Erik Sine

We always see a lot of conversation about how "Safe" LEDs are because they are "Low Voltage". That is not true. A lot of times it can just take a little bit of moisture getting inside of a module casing. So NO, LED Module are not SAFE or DUMMY PROOF just because they are low voltage.

I'm sure ISA will post "Congratulations" followed by re-posts and likes....as Users get ready to PAY MORE....the competition just became LESS!!! Options and Choices at your local Sign Supplier just became fewer, and prices just went up. Be sure to check out your International Sign Association Web Blast and Announcements which will contain "Congratulations Principal / Sloan on your newest / latest acquisition!!!" We all know what this means to the market place....lesser competition....higher prices...lesser quality. This is the reason for Brighton LEDs....It will always remain Top Tier Quality!

Wow, you will have to root through "their" protections.

This is the late April 2026 Update This month we added in: GE's TX GEN4 12v .9w 6500K LED Module G2G's WOW II Red 12V .72W Also Including the GWH IV Snap Shot of the Project which is also included in the April Evaluation PDF Sheet. The most important thing to take notice i2 the FC / Watt (Foot Candles per Watt). This is the LED Chip Quality and Efficiency, this is the amount of Light Per Power. The bigger the number the more efficient that Light Source is. You might see a Higher Wattage LED Module with a low FC/Watt value, that means it's not too efficient....could even be pushed and in some cases over driven running hot, which can result in shorter life. I'm going to drop an example to put things in perspective. Let's take two 2LED Modules...the Brighton - II, and the EveryLite Rebel LED Module. The Brighton II is .8 watts, the EveryLite Rebel is almost a 1 watt Module at .96w The 362 Foot Candle average EveryLiteRebel is brighter than the B-II Module at 348.5 FC AVG. However the B-II Module has a 108.91 Foot Candle Per Watt Average. So if we were to boost the Module Power of the Brighton - II and make it say, a .84w module instead of a .8w module then we can project the Brighton II Module with Foot Candle per Watt of 108.91 to have a Foot Candle Average of 365.93. The .84w Brighton - II Module would be brighter, under driven, and more efficient than the .96w EveryLite Rebel. Now the Flip Side... If we made the .96w EveryLite Module to a .8w Module apples to apples to the Brighton - II Module, we can project the Foot Candle of the .8watt EveryLite Module would be 301.66 instead of the 362 FC Average. You can see the Handicap here So Boosting the power of so-so chips will give you more light for the "Wow" factor, but in some case is over driving, there is more heat involved....and like all electronics...they hate and fail with heat. This is why a lot of LED MFG's recently make a 2 LED almost 1 watt Module and sell for $40 a bag.... Just something to take note of..... On another Note, I will be taking down the TBA Vendor as the light is too low, and the Principal / Sloan Prism Module as it is dated April's 2026 GWH IV Sheet GreatWhiteHope IV 042826 WOA.pdf

