Programable scrolling LED message signs

[beeiilll]

Well it seems like it is time to start thinking about the next years display already.

I purchased a scrolling LED message sign (40 x 11) on ebay last fall for my display. While the sign works great, it has the one bad drawback that it is totally unreadable during the day. It is not very bright at night either, but can be seen.

I like using a sign like this since it allows one to give out anything of importance to passerbys and works great on a night when you might not be able to run due to weather or whatever.

So has anybody out there had any luck with these kind of signs that don't cost a arm and a leg. This one was $500 which was plenty, but I felt worth it. I have looked at a couple of other ones in the last few days, but to get a 4 foot long one with 1 foot high letters would cost at least $2000. YIKES.

Thanks for your help.

Bill

[tomskillman]

Bill,

I use an old BetaBrite sign. It's only 1 row high (about 4" letters), about 32" wide. I have it in my front window probably 40 ft from the street. I use it to display the current song (using the new Windows Command (RDS) functionality of LOR). During the day, it scrolls a message about showtimes. It is not really all that noticable during the day, but several people have commented on it at night. If it was closer to the street and with less crowded around it, I think it would be perfectly readable both day and night. If I remember, I'll take a picture of it tonight.....

[beeiilll]

Hey Tom

Well I really want something like this one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/LED-MESSAGE-OUTDOOR-DISPLAY-PROGRAMMABLE-SIGN-4-2x1-1ft_W0QQitemZ120326593675QQihZ002QQcategoryZ25380QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

I have a space under my front deck that would be a perfect spot to place it and give out display info as well as one like this has the ability to show movies and photos. Or I was thinking that I could have it show animated characters while the songs are running.

You can get an idea of my house on my web site (which needs to be updated if I ever get some photos and video of my display when and if it is not raining, snowing, or the wind is not blowing 50 MPH). Man, what a winter so far.

Bill

[BryanLeggo]

$2,000 for a sign for basic text info? Better to get a cheap LCD computer monitor or some kind of slide projector. Detailed images (e.g. animation, photos) could also be done on a video projector which would also have uses beyond holiday displays, i.e. you can use it all year in the house.

[beeiilll]

BryanLeggo wrote:

$2,000 for a sign for basic text info? Better to get a cheap LCD computer monitor or some kind of slide projector. Detailed images (e.g. animation, photos) could also be done on a video projector which would also have uses beyond holiday displays, i.e. you can use it all year in the house.

Well yes $2000 is a lot of money, but I have other uses for the sign than just the Christmas display. Also an LCD monitor would require it to be "hooked" to a computer all the time and one of these would not necessarily have to be. An LCD monitor isn't "made" to withstand the cold like these are and would require me to make a bulky and heated enclosure for it.

A video projector might work, but again it has to be tied to some form of equipment to send info to it as well as you need the projector and a screen and that can approach the price of this sign quickly. As well as being not very easy to change around or transport and again the need for an enclosure for the projector.

A sign like one to these can be "standalone" except for the power cord if need be. I also have some opportunities that would allow me to rent it out during the off season to businesses for advertising for them when I am not using it and therefore help recoup some of the cost. They would be able to use it with the remote without the need for any other equipment.

I am more looking to find out if anyone has used one like this themselves and has any experience with them so that I could look at other makes and models for pricing and the options that different ones have to offer. I am interested in the "options" of photo and video display in these as an added "bonus" to be able to use one of these for other things as well as my display.

I have found that the one I have now is very handy for other things, but it is an indoor model and doesn't work outside. Hence I am looking at getting one that can be used either way.

Bill

[Rafter Bar R]

Sam's Club has a programmable RGB LED sign for around $205.

