charleroi for more than half a century. The Mid Mon Valley Cultural Trust is working to restore the theater and the neon marquee and blade out front. The theater was built in 1891, and the art deco neon marquee and blade added in 1939. “It’s a profound piece of architecture and it brings back memories of those big, beautiful blades that are still around and can be saved,” said Melanie Patterson, chairman of the cultural trust. “People associate those neon blades with certain areas because the signs have been around so long. They’re like landmarks. Many were taken down years ago because they were expensive and costly to repair. But they’re worth saving.” Schmidt has worked in sign shops for 30 years and has helped build some iconic Pittsburgh signs, including the Heinz ketchup bottle that now resides in the Heinz History Museum. Neon Doctor has crafted and repaired all sorts of neon signs: beer signs, sports signs and vintage signs. Neon Doctor’s clients include Primanti’s restaurants, Applebee’s, Arby’s and Longhorn Steakhouses, pizza shops, nail and hair salons, barber shops, car washes, car dealerships and beer distributors throughout the region. The company also has recreated neon’s lost eras for movies and television shows. Swormstedt thinks there will always be a market for neon. “You’re seeing pockets around the country and in Canada where they’re trying to resurrect and restore neon signs. Saginaw, Mich., has a six-block area they call their neon district, and they’re trying to restore or bring in signs. Vancouver is doing the same thing,” said Swormstedt. “New Mexico spent public tax money restoring neon signs along Route 66. They know it brings in tourists and there is some return on your dollar.” Neonworks, the neon sign shop operating in the museum, “is the last neon shop remaining in Cincinnati, but they’re backed up with work for collectors and businesses who want signs restored,” Swormstedt said. “There’s so much romance around neon. I know it’s an emotional connection and, I think, it s a nostalgia thing, It’s a walk down memory lane and it’s always good memories.”
  4. What began as Galveston Island’s Sears and Roebuck store is now home to one of GHF’s more public endeavors. To celebrate the recent exterior restoration work as well as the recently installed neon sign, the public is invited for a day of vintage fun at our 1940 Sears’s Building, located at 2228 Broadway, on Saturday, Sept. 13. http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/humble/living/galveston-historical-foundation-s-sears-building-to-host-open-house/article_5e325713-87f4-5ab6-88b4-5e804fe285ce.html
  5. We are now stocking the CPI Advanced Electronic Transformers in the UL 6kv (CPI-6-35), 10kv (CPI-1035), and the 12kv (CPI-EZ12) along with the Non-UL10kv (CPI-10035)DM Dimming model. FEATURES • No Mercury Migration • Overload Protection with Auto Shutdown • Self Adjusting Load Sensor • Aluminum Heat Sink, Can Be Mounted To Metal • UL2161 (Except 1035DM) These are the small pull chain units perfect for window Neon signs and other applications. They can be purchased through our online shopping cart here http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/store/category/25-electronic-transformers/ You can also contact us by phone at (858) 880-1400 or by email orders@thesignsyndicate.com to place an order or receive a full product & price list
  6. Their at it again. There is always a place and application for all light sources but... The Drake Hotel Brings Light To Going Green http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=2007827 "...The Drake Hotel and Olympic Signs of Lombard have teamed up to create green energy you can see. The Chicago landmark neon sign will be replaced with environmentally friendly Sloan LED lighting. Licensed by the EPA, Olympic Signs will dispose of the antiquated neon piping that used to adorn the 20ft "The Drake" sign. Thus, neon's 70 year run illuminating Lake Shore Drive officially ends. The new and improved sign will be the first of its kind. Olympic Signs President Robert Whitehead, whose company is known for green energy, has lead his team in the production of a new mold, a new source of energy and a new spin on an old goal: reduce, reuse and recycle. The original "The Drake" sign will be refurbished; essentially Whitehead's team will restore the background metal to its former glory. The neon piping will be recycled per EPA standards and the new lights will reduce the amount of energy the hotel needs to light "The Drake"...." ======================== If this is going to be another retrofit some neon gas pumped tubes to LED then The Drake should get ready for failure. We all remember the Genesee Beer debacle that we kicked around here a couple of years ago. Again, why retrofit something that's already in place? Just re-engineer the transformers and re-pump or retrofit with newer lamps. But Olympic Signs thinks they are saving the world from evil and curing cancer at the same time and one LED at a time. Olympic Signs say that LEDs over neon only cost 25% higher and that the sign user can make up