The Brighton LED modules are Top-Tier, High Efficiency LED Modules no matter which Brighton LED Whites or Colors you pick up. All Brighton LED Modules ONLY use High Efficiency chips....meaning more light per power compared to other like powered LED modules. First let me say it's important to always use the same color LED behind solid colored faces (No Outline), i.e. Blue LEDs behind Blue Faces, Green Behind Green etc etc. In another Topic we discussed and displayed why it's better to use Red Behind Red and how much Luminance you will lose on a sign face if you use White LEDs behind Red Faces Here The 12V & 24V .8W Brighton-II and the Brighton Lightning 12V .72W LED modules both have Ruby Red. So let's display just how just how efficient these two High-End LED Modules perform compared to other Red LED modules on the market....and no better way than to show you a comparison than to put other like Power LED modules in a side by side comparison and show what the differences are, with comparing Like Power LED Modules this is truly a great Apples to Apples Comparison! Let's first bring out the two 12V .72Watt LED Modules, the G2G WOW II Red & the Brighton Lightning Ruby Red. Some other big characteristic differences are the following. The Brighton LED Modules are Constant Current, and uses a 18 AWG Wiring. The G2G LED Module is Constant Voltage, and uses a 20 AWG Wiring. Thicker Wire is alway better for long runs and you won't get as much voltage loss in those runs which can incur lower light output especially for Constant Voltage LED Modules. Constant Current LED Systems have IC chips or current regulators on board each Module on top of the conventional resistors for protection, this is added protection for each LED Module as well as assuring that the first LED on a long string is equally as bright as the last LED Module on the string. With Constant Voltage LEDs the first LED on the string will be brighter than the last, also the first LED Module will take a bigger hit than the last LED on a string. With CV Systems, any small reduction in voltage coming from the LED Power Supply due to long runs or inefficient Power Supplies the LEDs will dim even with the smallest fraction of a volt, this does not happen with CC systems...even and consistent lighting, as well as longer life is the advantage of Constant Current Systems. The Comparison is composed of channels for each LED Line that measure 12"L x 4.25"W x 3" Depth Returns The Sign faces are 1/8" 7328 White with one of the Deepest Red Color....3M's 3630 series 33 Red. Each Channel has three LED modules equally spaced 5" On Center Module to Module. Before going further I must stress that it is very difficult to take pictures of Red Light Sources and Sign Faces, it is very hard to truly show the stark differences between the Brighton & G2G LED Modules and how truly brighter the Brighton LED's perform in real life. Using an ExTech Light Meter and measuring the Luminance or light right on the sign face we get the following: For the Brighton Lightning Ruby Red channel we get a Foot Candle high of 81, and Low of 71, averaging out at 76 Foot Candles. With three .72 Watt LED modules we get a total of 2.16 Watts, and putting out 35.19 Foot Candles per Watt. The Foot Candles / Watt is important because it's showing the efficiency of the LED Module when it comes to light output. For the G2G WOW II Red channel we get a Foot Candle high of 40, and Low of 36, averaging out at 38 Foot Candles. With three .72 Watt LED modules we also get a total of 2.16 Watts, and putting out 17.59 Foot Candles per Watt. In our next comparison we will bring out the slightly higher LED Modules.....the 12V .8 Watt Principal / Sloan Qwik Mod 2 Red & the Brighton II Ruby Red available in both 12V & 24V .8watt LED Module. No matter which version Brighton you use 12V or 24V, the Light Output is the same...at 24Volts it's just half the current of a 12V version. Nothing is different in this comparison other than switching out the LED modules, the Faces and Channel Sizes are the same. In this instance we will only use two LED modules form each LED Manufacturer with a spacing of 6" On Center, Module to Module. For the Brighton II Ruby Red channel we get a Foot Candle high of 56, and Low of 47, averaging out at 51.5 Foot Candles. With the two .8 Watt LED modules we get a total of 1.6 Watts, and putting out 32.19 Foot Candles per Watt. Again......The Foot Candles / Watt is important because it's showing the efficiency of the LED Module when it comes to light output. For the Principal / Sloan Qwik Mod 2 Red channel we get a Foot Candle high of 26, and Low of 23, averaging out at 24.5 Foot Candles. With two .8 Watt LED modules we also get a total of 1.6 Watts, and putting out 15.31 Foot Candles per Watt. Again I have to stress that the lighting results are better in person than trying to display in a picture, and the stark difference between the two is truly something to see and pay attention to in real time. Chip quality and efficiency is everything when it comes to LEDs, and a comparison like this also makes aware of the other differences such as system wire thicknesses for voltage loss....and are you paying for a Constant Current System, or a Constant Voltage System? Comparisons such as this really shows Custom Sign shops what they are truly paying for, and the quality they are paying for! You could be overpaying for mediocrity with mediocre lighting results. If you're looking for something special, and can pay less for it compared to other products that cannot perform the same then....You've found it! With our Brighton Ruby Red LED Modules, you'll get a High-End, High Efficiency product that will give you Competitive Light, NOT usable Light. The Brighton Ruby Red will Punch at night over those average conventional Red LEDs. Brighton LEDs are all Constant Current for longer life and consistent lighting , and uses a much thicker system wiring for less voltage loss in long runs. Remember this....as a wise man once told me..."Always buy the most expensive and only cry once!" Brighton LEDs are not expensive in cost for $79.99 (Bag of 80), but Expensive in Quality! You can find our Brighton Ruby Red LEDs in a link below. Feel free to log into your account and place orders, or for questions or order by phone (858) 880-1400 orders@thesignsyndicate.com https://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/store/category/51-brighton-led/

The High-End Top Tier Brighton-IV Constant Current LED Module for Sign Cabinets & Large Channel Letters for when you want strong Competitive Light NOT, usable light! The BrightON IV Module as low as $75.00 per bag in small case quantities with FREE SHIPPING The Existing Pylon Sign 44"H x 17'L x 18"D Existing Fluorescent HO Lamps spaced 12" OC as per usual Electric Sign Industry Standard In this simple low cost Retrofit no need for high cost proprietary tracks, clips...just simple aluminum stock you already have in your shop for sign fabrication. $85 worth of 1-1/2” x 1-1/2" angle, 3/4” square tube 1 hour of using self-tapping screws to attach the 1.5" x 1.5" Aluminum angles to the top and bottom of the Pylon Sign and adding in the vertical aluminum bars to where the HO Fluorescent lamps once were. HO Lamps 12” OC Center. 18 Rows, 144 1.6w B-IV Modules, three 96w France TruPower LED PSU’s for the B-IV Modules. The result???.....Godly Light that tears into Daylight! Brighton - IV LEDs Powered by France TruPower 100% Loadable LED Power Supplies Again, the Aluminum angles in this project cost came to $85 total! No Need for high cost proprietary bars, clips, holders.... just use the angles your custom sign shop typically already have in stock for Sign Fabrication. With the BrightON IV Spacing the module cost for double sided projects come to $3 per foot. High Efficiency LED Modules (180 l/w) for more light per power, Constant Current NOTConstant Voltage for Consistent / Even Lighting & Longer Life. 24V instead of 12V for half the current which results in half the heat and resistance. You can purchase the BrightON IV Modules from our store (Here), and in small case quantities $75.00 per bag of 60 as well as our preferred France Lighting Solutions LED Power Supplies which include FREE SHIPPING all across the Continental US Only! ...or feel free to phone in your order (858) 880-1400

