My LED Sign won't work - HELP!

-Deacon Wardlow

So you purchased an LED Sign from XYZ "manufacturer" online. Maybe they had a salesperson in the area who sold you on the system - maybe they were the lowest price or seemed to have a great system. Whatever the reason, you sold it and now (when there's a problem) that company is gone like the wind... What do you do?

We're all too familiar with this scenario. I got into the LED sign side of Digital Signage because people kept asking for my help with systems (both domestic and off-shore/Chinese displays) and I quickly learned there's not a lot of support out there. International trade and a lack of standardization in the LED Sign industry have left a HUGE GAPING HOLE allowing for easy entry to market. Anyone with 5 minutes and access to a web search engine can find off-shore companies willing to (cheaply) white-label product shipped to the USA and suddenly there's a new LED Sign company in the market.

If you're looking at this article, chances are you've taken that leap and landed in a hole. If you haven't yet purchased from a company selling (or reselling) off-shore product... take these words seriously - Check our articles on buying offshore vs. Domestic. I'm biased and would rather you bought from one of our LED Sign manufacturing partners, but really anyone domestic is likely going to be better than buying product sourced from a manufacturer outside of the USA. I know there are many of you who are out of the USA/North America and yes we do cost more than the Asian options... but you really get what you're paying for with technology in this industry. Word to the wise - CHECK - RE-CHECK - and Triple-Check your potential source for LED Sign Systems... Now, let's help you out.

First - checkout the previous blogs on troubleshooting and support I and Scott have put out there:
http://vantageled.blogspot.com/search?q=troubleshooting

More often than not, issues are fairly simple and can be quickly resolved without too much outside assistance. Back in the day, I needed to lean on translating A LOT of Chinese documentation and finding sources for parts - this isn't as big an issue these days. The increased amount of people buying direct from China/Korea/Taiwan (and companies buying from "manufacturers" who resell Chinese/other product) has spawned a backstage support industry as many of the reseller companies quickly disappear after a few years of opening their doors, leaving both end-users and sign companies to fend for themselves for any support and/or repairs required.

If you're stuck with a "black box" (dead LED Screen) - try some of these tips and hopefully it'll help you out.

Content

1. Have the client clear their existing schedule - create a new message (has to be new content - just a simple 'TEST" text message) and send it to the display. If it shows, it may be the content just timed out or there's some bad content in the system. 

2. If the display is working (showing TEST) then have the client redo their content as a message may have become corrupted or have a messed up asset (image/video/etc.).

Communications

Check the cable connecting the sign and/or computer to the network (or eachother if directly connected). It's possible a cable is damaged/misconnected - a radio isn't receiving power, or something got damaged causing the display to no longer communicate.

Power Issue

1. Sounds silly - but simple steps are often best to try first - turn off the power to the system, count to 30 and turn it on again. Sometimes there's a fault in the controller or the boards, or power and rebooting the system may (temporarily) clear the error.

2. Check the source power - is the system receiving a steady 120V (or 240V - whatever source power is)? If the voltage in is less than 110 - there may be a feed problem. This would have been noticed earlier with the sign "flickering" or going out at peak usage times (morning/afternoon/evening).

3. Check the power supply (PS) - most power supplies have an LED indicator which should be on. If the indicator is off or not visible, a quick check with a multimeter should show the PS is operational and what it's outputting for power.

4. Check the leads/connections on the power supplies to the controller and the main control boards in the system. Make sure the connections are clean (not rusted/oxidized) and if there's a connecting plug - unplug and re-plug it is to make sure the connections are secure.

Controller Problem

1. Check the control system. Start with the controller (it's either a small black box (PC) or a small black box (control card with power supply using an embedded control system). Disconnect power and reconnect. Check to see if the display "blinks" when reconnected and shows anything. If it (at least) blinks... that's a good sign.

2. Check the connections from the controller to the DVI/Video card (this will be a card connected to the controller with a video cable (likely DVI/VGA computer cable). It should have some small LED indicators - if so, is there a constant lit one and a blinking one? This means there's power and signal. If there's no indicator - move to the next card.

3. Check the next card (logic board aka distribution board aka hub card) - this should have a power LED (constantly lit) and a signal LED (blinking). If you have power, but no blinking - there's no signal and there's a problem with either the controller or the video card. If you have power and blinking (signal) - check the connections to the LED modules and check power to the LED modules. If there's no power or blinking - go back to the PS (Power Supply) and check it.

Note all posts - thoughts - writings- etc. are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically noted. Direct emails can be sent to deacon@spectacularmedia.com for queries and/or assistance.

