Advice to Sign Retailers Who Want More Referrals

Want to create an angry signage customer? Then sell a channel letter sign that has a risk of what is known as “voltage drop”. Voltage drop can lead to a sign with an appearance like the one below.

What is voltage drop? In terms of LED channel letter illumination, it means that one module in an LED chain does not receive an equal amount of voltage as the previous module. Some of the voltage is “dropped” as the current passes through the chain.

What causes voltage drop? There are many potential factors, but one common cause is the use of Constant Voltage LED. This type of LED typically uses a resistor to regulate the amount of current passing through each module. That means that every module must receive a precisely correct amount of voltage for even and consistent illumination.

However, a common issue with Constant Voltage LED is that not all modules receive the same level of current. This is more often the case with larger signs which may have longer LED strings. The initial modules (closest to the power supply) may receive the correct voltage amount, but that amount then drops and leads to dimmer module illumination further down the LED chain.

Then what happens? For channel letter signs, one common result is uneven face illumination or “tiger striping” (some face areas illuminated more brightly than others.) Of course, that letter appearance leads to an unhappy customer. Do you think that customer will provide you with future referrals? Doubtful.

There is a better way. Build your referral base with the bright and even channel letter illumination that comes from using Constant Current LED. Constant Current LED features an on-board component which regulates the amount of current passed through the module. That results in even and bright channel letter illumination – and a happy customer.