Wave Goodbye, Say Hello

The National Aquarium says goodbye to exposed neon tubes when its iconic “wave” lights up with 320 linear ft. of GE’s Tetra Contour LED lighting system this weekend. The aquarium projects a 70% electricity reduction and fewer maintenance hassles. Triangle Sign and Service (Baltimore, MD), a 73-year-old lighting and sign specialist, is fabricating and installing the aquarium s new wave.
The conversion of the landmark blue wave, which has been distinctly visible on TV when sporting events are televised in nearby venues, raised many questions about LEDs’ ability to replicate the color and brightness of the neon original. Aquarium representatives and Triangle believe the new version will be even better than the original neon sign.
Bob Nethen Jr., who, for the past 20 years, has served Triangle as a project and sales manager, said the exposed neon tubes accrued service costs that will probably be minimized by the LED system.
Bob’s grandfather had owned a local Claude Neon sign company. Bob began as a teenager at the shop, where he became vice president.
In an interview with Edward Gunts of the Baltimore Sun, Bob claimed LEDs have converted him. In the story, he also mentioned cities have been banning neon signs:
Q: Some entire jurisdictions have banned new neon signs for various reasons, including Sao Paulo, Brazil, Long Hill Township, New Jersey, and the state of Vermont. Are any companies making decisions like that?
A: If you do work at Potomac Mills [mall in northern Virginia], it s going to be LED. That s all they let you do. No neon and no fluorescent. The landlord [Simon Property Group] made that decision. They won t let anybody do anything else.

Q: Is there still a place for neon signs, other than the industrial museum?
A: Sure, especially for open-faced neon channel letters or exposed neon. … There s still a place for it, aesthetically. But neon is about as fragile as a wine glass. LED is more durable.

Triangle, established in 1937, has manufactured and installed the signage and graphics in Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Fenway Park, and for many other clients, including LensCrafters, the Gap, M&T Bank and Dulles International Airport.