Digital Signage Need to Know: Make your LED Sign Stand Out From the Pack

-Scott Hofheins

Whether it’s a giant digital billboard, or a small color unit, outdoor digital signage all share a the same goal: Communicate and Advertise to the Viewer. You could be selling cars, promoting events, or listing worship hours. The end goal does not change. Outdoor digital advertising is becoming more common across the US, it will become increasingly important to make your message stand out among the others. How do you do this?

It Matters...Always

During the initial period of an LED sign, owners may be heavily involved in the sign and its content to ensure a return on the investment. However, after the first year or so, this level of attention typically drops as other items appear more important than the LED sign. This leaves the sign working under its potential, outdated and rarely noticed from the lack of new content.

The truth is, your LED sign matters just as much on year 5, as the day it was installed. LED signs are not set it and forget it products, they must be updated and managed just like the rest of your business. If you're too busy, then invest in a content service, or in-house designer.

This can be done effectively without costing you an arm and a leg. Many designers are freelance, and can work on a “per ad” basis, where you only pay for what they produce. Additionally there are online content creation services available that are even more cost effective, without sacrificing quality.

Quality

The quality of the content will be the biggest factor in standing out among the rest. LED signs have unique requirements when it comes to content. Because they are viewed from a distance and a lower content resolution, font size/type, contrast  and timing are absolutely critical to the effectiveness of your sign.

A professional designer with experience in LED sign content knows this, and will be able to produce accordingly. While print media may contain thin stylized fonts, complicated backgrounds and effects, LED signs require very bold text, extremely readable fonts and animated effects that support the message, not done just for it’s own sake.

Animation

When done correctly, animations will provide a base for the message and accent the key points you are trying to make. In a message like “We Offer Free Diagnostics” you want to place the emphasis on “Free Diagnostics” not “We Offer”. A good animator knows this and drives the point home with subtle yet effective animated effects.

The timing of animated content is also very important. Good designers get the animation done quickly, then allow the viewer to read the text immediately. Slowly scrolling text across the screen is the least effective approach, yet we still see it all the time. This is a holdover from the “scrolling message center” days, when text was the only content you had. Viewers see so much more now, and their attention span is minuscule compared to 10 years ago. You must grab their attention, and get your message out as quickly as possible.

Timing and Scheduling

If your LED display plays the same content 24/7, your viewers will forget to look at it after the first couple of weeks. Unless you're in the sign business, you do not purposefully look at every LED sign regardless of the content.

Regular viewers demand fresh and updated content relevant to them.  By targeting specific audiences during specific times of the day, you can focus your advertising and demand attention from your viewers. I’m not talking about trying to find a way to strobe your LED sign, that will leave an extremely negative impression.  What you're looking for is:

• Who is looking at my sign
• When are they looking at it
• What content will speak to them directly.

Some common target groups include, commuters during rush hour, people going to lunch, weekend travelers, Sunday churchgoers, and a host of other groups specific to your locale. Do you have other businesses nearby that may have customers for you? Create messages for them, IE “Getting your Car Fixed? Stop by for a Drink While You Wait!”.

How long do your viewers have to look at the sign? Are there stop lights? Does traffic back up? I always recommend you drive the road and write down the average time viewers see your sign and schedule accordingly.

Get a Good Sign

This seems obvious, but surprisingly not advice always followed. Some think “a sign is a sign, and a message is a message”. If you still believe that after reading this post, then I cannot help you. The quality of a sign is extremely important. It has to work 24/7, and skimping on a sub-par manufacturer will result in negative impressions from viewers in the long run.

An LED sign with missing pixels, poor viewing angle, and dim LEDs will make you stand out...but in the worst possible way. You will look cheap, and your organization will look the same. I’m not saying you need over pay for a gold leafed sign, but you do need to avoid the temptation to purchase a sign with a price tag that’s too good to be true. Avoid this at all costs.

For those already burdened with a sub-par sign, there is still hope. If replacement is not an option. you can usually find at least a few qualities that you can maximize on the sign. In many poorly crafted signs, displaying “white” is a problem, and it looks splotchy. In this case, find the colors that DO look good, and maximize your content to match. Investing in a content creation service, or in-house designer is even more important for you. You may not be able to make your sign look amazing, but great is much better than poor.

Get a Good Warranty

Many in the industry would like you to believe that their displays will never have issues. I promise, they will. Unfortunately this is only realized after the sign is installed and paid for. All of the sudden, the sign warranty becomes THE most important factor of your sign.