for it in 10 months in energy consumption costs. Really? Genesee Beer had all kinds of issues from the start to the end, and if what I'm hearing is accurate they still continue today. Lets review those figures we came up with on that sign. Neon Project @ 380 linear feet 3.6 watts per foot x 380 linear feet = 1,368 watts $719.00 annual cost of operation @12 hrs a day for 365 days a year 11 Transformers = $990.00 New Wholesale Glass = $1,710.00 ****Much cheaper on glass cost for just adding new electrodes to old glass Total $2,700.00 SloanLED Flexibrite @380 linear feet 2.8 watts per foot x 380 feet = 1,064 watts $532.60 annual cost of operation @ 12 hrs a day for 365 days a year 22 Power Sources = $1,914.00 SloanLED Flexibrite = $7,075.00 ***Does not include the price of glue, clips, and caps and wiring Total $8,985.00 ROI: 48 years Hardly 10 months. But if Drake Hotel doesn't care about smart business sense and they just want to "pose" as a fictitious guise of been an earth saver by putting up a different light source among other things then hell, SPEND by all means. Sounds like they found the right sign company who will feed their ideology. I'm not hatin!! Money in hand and job is sold. Just don't remove a light source that does not degrade in light output, or be able to retrofit one with one that won't (Neon Gas)....with one that will and say it's better or better for the environment. Because it's not! Just sell it as what it is, an alternative to using Neon Lamps, not "Green energy you can see". Does Olympic not know Neon NOW is recognized as "Green" by UL? Last I looked it TOO has a UL Green Leaf stamp of wacko environmentalist approval A 70 Year old classic sign, The Drake has been a landmark....what a shame. Hope it works out for them
  7. July 2014 Electric Sign Industry Neon & LED Test Comparison Results Below are the various categories of our test results made available for the electric sign industry. You can download the newest Sign Syndicate test comparison .pdf result sheet at the bottom of every Light Project Test entry with the most current date. Please remember....we have now made these light testing results available to you for free. If you feel like you have learned/gained something from these results or found that these results have saved you money by choosing one product over another please help support us in upgrading your free membership, or by purchasing various sign supplies we have available for you & your company. Many of our sign supply products are usually well below what you might pay for at one of the mainstream sign suppliers and some are bundles with free shipping. We've attached many various banners to the results in hope something may grab your eye. The Sign Syndicate does not engage in light source lamp sales such as LED's or Lamps so that we do not become a biased source for news & information and maintain that high standard of only dealing with the facts. For individual test result updates & information visit the Project Tutorials located here LINK As always, enjoy the results and hope you learn as we do going down this adventurous path! The Great White Hope II (Year 1) - The high powered white Neon & LED test comparison for large channel letters and sign cabinets, comprised of high powered LED modules 1watt+ and above with Tri-Phosphor Neon Lamps. (2,300+ hrs) Later this month we will add NC LED New high powered module as well as two of Axiom LED's products GreatWhiteHopeII 071514.pdf Project Tight Whitey (Year 3 & 4) - The white exclusive LED only test comparison for mid (.85 watt modules and below) to mini sized LED modules. (34,000+ hrs) This month we introduce new module as well as NC LED, ProJectTight 071515.pdf The Red Light District (Year 3 & 4) - The Red Neon & LED channel letter light source test comparison. (28,000+ hrs) RedL071514.pdf Border Security (Year 3 & 4)- The Neon & LED border tube lamp test comparison. (18,000+ hrs) BorderSec 071514.pdf Blue Light Special Year 1 & 2) - The blue Neon & LED test comparison for channel letter. (7,000+ hrs) BlueLight071514.pdf The Great White Hope - Discontinued (Year 5) - The high powered white Neon & LED test comparison for large channel letters and sign cabinets, comprised of high powered LED modules 1watt+ and above with Tri-Phosphor Neon Lamps. (33,000+ hrs) Though discontinued, we'll still go ahead and make this available for reference Download LINK
  8. Wondering if anyone else knows about this, not sure how I found it but wish I thought of it. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/poteetphotography/chasing-neon-documenting-our-historic-americana?ref=email Edward
  9. Well, in the last couple of weeks I've seen a big boom/surge in Neon Inquiries, sales, and Sign Wholesale shops returning to the Neon Sector. Now they just have to wait and see if there are component manufacturers out there who can support and have products available for them to produce these signs. The biggest setback I get is, "well...we built the sign already and processed the Neon...but didn't know there were a shortage on materials to finish the job" Yep!