Sorry for the delay. Attaching the GWH IV November Results right below. GreatWhiteHope IV 110625 WOA.pdf New product additions I will have for February of 2026 will be: GE TX GEN4 Medium 12V .9w 6500K G2G WOW II 12V .72w Red GE Tetra Max 24V .46w Red The immediate results are nothing new. Typically in the first couple 1,000 hours of operation light output rises slightly as is what we are seeing with the second light result readings. Our next results will be Feb 2026 with the new LED product additions

Thanks Gary, hope all is well...sorry I caught this late 😁

Attaching the Initial Great White Hope Benchmark Comparison Results for August 2025 Below GreatWhiteHope IV 081925.pdf I will be updating with the first initial snapshot of the comparison. All Questions or Feedback for this Project can be posted in the Support Thread for this Project Here

The Starting Line Up United LED (G2G) 12V .8W 7500K United LED (G2G) 12V 1.2W 7500K Principal Sloan Prism 12V .96W 6500K EveryLite Rebel 12V .96W 6500K Principal Sloan Hanley The One 24V 1W 7000K Principal Sloan Qwik Mod 2 12V .8W 7100K Principal Sloan Qwik Mod 2 Red 12V .8W Brighton SunFire 24V 2.44W 6500K Brighton IV 24V 1.6W 6500K Brighton III 12V 1.2W 6500K Brighton II 24V .8W 6500K Brighton II 24V .8W Ruby Red Brighton Lightning 12V .68W 6500K Brighton Lightning 12V .72W Ruby Red What To Look For? The aspect to pay attention to is not only the Current Foot Candle Average for brightness, but most importantly is the Foot Candles Per Watt figures. Foot Candles Per Watt tells us how efficient the LED module is operating . The higher the figure, the better chip quality. It won't matter if a FC Average is a little Lower than another in comparison. The Higher FC Per Watt figure means that LED Module is putting out more light per watt of than others in the same category. i.e. If you have a compartment of 1 Watt LEDs putting out a 276 FC average (Luminance) on a sign face, and a .72 Watt Compartment of LEDs is putting out a 250 FC Average....but has a much greater FC Per Watt figure than the 1 Watt LED compartment, that means if the .72 Watt LED module was also driving at 1 Watt, the FC Average would be far greater....that 250 FC AVG could be 350 FC AVG. The FC Per Watt is the efficiency. The Higher the power in driving, the more heat that module will be operating under. A lot of times Manufacturers will drive LEDs higher in power to make it bright. This is because the efficiency of the chip is not very good so to get it brighter they must drive it higher. More driving means more heat...getting more light from a chip that is operating lower (under driving) will give you longer life in the long run. What We Will See Based On Case History This Benchmark comparison is being held in San Diego, California. So we don't get extreme conditions here, at the most the highs may get to 90-100˙F, and lows to about 45˙F to 35˙F Depending on when we do the month or bi-monthly evaluations, light output will dip in the warmer ambient temps, and the light output will rise as it get cooler. That is how LED react to ambient temperatures and we will see this in the charts. The Lumen Maintenance or Light Degradation over the time period for LEDs is strange and unpredictable. There is no gradual curve down of Lumen Maintenance like Neon or Fluorescent Lamps. Usually these conventional light sources take a 15-20% drop in Lumen Maintenance in the first 1,000 Hours of operation then plain off gradually. LEDs can have a gradual drop, then raise, and drop again and can plain off, or sometimes drop dramatically for a short period of time and plain again. This will be seen on the charts.

