Variable message signs getting fatter?

[Pink Jazz]

For consumer electronics, televisions have been getting thinner.

However, is it me or are variable message signs getting fatter?  Here in Arizona, the Daktronics and Skyline LED VMSes are much fatter than the older Sylvia fiber-optic VMSes.  I don't know it is because of the LED technology; VDOT's Hampton Roads district was able to retrofit LED boards into their existing flip-dot housings.  Even here in Arizona, some of the older Sylvia fiber optic signs have been retrofitted to use internal LED lighting, replacing the older incandescent light source.

So, why would VMSes be getting fatter?  Are there some high-tech electronics inside them?

[jeffandnicole]

Some are walk-in units, which allows maintenance to be done without closing any lanes. The older ones, if they needed to be fixed, may have required lane closures.

[Pink Jazz]

Some are walk-in units, which allows maintenance to be done without closing any lanes. The older ones, if they needed to be fixed, may have required lane closures.

Actually, now that you mention that, I presume this is probably the case for ADOT's Daktronics and Skyline LED VMS, since they have an access door on the side and the gantries feature a catwalk.

[GCrites]

[jeffandnicole]

BTW, while TVs are getting thinner, we can also point out that cell phones are getting larger and fatter as well!

It appears some electronics got *too* small, and now they are finding reason to enlarge them.

[jakeroot]

BTW, while TVs are getting thinner, we can also point out that cell phones are getting larger and fatter as well!

It appears some electronics got *too* small, and now they are finding reason to enlarge them.

I think as phones replaced more and more devices, screens continued to grow to accommodate those activities that they now perform (for example, universal remotes are easier to use with bigger screens, at least in my experience).

Also, I think big phones are better for old people. My grandpa (who is nearing 80) just bought an iPhone 6 Plus. He keeps telling me (presumably because of his poor memory) how great the screen is and how easy it is to read the text. If modern companies can get old people to invest into technology, that's a huge win.

[txstateends]

Also, if you have 'fat' fingers, it's tough to get the hang of touch-screen typing, especially on digi-keyboard layouts where the 'buttons' aren't very wide.

Agreed about the seniors using cell/smart phones.  For a while there, some models were toooo small in shape, or the numeric keys were small or didn't light up well in low-light situations.

[Scott5114]

ODOT just got some new portable VMSes that appear to be only a few inches thick. They're also full-matrix instead having fixed character cells.

[cpzilliacus]

For consumer electronics, televisions have been getting thinner.

However, is it me or are variable message signs getting fatter?  Here in Arizona, the Daktronics and Skyline LED VMSes are much fatter than the older Sylvia fiber-optic VMSes.  I don't know it is because of the LED technology; VDOT's Hampton Roads district was able to retrofit LED boards into their existing flip-dot housings.  Even here in Arizona, some of the older Sylvia fiber optic signs have been retrofitted to use internal LED lighting, replacing the older incandescent light source.

So, why would VMSes be getting fatter?  Are there some high-tech electronics inside them?

New full-color DMS units on the New Jersey Turnpike have full-color capability, are pretty high resolution and are otherwise pretty neat.

But to answer your question, they do not seem to "fatter," though they have walkway space on the gantry for maintenance personnel to work on the panel safely without needing a bucket truck or crane.

[Pete from Boston]

They're probably getting fatter due to a steady diet of junk messages like "Go Sox" or "Happy Fourth of July."

[spooky]

They're probably getting fatter due to a steady diet of junk messages like "Go Sox" or "Happy Fourth of July."

how about advertising DCR lifeguard jobs? There was one on I-93 NB at the Braintree split that displayed that message for close to a month.

[ChezeHed81]

New full-color DMS units on the New Jersey Turnpike have full-color capability, are pretty high resolution and are otherwise pretty neat.

But to answer your question, they do not seem to "fatter," though they have walkway space on the gantry for maintenance personnel to work on the panel safely without needing a bucket truck or crane.

According to Daktronics' Web site, the NJTP VMSes are Vanguard® VF-2320 Louvered Face DMSes¹, which are grouped under the front-access type.  Such a well-thought-out gantry for servicing the overhead equipment seems less practical if the equipment is designed to be serviced from the front.  I'd get it if there was some articulating mounting hardware that could bring the VMS inside the service "cage", but the standard drawings² for the overhead structures do not show that.  Besides, that would leave a 20'x8' hole in the side for the technician to to be "aware of" during maintenance.

IIRC, the gantries were fully assembled and prewired on the ground and hoisted into position, leaving the power/data connections to ground equipment to be completed in place.

The pixel pitch (resolution) of the rear-access VMSes from the selected vendor is not as fine as the front access and walk-in units are capable of producing, and I applaud the Turnpike Authority for not skimping on their ITS equipment.  Also, it seems obvious that a walk-in unit mounted within that structure would be overkill as well.  It just seems like a strange marriage between front-access VMSes and rear-access-oriented support structures.

If someone can shed light on this, that'd be great.

¹http://www.daktronics.com/en-us/products/its-dynamic-message-signs/front-access-dms/vanguard-vf-2320
²http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/standard-drawings.html

[Brandon]

They're probably getting fatter due to a steady diet of junk messages like "Go Sox" or "Happy Fourth of July."

