Unlike other RGB+White Led Modules, the BrightON Sirius has 8 independent Red, Green, Blue, & White LEDs, where as others share three LEDs (Red, Green, Blue) under a singe lens.  With 8 independent LEDs on a single module, your color palette will be larger, and brighter

I was experimenting with the new revised BrightON Lightning module which is more efficient than the previous version.....more light for the same power.  

This BrightON Lightning module was made for very shallow lighting applications.  

Anyway, thought I would snap some pics and show how impressive this little module really is.  This module is perfect for 3" & 5" return channel letters, even better for halo illuminated letters because of the crazy light output, perfect for Day/Night faces where you need light to punch through.  This module produces Competitive Light, NOT Usable Light...so if you have a premium customer and premium project this little High-End Constant Current LED module is for you!  A lot of light that will last a very, VERY long time.  

Here is a test channel at just 1.5" in depth, the acrylic used is 1/8" #7328 White, this is just using a Autohaus MC Grade 7328, and the result is even lighting no hotspots.  LD Acrylic is real nice for LED lighting, but at 1.5" depth, this regular grade sign white light nice.

4"W  x 24"L  x 5"D  Channel with false bottom, lighted up for a 1.5" Depth

The Luminance right on the face measures something around 544 Foot Candle Average, that's some crazy brightness.  Typical .6w to .72w modules for 3" and 5" returns with usable light luminance is around 200 FC's. Using these for the same you get around 300-400 FC.

ShootOut

So, we got some interesting feedback from our last Shootout between the .8w 24V BrightON-II, .8w 12V Principal LED Qwik Mod 2, & .96w 12V Sloan's Value Line 4.  

Confusion

First and foremost...We are from the Sign Industry as Fabricators & Designing and we will continue to build LED systems from that view point....

There seems to be a lot of confusion in the air with our industry as some were quick to say the comparison was bad because the BrightON II LED module was 24V compared to the rest only being 12V.  

There was also confusion when I explain that the BrightON II LED Module was way more light efficient.

Let's take the first one.  There is nothing about a 24v LED Module that makes it brighter over a 12V if they are both .8watts each, the only difference is 24v is double the voltage, but half the current of a 12v LED Module....just as a 12v LED module is half the voltage but double the current of a 24v LED Module.  What's important about the 24v BrightON LED line is that they are built to last (and we have 12V LEDs too), that being said....we design for 24 volt system because it means the module is taking half the current through the system which means it's getting half the resistance and heat of a 12v LED Module.  Lesser heat and resistance means longer life.  LED's HATE heat!

The second part, when I say Light Efficient, I don't mean it's "Energy Efficient" for the client.  I'm saying the quality of the LED chips (Diode) is such a high quality that it requires very little power in for more light out.  In other words the BrightON II Led Module, is producing more light for the same power as the Principal Qwik Mod 2, or lesser power than the 1 watt Sloan Value Line 4.  This means the BrightON is built with higher quality.  

BrightON LED is building Quality, NOT Quantity.  BrightON LED is building lighting components for Competitive Light, NOT....Usable Light.  And it's producing more light being under driven, NOT overdriven to produce more light, hence the BrightON II .8watt produces more light than the .96watt Sloan Value Line 4.  

Alright, enough of that.

Now we enter the .8w 24v BrightON II Ruby Red vs Principal LED's Red Qwik Mod 2.

The Shoot Out

Principal LED Qwik Mod 2 Red (Left), BrightON II Ruby Red LED (Right)

The Benchmark Comparison Details

Similar to the last comparison, not much changes.  Both are contained in a 24" x 4.25" x 5" Channels.  The faces are 1/8" 2283 Red by Plexiglas MC Grade.

The BrightON II Ruby Red LED is .8watts per module and a 24volt module, the biggest difference is that the module is Constant Current, NOT Constant Voltage, the wiring is also 18 AWG.

The Principal Qwik Mod 2 Red LED is also .8watts per module and is a 12V module with a contact voltage system.  The wiring is 20 AWG which will have voltage loss for long long runs and jumps that are involved with Channel Letter lighting that will lead to dimmer lighting at certain points in jump from the Power Supply

Both modules are spaced equally, 6" OC, 3" from the ends.

The Results

Well, the results are significant......  

The BrightON II Ruby Red is significantly to say the least, WAY more Light efficient than Principal LED's Qwik Mod 2 Red.  The BrightON Ruby Red has double the Luminance (Light on a surface) than the Principal Qwik Mod 2 Red.

The Foot candles per watt are also double.