The Great White Hope IV - Year 1 August 2025 - Present All Questions or Feedback for this Project can be posted in the Support Thread for this Project Here As stated in the announcement topic we are starting up the 4th round of The Great White Hope White LED Benchmark Comparison. Some maybe asking....why we are doing this? The answer is simple.... We have always done what others have not, or won't do. Every couple of years or so our Electric Sign Trade goes through a cycle of hearing outrageous marketing claims. These claims are always executed but never explained. Back in 2008 when we started the first Great White Hope (Neon vs LED) our industry was hit with all kinds of marketing claims about which light source was better than the other, Neon, LED, or Fluorescent Lighting. In Short, after 40K hours of operation the conclusion was simple and it contradicted everything we thought we knew, and it contradicted everything the Trade Rag Magazines & Sign Associations told us at the time. In that period LEDs just hit the market and they were touted as more efficient, more green, better for the environment than Neon....those claims did not work out so well for the LED world. I'm not going to go down the all the supportive facts you can do a site search. In Short...both Light Sources are Efficient, and both light sources have their pros & cons and one light source is not best for all projects rather should be based on the project application. Fast forward to today, no one is using Neon Lamps for backlighting Channel Letters and Cabinets under a lens or sign face. If you're using Neon it's for exposed applications and it's way more light and energy Efficient that using Neon Faux LED Silicone Junk as we all learned from Project Border Security that we ran Neon vs LED. What we all learned in all the various Benchmark Testing what we have conducted here on the Sign Syndicate is that Neon (Merc Filled) can dim in the cold ambient temperatures because the mercury will condense, and unless you change the Neon Transformer from a 30ma unit to a larger heavier 60ma unit...which will double the current vaporize that merc in the cold, increase in power and Light Output....These light source units do gradually degrade in light output over time because the Mercury will eventually eat through the phosphor coating of the glass....UNLESS... The Neon unit is clear red or Neon gas filled....because it's then just glass and gas with no mercury...hot or cold ambient temperatures will not affect the light source. Most importantly because it's just glass and gas these Neon lamps do not degrade in light output over time LEDs are practically the opposite. LEDs do well in the cold and dim in hot ambient temperatures, hot temperatures can rapidly degrade/damage LED modules as a light source, but not a Neon Lamp. That is why it's important from the start to not overdrive or run too hot. Also, the LED modules light output does degrade overtime based on environmental conditions, how they are driven, and how they are protected. Chip quality of LEDs are everything, the mere appearance of the color rendering to the light per power. As I said above...how they are driven. Poor quality chips won't produce a great amount of light, to make up for it, or to get them to produce more light you must drive them more....which results in over driving and running them hot. Superior quality chips that are truly efficient will give you a lot of light for lesser power. So....if we compare equal driving light source components, and one is giving us more light for a lesser cost of operation, only then....only then can we say the light source that is producing more for less.... is "more efficient". Higher efficiency can equal longer life because it's under driven. The Great White Hope IV Benchmark Comparison Line Up Cabinet Section B United LEDs (G2G) 7500K 12V .8w for Channel Letters United LEDs (G2G) 7500K 12V 1.2w for Large Channel Letters & Cabinets Principal Hanley's The One 7000K 24V 1w LED for Channel Letters & Cabinet (Tap Out, Hanley One Stik) Principal Qwik Mod II 7100K 12V .8w for Channel Letters Principal Qwik Mod II Red 12V .8w for Channel Letters Principal Sloans Prism 6500K 12V .96w for Large Channel Letters & Cabinets G2G Wow .8w Module (Coming Soon) Everylite Rebel 6500K 12V 1w for Channel Letters Everylite 2D .72w Module (Coming Soon) Cabinet Section A BrightON II 6500K 24V .8w for Channel Letters BrightON II .Ruby Red 24V .8W for Channel Letters BrightON III 6500K 12V 1.2w for Large Channel Letters & Cabinets BrightON IV 6500K 24V 1.6w Sign Cabinets BrightON SunFire 6500K 24V 2.4w for Large Deep Double Sided Cabinets BrightON Lightning 6500K 12V .68w for Channel Letters (Coming Soon) BrightON Lightning Ruby Red 12V .72W for Channel Letters A few more surprise Vendor Modules as we go along. All LED Modules will be equally spaced for 2LED Modules, 3LED Modules, and 4LED Module. Cabinet Section A (Left), Cabinet Section B (Right) The Parameters All LED Modules will be in 5" Depth Channels that are 24" x 4.25". Sign Faces will be 1/8" 7328 White by Plexiglas grade C. All 12V & 24V LED Modules will be driven by both France TruPower (100% Loadable) LED Power Supplies The only fault this benchmark comparison will have is that the budget Constant Voltage LEDs like the Qwik Mod II & United LED will be handy capped in Light Output because there will not be any remote slight voltage drop coming from a TruPower LED PSU that will affect the light output drop that would occur in real life setting should a LED PSU be loaded at 80 - 85%. These LED PSU's will hardy reach any load rate....Constant Current LED Modules light output is not affected by slight voltage drops and remain consistent in lighting. So, if we have one fault it lays here, but just know...all Constant Voltage LED modules would normally be a little dimmer in light for two reasons, TruPower LED Power Supply and for the fact that our PSU's will not be reaching anywhere near loadable capacity, and if we were to add modules down the road after initial start, it would affect these CC LED Modules Light Output in robbing voltage. France TruPower LED Supplies LED Module Categories As stated above the individual Channels have a 5" Depth, 24" Width and 4.25" Height. Category A LED Modules will be .6w to 1w for Channel Letters Category AR LED Modules will be .6w to 1w for Channel Letters Category B LED Modules will be 1w to 2w for Large Channel Letters & Cabinets Category C LED Modules will be 1.2w to 3w for Large Sign Cabinets Category D LED Modules will be 2w+ for Large Deep Double Sided Cabinets Category A & AR Spacing Category B Spacing Category C Spacing Category D Spacing This is going to be a hard category to have equal spacing since these LED modules are a little more unconventional and unique. This Category may vary as we add more LED Modules from various vendors. These LED modules typically use Narrow Beam Optics for use in Deep Sign Cabinets. In reality these modules should be applied in a comparison where the depth is 12" Deep or greater. For now the Brighton SunFire is the only Module in this Benchmark and we'll just observe the Lumen Maintenance for now until more are inserted in. Possibly we may do a separate Deep Sign Cabinet Comparison.

