Search the Community

Introducing our newest BrightON LED Color! My Special K-Liscious Pink!!! Our K-Liscious Pink will be available in both our High-End, High Efficiency (24V & 12V) .72W BrightON - II, and our (12V) .72W BrightON - Lightning LED Modules....Made for Competitive Light.....NOT Usable Light! This is going to be a Hot Item for all those Specialty Signs that involve Nail Salons, Lash Bars, Tattoo Parlors and more! K-Girl's K-Lisious Pink should be available Mid September

I was experimenting with the new revised BrightON Lightning module which is more efficient than the previous version.....more light for the same power. This BrightON Lightning module was made for very shallow lighting applications. Anyway, thought I would snap some pics and show how impressive this little module really is. This module is perfect for 3" & 5" return channel letters, even better for halo illuminated letters because of the crazy light output, perfect for Day/Night faces where you need light to punch through. This module produces Competitive Light, NOT Usable Light...so if you have a premium customer and premium project this little High-End Constant Current LED module is for you! A lot of light that will last a very, VERY long time. Here is a test channel at just 1.5" in depth, the acrylic used is 1/8" #7328 White, this is just using a Autohaus MC Grade 7328, and the result is even lighting no hotspots. LD Acrylic is real nice for LED lighting, but at 1.5" depth, this regular grade sign white light nice. 4"W x 24"L x 5"D Channel with false bottom, lighted up for a 1.5" Depth The Luminance right on the face measures something around 544 Foot Candle Average, that's some crazy brightness. Typical .6w to .72w modules for 3" and 5" returns with usable light luminance is around 200 FC's. Using these for the same you get around 300-400 FC. You can purchase these from our Online Store or Contact us to place an Order (858) 880-1400 | orders@thesignsyndicate.com

We are growing fast this year and we are looking for qualified service electricians and technicians. Smokers need not apply. d/l a must

Maybe I should have titled it "That BrightON Halo Illumination" Thought I would share a project where our new High-End 24 volt, .8watt BrightON II LED Modules were used. As I've discussed before in the past. There is a difference and a gap between "Usable Light" and "Competitive Light". The BrightON II is the most efficient (Light per power) LED Module in it's class, and it is the definition of Competitive Light. As explained here and suggested for spacing, it was chosen to use the 3" module spacer, and obviously you'll see as you scroll down the spacing could have even been much farther apart. Using the 3" spacers or 5" on center module to module spacing of the .8 watt will give you that extra punch for Halo and Day / Night faces, and you're looking at only $2 a foot buying a single bag of modules. Important note is what you're getting for that $2 a foot. Very easily module to module spacing could have been 7" OC, and a $1.45 a foot. The Grand Result? No over exposure here to make the lighting more extreme than "IRL"...in real life. because I have another picture to share here of a neighboring sign that is made up of your standard front illuminated channel letters. This is the very visual explanation of "Competitive Light". The BrightON II Modules will give sign shops more versatility with their lighting projects, eliminating a 3 diode module & eliminating stocking more various modules with just simple spacing making the BrightON II a more universal product in your shop. The reason? Because the BrightON II meets or exceeds the Performance of most 3 diode LED Modules on the market on Maximum Efficiency of 24V. Also, the long module to module wire leads. Could you just imagine for a second the BrightON II LED modules in the neighboring Coffee Sign at the maximum stretched module to module spacing of 7.625" or 1.57 ($1.33 a foot) modules per foot? I can! Something is being left out here and I have to discuss what completes this High-End system? That would be adding a France Lighting Solution LED Power supply of course In this case the 24V France Atlas with built in LED indicator light for proper function, bringing more Quality & Dependability to the project. The most important aspect of this job was the feedback from the client. They were VERY impressed with their sign when they drove by at night to see what their identity looked like. Their face will be your face. These are the types of results you will get with the BrightON II LED Modules. Finished jobs will sell themselves. Happy, impressed clients will sell, and market for you...provided you not only sold them a good product but good service as well. Come night, the mere visual can attract potential customers and a resume address can assure and close sales prospects, end results will be referral makers! FRANCE LED POWER SUPPLIES http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/store/category/22-led-power-supplies/