A good warranty is at least 5 years. Some manufacturers offer a labor warranty, take it! This will mitigate the cost for repairs, and allow you to minimize the downtime.The difference between a quality manufacturer, and poor one is how often the sign has issues, and how they handle them.

Remember, it’s about Communicating and Advertising to your viewers. You will stand out when you talk to them boldly, tastefully, and directly. Put yourself in their shoes, and never forget the important role your LED display plays in your business. Invest in it, and it will provide for you.

-SH

I hope this post has been informative and helpful. As usual, I welcome ALL constructive comments. Please feel free to comment and add anything I’ve missed, or additional tips you may have regarding this topic. Please visit www.vantageled.com for many other resources, white papers, and of course: Great looking LED Signs!

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

LED Sign Tech & Spec: Front Access Design Considerations for Digital Signage and Hinged Faces

-Scott Hofheins

Last year I wrote about the different access options for LED signs, and my opinions based on direct experience with each method. Today, I would like to focus on the "Front Access Face" (Hinged Face) method specifically. There are many ways to do this wrong, and only a  few ways to do it right. Poorly designed systems will cause long term safety, service, and warranty issues for the lifetime of the sign.

At first thought this seems like a great idea. Why not make the entire face open up for service? You can open the sign faster, access the component layout on a large scale, and replace parts more quickly. All of these things can be true but there are definite trade offs to be aware of. Some of these are small, but there are many potentially large factors that must be taken into consideration.


Size
Full size hinged faces will ultimately have a size limitation. Doors that are too large will “bow” leaving the door seals away from the cabinet, allowing water entry and in some cases a skewed image. The exact size limit depends on the design, and what the manufacturer has found works best. The problem is that many manufacturers haven’t found the sweet spot, or do not care to. They are more focused on the short term sale, then the long term support of the sign. Be very careful of over-sized hinged face systems.

Water Entry
This is one of the most common failure points and a huge factor when designing and implementing a hinged face system. There are few designs in the market that address this issue fully, and most systems will have problems in the long run, if not immediately after installation. Manufacturers have found this out the hard way. The good ones have implemented solutions or moved away from hinged faces altogether. The bad ones continue to use cheaper outdated designs to hit a low price point. This has been a major issue with many of the hinge faced units designed and/or produced overseas.

Door Lifts
Something has to hold these massive doors up and it’s usually gas lifts, typically called “Gas Springs” (similar to the cylinders that hold up an SUV’s rear hatch). When the doors are too big, you have to supply a lot of "push" to safely lift them up. This means constant pressure on the door frames, pushing the faces downwards or outwards depending on the design. In some cases, the lifts have been so powerful that they can push a service tech off the ladder or bucket truck.

Hinge Strength and Design
This is another critical item in the design, and another failure point for a high number of systems. All the weight for the doors rests on these hinges, and as I mentioned earlier the gas lifts are putting a lot of pressure on the doors. When a hinge breaks, simple gravity and the power of the lifts combine to present a significant safety hazard for service crews. I've talked to service personnel in the industry who have experienced this first hand. The consequences can range from being stranded in the bucket for a couple of hours, to serious long term injuries. The quality of the hinge and the design cannot be sacrificed to save costs. Unfortunately this does happen, all too often. It’s not worth the risk in my opinion.

Bucket Access
Maneuvering a bucket underneath a large sign face is difficult, and sometimes impossible. If you have to reach components in the top portion of the sign the bucket has to be almost directly under the sign, or placed to the side to get the lift arm away from the open face. If you're working on multiple parts of the sign, this constant re-positioning can add quite a bit of time to the service call.

Internal Cables
Longer power and data cables are required to connect the internal components on the back of the sign, to the LED modules on the hinged face. Instead of running directly from the component, straight across to the LED module, they have to be run up to the top of the door, then back down on the inside. When this isn't accounted for, the wires can suffer voltage drop, and the data signal can be weak and susceptible to interference.

LED Module Replacement
While accessing the internal components might be a bit easier, replacing the LED modules can be more difficult depending on the design. In many cases you have to remove screws (or hopefully latches) from underneath the face, then awkwardly push the module out, then back through the hole. If the manufacturer has used screws to hold the modules in place, this becomes a fight against gravity and gathering dropped screws from below the sign.

In my opinion, the hinged face design has limited applications, and should be used for smaller signs and custom applications.  Although easy access to sign components is important, there is a balance to be drawn between functionality, and serviceability. When a sign is designed to function well on a consistent basis, it requires less service. I would rather have a sign that is simple to access that doesn't break down as often, than a super accessible sign that has the potential to break down more often.