  10. Electrician fixing neon sign electrocuted MANILA, Philippines — A jolt of electricity killed early Sunday a man fixing a neon sign in Quezon City. Bryan Abdon, an electrician, of Lucena City, was replacing a busted light in the signage of a restaurant along Timog Avenue in Barangay (village) Sacred Heart, when he was electrocuted. Abdon was declared dead on arrival by attending doctors of the East Avenue Medical Center. Police Officer 2 Louie Serbito, of the Quezon City Police District Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU), said that accident happened at around 2:30 a.m. Serbito said that before the accident, Abdon had crawled inside the tube-shaped neon sign of the restaurant to replace a burned-out light. The electrician was still working on the neon sign when his co-worker James Kevin Silvallana saw a pair of pliers fall from the signage. According to the case investigator, Silvallana looked up to ask about the pliers but instead saw Abdon shaking violently. Silvallana immediately turned off the electricity and sought the help of barangay peace and security officers (BSPOs) and other restaurant employees. The BPSOs took time to remove the body of the electrician from the signage before taking him to the nearest hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
  11. I always love to share some of the projects that I get the opportunity to do once in a while when I do get one. I think these days I take on certain jobs just so I can share here on the Sign Syndicate the applicable use of some of the components that we stock and sell here through this site. Chances are sometimes someone may see something for the first time and that can be helpful. When I do these various jobs once in a great moon I like to show different vendors that I believe in. This time it's all Voltarc mixed in with Masters Technologies wet location sleeving and two piece electrode caps powered by Trasnco's military grade all 100% copper balanced Neon Transformers. So let's start from the beginning. The old building that's getting renovated. This landmark Tennis Store has been around the neighborhood since the 60's and it's a very known location if you play tennis in San Diego. There are no more Electrobit grounding rings available so now I have to turn to Masters Technologies Grounding Plates to bond conduit to conduit and conduit that is attached to the polycarbonate rears and in turn bonding the letter pan Here's what I'm working with behind the wall where the sign is located, a block wall with18" of height/clearance from stud floor to roof of wall for electrical access behind the letters Ever go to the sign shows years ago and see a lighted neon lamp sitting at the bottom of a fish tank filled with water? Well, this is the stuff...Enter Master Technologies wet location two piece caps and sleeving. This is a little further after drilling all the holes and placing all the polycarbonate rears. Here we're using Transco's Silicone Easy Caps and their 14 AWG Silicone GTO. The Neon Lamps are Voltarcs 12mm Green, their sickly bright at night you just wait! The small overhang room did make this installation VERY easy! The round logo box we used Voltarc's 15mm (Tri-Lite Triphosphor) One of the cool added parts of this jobs is the Stainless Steel overhang face they added for the renovation. Love the look, and we had a part to play to make sure it would make the single stroke of Voltarc's NeoBlue (Purple) pumped red would be applicable for installation. Doing a single stroke Neon border in this case Purple can sometimes be a challenge when it comes to installation but I made sure that the 56 liner feet would not be an issue. I wanted everything balanced and what better choice than the use of Transco's balanced UNT Tank to be a part of this project. Transco's Tank is a TRUE balanced Neon Transformer when you Mid-Point Return this unit, most other Neon Transformers you would have to perform a Virtual Ground Installation, and that "Balance" was my plan from the beginning. By doing a Mid-Point Return I turned this 15kv tranny into two separate 7,500kv's. Most importantly, I didn't run 20' of GTO from Transformer Terminal to the outer most electrodes like you see in so many cases (Conventional Series Wiring) which result in numerous maintenance calls down the road. Doing a Mid-Point ground I started