Building a fundraiser progress sign. Need ideas

[cstreit]

Hey gang,

I was volunteered to help build a "progress sign" for a school fundraiser. It is typically about 3x5' or so. I was thinking it would be cool to have a light-up progress indicator... However non-electrical ideas are also okay.

It's a Catholic School thing so no Amazon women with light up hoo-hoos. Not only design ideas but also need special help with the technology if required.

Thanks for any ideas/leads.

[porsche4life]

You can get some cheap white LEDs on eBay, those and a 12v power supply and you have lighting. Maybe do multiple switches for the progression. If you put the LEDs behind some colored plexiglass they would show whatever color you want.

Feel free to drop me a PM and we can chat on the phone about this. I grew up in the sign business, and my folks still own their shop, we could ship you some pieces to get it put together.

[cstreit]

Thanks. I was thinking about some color-changing LED Strip lights. Ideally The thing would have progression.

I could simply have a sliding panel to reveal more of it as progress was made. Starting at red and ending at green would work well... Sort of like a thermometer style.... Definitely interested. Leaving town today but will be back Wednesday. open to ideas there....

[porsche4life]

Color changing is easy to do also, would you want the whole bar to change together? I'll hop on eBay and recommend some stuff for you.

[cstreit]

Probably open either way. Progressive or solid would work. Still have to validate I can get electric to the sign though. SHould know later today. I was thinking 3-4 LED strips with just a sliding reveal to indicate progress.

[porsche4life]

Will it be indoor or outdoor?

The LEDs very efficient, you might be able to get away with running them off a car battery, they are 12V afterall.

[cstreit]

Outdoor. Car battery will require charging eventually and probably not fly as a result. No one to do this..... ...but a thought to consider!

[island911]

Make it go to 11. (bump)

[gacook]

Do it like a thermometer; with the units of measurment being various dollar amount goals. You could do a light at each "goal" to reduce the cost.

[cstreit]

Porsche4life. Confirmed I can get AC power. Will PM you.

[Baz]

You could use a landscape lighting transformer if the LED strip is 12v.

They are weatherproof and have a plug to use with an extension cord....giving you mobility with your sign.

Kudos to Sid for stepping up with this. Would love to see end result if possible.

[cstreit]

Update - Sign is done. Uses RGB LED's for some nice effects. They are mounted in a weatherproof box in the back behind some frosted lexan. Didn't go with the individually addressable matrix versions - Would have been cool but too complicated.

This works and has a number of different programmable colors based on progress, etc... Works great, good enough for what it is.

[porsche4life]

Looks good Chris. Sorry I didn't get back with you last week, it's been a crazy month out here.

Looks like you went the way I would have though. The programmable thing would have been more trouble than it's worth, and I work for the worlds largest manufacturer of LED matrix displays. There's a lot that goes into it. . I'm sure you'll be a tough act to follow, unless they make you do it again.

[cstreit]

No problem P4L. I needed to make it more simple, just took me some time to work my way through the cool factor and tone it down a little.

[porsche4life]

Haha! You'd be amazed how many customers in the sign biz have that same problem... Usually budget is the thing that snaps into reality.

[911SauCy]

Originally Posted by cstreit

Update - Sign is done. Uses RGB LED's for some nice effects. They are mounted in a weatherproof box in the back behind some frosted lexan. Didn't go with the individually addressable matrix versions - Would have been cool but too complicated.

This works and has a number of different programmable colors based on progress, etc... Works great, good enough for what it is.

Forget the lighted thermometer...

What is the little orange framed, wide-spread A-arms, tid-bit hiding behind?!

Is it a Honda 250R....?

[cstreit]

Haha. No it's a surprisingly fun little Chinese made Dune Buggy I picked up as a pit-vehicle for the track.

[porsche4life]

Be careful with those chris.... They are prone to roll when one is attempting a donut... Not that I'd know or anything....

[cstreit]

Haha i almost found out the hard way last summer. :-)

[Arizona_928]

You can always use the Benjamin Netanyahu uranium enrichment style sign!