If you had two signs with the same name "Rug Depot" and they were both side by side, the difference at night would be HUGE.  You could even say we could space the modules of the BrightON Ruby Red out much farther to use lesser modules and the sign would still be brighter and the Qwik Mod 2 Red and the Cost of Operation would be much less.  We could even be so bold to say that we could down size the wattage of the BrightON Ruby Red to a .6w or .5w module and still be brighter than the Principal Qwik Mod 2 Red.

Constant Current vs Constant Voltage Basics

As explained before...

Constant Voltage

Let's talk about the Constant Voltage LED System and how it affects Sign Applications and Projects.  

CV LED modules only use Resistors to protect the system, this is minimal.  Sometimes LED Power Supplies can kill these Systems especially when not loaded right.  A lot of LED PSU's (LED Power Supply Units) vary in the voltage out, or secondary.  Some Secondaries can output about 12.15 to 12.24, sometimes slightly higher.  That fraction of a volt makes the LEDs run hotter and the brightness of the LED goes up beyond the intended purpose.  Also, if you light a string of say 25 LEDs, the first module takes a bigger hit than the last LED module on the string, also the light output of the first module is brighter than the last.  You will have inconsistent lighting of LED modules on long strings when it comes to CV Modules.  Fractions of a volt dim the LED modules from string to string or Jump to jump.

Constant Current

With Constant Current LED systems, each module has a current regulated by having an on board CR Chip.  What this does is govern the current, in short....it's extra protection.  How it differs is, unlike CV LEDs, where the last LED module on a string of 25 will be just as bright as the first module on that string.  Also, going over the intended voltage will not affect the light output or life that it will with CV LED.  CC LEDs assure consistent brightness throughout your sign, and longer life than a CV LED Module where they can be overdriven

Loading Advantages

With the 24v BrightON II Ruby Red LED modules, you can load 120 modules on a single channel 96watt France Lighting Solutions Led Power Supply.  On a 12v system you are limited to a single 60w channel which will give you about 63 modules being on the safe side.

In Closing

The Results Speak for itself....

This is not to take away from what light the Principal Qwik Mod 2 Red produces, it's decent, it's your average red creating usable light.  But it's Constant Voltage and it uses 20AWG wire for it's system which will further voltage loss when used for channel letter lighting along with dimmer light with that voltage loss.

The BrightON Ruby Red is just a High-End module producing premium light for the same power compared to most modules on the market today.

I'll say again....first and foremost...we are from the Sign Industry as Fabricators & Designers and we will continue to build LED systems from that view point....NOT, the other way around

If High-End, Long Life, Competitive Lighting is what you want to integrate into your Sign & Lighting Projects for your clients, then the BrightON LED line is what you want...

Well.....we'll show you!

Let’s go over a few quick specs first and how they differ from a few of the major brands out on the market right now.  

For this purpose we compared the BrightON II to Principal’s Qwik Mod2, and Sloan LED’s Value Line 4, or VL4 as most know it as.

The Shoot Out

Sloan LED Value Line 4 (Left), Principal LED Qwik Mod (Center), BrightON II LED (Right)

The Benchmark Comparison Details

Each Channel is 24” L x 4.25” W x 5” Deep.  Why 4.25” Width?  Well, because the standard told you that each stroke of Neon should hold for 4”, at 6” or 8” you would add another.  The acrylic face is just a simple 1/8” #7328 MC White.  The module spacing for all modules is also the same at 6.5” OC

The first thing you should know is that the BrightON II is Constant Current Module, NOT Constant Voltage.  Both the Qwik Mod2 and VLT 4 are Constant Voltage.  We’ll get back to this part in a bit, and maybe we will follow through in a separate article when it comes to CC vs CV and what the pro’s and con’s are.

The BrightON II uses 18AWG for the module system wiring, the Qwik Mod2 and VL4 both use 20 AWG, so they will both incur some voltage loss in longer string strands, especially if it's s shop who likes to load 30 to 50 modules on a single string, this 20 AWG wiring doesn’t not help a Constant Voltage LED System, this works against it.

The BrightON II is 24V, the Principal LED Qwik Mod 2, and Sloan VL4 LED modules are 12V.  With 24V you have half the current flowing across the system, which in turn means less heat and resistance than a 12V system.  This also means, longer life.

The BrightON II is .8 watts per module, the Qwik Mod 2 is also .8 watts per module, the Sloan VL4 however is a higher wattage module at .96 watts.  Usually higher wattage means higher light output.