at the center of my Neon Load making my runs only 18" from the Transformer secondary Terminals to the first set of electrodes that will work their way out bringing the outermost lamps or connection back to the transformer. If you were to take a High Voltage Probe and measure at the Mid-Point ground terminal you would have about 0 volts. Doing the installation this way assures VERY long life with the secondary conductors as short as possible. VIRTUAL RETURN WIRING CONVENTIONAL WIRING & MID-POINT RETURN WIRING Here in the Transco Transformer Box I have the two short secondary home runs splitting the 56' linear lamp foot load in half, with the return path coming from the outer most lamp connectors of the load. The Transco disconnect switch and double nutted ground with the panel ground at the bottom (structural) with the service ground which is the Transformer ground at the top. Before anyone asks, YES this is a shot before the Transformer box is sitting on top of treated studs! The Voltarc NeoBlue lamps which are pumped with Neon gas for the purple look with the two piece Masters Technologies wet location caps and sleeving which jackets over the Transco Silicone GTO. Finishing up and closing out this deal Finally, the night shots of this finished project All in all a fun job as usual and like any job with a few headaches along the way, if you have an upgraded membership as a member of "The Order" you can read about that. But nothing that didn't get remedied and most importantly the customer is VERY happy in the end. Total package 784 watts, 8 hours per day @ 365 days a year roughly $.12kwh = $274.71 as an annual cost of operation for wall sign mixed in with some linear border tube lighting, NOT BAD!! Special thanks to Joe Walsh of Voltarc for getting me what I needed to get this job completed!! THE PROJECT RECIPE Voltarc 12mm Green Voltarc 15mm Tri-Lite Voltarc 15mm NeoBlue (Pumped Red) Transco UNT Tanks Trasnco 14 AWG Silicone GTO Trasnco Silicone Easy Caps & Boots Transco Transformer Boxes Trasnco Disconnect Switches FMS Neon Tube Supports Masters Technologies Wet Location Sleeving Masters Technologies Wet Location Two Piece Caps Masters Technologies Grounding Plates Sheffield Polycarbonate
  12. May 2014 Electric Sign Industry Neon & LED Test Comparison Results Below are the various categories of our test results made available for the electric sign industry. You can download the newest Sign Syndicate test comparison .pdf result sheet at the bottom of every Light Project Test entry with the most current date. Please remember....we have now made these light testing results available to you for free. If you feel like you have learned/gained something from these results or found that these results have saved you money by choosing one product over another please help support us in upgrading your free membership, or by purchasing various sign supplies we have available for you & your company. Many of our sign supply products are usually well below what you might pay for at one of the mainstream sign suppliers and some are bundles with free shipping. We've attached many various banners to the results in hope something may grab your eye. The Sign Syndicate does not engage in light source lamp sales such as LED's or Lamps so that we do not become a biased source for news & information and maintain that high standard of only dealing with the facts. For individual test result updates & information visit the Project Tutorials located here LINK As always, enjoy the results and hope you learn as we do going down this adventurous path! The Great White Hope II (Year 1) - The high powered white Neon & LED test comparison for large channel letters and sign cabinets, comprised of high powered LED modules 1watt+ and above with Tri-Phosphor Neon Lamps. (1,600+ hrs) Later this month we will add International Lights New high powered module as well as two of Axiom LED's products GreatWhiteHopeII 051514.pdf Project Tight Whitey (Year 3 & 4) - The white exclusive LED only test comparison for mid (.85 watt modules and below) to mini sized LED modules. (33,000+ hrs) This month we introduce Axiom's AXLE9, it's been a while since we've had an Axiom product but here it is! Later this month we will add International Lights New module as well as NC LED, ProJectTight 051514.pdf The Red Light District (Year 3 & 4) - The