It's been a minute since I've been active on the Sign Syndicate I must admit. Real Life activities along with how busy I have been with developing our Brighton LED Line have taken me away from keeping this site active. I wasn't expecting the Brighton LED line to really take off as it has. It's required a lot of attention and I'm purposely trying to keep product circle on who sells it small. Quality is where my focus lays and not Quantity. I have no desire to be the next Principal LED where I get to a point where I'm just selling off a name and let the product quality drop. Since the Principal LED gobble up of the Sloan, Hanley the whole quality in the market place has turned to absolute Dog Shit.....and that is what Shops have been buying...Dog Shit...and they don't even know it Over the last few years it's been a race to the bottom. Wensco, Spandex, Montroy is raging over Principal LED dropping them as a supplier so their rage is focused on their United LED by G2G to complete against Principal / Sloan. Then we have Everylite Raging over G2G which is nothing more than old G2G Employee/Partners splitting off to do their own thing as Everylite bitter at their previous place of buisiness or employment. So Battle Lines are all over the market place and they're all competing for one thing...who can sell the Cheapest Module. We've discussed a lot of this in ad nauseam Chip quality in LED Modules has gone down and price has gone up with the big monopoly along with having fewer choices at the Sign Supplier...All a mixed bag in conjunction in who can sell quantity over quality. This will all get very interesting, real fast So.....I have a need fever, and the only prescription is...... more Benchmark Testing. The Great White Hope IV Just like the predecessors of the GWH III to the original we started back in 2009 we will test the Original Light output of various Vendor LEDs with similar spacing, monitor the Lumen Maintenance (Light Degradation over time) in measuring the Luminance in Foot Candles...or the light output on a sign face....as that is all we care about in the Electric Sign Industry Project Great White Hope We will also display one of the most important qualities when it comes to LED Chip quality that must be given attention too, that many either not know of, or really is never talked about because it cuts through all the Marketing Bullshit and that is the Foot Candles per Watt....this is the Chip Efficiency of an LED and this number will reflect how much light output you are getting for power put it. The higher the FC/W, the better quality chip that LED has in it. You can't get High Light Output from poor quality chips, only high quality chip have a higher efficiency to give you more light for lesser power. For obvious reasons I will not be benchmarking every product out there on the market, just the most visible in the Market Place. Project Tight Whitey For example I will not be testing Principal LED's Synergy Mini or any in the family. A .46w LED module with poor lumen per watt is not worth investing our time to test especially at nearly $400 per bag in cost. To me it's a joke of a product, something with such low output that will last you a long time because it operates/drives too low but you will literally need two to two and a half of these modules that one single LED module will do. So having four .46w modules next to four Qwik Mod II modules would look ridiculous next to one another in a benchmark comparison. Also, a lot of Modules are being phased out.... Our current line up will be the following United LEDs (G2G).8w for Channel Letters United LEDs (G2G) 1.2w for Large Channel Letters & Cabinets Principal Hanley's The One 1w LED Principal Qwik Mod II .8w Principal Qwik Mod II .8w Red Principal Sloans Prism .96w LED G2G Wow .8w Module Everylite Rebel 1w Module Everylite 2D .72w Module BrightON II .8w LED Module BrightON II .8w LED Module Ruby Red BrightON III 1.2w LED Module BrightON IV 1.6w LED Module BrightON SunFire 2.4w LED Module BrightON Lightning .68w LED Module BrightON Lightning .72w LED Module Ruby Red A few more surprise Vendor Modules as we go along. There is no better way to show the Electric Sign Industry and where we sit with the components we use in the signs we produce than creating a benchmark comparison I should have this up and running in the next day or two, I will create a new topic and post here publicly for all to see and monitor over the next few years. Like the previous Benchmarks, all LED Modules will be equally spaced for 2LED Modules, 3LED Modules, and 4LED Module. All LED Modules will be in 5" Depth Channels that are 24" x 4.25". Sign Faces will be 1/8" 7328 White by Plexiglas grade C and all will operate by a shared France Lighting Solutions TruPower LED PSU. The only fault this benchmark comparison will have is that the budget Constant Voltage LEDs like the Qwik Mod II will be handy capped in Light Output because there will not be any remote slight voltage drop coming from a TruPower LED PSU that will affect the light output drop that would occur in real life setting should a LED PSU be loaded at 80 - 85%. Constant Current LED Modules light output is not affected by slight voltage drops and remain consistent in lighting. So, if we have one fault it lays here, but just know...all Constant Voltage LED modules would normally be a little dimmer in light for two reasons, TruPower LED Power Supply and for the fact that our PSU's will not be reaching anywhere near loadable capacity, and if we were to add modules down the road after initial start, it would affect these CC LED Modules Light Output in robbing voltage. Great White Hope Monthly Benchmark Evaluation The Reason I'm rebooting this much needed Benchmark Comparison for the Electric Sign Industry is for a couple of reasons. Our Trade Needs this because too many Custom Sign Shops only knowledge base it dependent on what Sign Suppliers tell them...which is way too reliant on a poor source based on the importance on sales and who they sell now and not yesterday. I also notice with Social Media which is another poor source of reliable knowledge, has been very incorrect and very biased based on who they sell and who their relationships are built around. This simple Benchmark will shed light where there has a lot of poor light on the subject matter This time with our own developed LED line will be in the mix, and of course it will be seeing as biased....in a sense it will come off that way.... But I always have encouraged custom sign shops to develop their own comparisons and really, REALLY see for themselves....as Seeing is BELIEVING More to come......

Come see our BrightON LEDs displayed at the Abitech Sign Supply Booth #4618 this year at ISA Las Vegas....come see what we have coming next!