The Surface Lighting Results

Since we’re in America, we’re using Foot Candles to measure Light Output, in a measured off area on each acrylic face (6” x 4.25”) we use an ExTech Light meter to measure the High and Lows, just like we have done in all past Benchmark Lighting Comparisons such as The Great White Hope, The Red Light District, & Blue Light Special.   We add both measurement (High's & Low's) numbers together and divide by 2.  i.e. FC High of 232 + FC Low of 226 = 458 FC.  458 FC / 2 = 229 FC, or 229 Foot Candle Average.

As you can see, for the same power modules, the BrightON II is 29% brighter on the sign surface (Luminance), and 17% brighter than the higher wattage Sloan VL4.

Lastly, let’s look at the Foot Candles Per Watt.

This is the amount of light per watt on the acrylic or sign face surface.  This illustrates the efficiency of each module, or light output per water being consumed.  Depending on the quality of the chip, some will produce more light than others consuming the same amount of power.  The BrightON far exceeds the Principal Qwik Mod 2, and the Sloan Value Line 4 in light efficiency.

Constant Voltage

Now let's talk about the Constant Voltage LED System and how it affects Sign Applications and Projects.  

CV LED modules only use Resistors to protect the system, this is minimal.  Sometimes LED Power Supplies can kill these Systems especially when not loaded right.  A lot of LED PSU's (LED Power Supply Units) vary in the voltage out, or secondary.  Some Secondaries can output about 12.15 to 12.24, sometimes slightly higher.  That fraction of a volt makes the LEDs run hotter and the brightness of the LED goes up beyond the intended purpose.  Also, if you light a string of say 25 LEDs, the first module takes a bigger hit than the last LED module on the string, also the light output of the first module is brighter than the last.  You will have inconsistent lighting of LED modules on long strings when it comes to CV Modules.  Fractions of a volt dim the LED modules from string to string or Jump to jump.

Simulation

We simulated this small sign using 18 AWG wiring hooked up to measured LED Strings.  We took a 12V PSU and hooked it up to three groups of LED Strings with Similar Loads to represent individual channel letters

I also drew up a illustration to show you what we did for our benchmark test, and what his benchmark is representing.

If you look at PSU 1, you'll notice that like most of how these signs are installed, the PSU goes to the first two letters of a group we'll call Jump 1, which is about 5' to 6' secondary cable length coming  from the LED PSU, and extension or jumper to the second group also 6' cable length, and to the third also 6' from Jump 2.  We took a volt meter and measured what the voltage was at each jump point.  Keep in mind, this much smaller than how signs are installed in the field, the secondary wiring used to crimp led string in letters then to jump points ins much longer as we all know, jumps are also much longer.  But this is a simple bench mark, we're not going extreme.

Jump 1 Voltage Measurements 11.89 Volts

Jump 2 Voltage Measurements 11.66 Volts

Jump 3 Voltage Measurements 11.62 Volts

So, now that we have our voltage measurements of each jump, we'll use those voltage numbers to illuminate a channel to show you how the light output is affected using by the voltage drops on a CV system.

We used a LED power Supply where we control the voltage, also using a ExTech Light meter.

Jump 1 @ 11.89 Volts = 240 Foot Candles 

Jump 2 @ 11.66 Volts = 226 Foot Candles

Jump 3 @ 11.62 Volts = 224 Foot Candles

Like I said, this is a smaller version than what can happen in the field of installation where there is longer runs and jumps of secondary cable.  It's common to see 11volts at some points or jumps.  If we take this power supply down to simulate 11 volts, the light output drops to 190 Foot Candles.

Now let's go the other way, let's go 12.24 Volts.  260 Foot candles, and climbs with each fraction of a volt up.  Not good for LED Modules

Constant Current

With Constant Current LED systems, each module has a current regulated by having an on board CR Chip.  What this does is govern the current, in short....it's extra protection.  How it differs is, unlike CV LEDs, where the last LED module on a string of 25 will be just as bright as the first module on that string.  Also, going over the intended voltage will not affect the light output or life that it will with CV LED.  CC LEDs assure consistent brightness throughout your sign, and longer life than a CV LED Module where they can be overdriven

Let's show you the second part to this illustration and benchmark

The 24V BrightON II Content Current LED Module Simulation

Jump 1 Voltage Measurement 23.95 Volts

Jump 2 Voltage Measurement 23.82 Volts

Jump 3 Voltage Measurements 23.82 Volts (No Change)

Now for the light output

Jump 1 @ 23.94 Volts = 334 Foot Candles

Since Jump 2 & 3 voltage measurements @ 23.82 Volts the light output is the same at 333 Foot Candles

The drop in light was so minimal with a fraction of a volt it took us going down to 22.5 volts to see any kind of significant drop in light.