Red Neon & LED channel letter light source test comparison. (27,000+ hrs) Later this month we will add International Lights New module RedL051514.pdf Border Security (Year 3 & 4)- The Neon & LED border tube lamp test comparison. (17,000+ hrs) BorderSec 051514.pdf Blue Light Special Year 1 & 2) - The blue Neon & LED test comparison for channel letter. (6,000+ hrs) Later this month we will be adding NC LED's new Blue as well as International Lights BlueLight051514.pdf The Great White Hope - Discontinued (Year 5) - The high powered white Neon & LED test comparison for large channel letters and sign cabinets, comprised of high powered LED modules 1watt+ and above with Tri-Phosphor Neon Lamps. (33,000+ hrs) Though discontinued, we'll still go ahead and make this available for reference GreatWhite 060713.pdf
  13. What an irony in the business name. http://www.wlns.com/story/25114488/fire-consumes-neon-sign-business Fire Consumes Neon Sign Business STOCKBRIDGE, MI. (WLNS) - Firefighters battled a fire early Monday morning at a business in Stockbridge. Firehouse Neon caught fire around 3 a.m. Monday. The business, located on East Herbert Street, creates indoor neon signs and message boards. The fire started to enter a nearby apartment complex, but firefighters managed to keep the flames from spreading further. No one was hurt, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
  14. Despite the few historic classic signs that lost their way into newer technologies and lost themselves it's apparent more and more that Neon's demand is back in the horizon by the consumer. We know more custom sign shops are preferring their fabrication to go all LED because they lack the technical "know how" & creative craftsmanship compared to the signs shops that are more diverse in their manufacturing integrating all light sources. These sign shops even go so far as to convince the minds of the consumer by feeding them made up and false brochure marketing claims such as the The Pillsbury Dough Boy Sign fiasco. But within the last year we've seen a turn around especially in the wholesale side of our industry. Demand for neon is coming back, via the consumer. If you're still doing neon then I'm sure you've seen how the competition is less and obviously this means the margin is higher.....well because if there aren't very many who have continued in the market or remember, well that means there isn't anyone around to compete. Chances are if you're still around doing neon, it means you were doing something rights and the low quality shops have been washed away leaning the market out. Matter of fact, if you're still fabricating & installing Neon you might want to stay ahead of the curve and integrate the word "Neon" back in your business name. Some shops over the years have chosen to toss the word "Neon" out of their business name because they didn't want the consumers to associate them with "just" Neon. Maybe not such a smart move after all, consumers who want to pay for what they get will be looking up shops with the word "Neon" because it will be a nich market, a specialty that won't be associated with "Sign Shop, or Graphics". On the story below, interesting how the shop owner chose not to accept any kind of rebate or subsidy for the revival of HIS sign. A light source that can stand on it's own and by it's own merit. Maybe that's just his character in understanding that he doesn't want to tax the taxpayers (his neighbors), or steal from Pete to give to Paul like some of these other state and energy tax rebate programs they give consumers by choosing light soures like LEDs (where government picks the winner not the consumer) that are more expensive that give an unfair advantage to justify undefined and false Return On Investment figures. This man should be applauded, he's doing it on his own, paying for his own project because he knows it will last, just like it has since 1965 with just a "little" bit of help. The California Sign Association Tree Hugger , or Broccoli Eater once prided herself in saying that "Green is not a trend, it's a migration". I said back then she didn't know what she was talking about and nothings changed today, she still doesn't know what she's talking about because she's still nothing more than a "Marketeer". Trust me when I say, Neon will snowball back into the market. Those outside