I haven't had a chance to check out yet, but I'm sure as soon as I do I'mm spending some amount of time in fascination

Oh that's cool. Probably better articles too

The United LED 2 vs Principal Qwik Mod2 vs BrightON - II Shoot Out I've been getting asked questions from clients about a new option on the block and how it compares to the BrightON - II LED Module. At the time I ran this benchmark there has been very little information about the United LED Module, which is Wensco Sign Supplies's "Fuck You" product aimed at Principal LED's Qwik Mod2 specifically for hurt feelings....and it's backed by Montroy & Spandex. This is Wenso's way of getting back at Principal for them losing the Principal / Sloan LED Line...Which IMO...losing those products... was NOT a big loss. I admire Wensco for coming out and hitting back at Principal Publicly when the Principal line was pulled back from them. But, it was the way Principal did them dirty that I myself understand their anger. It was the way the relationship ended, and not just for Wensco but others like Montroy. It is reminiscent of how Matt BooB of Vidon/Jewelite silently ended our relationship Link This happens a lot in our industry behind the normal closed doors sign shops will never hear about. We ourselves have gotten doors closed on us because I wouldn't play ball. We've had large sign suppliers contact vendors we carry to try and shut down what we stock from them down under a threat...THEY won't stock them if they continue to stock us....in fact, now that I think about it, the two brothers at Principal ended our supply of Transco To Go once they bought them. It's not something to cry about, everything happens or a reason. All the bad things that happen in life have a way of installing a drive in you... ....There's a way to end a relationship and it BEGINS with a phone call and having a conversation, no one likes to learn their girlfriend dumped them by text or email, or by social media. On a normal day I wouldn't even touch this comparison because I think Principal LED is turning into a monopoly just like anyone else, shops are overpaying more for mediocrity and their buying because they don't do their own research...clearly. For now Principal can dictate a large portion of the market....for now... I'm being asked about it because Wensco is choosing to offer this Brighter, Whiter, Cheaper module ("Brighter than others") for cheaper than the Qwik Mod2... I have to jump in and tell my Customers what the difference is between the two LED Modules and how they differ. There is some truth to it, and some exaggerations. Back to to the Modules... I didn't know what to expect on this United LED Module and some specs seemed a little exaggerated to me. It's a G2G Lighting LED Module made specially for Wensco. In my humble opinion this is a race to the bottom, and it reminds me of the JT LED Era by N.Glantz If you're going to build something, don't start with the Qwik Mod....for just "Cheaper". The bar for the Qwik Mod is nothing to shoot for, and this does not help the industry, it retards it. They're chasing after shops that want "Cheaper", NOT Quality. I myself CAN make cheaper, but I don't want "Cheaper", I want to service the shops that want.... "Immaculate"....Competitive Light...NOT Usable Light Anyhow, I was sent some modules of both United LED's 2LED 12volt .8 watt and higher power 2LED 1.2watt module which I think is geared for cabinet lighting. I did a quick benchmark comparison per the usual, and I did it this time with my portable sales case. PIC 1 - Basic LED Module Specs Left to right. BrightON - II 12V & 24V .8watt 6500K Constant Current 3M VHB Tape 18 AWG Wiring Principal LED's Qwik Mod 2 12V .8watt 7100K Constant Voltage 3M Foam Tape 20 AWG Wiring United LED (G2G) 2 12V .8watt 7500K Constant Voltage 3M VHB Tape 20 AWG Wiring PIC 2 - Method of Attachment Method of attachment to surface, 3M VHB Tape or a budget Foam Tape. I personally don't like foam tape as most of you know as a sign shop, because when you place it down once, you're not picking that module back up if you have to move it again for any kind of adjustments without ripping that foam tape and making mess on the surface to reposition. With VHB tape you can simply twist and move again over and over again. PIC 2 - The Comparison Makeup The comparison channels are simple, 12" x 4" x 3" Depth, and typical 7328 white faces. The United LED .8 watt module does it's job of beating the Principal Qwik Mod 2, in Correlated Color Temperature and in efficiency, but it's not a huge jump. The real test would be the long haul and that's what the Lumen Maintenance would be...The Light Degradation and possible color shifting over time.... but that's going to take time....but we're doing that too! The BrightON II with better Correlated Color Temperature for a better whiter, and brighter (Chip Efficiency) white exceeds both greatly. Pay special attention to the Foot Candles Per Watt, this is the amount of light you get per power on a sign face which is more important and truthful than what you will see printed on a LED Module Spec Sheet as "Lumen per watt...or lm/w", because this does not lie and this has to do with chip efficiency and quality. The BrightON II almost 25% brighter than the Qwik Mod 2, and about 15% brighter than the United LED Module 2 for the same power....But this light output for both United and Principal is favorably handicapped in their advantage and I'll explain later on... PIC 3 - The 1.2W Large Channel Letter & Cabinet Lighting Module Comparison Here we have the 12V United LED 2 big 1.2W module up against our 12V 1.2W module, the BrightON - III. These are made for larger channel letters and sign cabinet lighting. There is a big efficiency difference (Light per Power) between these two... the United LED Module at 107 Foot Candles per watt of power from their 130 for their .8watt module The BrightON III has nearly 30% more light per power as a 1.2watt module than the United LED 2 Module used for large channel letters and sign cabinet lighting CONCLUSION Besides the percentage brighter of the High-End BrightON than the other modules there are other aspects, and some more important than others. I'm going to address the smaller issues first as to why it affects the lower cost of their modules. The Foam Tape It's convenient and cuts down the cost on the LED Manufacturer of course, by tape cost as well as packaging costs. For the sign shop nothing is more aggravating than placing a LED down and when having to reposition it, it means the tape breaks, makes a mess on the sign surface as well as the module. 22 AWG Wire Again....It's convenient and cuts down the cost on the LED Manufacturer to help the cost of Budget LEDs along. But smaller gauge wire means voltage loss for these Constant Voltage LEDs, and voltage loss brings uneven lighting for CV LED Systems, more so than CV LEDs that use 18 AWG Wire, which CV LEDs are already not built for life already. Constant Current I feel like I beat this topic to death. But if you're going to build quality, build CC Systems NOT CV. Life of the LEDs are longer because each module is protected, because they have a current regulator on each module that does the following. Assures consistent lighting of each module from the first to the last module on a string. The first CC LED on a string does not take a bigger hit than the last module on a string. Any slight fraction of a volt coming from a LED PSU above 12.0v can kill a CV System, and faster depending on the overage. On any under voltage such as 11.5 to 11 volts the CV system will dim, and this usually occurs on fully optimum loaded LED Power Supplies, mixed in with voltage loss occurring from string length and secondary line length (mix in 20 AWG wire too). That same voltage on a CC system LEDs, the LEDs won't dim, they will be just as bright as if hooked up to a true 12volts. This is why when you ever light up a few CV modules on a sample string they will be brighter than when it comes time to hook up these modules on a fully loaded PSU at 85%. So in reality, if I were to optimum load these power supplies to these Channels….”One Bag…One Power Supply” as they’re pitched…. the CV LEDs (Principal & United LED) would have lesser light output than what I'm showing here favorably by hooking up only 2 led modules per power supply, or in this case, 6 LED modules to one single unit. So, in a sense right now…..I’m favorably handicapping these Principal / United G2G modules. Lastly... The "Upgrade" has always been here...the "Upgrade" is the BrightON LED I admire Wensco for going out and sticking it to Principal and ruffling their feathers, I completely understand the anger Wensco has and I know that anger is what will drive them. Competition is good, and in the electric sign industry whether you know it or not, there is a fight against the monopoly going on I'm only doing this comparison because I'm getting dragged into it, large samples are being left and special pricing to "try me" is being left and I was being asked by customers as well as Sign Suppliers what the differences are. The BrightON LED line is NOT a budget line, there's plenty of that out there...it's just not how I would build a sign. The BrightON LED Line is a premium product that is priced around the same as the Qwik Mod System on average, provides better lighting and efficiency, lasts longer due to those aspects explained, and priced lower to similar built systems that still won't beat it in lighting efficiency (Light per Power). By Years end our BrightON LED Line will be taking another huge Leap forward in Lighting Efficiency. From our prototypes that we have been playing around with the this last year we will be Brighter, Whiter, and doing it for a much lesser Cost of Operation (Light per Power). So, what is already Great now, will be even GREATER! BrightON LED is Built from within the Sign Industry...FOR the Sign Industry, offering Competitive Light...NOT Usable Light! Related Topic:

