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Tune To Sign


drums114

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Hi guys - I made my Tune To sign, I just wish I would have spaced the letters further apart :D.

I made it using coroplast and old icicle lights (that I was not using anymore). :) Let me know what you think, should I take the time and redo the "Tune" or can you read it?

I still need to also make a frame for it on the other side...


Attached files 318983=17395-463203_372859712778836_349403218457819_1082333_2048736387_o.jpg

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Thanks - it would take like 3 hours to move the TUNE and TO:. Then I have all the little holes...

I am thinking, what if I take a string of red lights and put a sing line within the letters? Would that help?

I am just a perfectionist, and this was my first attempt - keep in mine this is 6 feet by 42 inches - I did not want people to look for the TUNE TO sign in my yard.

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drums114 wrote:

Thanks - it would take like 3 hours to move the TUNE and TO:. Then I have all the little holes...

I am thinking, what if I take a string of red lights and put a sing line within the letters? Would that help?

I am just a perfectionist, and this was my first attempt - keep in mine this is 6 feet by 42 inches - I did not want people to look for the TUNE TO sign in my yard.


Sorry, I hope you don't mind me saying that it looks, um.....really bad.

I would take the time and redo the sign. Especially, the "88".
If you're a perfectionist as you say you are, then do it over and make it look like you are a perfectionist.

The sign would be hard for most folks to read that. I knew what it said, but only because, I know what it is. Someone that is driving by would probably ignore it, or stare at it trying to figure out what it said, instead of watching the show.

Please don't take that the wrong way. You asked and I gave you my opinion.
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Thanks, I may just put a single line of red rights within the letters. The picture is very bad, in person and from far away it looks better.

I tried researching and doing everything myself. I didn't really see any good ideas for making a BIG Tune to sign, all the examples I saw are soo small.

Since this is my first year and I still have a ton of things to do, version 2 next year may happen....

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I'm thinking even with the red that the lettering is too close. Here is mine for reference.




Attached files 318994=17396-radio sign 2010.JPG

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Should you decide to do it over, this method worked well for me (albeit my sign is smaller): Use stencils (or masking tape if you can't find stencils big enough) and spray-paint the black coro with white, reflective paint. Then put your lights in the middle of the letters. They will illuminate the paint, resulting in sharp edges.

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Good idea....I think I am going to attempt to put the red lights in the middle, right now, the lights are in the coro really good and almost hard to get out! I think I am going to salvage this sign and see what I could do with it...

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I have to agree with David on this. The letters are way too close together, so they are going to create a blur effect for anyone looking at it.

I backed as far away from my monitor to see if it would look any better, unfortunately, it still blurs and runs together due to the lack of spacing between the letters and numbers.

I have been called a perfectionist on many things, and like you, if it doesn't look good enough that I think others can't see or read it, I do it over.

I have to make two signs this year since I'm in a new location, 1 for Halloween and 1 for Christmas.

The Halloween sign I am going to try and use a large blank tombstone{if I can find one, may have to use the reverse side of one if I can't} and push Orange Incandescent lights through it to create that sign. Still thinking on how and what I want to use for the Christmas sign.

Good Luck, but I would definitely recommend redoing the sign with better spacing between the letters and numbers for more clarity and easier reading on those looking at it.

Although, depending on how you have the lights {as in how many sets you have} and if each word is a seperate light strand, there could be a way to salvage the sign as is and not change anything.

This is how I'd do it:

Put the TUNE as 1 channel and use a different intensity, then do the same for the TO: just put TO: on another channel and alter it's intensity to be slightly dimmer or brighter than the TUNE, then use a 3rd channel for the 88.7 and alter it's intensity so that it is just offset enough from the TUNE and TO:, this will give a viewer a little easier viewing of the sign, because now, since each word is offset by a differing intensity, it will actually pop out a bit better.

But if you don't have the spare channels to do that, redoing it would be the only other option to make it more viewer friendly than it currently stands in your photo above. I just think adding more lights, even though a different color, may still create the blurring of the words together and actually could make it worse, instead of better.

Just my opinion {you aksed} and hopefully a somewhat helpful fix/alternative.

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Guest wbottomley

drums114 wrote:

Thanks, I may just put a single line of red rights within the letters. The picture is very bad, in person and from far away it looks better.

I tried researching and doing everything myself. I didn't really see any good ideas for making a BIG Tune to sign, all the examples I saw are soo small.

Since this is my first year and I still have a ton of things to do, version 2 next year may happen....



Let me save you some time: http://www.highcountrylights.com/blog/a-new-radio-sign.html
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I would have to agree that the letters are to close. If people can't read it quickly and easily, they won't stop.

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How far away is the sign from your viewers? The standard sign from holidaycoro, though it's nowhere near your 6' x 42" sign size, is very visible and readable from quite some distance away. Per wbottomley's post above, it should save you lots of time over having to make a new one on your own. Reasonably priced too. I have 2 in my display. They look great. And each one probably took me less than 2 hours to push the 500 lights through the holes in the coro.

http://www.holidaycoro.com/category-s/1861.htm

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I appreciate the effort in making the sign, but I think it's very difficult to read. I think you need to have some spacing between letters/numbers so the eye can easily see where one letter ends and the next one begins, kind of like written words. I'm not a perfectionist, but I'm plenty anal, and I'd definitely scrap that one and do it over before putting it in MY display.

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I think it's readable, but really pushing it. I showed my wife and she paused, and read it quickly enough, but the pause, to me, was telling.

Since the letters are literally touching, I don't think adding color is going to help. In fact, they're not just touching, the "O" in "TO" is actually stealing space from under the "T".

It shouldn't take you anywhere near 6 hours to redo this. Put in a good movie, draw it out with a pencil, and punch away. 2 hours tops... And use new coro, its cheap :D

Or if you have more money than time, the holidaycoro.com one is pretty nice.

Good luck...

-Tim

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Thanks guys for all the comments. When I got home from work, I did move the letters over. Since this is my first year, I am already shelling out a lot of money. Need to be careful with the wife ;).

I didn't change much but put more spaces between the letters. I just need to fill in the bad holes maybe with some white caulk. Again, next year I may make a new one - with LEDS, but for now, I will do with what I have...I will post a pic later once I get everything done including the frame and stand.

The reason why I am going so big is because I hate going to a house and try and find the sign, I want people to know the radio station...

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Try white electrical tape or the like to cover the holes, if they're noticeable with the sign on and it dark outside...

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Hey Drums,

Do you have a picture at night as well as further away? Most people are going to view it from a distance ;)

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