So, we finally did it. It's been kicked around for months, prototypes, after prototypes and locked in on a configuration that we finally liked. As most of you know the Sign Syndicate we've been testing majority of the main stream LED's since 2008 in a unbiased benchmark comparison, tests such as "The Great White Hope....Project Tighty Whitey...Red Light District...Border Security & Blue Light Special". Over that time we've seen some characteristics that we liked, made sense, understood what will last and won't. What it means to be a High-End LED product. We have sold the NC LED's & Axioms for a few years now, as some of our favorites from the testing (Axioms no longer). But it's been time to do our own, make it more custom and more perfect for the Sign Industry. The Brighton line is made from those in the Sign Industry.....FOR the Sign Industry. It's BrightON, pronounced just like the city. So what so unique about the Brighton? For starters, we wanted it to be VERY efficient. I don't know of another more bright and efficient LED module in it's class. 155 lum/W and 124lum with a 170˙ Batwing optic lens, most importantly when it comes the sign industry the important number is 63.09 Foot Candles on a sign face per Watt The important aspects of long lasting LEDs is of course finding the "sweet spot", where it's driven just perfect for light and power. The Brighton is VERY under driven, less power, MORE light! These can be spaced out pretty far due to the optics lens, it's brighter in angles than it is straight on, or up. Under driving improves thermal performance, which extends life all while getting higher Lumens per watt. The Brighton LED is a High-End, High Performance LED module for High-End applications. For starters off the bat we will have a 2 Diode, (no need for a 3 Diode), 4 Diode, and our Sign Cabinet model 6 Diode (SunFire). Shops won't need to stock multiple module types, the Brighton-2 is so versatile, you can use it for almost anything, just adjust the spacing. It already comes with 7" inches of wire so jumping from one row to another is easy. Space the center to center at 6" for good light, 5" center for Better Light, 4" for Best Light. They're 1.7 mods/foot and work good for shallow 2" applications depending on face type to of course much deeper. Since these are driven so low, they don't generate a whole lot of heat, BUT, our Brighton-6 (2.8w) is Heatsinked on all Aluminum PCB for longer life. One of the biggest complaints we have received about LEDs when it comes to large projects like large letters or cabinets is......"We have to use so MANY Power Supplies!" A nice aspect about the Brighton is, it's a whole 24v system! Everything! As sign companies we are redistricted by the Class II regulation of no larger than 5A per channel. So 12v is restricted to 60watts, BUT....24v is restricted to 96watts. 24v will mean more modules per power supply. You're now getting almost double the amount of modules for a project. 24V cuts that amperage that runs across the wiring and module in half! It reduces the resistance, reduces the heat and most importantly IMPROVES reliability. I think we can all agree that LESS is BETTER, less moving parts, the less you have to worry. This is the first part of our Brighton Line, we'll continue to improve it widening the line and of course always always staying far ahead of the curve I'm including some rough test pics of our process and how they fair. We should have these available in the first part of Fall. And yes, we will still stock, and continue to sell NC LED Reckless LED Early Try Out's, various wattage and diode mfg's FRANCE LED POWER SUPPLIES http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/store/category/22-led-power-supplies/

Sign Installers, LED Video Screen, Service & Installation Technicians (Duluth, GA) Apply at Jobs@formetco.com Formetco is a 50-year-old Duluth, Georgia based company that manufactures products sold in four divisions: Billboard Hardware, Digital LED Billboards, LED Video Scoreboards and LED Video Screens. The LED Screen business is very dynamic and fast growing. For additional information about Formetco see: http://www.formetco.com/ This is a full-time position. We are searching for a candidate that is seeking a challenging opportunity, motivated to take charge, learn, grow and desires to take on additional responsibilities. Formetco offers a comprehensive benefits package including 401K with match, health, dental, vision, long-term disability and life insurance, and paid time off in the year of hire. Formetco is a Drug-Free Work Place, and a pre-employment drug test is required. Sign Installer, LED Video Screen, Service & Installation Technicians – We are searching for candidates to service and install large LED Screens used at high profile locations across North America. We have multiple positions open, requiring a wide range of skills ranging from steel working, crane operation, data communications, high and low voltage wiring, computer operation and networking, along with a high level of customer interpersonal communications skills. This position requires technical knowledge and good troubleshooting skills. We operate in a time sensitive environment, supporting & installing large LED Videos screens. Experienced working with LED Electronic Signs, Scoreboards, LED Video Displays and/or experience working in the Billboard Industry is desired. Must be able to climb billboard structures, be comfortable working at heights of 100’ for extended time frames. Work can occur in a variety of weather conditions. Must have good driving record. CDL is a plus. Ability to manage and assist on-site contractors with the installation of large LED screens, from lifting and mounting, primary power installation, data communications, internet connections, sign commissioning and customer sign off. Can answer questions, manage projects, handle on site issues, communicate professionally with subcontractors, customers and manager. Must be organized, responsible person with the ability to analyze problems and communicate with manager and customers. Computer and Computer Network Knowledge Desirable. Understanding of electrical requirements for wiring general signage. Experienced with high/low voltage power distribution and data communications/networking. Good general mechanical skills and analyzing issues. Education or experience in Welding, Electrical and or Computers/Computer networking a plus. 7 Days a week operation. 50% Travel required with overnight travel and limited international travel. Have a valid passport or can obtain one. We realize that candidates will not have all the above skills. If you feel like this is something you would be interested in and have experience working at heights, climbing, overnight travel is acceptable, we encourage you to apply. All candidates must have full authorization to work in the US without requiring current or future sponsorship. Please list the job position you are applying for in your response. We have multiple job OPENINGS, so we need to know what position you are seeking. EOE Job Type: Full-time Below are examples of typical projects