Ground Breaking News Some pics of the New BrightON Module Line Modules, the New BrightON - II and the revised BrightON - Lightning. For what was already efficient Top Tier 165 Lumens per watt....we're now at 170lm/w to 175lm/w • Constant Current, NOT Constant Voltage • 18 AWG Wire, NOT 22 AWG • VHB Tape, NOT Foam Tape • 10 Yr Product | 5 Yr Labor We LOVE Competition! New 24V & 12V .8w BrightON - II 12V .72w BrightON - Lightning Dastardly Duo

Toggle bolts

It's actually 22 gauge corrugated galvinized metal painted a Matthews Paint Green

Here's a pretty cool little project using the BrightON Lighting 3000K Mini Modules. The 3000K goes nicely with the Green

Oh yeah, much smaller than Vegas, and larger than the Atlantic Show. I usually go annually, but last Vegas show was smaller than usual and saw all in one day.

I was going tot try and go last minute but was unable. Friends said it was small, nothing new. I think these shows get smaller and smaller every year now with social media.

The latest in LED Manufacturer / Sign Distributor LED Module Turf Wars. How these winners are picked by the International Sign Association in endless Social Media Congratulatory Posts, the endless LED Manufacturer & their Manufacturer Outside Sales Reposts, and the reposts and likes coming from all the Association & MFG undercarriage Our Trade Magazines picking winners by sharing their publishing keyboard, allowing them to write biased, self serving, self promotion "factual articles" by whoever pays them the most in advertising. The way our Sign Industry knowingly...or unknowingly eats it up as fact

