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Re: NEON- NEON: Association revisited
> >....Are sign people really interested in vacuum physics, annealing, vapor
> >pressure, outgassing, etc?
>
> JOhn,
>
> Sign people - non bender types - are interested in all these things. As I
> have
That's a stretch for me. I've met some neon people who aren't even
interested in these. But I understand the point you are making.
> The sub-committee dealing with mannifolds is not just "traipsing around in
> the dark". There are too many isues in the industry which need attention
> for Committee members to "dabble". People on these sub-committees have a
> definite interest in making the industry and the specific products better.
> They are very much concerned in making things safer and establishing some
> type of "baseline" for quality, education, and performance.
I never meant to undermine what one of the sign associations (ISA) is
attempting. I certainly didn't say they were traipsing around in the
dark.
My point is that neon people should be taking more interest in current
attempts to propose standards. I'm glad there are non-neon folks
interested in improving the trade. But I still think experienced neon
folks should be the ones proposing standards of tube-quality/processing.
Not someone who just wants a better channel letter. It simply won't have
credibility to the industry without this.
There are many, many issues in neon that need further research, debate,
testing, etc. etc. Things that are included in but go way beyond the
sign industry. Marcus's research is an example of what I'd love to see
more of. Workplace health & safety, mercury disposal, HG discharge tube
staining, long-terms corona effects on insulating materials, mercury
migration in electronic power supplies, phosphor science, new
discharge-lighting technology (sulfer, microwave, etc.), non-metalic
conduit, color shifts in new clear lead tubing filled with neon, etc.
etc. The sign industry is no doubt interested in many of these. But to
neon folks these things drive right down to their sole livelyhood.
That's why I think a void exists for a neon-specific trade association.
Not to knock what others in the sign industry are doing, but to work
with...and to express the voice of folks who's major concern is neon.
> It's great that Benders can make it to a party, let's use the time to also
> better ourselves.
The party (every year) is poplular because it's a place neon folks go
where they KNOW the big tamale is neon. If you're really wanting to
include more neon folks in ISA efforts to standardize quality the burden
is on you to reach out. _Publically_ invite the industry to attend the
R&S commitee and/or submit items of concern. PROVE to them why your
standards will benefit them. The more neon folks are involved the more
credibility it will have.
I may sound harsh. But this is my experience from the current efforts
to organize a neon association (reaching out is tough work). The burden
is on the entity who thinks they've found a better way.
I'm not disagreeing with you. In fact the goals you state above for the
R&S committe are in my opinion good ones. I'm just saying that
ISA is a very broad scope that goes way beyond (and possibly misses in
some areas) the world of the gas-discharge tube manufacturer.
-John
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