Halo Lighting Colour – Whats the best?

[Carrie Brown]

We have only ever used white leds to date so cant comment on other colours but steer the customer away from using a dark background as it really draws in the brightness, so a light background is best … just think along the lines of how bright a dark room is with a light bulb as the only source then think of a light coloured room with a light bulb … the lighter room is always brighter as it reflects the colour.

Crikey Im babbling sorry :lol1: Im sure someone else might have something to add more constructive?

😀

[Chris Timmermans – Neon]

Hi Nathan
If you use white cold cathode, for more light spread use a warm white rather than a cold white, there’s a nice blue which gives a fantastic halo which is called brilliant blue, green is also extremely bright.
Is this halo for a fascia sign or for hidden illumination? also if using cold cathode don’t forget to allow for a fire switch.
Regards
Neonman
:wave3:

[Chris Timmermans – Neon]

How did you get on Nathan hope the info on the posts helped you.
Regards
Neonman

[Vince Francis]

What colour is the background? Some colours work better with others. Are you lighting onto a tray?

Vince

[Nathan]

Thanks for the replies. I think I’m going to go with a red dibond tray with brushed stainless steel lettering with white leds, can anybody foresee any problems with this combination?

Thanks
Nathan

[Vince Francis]

Use opal poly in the backs of the letters, to prevent spotting.

[Nathan]

Vince – What’s opal poly?

Thanks
Nathan

[Carrie Brown]

I officially dislike LED’s … :lol1: ok well not completely, they are just giving us a bit of a headache that we dont need at the moment!! The job that we are currently trying to sort out after using them (mentioned in another post) is finally hopefully sorted? The client didnt like the size of the halo, we have done our best to correct that now by raising the letters further away from the fascia and by coating the inside of the letters white.

Yes they are easy to use but I think the trouble is getting the finished effect correct. They seem ideal for certain applications but not for everything. Dark backgounds/fascias do not work well with them, depth of built up lettering can effect the finished effect too … we have just found it to be a bit of a hassle than we first imagined 😕 … would we have had as much of a problem with neon? Would the neon have been much brighter providing a larger halo … maybe Neonman can shed some light? :lol1: (“neon” … “shed some light” … Im giving John Singh a run for his money now!!)

Vince, you mention to use “opal backs” … we just ordered some in from you a couple of weeks ago that came with clear … should they have arrived with opal or clear? We are having spotting issues, does the opal completely banish the spotting? Will the opal reduce the intensity/brightness of the light though? We are looking at possibly coating the clear backings you supplied with translucent vinyl to give the effect you have just mentioned … not sure if it will work though??

Leds seem ok to use providing the colour scheme fits, which seems to be only light colours for the backing board/fascia etc? 😀

[Vince Francis]

quote :

Vince, you mention to use “opal backs

Carrie, its something that has just been bought to our attention, that by using an opal, or applying a frosted vinyl to the backs, reduces the amount of spotting by LED’s.

[Chris Timmermans – Neon]

Thanks Carrie at last a bit of moral support for us Neon Guys (hot)
I understand the frustrations of Led’s and I can foresee the problems that they are going to cause to sign Co’s in the future, everyone seems to be using them at the moment, all down to false promises about the life of an Led and the brightness, OK they are bright but Led’s come in different variations majority that are been sold for halo and face illumination are directional which is OK if you look straight at it, it’s extremely bright, but look at it from the side hardly looks lit, get an 180 degree led that would be better for halo (throws light out at 180 degrees) Neon is 360 degrees totally floods letter with light for halo or face illumination 😎 and no dots with clear or opal back tray, also you can determine the light output with Neon. superimposed neon usually runs at 20ma – 37ma, face and halo illumination Neon usually 50ma larger diameter 20mm – 25mm can run at anything between 100ma – 200ma these are the advantages of using Neon cold cathode
Of coarse has I’ve said in my first posts.
NEON has been let down by the designers for not understanding the fundamentals of what its capability’s are. (what you can do with it, and what you can’t).
Fitters for not installing to the Legal electrical requirements causing premature sign faults, fire switches not fitted where required.
Over all Neon is far superior to Led’s for illumination purposes, if manufactured correctly life expectancy can out perform Led’s as well as economy. Led’s are easy to install anyone can do it this is a bad problem for Neon.
Kindest Regards
Neonman