[Dale J]

tomskillman if your still around i have the new bata brite prisms sign i plan on useing it to display my fm freq and say Merry Christmas and have some other graphics during my show but I am interested in how you got it to display your current songs, Thanks for any help in advance

[tomskillman]

Well I had just typed up a nice, long description, and lost it when I tried to attach an exe file. So here goes:

I use the betacom software from http://www.industrologic.com/betasoft.htm

My sign is the "classic" betabrite which is a Serial control sign. If you use the newer BetaBrite Prism (USB), then you would need to use the software from http://www.industrologic.com/prisdesc.htm

The basic commands are in the JPG attached.

here is the command line to use: betacom.exe


My command line is as follows:

betacom.exe COM6 {rotate}{amber}Now Playing: {red} {amber}by {green}


Also, at the end of the show you need to either send a blank message or something else to clear the last song from the display, otherwise it will be saying your last sequence all day until your next show starts. Here is what I use at the end of the show in a cleanup sequence:

betacom.exe" COM6 {Rotate}{Red}Shows Daily {Green}4:30 PM{Red} to {Green}11:00 PM.

The cleanup sequence has all of my channels in it and a total duration of 10 seconds. I do this just to ensure that all channels are turned off at the end of the show. I noticed that with the new option to leave channels on between sequences, I was ending up with lights left on at the end of the show....

Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any other questions....


Attached files

[Vic Fortenbach]

tomskillman wrote:

My sign is the "classic" betabrite which is a Serial control sign. If you use the newer BetaBrite Prism (USB), then you would need to use the software from http://www.industrologic.com/prisdesc.htm

Just some clarification, the Beta Brite Prism LED sign from Sam’s Club does not have a Serial port, just a USB port.

The software from Industrologic will not work on USB enabled Prism LED signs.

There has been some talk on converting the Prism signs USB port to a Serial port, but nothing has been successful…yet.

[Dale J]

Thanks for the comments and yes thats what i figured, i wasn't able to find any way to program thru usb port for the prizm sign, i realy love the sign, I only wish you could do the same programing on the pc as you do with the remote, oh well once you get the basic commands down with the remote it goes pretty smooth although it seems to lock up if you go to fast. thanks again for the help. Dale

[Vic Fortenbach]

Dale J wrote:

Thanks for the comments and yes thats what i figured, i wasn't able to find any way to program thru usb port for the prizm sign, i realy love the sign, I only wish you could do the same programing on the pc as you do with the remote, oh well once you get the basic commands down with the remote it goes pretty smooth although it seems to lock up if you go to fast. thanks again for the help. Dale

You did not get the programming CD and USB cable with your sign ?

My prisum sign was a store display from Sam's Club, got a great price but only for the sign and power adaptor, nothing else.

The software for the sign in on the internet, goggle bbsetup.zip. The cable is a USB to mini B cable. I used my Moto Razr cell phone cable to connect my computer to the prisum sign. Moto Razr cables are available from ebay for less than $5.00.

[Dale J]

hey Vic, ya i to got my sign at sams every since they first got it i wanted one and when it was marked down i just couldn't resist talked to the mrg and he droped the price another 10 bucks and i did get the remote,software and cable but the software only lets you do so many things to the sign, that is all i was refering to. and then like i was saying to bad we can't reprogram it like the old signs, thanks again Dale

[Dale J]

Vic,does the bbsetup.zip do anything different from the original software?

Dale

[zman]

I used this one last year, Wirekat got one after he saw mine, and another enthusiast in our area as well. It is not too bright during the day, but very nice at night. They seem to be out of stock at the moment.

http://stores.favotech.com/Items/tfi-32x128-50rg?&caSKU=tfi-32x128-50rg&caTitle=NEW%2040%20x%2012%20LED%203%20Color%20Scrolling%20Message%20Sign%20Display

They have a few options including a super bright for a lot less than the $2K mentioned earlier. But for the money ($450), the above unit is great.

[Vic Fortenbach]

Dale J wrote:

Vic,does the bbsetup.zip do anything different from the original software?

Dale

I did not get the orginial software with my prisum, and I have purchased several 3 color (old) style Bete Brite signs for which I plan on using for Christmas 2009.

The old Beta Brite signs I purchased, also did not come with any software, so I got a copy of the AlphaNet sign programing software. The software is really cool, it will program ANY of the alpha signs, (even the really big outdoor signs) it will also program the prisum, but it can not control any of the extra colors or built in animations. The BBsetup.zip does that.