Lighting Up Your Grand Prairie Sign

Automatic Electronic Thermal Lighting Controls

Too many people overlook this important feature.

When our founder was very young, he managed a supermarket.

He learned that simply turning the store’s signs “on" on cloudy or rainy days increased sales—if he remembered to turn them on.

With tinted window glass common in the South, it can be hard to tell if a business is even open.

These are lessons every business owner should know. With today’s LED signage, it costs practically nothing to make your store truly stand out.

What’s the main reason our Sunburst^™ LED outdoor digital signs boost business so dramatically? Lighted signs draw much more attention than unlighted signs—even during the day.

Because visibility matters, we install automatic electronic lighting controls on every lighted sign we manufacture*—factory-calibrated to turn lighting on and off when it helps you do more business. Over 40+ years, we’ve documented exactly when signs should illuminate on dark or rainy days, to overcome shadows, and the optimal time at dusk. The goal is simple: attract attention and improve legibility.

Settings vary by sign orientation (East/West/North/South), light source (neon, HID, fluorescent, LED), and construction. Each control is custom-set for your sign and can also respond to shadows that reduce legibility.

Another example of how we do everything possible to help your sign drive your success. As far as we know, no other sign manufacturer does this—free or otherwise.

If possible, have your electrician add a time clock to cut power when signs should never be lit (e.g., 2:30 AM–5:30 AM). At all other times, let the automatic controls decide when to turn lighting on or off. Use electricity wisely—maximize visibility while conserving energy.

Regarding energy consumption, note how little power our SolarBrite^™ LED signs use over a year.

Common time clocks (e.g., Intermatic, Tork) aren’t finely adjustable, and dawn/dusk can shift by 15+ minutes per week. Relying only on a time clock means constant resets and manual overrides on dark days. That’s why we include calibrated automatic thermal lighting controls on every outdoor sign we manufacture*—and we do not use photocells/photo eyes, which are neither precise nor reliable.

Anecdotal data suggests the increased profits from this feature alone can exceed the entire cost of most signs every year.

Still unsure? Visit our Sign Lighting Laboratory and Showroom to see the control system and testing in action—then decide how important this is for your signage.

*Dependent on size and design.

The failure mode of our automatic lighting controls is “always on," so your sign stays attractive even if a component fails—you may use a bit more electricity until we service it.

Timer or Photo Cell?

We are often asked this question.

"When I have electrical power run to the sign should I have a photo cell or a timer installed to turn it on and off?"

We recommend both!

A photo cell works OK if you want your sign on all night.

A timer works OK if you don’t want your sign ever to be on during the day – even if it is cloudy and dark out.

What works best is both.  The photo cell turns the sign on any time it is dark enough for the lighting to draw customer's attention, the timer keeps it from being on from say 11 to 6 in the morning when there is no one around to attract their attention!

Electricity is only used when it will help your business.