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Re: NEON- Re: Association Lite
TGWARTMAN@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 96-11-02 13:09:51 EST, you write:
>
> <I've also seen some hostility towards neon from (some) electric sign
> folks. Spoken to more than a few that downright HATE it.>
> So what.
> Tom W.
Refering to the above statement I want to add something, namely that we
have a lot of electric sign folks overhere in the Netherlands that hate
neon to.
These guys are sign installers, not specialised neon installers.
I never was surprised when they told me that they hate neonsigns, as
from all the electric sign folks I never noticed that only one was
cabable to install a neonsign properly. Everything they do they are
doing wrong, even thinking that one can bend glass when it is cold as
well, asking the bender why it was broken during readjusting a corner
when they drilled the hole halve an inch away from the correct place.
Everything they install is with buildin (inbuild?) mechanical tension
(strength?) These clowns are not cabable to mount properly a tube
support on a box letter. They ignore every basic pricipel how to install
neon tubing and when they drill the holes for the tube support they are
neglecting the principal of making a three times 60 degree triangle of
the tube supports. When they install transformers they only use the
model with the highest open voltage as a standard, neglecting to make
the zero/zero elctrode/next electrode potentional (or HV/HV potentional
as there is no difference in potentional then again) when a next section
of border tubing must be installed to another transformer (sorry folks
cannot do it better in your language, TD and I don't mean turbo diesel
but our friend Telford, if you think that members are missing my point,
please, it only takes five minutes of your time to rewrite this
electrical part better in proper English). These guys are always
complaining that neon is arcing, breaking, flickering or that the cables
are burning.
Now it is the time that this list must ask these INSTALLERS "how did you
do this or that" What transformers were used and why did you chose
these.
What rate was used and why did you choose this.
Why did you install the transformers that way and for what reason did
you only choose that type.
Why did you use these cables.
Why are the cables so long instead of using more then one transformer.
Why are these tube supports located the way they are and for what reason
did you not do it this way, making the triangle with even corners.
(doing that there is only one solution to do it)
Did you make a calibration in the shop and another one on location to
control the first one?
Did you do that with a true RMS meter or did you do that by meassuring
the gradient.
Did you made the radius of the bend of the HV cable wide enough as
otherwise it will arc there soon.
I bet you all that the guy probably will answer, it is not neccessary
that you tell me anything about neon as I install neon for over XX years
and I learned it from my father and he was installing neon for over XXXX
years, and it is always the same trouble with neon. Even my grandfather
who was installing neon for over XXXXXX years told me when I was a kid
that neon is always arcing, breaking, flickering or that the cables are
burning. As there are still much to many end users who are willing to
have neon on their roof but not willing to buy NEON but only a price
these INSTALLERS will have a willing ear from price buying end users are
informed by these clowns.
All these end users will spread the information that neon is always
arcing etc etc.
Of course neon will always arc, etc etc when it is installed or repaired
by clowns who have a complete fitted up service VAN consisting of a
broken screw driver, an out of order jig saw, a RMS meter without a
needle, miles of rapair-tape, another meter they cannot understand the
outreading, a crate of beer and some other tools bought on a fancy fair.
Of course we have these clowns overhere in Rotterdam as well, and when
one is calling if a have a neontransformer as he must reinstall a burned
out one and now is willing to buy and try one of my (more expensive)
transformers, the first thing I ask these clowns is: please tell me did
you ever install a neontransformer in your life before. The next thing
they say is what is the warranty and my standard asnwer always is: not a
minute untill the time you prove me that you know how to install and
load a neontransformer properly. After that they are always giving the
XXXXXXXX years of experience in installing neon signs and that all
transformers are bad, not one manufacturer is capable to make a good
transformer as all transformers are burned out sooner or later but most
of the time much sooner then later. I stopped selling these clowns
transformers telling them that they can come and collect a guilder so
that they can buy an ice-cream and that they should buy transformers
from compatitors. Beleve it or not but my profit was increasing after I
made that decision, and my blood pressure was decreasing in the same
ammount, as these guys only cost money as I had to ramplace to much. Now
is the time that we sat to these sign installers that nothing is wrong
with neon, the only thing that is wrong is their lack of knowledge how
to install it properly. Nothing wrong with that as we are protecting our
trade and we were accepting to long that these clowns were destroying
our market and our future.
Hope that you were not asleep reading this rather long reply is dirk
trying to do that last one from a dark Rotterdam together with his best
regards.
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