Anyone build a FM sign from rigid strips yet

[Jeffl]

I love my FM sign of the past but I'm tired of spending $100 each time my frequency gets taken over.

[zwiller]

I want to do something with flex strips myself.  You have a point about changing frequencies, mine changed this year too.  Here is some info with the rigid strips.  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

[onesmoothhead]

I have one ready but it is a horizontal matrix and it is hard to program. If it were a vertical matrix I could use Nutcracker. In order to make a vertical with rigid strip it would cost a fortune. I am thinking about building one out of flex strips and use my rigid for windows frames.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Jeffl]

Flex strips in an enclosed container would be a good idea as well I would think.

You have a point on the programming side.  My guess is given what they have done with NutCracker that getting something like this to work might not be that hard.  I know programming my vertical pipes isn't too bad but having something that could generate it would be very cool.

It never hurts to ask once the season is over.

[Gary]

I don't know how big or fancy your sign is, but I saw somebody whose sign consisted of print on paper, laminated to keep it try, and put in front of a pane of glass/plexiglass. I'd think that a shop can print using a wide-format plotter and laminate it for far less than $100.

[devoidelk]

I took a sign from a recent election and spray painted it black then poked holes to stick my lights to spell out " Tune to 88.3" on it.

[TheQueb]

I don't know how big or fancy your sign is, but I saw somebody whose sign consisted of print on paper, laminated to keep it try, and put in front of a pane of glass/plexiglass. I'd think that a shop can print using a wide-format plotter and laminate it for far less than $100.

I did this.  Printed the sign at a local print shop. It might be 20x26 or so. Got it laminated at same shop and stapled it to a 1x4 framed box and backlit with 100 count minis. The whole sign might have cost $20. I think the print and lamination was about $10. I'll post a pic if I can find one handy as I'm out of town at the moment.

[TheQueb]

This is a facebook picture link so it may not work but here ya go:

[Mimir]

I built a horizontal matrix that I am using in my show this year.  It is 18 pixels wide by 8 pixel deep made up of GE ColorEffects G35 strings.

Pixel 1 row 1 is in the upper right. So the first couple rows are like this:

18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	26	25	24	23	22	21	20	19

To do the sequencing I ordered my channels by columns:  1,2,3,55,56,57 and so on. 

Then I used a 7x7 font and drew each character out over time.

[Jeffl]

I did this.  Printed the sign at a local print shop. It might be 20x26 or so. Got it laminated at same shop and stapled it to a 1x4 framed box and backlit with 100 count minis. The whole sign might have cost $20. I think the print and lamination was about $10. I'll post a pic if I can find one handy as I'm out of town at the moment.

The sign looks good.  My only concern is that the sign on my donation box that I printed and laminated faded. 

[Jeffl]

I built a horizontal matrix that I am using in my show this year.  It is 18 pixels wide by 8 pixel deep made up of GE ColorEffects G35 strings.

Pixel 1 row 1 is in the upper right. So the first couple rows are like this:

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

This is a good idea.  What controller do you use to control them.

[Mimir]

18   17   16   15   14   13   12   11   10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1
36   35   34   33   32   31   30   29   28   27   26   25   24   23   22   21   20   19

To do the sequencing I ordered my channels by columns:  1,2,3,55,56,57 and so on. 

Then I used a 7x7 font and drew each character out over time.

The sign is driven by a SanDevices E681 which uses E1.31 and already had the protocol for talking to the G35s

[TheQueb]

I did this.  Printed the sign at a local print shop. It might be 20x26 or so. Got it laminated at same shop and stapled it to a 1x4 framed box and backlit with 100 count minis. The whole sign might have cost $20. I think the print and lamination was about $10. I'll post a pic if I can find one handy as I'm out of town at the moment.

The sign looks good.  My only concern is that the sign on my donation box that I printed and laminated faded.

This sign has been out for three seasons. It was printed on an HP1200(i think) injet.

[chrisatpsu]

black Lexmark Inkjet ink is actual squid ink (waterproof)