[Mindaugas]

i use LED or Neon, neon is betre, have more light,

[Alex Wilson]

If you use clear polycorbonate back trays just rough them up all over with a fine wet & dry sandpaper and hey presto no unsightly spots of light as the tiny scratches diffuse the concentration of light

Best wishes

Alex
(mod-edit)

[Vince Francis]

Hi Neonman

I also agree with Carrie, im not a lover of LED’s, the light that you get with Neon, I find to be better. LED’s have thier place, such as small letters, but large scale work, I do not think LED’s can complete.

Another factor, large letter work, I find LED’s can-not compete on price. I think that as LED’s are the new ‘buzz’ word with designers, they are specifiying them as they are new, and thats why at the moment they are being used so much.

Vince

[Chris Timmermans – Neon]

Hi Vince
You are right Led’s do have their place and are ideal for small lettering where Neon is impractical, we manufacture Neon everyday majority of work we now do is for UAE, Turkey & Spain all cold cathode lighting big diameter stuff, We don’t do much quoting anymore for B/U letters, just superimposed or repair work, The problem us Neon shops are now faced with is Led’s are not specialist enough for Neon shops to supply, as with Vinyl lettering and Graphics, sign writers could carry on without the skills for using a brush they could put their knowledge of letter styles and setting out a sign to good use and get themselves a vinyl cutter, in the Neon world things are different, fitting Led’s into letters is not a skilled job, their are too many company’s supplying Led’s all running at different voltages when replacement time comes around I can see problems, with colour matching & brightness.
We are doing replacement Led’s for a well known company, these Led’s are set in resin for waterproofing, but it hasn’t worked maybe only 2 yrs old this is a national problem not just odd one, we gave a price to replace with Neon for about half the price of the Led’s but they still want the Led’s the illumination would have been far brighter with Neon than Led no fire switches to fit or anything complicated all running on Low Voltage.

[Paul Hodges]

We have been down this road with LED’s and done quite a few jobs using them.

It seems obvious to me, that if you want the absolute best effect for an illuminated sign you have to use neon, nothing touches it.

LED may have niche uses such as small scale work but ultimately, the only real reason to use them is because they are supposed to be a much cheaper alternative.

Planning issues sometimes favour LED, but otherwise i would always stick with neon.

[Chris Timmermans – Neon]

Great News Paul
It seems the Led market at the moment is booming, the thing is anyone can supply them and fit them, and OK Neon is best but People tend to think there’s too much messing about with Neon to get that final result which is true, Fire switches to be fitted transformers etc Led’s can be fitted in house no breakages etc, Led’s have good advantages compared to Neon and this is the problem, one other problem is they are still quite recent in the sign industry so they will improve, new ideas will be created for superimposed Neon and for built up letters which will make them even more cost efficient and brighter the more that are flooded into the market the more options there will be.

Regards
Neonman

[Paul Hodges]

Yes i know what you’re saying mate, but if you want the proper stuff, you just have to go to the right people who can do the job don’t you?

At the end of the day, our client’s are paying us for our expertise, and if that includes neon, then we in turn need to use the appropriate people rather than try to take on everything ourselves.

Customer satisfaction is so important these days and to be honest, most of our LED jobs have had a 50-50 response. Whilst people like it, i think in their mind’s eye they are expecting a similar result to neon. Whenever people ask me about LED signs now, i always over emphasise how much weaker they are in comparison, that way people are not disappointed with the result.

[Chris Timmermans – Neon]

(hot) SPOT ON Paul!!!!

Regards
Neonman

[D Major]

Hi guys – interesting stuff……….I am quoting a customer just now for halo lit 3D stainless letters. Can anyone send me a good photo of something like that?

Also interested in a hi-tech looking centre piece for their office. Ideal would be a brushed stainless panel on locators, about 1m wide x 750 high with logo cut out, and some funky effect of the logo inset into it. They hate perspex though.
Any bright ideas, or anyone got some photos of that sort of sign?

Help much appreciated !