I use a 4 1/2 volt wal-wart from Radio Shack for the signs. It will power three of them. I have the Arnolds drive In kit, but I haven't put it together yet. You might just go with either the Arnolds sign, or the Stans sign in front of the building, but not both. I have considered the same isue as you posted. I would probably go with one or the other signs, but not both. The Arnolds sign just flashes, but the Stans sign is more animated.
I have several other Miller Engineering signs, and I like them a lot, especially the Western Auto sign, I remember as a kid.
Thanks for all the good suggestions. It has given me the idea to try those new 3M picture frame hangers which have a sticky side for attaching to the wall and a material similar to velcro on the other side but much stronger. I have used those to hang several pictures and they really work well. I think they could work for this application.
As for modifying the Arnold's signs, I'm beginning to think that might be undoable and I might just recycle those for another kitbash and create a static sign instead.
Any surplus 5 volt power supply will also work. Just add a 1 amp diode in series with the output. This will drop the voltage 0.7 volt to 4.3 volts. The signs will work just fine.
Double sided foam tape or even a dab of silicone caulk or putty will stick the small boards anywhere. As for the modify of the sign I can not say. My era is before the fancy lights.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Miller Engineering has a power supply for their signs that replaces the battery pack. I mounted their Illinois Central sign on top of a depot, with the activating circuitry inside the building and the power supply under the layout. This lets you make the wires between the power supply and control electronics as long as you need them to be.
The signs themselves are an extremely fragile product printed on a thin electronic electro-luminescent substrate. Any attempt to remove the lettering will destroy the sign.
Super Glue will etch into the sign and destroy it, so don't try to fasten it with CA.
jecorbett I'm wondering how others who have used these types of products have mounted their circuit boards.
I'm wondering how others who have used these types of products have mounted their circuit boards.
Glass and mirror clips would work. Samples here:
http://www.nextag.com/mirror-clips/stores-html
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
I have one of these type signs. I would make a wood, cardboard, or paper box to put the circuit board in, and then mount it under the layout. You might even to be able to find a plastic box or bubble box of some sort to use. Mine is a Hotel sign and the electronics are in the building.
From what I have seen, these signs appear to be generic in nature, therefore I would think that the top face is an overlay that is applied later. (Looks like that in the advertisements) I would also think that it is like a stick-on. So you may be able to get it off if you are careful. The trick is going to be picking just the top layers. One for each side.
If you really want to try it, you may have to sacrifice a sign. I would start by applying some type of glue removal material such as Goof-Off on an exposed edge, and work from there. Chances are the chase lights etc. is in a center core layer sealed with heat.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Use a small piece of double sided foam tape. That's the stuff that has a soft foam core with adhesive on both sides. Unless the PC board is really big, a piece about 1" square should do. You can then stick it anywhere you want. You should be able to remove the board without damaging it but it may leave a little adhesive behind. Manufacturers use it a lot to mount components and boards. If you want to, you could stick both boards to a piece of styrene or a thin wood board and drill mounting holes in that.
I really doubt that the sign could be altered but I haven't seen one so I can't say for sure. Maybe someone else could say for sure.
..... Bob
Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here. (Captain Kirk)
I reject your reality and substitute my own. (Adam Savage)
Resistance is not futile--it is voltage divided by current.
I am kitbashing a drive in restaurant using Walther's Arnold's Drive In as the base and am also using Miller Engineering's Stan's Drive In Sign. Both of these use small circuit boards powered with AAA batteries and have slide switches attached to the boards to turn the power to the flashing signs on and off. I need to mount the boards under the benchwork but this is the first time I have worked with these type of circuit boards and I don't see an easy way of mounting them. There are no screw holes in the boards of mounting them and I would be afraid of damaging them if I tried to drill some. I've thought of using some type of adhesive but wonder how well that would hold up over time. I'm wondering how others who have used these types of products have mounted their circuit boards.
Also, I had planned to change the flashing Arnold's sign to say Stan's, but I now see these signs are just a thin strip of plastic with the electronics imbedded in them. I'm not sure I could removed the front face of the sign without damaging the electronics. Is this even doable with these types of signs?