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nova matrix (not bright at all)
RandyT:
--- Quote from: csa3d on August 25, 2008, 05:56:25 pm ---This is probably a general LED issue. I'd be curious to see a cold cathode tube of equal size go up against the NovaMatrix led bar. I suspect the cold cathode would win personally.
--- End quote ---
Speaking as someone who used to install three of them into a 12" x 20" face on 3D slot machines just to get them to almost appear lit (and repair them when the inverters failed), I'll take that bet ;)
Most lighting issues are due to poor light distribution (too close or too far away), poor graphic materials (not properly transmissive / diffusive) and/or trying to light too large an area with too small a light source. One big complaint I have seen on these forums is from people with standard fluorescent marquees in a home setting who think they are too bright. If your cab is in the same room you watch TV in, it's pretty overpowering, especially if you like to watch in low-light conditions. Most are happy with one NovaMatrix, but sometimes folks will buy a second to give it a little more punch if they have a wide cab.
I also wanted to make it clear that distance is important. While having the light close to the marquee will indeed create a "hot spot" that is brighter, this is at the expense of just about every bit of possible illumination normally achievable with the areas outside of the hot spot. If you look at the picture, in the dark room, the falloff of the light is almost a hard line. This indicates a distance problem. While it's normal to have some falloff at the edges, especially on such a wide cab, this hard edge indicates that the light is too close.
--- Quote from: clickhea on August 25, 2008, 06:11:56 pm ---i love your products randy, its just this one isnt up to par imo.
--- End quote ---
You probably needed two for that cab / material / distance and you would have been able to forget about them afterwards. Don't fault the concept of LED lighting (it's everywhere now) because you don't want to buy enough of them ;).
--- Quote from: Namco on August 25, 2008, 06:13:52 pm ---I'm not sure what kind of fixture Randy's talking about that needs replacement every 3 to 6 months, but this fixture has been in my cab since the 90's:
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The "8$ under the counter fluorescent tube fixtures" that can be purchased at places like Walmart, Home Depot, etc..
I like the compact fluorescent idea. But some folks aren't comfortable with 120v :) Make sure you have it well vented as well. They still put off a fair amount of heat in an enclosed box.
RandyT
clickhea:
yeah i understand, i just wish i was aware that wider cabs woulda required 2 nova matrix's
Namco:
--- Quote from: clickhea on August 25, 2008, 06:22:50 pm ---that doesnt heat up your marquee at all?
--- End quote ---
In the summer, it gets quite warm, but that's in a 95 degree garage.. The monitor's heat probably generates most of the heat up there due to poor venting. Usually the bulbs are pretty cool to the touch anyway since I'm using compact florescents.
It looks like there would be hotspots in the picture, but that's just due to the aperture of the camera lens. In reality there is no hotspot:
Namco:
--- Quote from: RandyT on August 25, 2008, 06:25:50 pm ---
--- Quote from: Namco on August 25, 2008, 06:13:52 pm ---I'm not sure what kind of fixture Randy's talking about that needs replacement every 3 to 6 months, but this fixture has been in my cab since the 90's:
--- End quote ---
The "8$ under the counter fluorescent tube fixtures" that can be purchased at places like Walmart, Home Depot, etc..
I like the compact fluorescent idea. But some folks aren't comfortable with 120v :) Make sure you have it well vented as well. They still put off a fair amount of heat in an enclosed box.
RandyT
--- End quote ---
Aah, gotcha. You can't exactly replace the ballast or bulb on the cheapo fluorescent fixtures. :D.
FrizzleFried:
Most of my marquees are too bright! These would probably work well aside from the fact that some of the cabs don't have a 12v line to tap in to.
When I use compact florescent lights I always get the 3w to 5w maximum (40 watt replacement bulbs). They run very cool and last a long time.
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