THE WHITE HORSE NC LED Our White Horse NC LED is our Flag Ship wide angle 160˙ LED module for shallow, low profile, and general lighting projects. Shallow Lobby Signs, Channel Letters, Reverse Channel Letters, & Cabinet Lighting. The White Horse comes in both .92 watt (186 Lumen/ft) & .72 watt (150 Lumen/ft) high powered light output LED modules, both are constant current and high grade Samsung diodes. The White Horse is a high quality, low cost component for a lot of your Sign & Lighting applications. 100 modules per tray will give you 42 Linear feet of lighting • 160˙ Wide Angle LED Module • Shallow Projects, Sign Cabinet Lighting, & Channel Letters • IP68 UL/CE • 5 Year, 50,000 Hour Warranty • High Brightness Light Output • Constant Current NOT Constant Voltage • NOT Made in CHINA If you already like and use our Reckless NC LED Line, you'll LOVE these! 3" Depth Lobby Sign with Bright & Consistent Lighting (.92w Modules) To Place an order Online visit our Online Shopping Cart. Lower priced Discounts to our Sign Syndicate Patron's (The Order) For Inquiries, Questions, or to place Orders over the phone or email contact us at 858.880.1400 / orders@thesignsyndicate.com

We're SUPER excited on the new high-end upcoming USHIO LED Products that have been long over due. LED WALL PACKS Ushio America’s traditional wall pack LED light fixtures are manufactured with premium, long-life LEDs, cast-aluminum housings with shatter resistant glass and excellent thermal dynamics. DesignLights Consortium qualified, the series is designed using the traditional wall pack appearance and replaces much higher wattage HID luminaires, saving up to 80% on energy costs. The traditional shape maintains an aesthetic appearance and will replace any building’s wall pack, or perimeter lighting. The light fixture is ideal for outdoor applications such as parking areas, loading areas, carports, driveways and pathways. These are designed for wall mounting above four feet from ground. All series fixtures operate on universal voltage (100-277V) with popular color temperatures (5000K and 4000K). Available in 42W and 60W, these LED fixtures come with Ushio’s premium 5-year limited warranty. Energy Saving DLC Qualified IP65 Outdoor Rated Operating Temperature: -4° F to -120° F 15-30 Foot Height Performance Shatter Resistant Glass Dimmable (0-10V) Photocell Compatible Long Life: 50,000 Hours 5-Year Limited Warranty Fixtures operate on standard voltage (120V) with popular color temperatures (5000K and 4000K). Available in 13W, these LED fixtures come with Ushio’s premium 5-year limited warranty. • Energy Saving • ENERGY STAR® Certified • IP65 Outdoor Rated • Operating Temperature: -22° F to -120° F • Dusk to Dawn Photocell Included • Long Life: 50,000 Hours • 5-Year Limited Warranty CANOPY MOUNT Ushio America’s series slim canopy mount LED fixture is DLC qualified and UL listed for wet locations with an IP65 rating, making it ideal for outdoor areas such as parking garages, walkways and building entrances. The fixtures are built tough with an elegant appearance. They have a low-profile, aesthetically pleasing design with weather-resistant, die-cast aluminum housings and shatter-resistant polycarbonate prismatic lens. Their dust-proof, sealed structure has multiple ½” conduit entrances on the side. These slim canopy fixtures support pendant mounting and direct surface ceiling mounting options. Fixtures operate on universal voltage (100-277V) with popular color temperatures (5000K and 4000K). Available in 28W, 42W and 59W, these LED fixtures come with Ushio’s premium 5-year limited warranty Energy Saving DLC Premium Qualified IP65 Outdoor Rated Operating Temperature: -4° F to -120° F Shatter Resistant Glass Dimmable (0-10V) Long Life: 50,000 Hours 5-Year Limited Warranty AREA LIGHT FIXTURE Ushio America’s Slim Area Light LED Fixture is constructed with a rugged, die-cast aluminum housing and its excellent thermal design makes it the perfect lighting solution for your parking lot, walkway, street, building flood up/down light or it can be used as an outdoor sign light. The fixture provides energy savings up to 85% while eliminating maintenance as well as lamp and labor costs. These fixtures are available in a wide range of wattage selections to replace from 150W to 1500W HID fixtures. Our fixtures are DLC certified and IP65 rated with five types of mounting options available: Swivel Bracket, Slip Fitter, Yoke, 6” Extruded Arm and Pendant Mount. Several photocell and motions sensor options are also available. All series fixtures operate on universal voltage (100-277V) with popular color temperatures (5000K and 4000K). Available in 75W, 100W, 240W and 360W, these LED fixtures come with Ushio’s premium 5-year limited warranty. Energy Saving DLC Premium Qualified IP65 Outdoor Rated Operating Temperature: -40° F to -122° F Dimmable (0-10V) Photocell and Motion Sensor Compatible Long Life: 50,000 Hours 5-Year Limited Warranty SECURITY LIGHTING Ushio America’s series security LED light fixtures provide bright, energy-saving options to replace old incandescent wall mounted security lighting or for new construction. The fixture is ENERGY STAR® certified and provides energy savings up to 80% while eliminating maintenance as well as lamp and labor costs. It also comes with a dusk to dawn photocell sensor. All fixtures operate on standard voltage (120V) with popular color temperatures (5000K and 4000K). Available in 13W, these LED fixtures come with Ushio’s premium 5-year limited warranty. Energy Saving ENERGY STAR® Certified IP65 Outdoor Rated Operating Temperature: -22° F to -120° F Dusk to Dawn Photocell Included Long Life: 50,000 Hours 5-Year Limited Warranty