Let's go the other way and drive the string to 27 volts.  No affect on light output

There has been a lot of questions about CC and CV LEDs in our industry and how it affects signs in the field, so I hope this answers some of those questions.

This is why the High-End BrightON LED Line really KICK ASS!  The complete LED line is Constant Current, both 24V & 12V Modules, The BrightON II, IV, and SunFire are all 24V.  24V allows users to load more LEDs on a single channel / PSU Unite to 96Watts over a 60W Channel / PSU.  You also have half the Current, Resistance & Heat of that of a 12V system.  

As you can see from the comparison above, you get more light for the same power as other LED manufacturers and at times higher wattage modules.  That's Efficiency!

The BrightON LED line is also very Under Driven, where as there drive theirs to peak to achieve certain light output, and this will lessen LED Module Life.

Thought I would share a project where our new High-End 24 volt, .8watt BrightON II LED Modules were used.

As I've discussed before in the past.  There is a difference and a gap between "Usable Light" and "Competitive Light".  The BrightON II is the most efficient (Light per power) LED Module in it's class, and it is the definition of Competitive Light.

As explained HERE and suggested for spacing, it was chosen to use the 3" module spacer, and obviously  you'll see as you scroll down the spacing could have even been much farther apart.

Using the 3" spacers or 5" on center module to module spacing of the .8 watt will give you that extra punch for Halo and Day / Night faces, and you're looking at only $2 a foot buying a single bag of modules.  Important note is what you're getting for that $2 a foot.  Very easily module to module spacing could have been 7" OC, and a $1.45 a foot.

The Grand Result?

No over exposure here to make the lighting more extreme than "IRL"...in real life.  because I have another picture to share here of a neighboring sign that is made up of your standard front illuminated channel letters.  

This is the very visual explanation of "Competitive Light" without having to "stuff" a letter for bright illumination.  

The BrightON II Modules will give sign shops more versatility with their lighting projects, eliminating a 3 diode module & eliminating stocking more various modules with just simple spacing making the BrightON II a more universal product in your shop.  The reason?  Because the BrightON II meets or exceeds the Performance of most 3 diode LED Modules on the market on Maximum Efficiency of 24V.  Also, the long module to module wire leads.

Could you just imagine for a second the BrightON II LED modules in the neighboring Peet's Coffee Sign at the maximum stretched module to module spacing of 7.625" or 1.57 modules per foot?.......I can!

Something is being left out here and I have to discuss what completes this High-End system?

That would be adding a France Lighting Solution LED Power supply of course 

In this case the 24V France Atlas with built in LED indicator light for proper function, bringing more Quality & Dependability to the project. 

The most important aspect of this job was the feedback from the client.  They were VERY impressed with their sign when they drove by at night to see what their identity looked like.  Their face will be your face.  These are the types of results you will get with the BrightON II LED Modules.  

Finished jobs will sell themselves.  Happy, impressed clients will sell, and market for you...provided you not only sold them a good product but good service as well.  

Come night, the mere visual can attract potential customers and a resume address can assure and close sales prospects, end results will be referral makers! 

The Illumination?

BrightON II 24v constant current NOT constant voltage ....LEDs instead of the industry typical 12v LEDs for half the amperage across the wire and components which translates to less heat, resistance, and in return a MUCH better system for dependability.  Not even to mention just how much light for very little power you get from the super high efficient BrightON II Chips with the added 175˙ high efficiency optics.  Another advantage of 24V is the typical single channel power supplies are 96W, which means you can et LOTS of LED modules on a single power supply (less parts, less problems) which leads me to the next part...

The system doesn't stop at the LEDs, it continues with France Lighting Solutions "True Power" LED Power Supplies.  The Electric Sign industries unique and sole 100% load Power Supplies, no not 85%, not 80%.....100%.  5 year Labor / 5 Year Parts.   If you've been in this industry long enough I don't even need to mention what "France" products mean....it mean Longevity & Dependability...just the BrightON II LEDs

Front and Rear illuminated channel letters.

Oh look, a Tilt-Up Wall.  Those are always fun to drill through

A France Lighting Solution LED Power Supply of course

The finished Day Look

The Night Finished Look.

For typical 5" deep return channel letters with front illumination light output measured right on the face for decent or as most LED MFG's like to say..."usable light"... if you have a light meter on hand ....."usable light" is right around 150 - 165 Foot Candles....that's just your typical even lighting number.  

The BrightON-II LED at full stretch already exceeds that and with fewer modules compared to competitors using higher powered LED modules.  This set right here gave an average of 213 Foot Candles right on the face despite the light loss coming out of the rear.  