I just caught wind of the little side segment as it reached through my spam folder and into my inbox. I know Signs of The Times is only 15 pages now, with very little content..... but wow how they have really sunk further down just about the last revolution of the circling toilet water out, on it's way to the sewer. They've never been accused of truthful content on the past, but now announcing they're writing real fiction with their Community Activist writer Rolf L'Mao who is screaming "Fire" where there is none. This man writes fiction to spark controversy and to hit political emotion....what hole did they dig this guy from? So, just read the Red Deal - "The Case of the Channel Changer" ....how sad.... I'm not even the person Rolf L'mao would consider "White"....and I see nothing but Made up "Race Baiting" with using such words as "minority owner" and Made up Sexism...just to spark emotion...to infuse some sort of "White Guilt" We have enough of a divided country as it is, the last place we need to read about it with made up content is from these Brochure Rags....stick to Made up reasons why a Product is Good based on what that advertiser paid that month....give them back your keyboard so they can write up some Sales points As someone who this Community Activist writer would consider, and label ME a "Minority"....lose the labels Rolf L'mao. No one really cares what we look like or what gender we are, most of us just look at one another as People, and fellow American's. I've never needed a label like "Minority Owner" to get through in life, nor need a handicap because for some reason I can't make it on my own without the assistance from government, forcing their hand to put me at the front of a line that I can't do myself based on merit....NOT by the color of my skin. Let me give you little bit of insight Rolf L'mao... in the private sector especially.....we hire, and deal with individuals who are the best at what they do based on merit, character, and based by production or ideas from their own efforts.... We don't hire people or heir their services based on because they are Brown, Black, White, or Yellow, or Man or Women....some do, and that's sad...but that's so small and so few, it's not even worth writing a fake story about. I've been in this Industry since 1993, and I've seen all walks of life as owners, important decision makers. Good ones and bad, we're all just people, and we're all so different... That's one thing I'm proud to have never done, declare myself as a "Minority Owner". Use on a form, or to try to obtain a bid or contract. You either Hire me because I'm good (Which I am), or go hire someone else. There was one time where a grocery chain told me after years of work I had performed for them, that I had to fill out a "Minority Owned" application. I refused, they told me they had to move on, and they did. A few years later they called me back after enough failed projects... No Wonder Why SOT is only 15 pages thick these days He's not Rolf L'mao...he's Rolf LMFAO

As the Signs of The Times Magazine circles the toilet fighting to stay a float these days, something of actual relevance pops up on their site, yet..it didn't even come from them.... https://signsofthetimes.com/opinion-historic-neon-signs-are-irreplaceable-inimitable-cultural-treasures/ With the Community Organizer over there away from the Keyboard and the take over by the current Hipsters they still can't get it right. No one in that SOT staff currently has ever fabricated, installed, or processed Neon in their lives. The closest any of them has ever been to a piece of glass is probably at the ISA show in Vegas with them possibly taking a tour at the Neon Graveyard. They probably stared at at the magnificence in all its glory in awe...maybe even jaw dropping while sipping on a fruity cocktail. Not even a whisper that the very publication they work for....helped to enable its fall. Or know, that the publication did what was easy, and take advertising money from the LED sector and allow them to buy influence in not only our supposed Trade Magazines which is nothing more than a brochure rag, but bought influence in our Trade Associations as well....and kill the very Soul of Neon, the greatest Heritage in our Trade. Yet, our Trade Journalism did nothing about it. Nothing to protect our Electric Sign Trades Greatest Heritage, & Tradition that helped put us on the map in Perpetuity....Neon. Destruction of our very roots from within...or are the Trade Magazines & Sign Associations truly counted as one of us, or part of the "Whithin". I say, and always have said that "They" are not "Us". This is best left for another day, but very briefly for those that do not know. Most Sign Trade Magazines are not souly based on one trade, most have magazines that coexist in different sectors like Hospitality or Construction. The same is for the Core Executive that actually pick up a check at The International Sign Association, their employees who head it up never ever came from our Industry, they came from others, Power Lift Gates & Plastics Industry one day and Musical Chair the enxt right into our industry...they're outsiders coming and bringing that recycled business model they used in some other sector/trade into ours. Back to the Article... This Ball less Rag still, to this day has to label this article/letter as "Opinion" That's mainly because the Hipsters that run the rag think it's just entertaining but know there's a hint of truth somewhere....they just can't figure out where. Forget the fact that SOT like others have become irrelevant at the current state. They're all basically 15 pages long these days, with little to no information that you can't get by logging into LinkedIN, Facebook, or watching a TikTok / YouTube Video where the "pay/rent for SOT Keyboard" days are over. Even the LED Manufacturers that once bought space at SOT is over, Social Media and the Internet killed these Rags. All that one sided Light Source influence of LEDs Good....Neon Bad, is gone. They're lucky to have maybe one ad a month from LEDs. Yet, here we are today after much devastation with our Tardes Greatest Heritage hanging on by a nut hair..and this comes out. Where was even so much as an opinion 12 years ago? Forget even having so much as one of their so called Journalists do a little digging in putting up the Pro's and Con's of both Neon & LED, or the Benefits of each. Nothing. Countless articles I myself have written here with real Return On Investment figures here for all to kick around ...which we did a good job of. But, now the Hipsters that run the SOT in their tight pegged Jeans, Drinking their Starbucks, petting their purse dog that sits on their lap at the local restaurant that barks at everyone thought about putting this Man's letter up for all to read his "opinion" The Sign Trade Associations & Trade rags still suck after all these years (I haven't picked one up in years, not even for shits and giggles or while sitting on the pot). In Rags & Associations....Some know, some have known....my experience not only here, being in the field of our trade, and being in a Sign Association for a brief stint has still remained true.....they all lack Courage. There is NO courage to do what is right, only to do what comes easy in both our trade rags and sign associations like ISA...or The International Sign Association.