The Sign Syndicate March 2017 Video Update. Insurance, The Sign Life, Sign Bulbs and of course The Hall of Shame!

"NOT MADE IN CHINA!!" I would like to share a document with you I was recently given, somethings are debatable in some issues but a good chunk should be payed attention too. The LED DelusionV2.pdf Sometimes I get people asking me why I say "NOT made in CHINA!!!" on a lot of our advertising when it comes to products we distribute on the Sign Syndicate like our infamous NC LED's. The answer has always been simple. China manipulates their currency which provides a disadvantage when it comes to trade, it's unfair, unequal trade. American companies who have gone to Chinese plants for production for decades...think "Engineered In America, Made In China" philosophy has always resulted in playing musical chairs because unless you have an engineer, someone you can trust to watch these plants and observe or conduct your own quality control on a daily basis, more often than not things get changed up to cut costs. More often than not, that enforcer for quality control most likely will only show up quarterly or yearly. Standards Socialism versus Capitalism, who do you think has a higher incentive to do better? Human rights, there is no such thing when it comes to China and how can there be under a dictatorship. Chinese government/industrial hackers of our computer systems It's clear until we greatly deregulate our own country so we can bring back jobs and production in our very own country, until that happens which will be hopefully soon we should be careful about who we buy from when we can as much as possible. When it comes to our own electric sign industry, things maybe cheaper to buy Chinese BUT the quality is almost never there unless you have VERY tight quality control and when it comes to LED's from our own tests we have been running since 2008, we haven't seen it. As that saying goes, "buy the best, and only cry once"

Are a lot of you using LED's for Cabinet Lighting, new and retrofits? I'm curious about your input on the brightness appearance. Is it as good as Fluorescent lamps (T8's and T12's)? What products have you been using for this? Thanks Erik

With everything we here in the news no matter what side of the line you stand on by your beliefs or politics one thing most of us in this industry really care about when it comes to life is..... ESPECIALLY LED'S! The NC LED Reckless, The brightest longest lasting LED in it's class under 1 watt per module. Constant Current NOT the cheap "Eco" Constant Voltage, light degradation is ONLY 3% in 15,000 Hours of operation. High Grade Samsung Diodes...we have no problem in telling who we use or try to hide that in FACT, we're proud of Samsung you get a nice true white in light. Best part about our Reckless LED's.....their NOT made in CHINA!!!! For more shameless information on The Reckless visit: http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/7353-bright-long-lasting-channel-letters-and-what-it-takes/

UNION ELECOM We're proud to announce that the Sign Syndicate will start offering all our members our new LED Power Supplies by Union Elecom Company After talking to a few friends of mine that produce signs as well as distributors Union is a Kick-Ass company with a very little to no failure rate. We will be stocking the 120 watt dual channel ($49.99) as well as the 60 watt ($34.99). Their 100 to 277volt, 5 year warranty and just like our Reckless NC LED's their IP68. SINGLE UNITS Union 60 Watt Units $32.99 each Union 120 Watt Dual Channel $47.99 each 12 pack FREE SHIPPING Union 60 Watt $395.88 Union 120 Watt $575.88 We will have our standard online pricing and discounted price for those customers who purchase our NC Reckless LED's! Knowing first hand the needs of the electric sign industry needs because we are from the electric sign industry here we are bringing you another High-End, low problem, KICK ASS product to go with the other ones we believe in! The best part about this Power supply is.....say it with me......NOT made in CHINA!!! You can visit out online Shopping Cart and order here or call in 858-880-1400 / orders@thesignsyndicate.com