of our industry (Light source manufacturers & Marketeers) tried their best to have it shamed out of the market place and in marketing guilt by using the fictitious "Green Movement" to mischaracterize all conventional light sources as a "dirty" word. A lot of the sign industry especially our leadership bought into it, they still do today. If you think about it, CCFL light sources are VERY efficient!!! Neon....LED....Fluorescent all have their place for signs. One thing I've always said, a successful shop/individual should do is always find that niche market and DO what the others AREN'T! Maybe I should stop giving away free unsolicited business advice on how to make money and stay ahead of the curve myself! Pocatello business refurbishes its sign: Project in keeping with Light up the Night effort POCATELLO — A businessman whose family has been in the shoe repair business since 1956 restored his shop’s street sign in keeping with the ongoing efforts to “Light up the Night.” “I took the old existing sign and had it totally repainted,” said Jerry Meyers, of Meyers Shoe Repair at 508 E. Center St. “I had all the neon fixed on it. I actually refaced it also. They put new metal on both sides to straighten it up. It really looks nice.” He took the sign to Blaze Sign and Graphic Design, which worked on it for three weeks before it was reinstalled on Friday. While the Light Up the Night committee offered Meyers grants to help cover the cost, he declined. “I didn’t feel right about it. I felt better doing it myself,” he said. Meyers’ inspiration came after several neighboring business opened up shop and repaired their signs. It also helped that Randy Dixon of the Light Up the Night Committee met with him about doing so. “He kind of helped convince me to go ahead and have the neon sign fixed. I got a bid to get the whole thing done and decided on what I was going to do from there. I just decided to have the whole thing fixed,” Meyers said. After nearly 60 years, the sign really needed an upgrade, he said. “The paint was peeling and everything. Everybody was putting in new signs and fixing things up. I followed suit and had my sign fixed up,” he said. He said it’s good to see the new sign. “I feel better when I come to work. Instead of looking up at an ugly old peeling paint sign, I see this one,” he said. The improvements are what the lighting committee has hoped for ever since it reinstalled the old Chief Theatre neon sign at its old location, according to Dixon. “Jerry did a great job,” he said. Neon signage proves an important issue in Pocatello, Dixon said. “It’s a hot item right now. I like to think that (Meyers) set an example. It’s a great decision. His sign may be the first of many signs that are updated, restored or repaired by business owners,” he said. The interest in neon signage got its boost thanks to the relighting of the old Chief Theatre sign about 18 months ago. The old sign spent 20 years in storage at the airport before being restored and placed in its former location. “When we see somebody like Jerry relighting his own sign, we are encouraged because it has caused excitement in the community,” Dixon said. Those old signs take people on a trip down memory lane while also establishing interest in Old Town Pocatello, Dixon said. “Our priorities have come back. There is a real honest moment of historic preservation. Old signs are public art. We’ve got to preserve our history; it’s our responsibility,” he said. It’s hoped that other businesses will follow suit in upgrading their old neon signs. “We’re trying to convince business owners to restore their signs as well. We can really create a historic feel and a great old town feel. It may even be a draw for tourism,” Dixon said. He noted that Las Vegas has an old neon sign display that’s turned into quite an attraction. "We’re never going to rival Vegas. I don’t think we’re trying to do that. What we’re trying to do is relight what we have. The potential is there to relight,” he said. The community has 25 or 30 really nice neon signs that the group hopes will be restored. “We’re certainly trying to get attention to Pocatello’s history with our neon signs,” he said. As for Meyers Shoe Repair, Jerry Meyers says that his customers have taken note of the refurbished sign, too. “So far, I’ve had some people tell me it’s great,” he said.
