EMC Purchasing Do's & Don'ts

The Number 1 pitfall in Electronic message centers (EMC) purchasing is the subject of Pitch, AKA Resolution. The appropriate Pitch will be figured based primarily on the distance to the target audience. Longer distances require less resolution, and shorter distances require higher resolution. You can compare resolution to your Television you bought in 1990, versus the High Definition television readily available today. Resolution will be determine the quality of the image being displayed to your audience. A fuzzy and difficult to read sign will probably yield less results than would a clear and pleasant to read sign. The Electronic message centers (EMC) offering a higher resolution, and therefore more expensive price tag, is not always the more appropriate choice, so let Signal Signs do a basic site survey for you today to determine the most cost effective configuration for your specific use.

2nd thing to look for is the Warranty, and the expected lifespan of the LED's being used in the Electronic message centers (EMC). These can range from 60,000 hours to 100,000 hours. To put that in perspective, if you’re EMC was operating 24 hours per day, the LED's are expected to operate up to 11.4 years @ 100k hours. To make sure that apples to apples are being compared in your quote, this part of the quote requires to your attention to make sure that a cheaper competitor is not just offering a product of lesser quality to insure the sell.
 
3rd thing to look for is the brightness of the LED's. This is often referred to as Nit's. This number ranges from 1,000-10,000. This will play an important part in the visibility of the Electronic message centers (EMC) in the proposed ambient light setting. The higher the Nit's, the brighter the Electronic message centers (EMC) will be, and therefore the more visibility it will offer your audience while in direct sunlight.
 
4th thing to look for is the communication method that will be used between your server (PC), and the sign (Receiver). Signals general recommendation for this is the 802.11g WIFI wireless radio configuration. This type of communication will avoid costly labor time digging trenches, and drilling holes in floors and walls to allow wires and cables to carry information between the PC and the Receiver Card in the Electronic message centers (EMC). Again, this is not always the best option due to wireless interference that can occur in some settings. If this becomes an issue, we can provide communication via RS232, RS485, and Ethernet cables.
 
5th thing to look for on your new Electronic message centers (EMC) is the ability of Auto Dimming. This relatively inexpensive, but very useful tool is not standard on some units. A photocell will be strategically placed on the unit to detect ambient light, and therefore adjust the brightness of the LED's accordingly. With this option, the LED's don't have to work any harder than necessary to reach your audience, and can thereby increase the life of the LED. Perhaps the most useful benefit this feature offers is some city ordinances require a tight grip on how much light is be emitted from your Electronic message centers (EMC) at night time, which can result in a fine if not corrected. The photocell will make these adjustments for you automatically.