It really should make you wonder when you have a LED Sales rep / Lighting Engineer talking to you over the phone trying to sell you their LED's who are a Sign Company NOW also branching out to sell their LED's which I think everyone has seen in all the sign magazines now where they ship you off their little "light box". I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. I asked him where their LED's are being made, "China...they're the brightest....with very little light decay and will last 11 years" he replied. "I see........Uhh..who is the diode manufacturer?" I replied "I Can't tell you" he said. "You don't know?" I followed up with. "No, I know....I just can't release" he said. "Why is that?" I asked. "It's proprietary information...it's our secret sauce formula you know?" "It's a secret?....that makes me cautious actually. As you know there are a lot bad diode manufacturer's and grades of each Diode......that doesn't make me confident in not knowing who you are using" I ended our conversation with. For a LED product manufacturer not to tell you who they are using is NOT good, it also should tell you their not that confident either. It means you will be retrofitting your customers signs out shortly after! I'm VERY confident and PROUD to tell you what diodes we have in our products, Samsung and Nichia! Finally we can also proudly say that these products are NOT made in CHINA!!!!

We're doing WAY better than expected on the NC LED HLC Series that we can't even keep up with the demand so as of right now there is no HLC2 stock in America, LoL (Plenty of HLC3 & 4) I want to give a big sincere thank you to all those of our existing customers who have dared to try something new, once you did like myself there was no going back....sort of like coming into this industry, once you're in it's very hard to leave or go another direction. It' the growing pains we and NC LED are going through, we're asking for more than they can pump out and they had to grow with the American demand of an awesome product! More an more will be produce, and as of right now I'm having a few cases over nighted direct from Korea to ease the demand until the rest come by boat in a normal shipment which takes 2 weeks normal ocean travel. Anyhow, it's been a learning experience and I can't tell you how excited I've been bringing in a superior product, helping in it's configuration as a premium product to meet the demand for a high-end light source and for High-end customers. It's been an experience to see this go from an underdog product in our testing so many years ago to dominating the competition with their claims of "the brightest....the best.....the longest lasting" So many 6500K LED modules that never looked like a true white, the quality of NC LED is amazing an it's an amazing ride that I never want to get off of. Check out the lineup comparison below, yes....ALL supposed to be 6500K!!!! We will be doing better in availability and the quality will always be there. Go #TeamNCLED NOT Made In CHINA!!!!

ABSOLUTE SIGN is seeking an experienced sign and lighting technician. Qualified candidates must be knowledgeable in servicing, neon, parking lot lights, LED, fluorescent, diagnosing electrical issues. Electrical sign installation experience a plus. Must be a self-starter and motivated. Must have a California Driver's License. Must have the ability to perform well under pressure. Minimum of 3 years experience in the field. Competitive compensation. Fax your resume to 562-592-6198 or call the office. 562-592-5838. Can start immediately.