  15. Warning, common sense ahead.... http://theworldlink.com/news/local/n-or-th-bend-welcomes-overhaul-of-neon-sign/article_7d6774da-a3fa-5c80-90c7-1587a31c53de.html
  16. A situation where the people fight back when you attempt to take away their history and heritage. There is no bigger power than when the tax payers & voters who are composed of the people and business owners come together. http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2014/04/sherry-beacon-beams-again-after-apple-battle
  17. I tell you guys something the Electra induction heater that I bought is wonderful! It is so nice seeing perfectly processed electrodes even on tiny tubes. I can put 12mm trodes on a 9mm tube that is very short and still processes them perfectly! If you guys making neon haven't taken a serious look at the Electra you should. There is a video of it being used and maybe Erik can post it on this thread for me.
  18. Pillsbury Dough Boy Done Down & Dirty Article http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/252366791.html And we have another! Leak gas??? They make it sounds like a health hazard. This time right now it's in the hands of the city's heritage preservation commission. I wonder if the Heritage Commission has all the facts in front of them presented by Lawrence sign before they're about to make a grave, costly mistake. Once again we have a marker, a pinpoint for the future that we can look back on and there is no need to predict, it will happen, because they're choosing to change a light source to this classic retro sign which are lamps pumped with neon gas, in turn they are nothing more than glass and gas a light source that does NOT degrade in light overtime, who's light output is NOT affected by outside temperatures, and to be retrofitted to one that is. We've seen it a couple years back Genesee Beer http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/5364-signs-of-the-times-february-2012-issue/ Just recently in Chicago http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/6406-the-drake-hotel-sign/ If we were all to be a fly on that wall at the time of the sales pitch, I'm sure they heard fictitious and misleading facts like "Energy Efficient".."Green"...."it's GOOD for the environment"...."Return on Investment in just s a few years!"....and according to the article cost of operation will go from $15,000.00 to $1,000.00. Someone may even have pulled out a pamphlet from the Ventex marketing playbook which exaggerates a 15kv neon transformers as having 500+ watts and costs to be doubled. Someone could have even pulled out a Sign Builder Illustrator and pulled out the article where Magic Mouth says LEDs he can save everyone 80% in cost of operation because his magic way is more "Efficient". I'm just very sure that whatever sales pitch was pulled it was unbelievable, somehow the Genesee Beers that were served were labeled as a IPA Craft beer. But for whatever reason maybe it was the overwhelming marketing moment, the show pony walking on it's hind legs, the salesmen juggling fireballs and no one bothered to take a sip of the beer to notice it tasted like tap water....maybe that was the idea, conjure a distraction. Should we so much as dare to take a thought at the idea that it was NEVER even brought up that maybe a money saving way to all this could be to keep things in heritable preservation, keep the historic value, is maybe just cut the ends off all the red neon pumped glass and re-pump the lamps? Wow, 60+ more years of life!! What else can we do? Hmmmmm, let's think about re-engineering the Transformer placement. Make some shorter runs maybe? Replace all the wiring? Hmmmm, do all that and we can add maybe another 20 years until a neon transformer replacement somewhere in the sign MAY be needed. Oh look, Red Neon Lamps do NOT degrade in light over time but LEDs do. How long before another retrofit should we predict? Or the replacement of a Electronic LED Driver? Couple years, less than a year? If this sign has been around since the 40's, the LED light alone won't even last a fraction of that. Should we even think that someone ever mentioned that the Neon cost of operation is only 3.6 watts per foot to the average 1.25 watts per foot to that of a Flex LED strip when it comes to red? If so, how did they get the $15k to $1k a year in annual operation??? What were these magic numbers that's saving in over 93%??? These numbers even top that of Magic Mouth himself and The New England Sign Spinner. We have a new player in town obviously. Of course it's been in "disrepair", I'm sure it's been nothing but talentless sign and lighting companies who have just over the years been replacing lamps and components and never actually fixing the issue that started it all in the first place. When said and done, and after the dog and pony act is finally gone long gone from the