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How to distinguish the quality of LED modules / Channel Letter LED Module

Since LED modules replace the traditional Neon tube very rapidly in signs industry. and more and more company joined this market and there is so many choice in the market. For single LED module, the price may from 10 dollars and down to even 30 cents, all the guys said the have premuim quanlity and best components, as you know it's impossible. But how to distinguish the quanlity of the LED modules you purchased, let me tell you how:

Firstly let us have a visual compare between the main stream brands LED module and the cheap LED module from China.

Then, let compare the parts of LED module one by one:

1. Key component - LEDs
The core component of Channel letter module is the LEDs, in the main stream market, most of channel letter use led modules with 5-10 lumens per leds and 40-80 lumens per food. For example, TECLED'S crystal 3 LED module come with 3 LEDs per module, we use 3 of 3528 SMD LEDs, each LED works under 20mA and output 6.5 lumens. You may heared the life of LEDs will be 100000 hours, yes in lab it is, the determing factor of LED life is the LED chip inside the LED. All the TECLED LED module use the top brands chips from the leader vendor like Cree and Osram. The cheap LED modules use China chips and metal frame to package the LEDs, it save a lot but also decrease the LED life a lot. In our lab we have a life test, the data as followed:

TECLED Crystal 3 LED module Cheap China LED Module Current Flow 20mA under peak current for longer life 30mA over loaded Brightness 45 Lumens / Foot 35 Lumens / Foot 1000 Hours Test 5% Brightness lose 38.5% Brightness lose Working Temp. 38.5 C 65 C

2. Current Design

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They is two types of typical current design for LED modules, one is constant current like TECLED's full series LED modules and most of low cost vendor use single resistor to control the current flow. It's very easy to distinguish them, constant current will have a IC or triode installed on the PCB. No matter of the LEDs forward voltage, the constant current will lock the current flow into a fixed value and the resistor only current can not fix it. Constant current will drive the LEDs under a stable current flow and it will help LEDs has a longer life.

3. PCB

Fiber glass based and Paper based PCB, you can see all the main stream brands (Like TECLED, US-LED, GE etc.) use fiber glass PCB, which have better heat conduct and water proof performance, even better exterior result. You can have a very bright white and high gloss background in fiber glass PCB, the cheap LED module use paper based PCB, the disvantages of paper based PCB is poor waterproof and heat conduct performance, easily corrupt by moisture. also you can never print a beautiful white background on paper based PCB.

4. Plastic Housing

Safety first, do not use the cheapest LED modules with recycled PVC plastic housing, it's looks ugly and more important is it's easy to catch fire. TECLED all series of LED modules use premium quanlity fire resistant ABS plastic housing, It matches most of local city sign code in USA and Canada.

5. Wires

We all knows about wires, thicker means better performance. Of couse we will not use 12 AWG wires for a LED modules works under 12vDC and only 20mA per module. But 18AWG is the choice for most brands choice, we have a research found that most of the cheap LED modules from China use 22 AWG wires with very thin cover. It's very dangers due to short circuit and burn out due to whole project to blink. So why they choose 22 AWG, obvious for lower cost.

Stop here, I thinks you have the basic knowledge on how to distinguish the quanlity of the LED modules you are buying. Do not make your choie only by price, we know you running a very busy business, you need a worry free product, Just do some research, you will find TECLED is your best choice.

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