Originally Posted Mar 15 2014 05:43 PM The Great White Hope II - (Year 1 & 2) February 2014 - 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 I first to want to start off by thanking everyone who has been involved with this project from the start and continue to make it better, I want to specially thank Telford Dorr for this immeasurable measurements, Marko of YYZ LED Systems for helping to move this project in a better direction and the Vendors who have participated with their products for this comparison. Though 6500 SW is the standard here for comparison you'll see a variation of whites, not all are of course in the same ballpark, but you will see where pending the application you might choose one over the other. You might see some edits done on this tutorial over the course an that is because information may/will change. Every month power readings and light output readings will be added to this tutorial. Other tests may also be done not yet defined at this point. A picture will also be taken with the same settings and placement. THE TEST: First, The Great White Hope II is for high powered LEDs 1watt + and above, all others below are for Project Tighty Whitey. This is also for Neon & Tri-Phosphor Neon Lamps. Like our other tests, we are taking period reads and measuring the light output of every single light source in our test right on the sign face which is made up of a 8" x 8" marked square on the same spot every time and we average the highs and lows. For the initial power consumption measuring for the LEDs we are using a GW Instek programmable power supply. This PS measure and tells us what each string pulls as if the power supply they were on is running at 100% efficiency. Why we do it this way is because the power supply YOU use for your applications will vary and we want to level the plain field. On the Neon side of things we are just going to use the age old France Footage/Watt Chart, this is also to assume the neon is running on a typical magnetic power supply. We are also not including the 1 extra foot of power consumption per pair of electrodes per lamp because this would greatly skew the numbers of small 2' light sources. The main thing about this benchmark test is that we are looking at lumen maintenance and how much each product will hold up over time and monitor the light degradation. One thing I wish we could measure and monitor is the color shift over time of each product. Maybe we will get access to a spectrometer in the future because there is a huge shift of some products over time and we will notice in our yearly shots that we take for comparison. SIGN CHANNEL STRUCTURE Well, instead of the large sectioned out cabinet we had for the first Great White Hope this time we did assimilated to our other tests and fabricated individual channels for each light source. LIGHT SOURCE PRODUCT LIST (Top to Bottom) Axiom LED AXLE9XB 13mm EGL DL 61 ((Tri-Phosphor 60ma) *-Non-Willing Participant 15mm Voltarc 6500 SW *-Non-Willing Participant 13mm Voltarc 6500 SW *-Non-Willing Participant 15mm FMS TC 6500 (Tri-Phosphor) 15mm Glostertube 6500 6500 166 (Tri-Phosphor) 13mm EGL DL61 (Tri-Phosphor) 13mm Voltarc Tri-Lite *-Non-Willing Participant 12mm FMS TC6500 (Tri-Phosphor) Permlight El Plato HO *-Non-Willing Participant GOQ LED *-Non-Willing Participant GE Tetra Power Max *-Non-Willing Participant International Light Technologies Summit Sloan GW4 *-Non-Willing Participant Permlight Twister *-Non-Willing Participant Hyco CooChip SIGN COMPONENTS 1/8" Cyro #7328 White Acrylic Lens Faces CCFL Transformers- Ventex 6030/60CL CCFL Transformers- Ventex 6030/30CL Axiom 60 Watt Class II LED Power Supplies Transco TC200 Porcelain Housings FMS Neon Tube Supports Plasco Trim Cap DURATION: This project is never stopping, it runs for two 10 hour cycles a day 365 days a year NEON & LED POWER: Unlike the first Great White Hope where we had dedicated power sources for each lamp are are copying our other light test projects that consist of all light sources on a shared power supply. For the LEDs are are using the surplus military grade Axiom LED Power Supplies left over from the GWH (So to continue their endurance at 40k+ operating hours) because of the manual DC voltage set screw to assure we have exactly 12volts across all LED strings to level the playing field. For all Neon Lamps we are using our surplus SST Ventex Neon Transformers to again, continue to monitor their endurance as well at 40k+ hours of operation. All Neon lamps are on a shared SST. EARLY TEST PICTURES Finally lighting up all the neon side of the project The same for the LED side The back side of the project March 15, 2014 Today is the first evaluation since the project has been ongoing. The only thing we have in news is that as usual all the Neon lamps are taking their initial lumen maintenance that comes in the first 1000 or so hours then we'll see them plane off gradually. Below are the pics of the class of 2014. I'm just going to show off one pic of the Neon, because no one will be able to distinguish one from the other. PIC1 Hyco CooChip Permlight's El Plato HO GE's Tetra Power Max GOQ's Quad Chip LED Sloan's GW4 International Light Technologies Summit Permlight's Twister I'm currently looking to add US LED's Quasar 3, Osram, and Agilight and whatever other LED manufacturers decide to join us in this ongoing comparison project. In a short observation we're already seen a 16% drop in light output from the CooChip and we'll see what happens next period. Just this month a national sign company gave us a few strings of AgiLight LEDs that they wanted to see in our various tests that they also use for a national sign program. The string that we will be putting up for GWH II will be the Apex series, this will be for April. Some of the LEDs we have in our tests come from sign companies who are curious about the performance of products they use, and when doing so it helps us all out and we all learn. MARCH 2014 EVALUATION DOWNLOAD SEPTEMBER 2014 EVALUATION 10/30/14 It's been some time. In August we added Axiom LEDs AXLE9XB module at 14.7 volts on a dedicated power supply, the LEDs come in at 1.6 watts each. AXLE9XB We're a little over a month of reporting these late September results and about two weeks short of doing Novembers. It's been some time so I may add or make changes to the above information. The download sheet for September can be found here Link http://www.thesignsy...arison-results/

