Half Life
In scientific terms, half-life pertains to the amount of time it takes for a substance to decay by half. Similarly, the same term pertains to Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) describing the amount of time before a display’s brightness degrades to half of its original intensity. It may still be viewable at this point, but it won’t be as visually appealing or effective as it was when it was first switched on. So, why is this information important to you, as a consumer? Well, quite simply put, you’ll want a product that is able to withstand the test of time. Owners of any LED sign, no matter the size or shape, will likely be interested in keeping it working for as long as possible. Most LED’s these days maintain a half-life between 60,000 to 80,000 hours, some few systems 100,000 hours (like those from AbraxSys). What this means for consumers is that with constant un-interrupted use at maximum brightness, an LED will be at half of its original brightness in 7 to 11 years. Granted there are other external forces that can affect sign quality, but many can be avoided with proper maintenance and precautions.
