Assuming that All-Weather Digital Signage will only be used totally out of doors and usually in the open; it has to be able to survive whatever Mother Nature throws at it. It must not only physically survive; it must also provide a readable sign under just about all conditions (day or night).
The Challenge
If we just look at temperatures and restrict our viewpoint to the United States, we shall see that 134° F was recorded in Death Valley, California in 1913 and −79.8 °F in 1971 at Prospect Creek, Alaska. Therefore All-Weather Digital Signage for use in the USA must be able to withstand quite a large temperature range.
However, it is not only temperatures that have to be resisted. The amount, duration and intensity of direct sunlight must be factored in along with resistance to high winds and heavy participation (rain, hail, sleet or snow) and the effects of icing over. Widen the field of usage to cover the whole world and it should be obvious that producing totally All-Weather Digital Signage can be quite a challenge.
Furthermore, there are some weather effects that are beyond the scope of design from a basic signage manufacturer. Resistance to such as hurricane force winds and being totally immersed in a flood fall more to the expertise of people who install the sign rather than the design and construction of the sign itself.
What Is Digital?
Some numerals painted onto a wooden board or a wall could be said to be digital signage but, these days, most of us think more high-tech than that. For digital signage, we are expecting something that appears on some sort of screen or lighting board and is computer controlled. Scrolling letters or numbers in LED lighting have their place but, here, we are looking at signage that has the appearance of a flat screen TV and shows digital “images” – pictorial, lettering or numerals depending upon what its computer has been programmed to show.
It’s Mainly In The Panel Box
Flat screens and computer hardware have no real resistance to any sort of weather and protection from climatic effects has to be provided by the enclosure in which they are placed. A rugged and robust sealed enclosure will also protect the screen and other components from knocks and vibrations.
Visibility
Some flat screen displays do not view well from all angles and others may be virtually impossible to “read” under direct sunlight. Fortunately, these short comings can be corrected just so long as the correct screen type is specified for All-Weather Digital Signage.