January 2016 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 from the links below. 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. As always, enjoy the results and hope you learn as we do going down this adventurous path! The Great White Hope II (Year 1 & 2) The high powered white Neon & LED test comparison for large channel letters and sign cabinets, comprised of high powered LED modules 1watt+/3watt per foot+ and above with Tri-Phosphor Neon Lamps. (8,000+ hrs) This month we added in NC's HLC4 Samsung High Powered 1.8 watt Constant Current LED January 2013 Evaluation Download: GreatWhiteHopeII 010316.pdf Project Tighty Whitey - (Year 5 & 6) - The white exclusive LED only test comparison for mid (.95 modules or 2.99 per foot watt modules and below) to mini sized LED modules. (40,000+ hrs) This month we added in Hanley LED's Peregrine. January 2013 Evaluation Download:ProJectTight 010316.pdf The Red Light District - (Year 3 & 4) - The Red Neon & LED channel letter light source test comparison. (34,000+ hrs) January 2013 Evaluation Download:RedL010316.pdf Border Security - (Year 3 & 4)- The Neon & LED border tube lamp test comparison. (23,000+ hrs) January 2013 Evaluation Download:BorderSec 010316.pdf Blue Light Special - (Year 1 & 2) - The Blue Neon & LED test comparison for channel letter. (13,000+ hrs) January 2013 Evaluation Download:BlueLight 010316.pdf

Just a quick announcement which I'll talk more about later in individual posts but here it is, and already in our online shopping cart. Tecnolux / Ablon Siliflex (Silicone) Integral Sleeve 14AWG GTO Tecnolux now Ablon silicone GTO was the first silicone GTO that I ever used. I have used other silicone GTO cables but I have to say, there is a difference, I love the Tecnolux / Ablon GTO much better. You can tell the difference in the quality of the silicone sleeving. That's probably because this is Italian silicone.....or made in Italy, NOT China! You can purchase this from our online store here: http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/store/category/20-silicone-gto/ Tecnloux Product Discussion: http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/5122-my-favorite-restaurant-ccfl-channel-letters/ http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/5007-ccfl-channel-letter-set/ http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/3735-the-green-machine/ http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/3581-stuff-ive-been-working-on-for-the-last-few-weeks/ http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/3255-yes-its-really-that-bright/ http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/7320-quality-long-life-channel-letters/ NC LED RGB3 Modules After a coupe of requests, as of yesterday I brought in their RGB line. I will also bring in some controllers and bridge/junction units to hook up multiple power supply branch circuits to the same controller. You can purchase this from our online store here: http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/store/category/43-nc-led/

Just a small pre introductory thread for the new NC LED Floodlights we will be stocking along with their LED modules that we have been carrying for channel letters and cabinets. These are the new 50 watt LED Floods. These will be arriving here at the end of the month but I did a advance demo for a club here in San Diego that wanted to get rid of the conventional lighting and move towards something smaller and compact and not seen during the club hours. We set one up a 220v version, but these will be 120, and set up side by side with the existing fixtures these held up. They were very impressed that such a small unit put out so much light. So thirty of these will be purchased in advance for a more concealed light that will turn on as the club closes to get the patrons the hell out and start clean up These will only be $52.99 each, and they pack a punch! We will also be bringing in some larger NC LED under canopy lighting as we get into more general lighting products as well as fixtures commonly used for gas stations. The big plus about any NC LED products is, their Korean, their known quality products along side with that high quality control, and their NOT made in China!