conference room, the excitement of of something "new" is diminished in the minds of the project managers and architects and the once classic sign, morphed into political correctness will soon turn into maintenance calls. The one year warranty by the sign contractor will expire, the 3 to 5 year warranty of LED lamps manufacturer will maintain for a short time but the labor costs in that period to change out those components will be absorbent. Shoulders will shrug, the look for answers will just turn into excuses and "...well...". That sexy attraction of this project will loose it's luster and maybe if the same people within the city are still employed in the same positions maybe, just maybe someone will take an actual sip of that ol stale beer to see what it tasted like and discover what it was that they actually got served that day. Then just like the Citgo Ballpark sign, they will have bought their own little Citgo project that went from Neon to LED Retrofit, to LED to LED Retrofit. Just like the other previous projects. I hope Lawrence sign doesn't remove all of the Neon Housing holes, they WILL need those down the road a lot sooner than they think. Somethings definitely getting/coming out of this oven for those 93% in saving that we saw on the baking product box, but it won't be a batch of cookies that mama used to make, something coming...it's just going to be a little flat in appearance and tasteless after the first bite and so on after that. With the cookie tray out and ready to eat and for a most likely 48 year Return on Investment. Retrofitting this project from Neon to Neon could have been in the thousands ($) range in materials alone, instead it will be in the tens of thousands range + the labor........well...that's what you get!! Bon Appetit Minneapolis!!!
  19. Here's some pics of a Transco custom neon manifold system that are available. For questions or inquiries please email us at orders@thesignsyndicate.com
  20. Erik Sine

    Manifold 006SM

    From the album: Sign Syndicate Products

    Transco Manifold available through The Sign Syndicate.com
  21. From the album: Sign Syndicate Products

    Transco Manifold available through The Sign Syndicate.com
  22. Erik Sine

    New Bonding

    From the album: Portfolio Stuff

    This is what it's come down to with diminishing neon supplies available
  23. March 2014 Results click LINK February 2014 Electric Sign Industry Neon & LED Test Comparison Results Below are the various categories of our test results made available for the electric sign industry. You can download the newest Sign Syndicate test comparison .pdf result sheet at the bottom of every Light Project Test entry with the most current date. Please remember....we have now made these light testing results available to you for free. If you feel like you have learned/gained something from these results or found that these results have saved you money by choosing one product over another please help support us in upgrading your free membership, or by purchasing various sign supplies we have available for you & your company. Many of our sign supply products are usually well below what you might pay for at one of the mainstream sign suppliers and some are bundles with free shipping. We've attached many various banners to the results in hope something may grab your eye. The Sign Syndicate does not engage in light source lamp sales such as LED's or Lamps so that we do not become a biased source for news & information and maintain that high standard of only dealing with the facts. For individual test result updates & information visit the Project Tutorials located here LINK As always, enjoy the results and hope you learn as we do going down this adventurous path! The Great White Hope II (Year 1) - The white Neon & LED test comparison for large channel letters and sign cabinets Our opening lineup includes Neon lamps from FMS Neon, Glostertube, EGL & Voltarc. LEDs from GE, Sloan, Permlight, EGL Veritas, Hyrite, & International Light Technologies, GOQ LED GreatWhiteHope 020214.pdf - UPDATED 2/17/14 10:45am pst Project Tight Whitey (Year 3 & 4) - The white exclusive LED only test comparison for mid to mini sized LED modules New this month is JS LED Updated - AA LED Eco (Next month), GOQ LED & Osram BackLED M Plus ProJectTight 020214B.pdf -UPDATED 2/11/14 The Red Light District (Year 3 & 4) - The Red Neon & LED channel letter light source test comparison Updated soon with JS LED & JT LED RedL020214.pdf Border Security (Year 3 & 4)- The Neon & LED border tube lamp test comparison Updated soon with Glostertube BorderSec 020214.pdf Blue Light Special Year 1 & 2) - The blue Neon & LED test comparison for channel letter Updated Soon with FMS Neon & Glostertube BlueLight020214.pdf
  24. Anyone know who stocks these or where to get?
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