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by **Catfan** on Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:27 pm

I have seen a few Econolites installed here in New York State, both in Ithaca and in Oneonta. I find them rather sharp looking myself.

YouTube · by **signalkid1** on Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:56 pm

Catfan wrote:I have seen a few Econolites installed here in New York State, both in Ithaca and in Oneonta. I find them rather sharp looking myself.

Were these button backs or McCain look Econolites? Because those two towns are toward the central/western part of the state, I'll assume they are the buttonbacks since that area uses poly sigs. I know I have seen McCain look Econolites in the Albany area.

by **Troubleshooter** on Mon Jul 26, 2010 1:40 am

In my state, all such purchases have to be put out on bids by law. So the engineers are never sure what they will get. The purchasing agent, not the engineer, controls the bidding.

I used to work on an interconnected HVAC control system for a government department. The entire system was integrated on a single company's proprietary master and local controllers. We ordered replacement circuit boards for the system, and the purchasing agent put them out on bids. Another company bid on it and won the bid. We were trying to figure out how to return the "wrong" replacement boards without breaking the purchasing law. Obviously they were not going to fit or work.

As it turned out, we didn't have to. Military purchases require second sources for most kinds of equipment. Any manufacturer selling equipment to the military must permit second sourcing. This new company was second sourcing the boards we needed, because the military used them. The boards did fit, and they worked. And they lasted longer in service than the original company's boards did.

by **EPAC-EPIC-MARC** on Mon Jul 26, 2010 1:52 pm

I took a closer look today at the signals, sorry was busy no pics just yet, but all the vehicle heads are brand new Econolite buttonbacks, no pedestrian signals yet at the intersection. Several more intersections are getting upgraded here, if they all are getting Econolites then the area would seem to be going towards a cheaper alternative for traffic signal heads. I would think Eagle controllers would still be in place to communicate with the existing MARC system.

-Nick

by **JVC8230** on Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:20 am

Not surpised by this at all. Macomb County is needing to cut back as much as possible and even MDOT has talked about going to a 50-year replacement cycle on signal heads (yeah right). Remember, history always repeats itself. If you drove around the county ~~20 years ago~~ 25 years ago (I feel old now), you would find mixed Eagle/Econolite installs eveywhere around the county. A lot of Econolite long-grooves used to be floating around too. For the most part though, Macomb cOunty has always been mainly Eagle.

by **EPAC-EPIC-MARC** on Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:26 pm

Finally got a picture of the signals going up around my area...several intersections are getting these Econolites now, as opposed to the Eagle units. These have almost no shine to them and appear to already have some service life in them. Yet, they're brand new. Cheap quality!!

by **2070** on Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:22 pm

EPAC-EPIC-MARC wrote:Finally got a picture of the signals going up around my area...several intersections are getting these Econolites now, as opposed to the Eagle units. These have almost no shine to them and appear to already have some service life in them. Yet, they're brand new. Cheap quality!!

That is because they are Plastic Econolites!! :doh:

by **Macsignals** on Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:27 pm

2070 wrote:
EPAC-EPIC-MARC wrote:Finally got a picture of the signals going up around my area...several intersections are getting these Econolites now, as opposed to the Eagle units. These have almost no shine to them and appear to already have some service life in them. Yet, they're brand new. Cheap quality!!

That is because they are Plastic Econolites!!

50 years? They won't last 10. :rob:

by **EPAC-EPIC-MARC** on Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:18 pm

2070 wrote:
EPAC-EPIC-MARC wrote:Finally got a picture of the signals going up around my area...several intersections are getting these Econolites now, as opposed to the Eagle units. These have almost no shine to them and appear to already have some service life in them. Yet, they're brand new. Cheap quality!!

That is because they are Plastic Econolites!!

I'm aware they're plastic. Even the Eagle DuraSigs are made alot better than these things, at least DuraSigs have a nice shine they they retain (at least here) for many months after installation.

by **RunsWithCrouse-Hinds** on Sun Aug 08, 2010 11:47 pm

EPAC-EPIC-MARC wrote:
2070 wrote:
EPAC-EPIC-MARC wrote:Finally got a picture of the signals going up around my area...several intersections are getting these Econolites now, as opposed to the Eagle units. These have almost no shine to them and appear to already have some service life in them. Yet, they're brand new. Cheap quality!!

That is because they are Plastic Econolites!!

I'm aware they're plastic. Even the Eagle DuraSigs are made alot better than these things, at least DuraSigs have a nice shine they they retain (at least here) for many months after installation.

Pardon me for interjecting, but what about the "shine" of a new poly signal guarantees its quality? If you wanted I could ask my uncle the plastics engineer about this, but I'm pretty sure the shininess is just cosmetic, and wears off over time anyway. Traffic signals are overall made to be functional safety devices, not aesthetic devices (at least not anymore).

-Dan

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