Brighton LEDs are "Competitive Light"...NOT "Usable Light"

In the end?  

The customer letting me the Sign Company know they are VERY happy and that the sign looks AWESOME.

These are the types of signs you flash to potential clients....Bright, Dependable, & Happy Reviews by Happy Customers.  If this sign was in a shopping center the light output alone would stand out, and far above other competing signs.

Most Light Source Suppliers and Manufacturers won't show you examples let alone "numbers" of light readings on Sign Cabinet or Sign Projects from light source components they push like these I'm posting here, but....This is what we do!

"Seeing is believing" as they say.

So, one of the components I've been big on because of feedback and demand is a strong enough LED module that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, isn't proprietary where you need to buy their special clips, brackets, etc, and actually will put out enough light without exaggerated low...."Usable Light"....under...too far spread spacing that's supposed to save you money that won't compete with other existing signs in the area of your project.  

Biggest complaint from sign shops about cabinet LEDs....."I don't want to use a whole bunch of power supplies!"

You want your clients sign to stand out, NOT be lost or drown out by other neighboring signs also competing for attention and visibility.

Most importantly, the BrightON Sunfire LED keeps it simple by allowing custom sign shops not having to pay enormous amounts of money.

So...now we have an opportunity to back up our claim of the BrightON SunFire with facts, measurements, and of course a awesome visual.

Let's start with our long time industry standard light source components first.  

HO Fluorescent Lamps

That is good ol HO T12 Fluorescent Lamps.  

Unlike our industry suppliers and manufacturers I'm not going to bash the use of HO Lamps, they work good, and they do last a long time despite LED manufacturers marketing claims of failure just to sell another light source.  There are some very well High-End Tri-Phosphor made HO Lamps for our industry and they last a very VERY long time. 

Back to the project.

Here we have your typical 4' x 4' x 12" deep, double sided cabinet that we would either see on a pole or mounted on the ground.  

White 3/16" #7328 Plexiglas MC acrylic face, your typical sign face acrylic.  

Using industry standard spacing of lamps at 12". 

HO Lamps 6" in from the sides and 12" from lamp to lamp powered by a energy efficient electronic ballast pulling about 126 Watts

With four HO 4' lamps with 12" spacing, using a Light Meter to measure the sign face surface light we have a Foot Candle average of 156.5 FC  (FC High 163, FC Low 150)

This is, and has been our industry average for sign surface lighting for DECADES.

Here is our High-End Sign Syndicate BrightON SunFire  (pronounced just like the city)

A 3 watt LED module with a 160˙ High Uniformity Optics for Deep Cabinets with over 420 lm 

Most importantly it's 24V system, and Constant Current.... NOT Constant Voltage.  Constant Current means longer life as each LED module is current regulated.  

This system has reduced amperage, heat, and resistance running across it compared to a 12V and it has more voltage head room for long runs.  This calculates to longer life.  On a 24V system this means loading more modules on a 96W power supply than a limited 60w power supply of a 12V system.  Less moving parts on a project the better.

Below and as illustrated we spaced our modules the same as HO Fluorescent Lamps.  6" in, 12" from row to row and one Sunfire Module per foot, spaced 12" apart from one another

One thing I wanted on our Sunfire modules were longer wires between each module.  You have enough wire (15") to jump from row to row without having to splice...less labor involved and it gives you more room to do what other tasks you may need to do with longer wiring.

Using modules like our BrightON Sunfire makes your projects at so much of a lesser cost.  Instead of buying special proprietary clips, tracks and mounting brackets just purchase inexpensive alum 1/16" or 1/8" angles and channel for mounting.  These typically can be bought in 8', 16', and 24' lengths. 

The results.....Same Light Meter, measuring the same surface area on the sign face we get a 196.5 Foot Candle average (FC High 205, FC Low 188)

That's a 26% brighter sign face!!!

What makes the BrightON Sunfire even better?

Adding a True Power France Lighting Solution 24V LED Power Supply.  True Power means having the ability to load 100% of a load on a power supply.  As you know most power supplies are asked to load to 80%-85%.  Not so with France Lighting Solutions LED Power Supplies, they are 100% if need be!

Most competing cabinet 12V/24V LED modules will run you anywhere from $7.00 to $15.00 per module.  

The BrightON Sunfire will only run you $3.75 per module, giving you NOT "Usable Light" but "Real Competitive Light" as illustrated here.....26% brighter, over above our industry standard lighting of T12 HO Fluorescent Lamps!!