Ad/Disadvantage of A Doghouse Permissive L/R vs. A 5 Section Permissive L/R

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

Utah uses mast arms almost exclusively (the only wire signals I can think of are in Salt Lake City on some city-maintained roads). The PPLT signal here is nearly always a doghouse, usually without a backplate. If there is a backplate, it is the non-cutout one. If there is a pole mount (relatively rare), it will usually be the 5 section vertical.

However, there is at least one 5-section PPRT signal on the mast arm in St. George, and there are a few pole-mounted PPRT doghouses scattered around.

There is a 5 section PPRT in the link of the intersection I posted (not that it means anything, just drew a connection).

[jakeroot]

Exact opposite out west. I see cutout backplates here in Washington from time to time, but the square style far, far outweighs the number of cutout backplates. AFAIK, the square backplate is the standard in all states west of at least Colorado, if not farther east.

At least in Little Rock, (where most commonly used) they use doghouses for almost all PPLT and/or 5 section setup. With the doghouse it is either louvered (if you will, or vented) for less wind resistance, or solid back plate.

Are most of the doghouse backplates square, or do they follow the lines of the signal layout (quite literally, cut-out)?

Both, but it just depends on where you are/go within the city. Most, are square, but you'll come across a few without a back plate (like the doghouse shown in the maps link (W. Markham St. & Shackleford Rd.)).

When I say "cut out", I mean something like this: https://goo.gl/maps/apSjCdbU22E2

So, with an inductive sensor and/or pressure plate? I thought "cut out" was referring to the back plate... Oops 

No, no, it is. That was just a really shitty Google Maps for Android link. Don't know why it does this.

Here's a better link: https://goo.gl/1nQFuW

[Ian]

Maine mostly uses doghouses for their permissive left/right turn signals, though inline-5 "tower signals" aren't completely uncommon. You'll see a lot of inline-4 signals with bi-modal green/yellow arrows throughout the state as well.