I still believe that the front access design with a solid cabinet, and latched LED Modules is the ideal method for most applications. It draws the best balance between functionality, simplicity and serviceability that will support the greatest variety of applications.

-SH


I hope this post has been informative and helpful. As usual, I welcome ALL constructive comments. Please feel free to comment and add anything I've missed, or additional tips you may have regarding this topic. Please visit www.vantageled.com for many other resources, white papers, and of course: Great looking LED Signs!

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Short Term Gain - Long Term Cost: The Direct and Indirect Costs and Effects of Poor Quality LED Signs on Business

When an organization is looking for a new LED sign many of the same common factors apply as any major purchase, like a car or the latest HD television. What is the best product? What is the best value for the money? Who is the best manufacturer? Who has the best support? For items such as cars and televisions, consumer reports, websites and reviews are abundantly available to assist the buyer. Unfortunately, these types of resources are not as common in the LED sign industry and the buyer is sometimes left to decide based on limited information and eager salesmen.

Many are convinced to buy a cheaper, inferior product with the promise that they are “buying direct” or “getting the same sign, for ½ the cost”.  Some are even convinced that it’s worth buying a cheaper product, because the price is so good that they can just buy another one if it fails in 2 years. Unfortunately many have learned the hard way that there is no such thing as an “LED-Mart” where you can get cheap prices and reasonable quality product.

Poor quality LED signs do not just stop working after 1-2 years of operation. They break down continually as a function of their poor design and materials. This costs you time, money, reputation (see Deacon's Post) and a constant worry about the street image of your business or organization. Lets look at some of the actual costs for a poorly manufactured LED Sign.

Service Costs:

Signs are not like smart phones or cars. You can’t bring them into the shop, or ship them back to the manufacturer for repair. These are permanent fixtures on your property, and they are usually high off the ground requiring a bucket truck for access.

Some of the average rates for service are:

• Standard bucket truck w/ technician: $150 per hour, 2 hr min.
• Extended bucket or crane w/ technician: $250 per hour. 2 hr min.

• A typical service call to troubleshoot a sign will take 2-3 hours: $450 - $750
• A second trip to install parts usually takes 1-2 hours: $300 - $500

So you are potentially spending: $750 - $1250 per incident. If you’re servicing a sign just 5 times a year you looking at a yearly cost of $3750 - $6250, this adds up to $18,750 - $31,250 over five years. Rates and repair times do vary, but even conservative estimates add up over time.

But what about manufacturers that offer a labor warranty to cover these costs? The effectiveness of a labor warranty is highly dependent on the company that issues it. If they go out of business or are slow to respond to issues, you're stuck with a disabled sign and sometimes have to cover the costs anyway. A good labor warranty should be insured by a third party and the manufacture that issues it must be financially strong and in it for the long term.

Indirect Costs:

Your time is money. Time spent coordinating service calls, troubleshooting the sign, and navigating through poorly designed software costs you money in the long run. It’s hard to quantify the actual dollars lost, but the fact stands that a small business owner who is spending time fixing a sign, is not spending time making money for the business.

Visual appeal is important for any organization or business. When you buy an LED sign you are investing in it’s ability to do one major job: Advertise. When your sign is constantly broken it is not doing it job, and you are losing the return on your investment. To the public, the quality of a sign will reflect the quality of the organization it promotes. A broken sign will cost you business in the long run.

The initial gain from a low cost product is quickly overcome by the cost and negative effect it has on your organization. This is not to say that a higher quality or more expensive sign will never have issues, but the frequency and fix-ability of these issues will be significantly different.  A high quality sign will stay fixed because the design is sound, and the manufacturer cares about the long term operation of the product. When looking for a good LED sign supplier, don’t trade short term value for long term headaches.

- Scott Hofheins

* I welcome ALL constructive comments. Please feel free to comment and add anything I’ve missed, or additional tips you may have regarding this topic. Please visit www.vantageled.com for many other resources, white papers, and of course: Great looking LED Signs.

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

What is the Best Service Access Design for LED Signs?

Virtually every piece of electronic equipment has to be serviced or the internal components accessed at one time or another. This could be as simple as removing the battery cover, or as complex as taking apart a laptop to replace major components. In either situation the manufacturer must design a way for the consumer to access and service the equipment.

LED signs are no different, but have the added factor of being installed outdoors on a structure not easily accessed without a bucket truck or large ladder. To minimize safety risks and long term services costs it is imperative that LED manufacturers have a well designed access to service internal parts.