Or the Death Count, or the inane PSAs about "U Drink/U Drive/U Lose".

[jeffandnicole]

New full-color DMS units on the New Jersey Turnpike have full-color capability, are pretty high resolution and are otherwise pretty neat.

But to answer your question, they do not seem to "fatter," though they have walkway space on the gantry for maintenance personnel to work on the panel safely without needing a bucket truck or crane.

According to Daktronics' Web site, the NJTP VMSes are Vanguard® VF-2320 Louvered Face DMSes¹, which are grouped under the front-access type.  Such a well-thought-out gantry for servicing the overhead equipment seems less practical if the equipment is designed to be serviced from the front.  I'd get it if there was some articulating mounting hardware that could bring the VMS inside the service "cage", but the standard drawings² for the overhead structures do not show that.  Besides, that would leave a 20'x8' hole in the side for the technician to to be "aware of" during maintenance.

IIRC, the gantries were fully assembled and prewired on the ground and hoisted into position, leaving the power/data connections to ground equipment to be completed in place.

The pixel pitch (resolution) of the rear-access VMSes from the selected vendor is not as fine as the front access and walk-in units are capable of producing, and I applaud the Turnpike Authority for not skimping on their ITS equipment.  Also, it seems obvious that a walk-in unit mounted within that structure would be overkill as well.  It just seems like a strange marriage between front-access VMSes and rear-access-oriented support structures.

If someone can shed light on this, that'd be great.

¹http://www.daktronics.com/en-us/products/its-dynamic-message-signs/front-access-dms/vanguard-vf-2320
²http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/standard-drawings.html

Here's a shot of them when they were still on the ground.  They appear to be accessible from the back. https://goo.gl/maps/6LAHW

The whole purpose of these sign bridges is so they can be accessed without closing a lane. Previously with the neon VMS signage, the Turnpike had build trucks with special lefts so they could work on the signs without closing a lane.  At a later point in time, it was decided that they couldn't use those trucks without closing the lane down anyway.

These new sign bridges allow the workers to be fully enclosed and work on the signs without needing a lane to be closed.

As far as Daktronics website goes, while the specs are accurate, some of their examples are not.  The picture of the VMS on the NJ Turnpike, for example, isn't from Pennsville, but someplace in North Jersey.  And I'm guessing the NJ Turnpike tried both black on white and white on black speed limit numbers - it appears they settled on white numbers on a black background (opposite what the picture shows).

Having said that, here's a more specific link to the NJ Turnpike equipment, from Daktronics' website. Apparently the Speed Limit sign is full color as well. http://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos/details?pn=WP-16650

[Pete from Boston]

They're probably getting fatter due to a steady diet of junk messages like "Go Sox" or "Happy Fourth of July."

how about advertising DCR lifeguard jobs? There was one on I-93 NB at the Braintree split that displayed that message for close to a month.

Forgot about those and the ever-popular driver distraction "Call Dig Safe."

[roadman]

MassDOT has been getting away from the use of walk-in cabinets for their overhead CMS panels on more recent projects.  The thinner and lighter panels allow for a simpler, and less expensive, support design than was required in the past.

[lepidopteran]

A similar paradox: traffic signal control boxes.  When traffic lights used electro-mechanical devices to cycle, often with a rotating camstack, you might have had a 2-foot-tall control box mounted on a pole.  But when solid-state electronics came along, cue the 4- or 5-foot tall silvery control boxes placed directly on the ground!  So much for miniaturized electronics.

[roadfro]

Here's a shot of them when they were still on the ground.  They appear to be accessible from the back. https://goo.gl/maps/6LAHW

The whole purpose of these sign bridges is so they can be accessed without closing a lane. <...>

I've never seen a VMS sign/support like this before. A fully-enclosed cage does seem rather neat.

Nevada's VMSs appear to be walk-in units mounted to normal trusses, with a catwalk used for access (so still, no lane closure is needed to service).

[jeffandnicole]

Here's a shot of them when they were still on the ground.  They appear to be accessible from the back. https://goo.gl/maps/6LAHW

The whole purpose of these sign bridges is so they can be accessed without closing a lane. <...>

I've never seen a VMS sign/support like this before. A fully-enclosed cage does seem rather neat.

Nevada's VMSs appear to be walk-in units mounted to normal trusses, with a catwalk used for access (so still, no lane closure is needed to service).

That was a very specific design the NJTA came up with.  The PANYNJ and DRBA have since "partnered" (I guess you could call it that) with the NJTA to use their design. 

The posts to support the cage gantries aren't the traditional 90 degree vertical posts either - they are more of an trapezoid shape.

NJDOT uses regular gantries and catwalks to access the walk-in cabinets, although they've also recently added larger, yellow catwalks on some of the gantries.

[GCrites]

A similar paradox: traffic signal control boxes.  When traffic lights used electro-mechanical devices to cycle, often with a rotating camstack, you might have had a 2-foot-tall control box mounted on a pole.  But when solid-state electronics came along, cue the 4- or 5-foot tall silvery control boxes placed directly on the ground!  So much for miniaturized electronics.

Ever seen one open? They're mostly empty. Nonetheless, the electronics inside are still massive for something with less processing power than a Simon.