SMA Beta Brite [RE-wrenches]

[Jeff Clearwater]

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Hi Keith,

We just finished installing a SBC Plus connected to a BetaBrite and a 
PC with a flat screen monitor in a lobby of a natural foods coop.

You can have the SBC output just to the BetaBrite and program the 
BetaBrite seperately either using the handheld programmer or a PC. 
Or you can have the SBC output to both the BetaBrite and a PC but 
then  you have to get the SBC Plus (at alot more money) so you can 
have two com ports out.

However,  I would recommend that you consider dedicating a PC to the 
system and getting the Plus if you are doing a llibrary educational 
display.  That way you can change the message often (people get bored 
seeing the same display all the time) with ease and you can have the 
SBC also output to a  computer monitor for a more educational (and 
potentially even interactive) display for the library.    If you have 
the computer fitted with 3 COM ports you can have the Sunndy Data 
Control software download data from the SBC Plus into an excel 
spreadsheet and then have that data and any other calculated values 
output to the BetaBrite while at the same time have the Sunny Data 
software output to the flat screen display.  Then you can also 
program the BetaBrite on the fly and rotate text strings and the like 
using the AlphaNet software.  That's how the system we just set up 
works and you end up with a pretty nice DAS/Educational Package for 
under $3000 without spending the $5000-$15,000 they get for the kiosk 
software/hardware packages for schools and the like.

Only thing about doing a PC is that you end up using that juice all 
the time - so I'd recommend a laptop powering it all instead of a 
tower (20-40 watts instead of 100-200).

We used the 2" high letters version of the BetaBrite and wished we 
had a bigger and brighter one now.  We have it facing out a window to 
the street and the reflection on a bright day makes it hard to read 
the display. They make a whole line of bigger and bigger displays.

Hope that helps!

Jeff C.


>Hello
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>Does anyone have any experience using a Beta Brite and a SBC light for
>any of their projects?
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>We would like to incorporate one for a future project at a library.  We
>wanted to say, welcome...this system is generating...
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>Can both the Beta Brite and SBC work simultaneously?  Any limitations?
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>Thanks!
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>Keith Cronin
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>President
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>Island Energy Solutions
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>318A Kuulei Rd
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>Kailua, HI 96734
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>808-262-3268 Tel
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>808-263-0338 Fax
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>www.islandenergy.net
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>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeff Clearwater
Village Power Design Associates
Sustainable Energy & Water Solutions for Home & Village
http://www.villagepower.com
gosolar at villagepower.com

877-SOLARVillage
413-256-6777,  Fax 413-825-0372
61 Baker Rd
Shutesbury, MA 01072

PO Box 115
Boonville, CA 95415
707-895-9015, Fax 707-897-0024
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`~

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