Some do this well, while others see serviceability as an afterthought, focusing more on volume sales than long term operation. Some advertise that the product is so good it will never need service. This is a nice idea, but not realistic at all. All electronic devices will need to be serviced or maintained at some point during their lifetime; the key is to find a manufacture with the lowest failure rate and who provides the best access design to save time and money on service calls.


So what is the best access design? Well there are four general approaches that most manufacturers use. I've summarized them below, starting with my least favorite:



Front Access Faces
This is a relatively new approach where the entire sign face hinges open to reveal the components. This design has initially appealed to many customers and manufacturers trying to find an innovative solution for service and repair. There is a right way to do this, but there are common issues when done incorrectly including water entry and door size limitations. There are additional issues concerning safety in the design. Some overseas manufacturers have used sub-par materials for the hinges, causing the entire face to dismount during service calls, endangering the safety of the service crew. This type of system done correctly has its place but it must be well designed and engineered, typically adding a substantial cost to the overall price of the LED sign.

Front Access Doors

This solution is similar to the access face approach, but uses smaller doors over multiple sections of a sign. This is often done when the signs are built using pre-fabricated sections pieced together at the factory during production. This approach has worked well for some, but also has drawbacks including restricted air flow inside the sign from the isolation of the sections. In my opinion this option is better than the entire face access, but still falls short for a good overall solution.

 Rear Access Doors
This approach uses multiple doors on the back of each sign to access the internal components and is a common design for many digital billboards and large format signs. This approach should only be used in these specific types of situations, with enough space behind the sign for a service “catwalk”. Otherwise, service is next to impossible using a bucket truck between back to back installations.  

Front Access LED Panels
In my opinion, this is the best overall solution. This approach lets you remove individual led modules (panels) to access the components. Early designs used screws to remove each module, but a small number of major manufacturers (like Vantage LED) currently use a latch system allowing a quick half turn to release each module, saving time and avoiding dropped screws. I have personally experienced virtually all of the other approaches and feel this is the best overall solution for most sign applications.




I come from a service background and know the frustration of poor access design all to well. The hassle and associated costs to service these signs can make a once exciting addition to a business become a dreaded symbol of frustration and wasted time. Don't forget this important factor when looking for a quality LED sign supplier and make sure they are in it for the long run.


I hope this post has been informative and helpful. As usual, I welcome ALL constructive comments. Please feel free to comment and add anything I’ve missed, or additional tips you may have regarding this topic. Please visit www.vantageled.com for many other resources, white papers, and of course: Great looking LED Signs!

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Is After-Service an Afterthought?

-Deacon Wardlow

I've seen many companies launch an excellent product line only to have neglected putting thought into support for the product until  after it’s hit the shelves. This is a mistake made by both big and small businesses. People get so caught up in making something “new and improved” they lose the customer focus along the way and end up having to back pedal.After-service is all too often an afterthought for businesses.

A friend called me looking for advice on getting a custom-built gaming computer, he wanted a laptop system built to his specifications and wanted to know where to get a cheap, yet reliable, system. I recommended a computer company I’ve used in the past and didn’t think about it again until he called me two months later. He ordered the system online and it was well under the price point for comparable systems from name brand companies. The system worked great out of the box when he got it, but he started experiencing heat-related issues and the system would “randomly” shut down.

Since I referred him to the company, I told him I’d take care of it with the manufacturer for him. What was supposed to be a week for repairs turned into a month. Instead of a single point of contact, I was shuffled from one department to another, having to leave multiple voicemails and emails with no follow-up from the company, I eventually get through to a ‘manager’ of the tech support department who told me, “Sorry, there’s nothing I can do.” While my friend saved a lot of money on the system, he (and I) ended up spending a large amount of time getting simple repairs done.

The end result, I’ve had to be reminded (the hard way) what it feels like for a non-technical person to be completely reliant on a company to solve an issue for them. When that company is not on the ball, a lot of frustration is generated. I’m glad I’ve never recommended a company like this to a client (and I’ll be a lot more careful about whom I recommend to friends if I want to keep them from “unfriending” me).

Beyond earnings reports, quarterly Profit/Loss statements and shareholder reports, companies need to focus on what really matters, the customer. Even with the best systems in the world, something can and will go wrong. The real merit of a company shows through in how they support the product. Customers will remember that bitter taste of poor service long after the initial joy of a low price or a new shiny toy. Make sure your business and the partners you deal with for LED signage are looking at the whole picture. Don’t let after-service be an afterthought.



*Always feel free to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Advertisements/promotion for your business and inappropriate comments will be deleted.. Thank you!

**Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.