New message boards are energy efficient, brighter, easier to read

But the new message boards at Gates 1, 2, 3 and Webster Field Annex are turned up to only half power, says Pax River Energy Manager Mel Green and, bright as they are, the new signs use less energy than the old ones.

‘‘The old signs are what we call ‘flippers,’” Green said. ‘‘There was a motor running all the time to cause the flippers to fall down. They were coated so when the backlighting hit them, they glowed. That made the signs.”

The new signs use light-emitting diodes (LEDs). They’re brighter and more adjustable. ‘‘These have very few moving parts, and are electronically-controlled from a computer in the base command building,” said Green. ‘‘The LEDs also have a longer life, on the order of 11 or 12 years.”

He continued, ‘‘They are also programmable for turning off when they are not needed, such as when the gate is closed or traffic is at its lowest. Since Gate 1 is the duty gate, the inbound and outbound signs operate 24 hours. The signs at Gates 2, 3 and Webster Field operate only during designated hours — 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday – to conserve energy.

The last of the old signs displays movies and show times at the Base Theater.

There is also automatic dimming to conform with the day or night visibility. Because they are at half power now, we can on a foggy day literally go in and brighten up the lights so they can be seen through the fog.”

The old signs could not be turned off, nor could they be made brighter or dimmer. ‘‘We can also do more dramatic effects and show pictures on the new signs, which we couldn’t do before,” said Green. ‘‘The old signs were simply a flip over deal that made letters.”

For all that, the new signs are cheaper to operate and will save money in the long run. The old signs cost $51,000 a year to operate, compared to the new signs’ $6,500, according to Green. ‘‘This savings comes from reduced maintenance, fewer lamps, lower wattage in the LEDs and controllability,” he stated. ‘‘They will pay for themselves in less than eight years.

Another advantage of the LEDs is that, if one lamp burns out, ‘‘it doesn’t detract from the overall message.”

He added, ‘‘Any bulb will gradually lose light as you use it, but the LEDs have such a tremendous amount of longevity that you won’t see it for a long time. It may go a little dull after 7-8 years, but if it does, we can go in and turn the sign up a little to make up for it.”

The old signs aren’t completely gone. The lone holdout stands in front of the station theater. It is owned by MWR and displays movie titles and show times.

The new signs are part of a gradual replacing of conventional bulbs by LEDs. Traffic lights on station already use LEDs, and many hangar lights will be converted to LEDs over the next four years. They are currently high-pressure⁄low-pressure sulfur lights.

Is solar power next? ‘‘Solar is too expensive to put in, though we are investigating several solar panel types,” said Green. ‘‘You use solar when otherwise you’d have to run power out to a fixture. Then it’s cheaper because you don’t have poles, lines and maintenance.”

One place solar will be used is for new signs at 15 pedestrian crossings aboard Pax River. ‘‘If people want to cross, they’ll push a button and the light will start flashing,” Green said. ‘‘The light will be an LED and it will be solar powered.”

Seabees are in the process of installing the crosswalk lights. They’re necessary, he said, because ‘‘people forget they’re supposed to stop, and pedestrians don’t look because think they’re safe when they step out [into the crosswalks].”