The Assault of our "Traditions" In another topic I started a week back or so is below but now I'm continuing in a new thread, because...jokes aside. http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/topic/6677-pillsbury-dough-boy-makeover-and-93-saving/ Something big has changed, a more understanding behind the news article. A look into "Sign Mythology" See Sign Proposal from Lawrence Sign below: wcms1p-122428.pdf It's not very often, but I just read this a short time ago and I have to say my stomach dropped, you know that sick disgusted feeling you get right there in the center of your stomach? I'm attaching a document that was made public on another site thanks to Mike for making it public. If this doesn't sicken everyone in the electric sign industry I don't know what will, and this should. There is something that everyone in the electric sign industry should uphold no matter what light source you prefer or what your opinion is on applications. I'm speaking about upholding our traditions, and never giving them up to mis-characterization and mis-information. Neon has been around for a long time and there a place for it like everything else in life based on it's own merit and function in upon which it serves. Neon is also a tradition, OUR tradition no matter what you produce in this trade! You may have not been in the electric sign industry for a long time, you may be relatively new, and you may have never even touched, fabricated or installed any before ever. But that should not keep you from appreciating it's function and pure elegance. Right now it's being assaulted, mis-characterized, and outright LIED as a whole, just to make a buck for something that will not last as long as it can. There is a time and place in everything when it comes to the electric sign industry but Flexible LEDs should NOT be used to replace a historical sign, especially when the person doing the push sell of a repair or retrofit is doing so with false information and mis-leading the buyer. Well, that's what Lawrence Sign is doing right now. It's one thing to read an article online or in a newspaper, it's another to see a proposal from seller to buyer in print with false information which does nothing but desecrate and annihilate our traditions, that they themselves are apart of. LED Flex Strips do not have usable light at 100,000 hours. Red LED's degrade in light, Red pumped Neon does not. Red neon does NOT consume 20 WATTS per foot, that's ABSURD!!! That diameter neon lamps for that size project consume 3 to 3.5 watts per foot. it does not take $15k a year in cost of operation vs $1,000 a year to convert over to LED Now that we have a real proposal to go off of we can calculate/estimate the cost of operation. We can estimate that with the 11' letters have approx 93 feet of Neon (3 rows inches x 8.5), the lowercase and small capitals have 56' of lamps = 1,258' of lamps 1293' x 3 watts per foot = 3,774 watts 3,774 watts x 12 hrs x 365 days a year x $.15kwh / 1000 PC = $2,479.50, NOT almost $16,000 in annual cost of operation ​When it comes to the supposed "Yearly Maintenance" I don't even have a comment on that part, it just gets more ridiculous. If hail is a big concern for breakage then clear polycarbonate can come in real handy. So can hinge system. A Industry as a whole, this sign trade needs to care no matter what your preference is and how long you've been in this industry, as someone new to it, 2nd, 3rd generation....otherwise we will loose a big part of who we are and we shame those who came before us, we shame those who started our grand traditions. It won't come from our leadership in the form or associations, their just as guilty if not enablers of mis-information and mis-characterization of our traditions. The trade magazines? Just as bad, only trade magazine that actually reports now and IS "journalism", is "Signs of The Times". In the end, it's about how you and I conduct OUR business, how we sell to our clients, and how we want our "Signs" left behind. We're forgetting why we came into this industry, what it is to look back at something long after we put it up, long after. Lately it's just been bastardized by outsiders who just want to take our trade and traditions and turn it into a cheap commodity all because THEY have something THEY want to sell to us, we can even go a step further to say what THEY want force on us and what THEY want forced upon the end user. Integrity - To do what's right and not what comes easy, even when no one is looking. Traditions - It's who we are, and what we want to pass on to those after us.

Coming soon as an option for gooseneck light fixtures......USHIO!!! USHIO Uphoria 2 Par30, Par20, BR30, R20 LED Lamps

October 2015 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 from the links below. 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. As always, enjoy the results and hope you learn as we do going down this adventurous path! One big add we did this period was change over all projects from the Tutorial Board to our forum board, mainly because we are getting ready to go through a major software upgrade for the site. This period we also added a new side by side comparison from project start to current activity. Amongst our various light projects this month we added in some LEDs from Principal LED as well as NC LED The Great White Hope II (Year 1 & 2) The high powered white Neon & LED test comparison for large channel letters and sign cabinets, comprised of high powered LED modules 1watt+/3watt per foot+ and above with Tri-Phosphor Neon Lamps. (7,000+ hrs) Project Tighty Whitey - (Year 5 & 6) - The white exclusive LED only test comparison for mid (.85 watt modules and below) to mini sized LED modules. (39,000+ hrs) The Red Light District - (Year 3 & 4) - The Red Neon & LED channel letter light source test comparison. (31,000+ hrs) Border Security - (Year 3 & 4)- The Neon & LED border tube lamp test comparison. (23,000+ hrs) Blue Light Special - (Year 1 & 2) - The Blue Neon & LED test comparison for channel letter. (12,000+ hrs)

I'm sending a notice to all that I'm going to be trimming down on our testing and purging a lot of LED products that are either out dated or the manufacturers are no longer vendors here. Currently we have just too many and a lot are out dated and some of those companies have downsized or pretty much non-existent, or I just no no desire to pursue them since their either not widely used or advertised as much as they used to be. I'm going to keep the mainstream guys because well, that's who a lot liek to watch and observe to see if their products last as long as they claim in the full sized magazine page ads say it does, like GE, USLED, Agilight, Sloan, and probably Sylvania / Osram. All others unless their vendors from this site I'll be tossing those out, I may keep some smaller vendors around but I'll pay that by ear. Anyone know if Permlight is still around? Haven't seen them at a show for awhile now and not sure if they even advertise in magazine anymore. So, if you're not one of the named above, shoot me over a message if you still want to stay on board, otherwise the "Purge" is coming to make room for others in the following tests The Great White Hope II Project Tighty Whitey The Red Light District Blue Light Special Nothing will be changing for Border Security, maybe just drop one or two. Thanks!

We are needing a tech who can service LED displays and signage with smart sensors. Travel is required. If interested send your resume to josh@k-ksystems.com thanks, josh