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Comment by OuterVale | Hacker News Reader

They've been slowly replacing the flip-disc displays on the buses where I live with LEDs and LCD panels which has been such a shame. There is a beautiful mechanical satisfaction to a panel of flip-discs inverting and I genuinely find them easier to read.

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They seemed less reliable than LEDs. When they were common here they would always have tens of dots stuck in the wrong position.

I'd imagine the vibrations didn't do them any good

Interestingly, I've never noticed any stuck discs. I'm pretty observant of them as well, because I think they're so cool.

The ones here could have been nearing the end of their life to be fair. They have basically all been replaced with LED signs now.

This is BREAKFAST (AKA Zolty) mentioned above.

The old panels had diode issues. It wasn’t the mechanism failing — the simplicity of electromagnets means they last an insanely long time, significantly longer than an LED. The diodes were just cheap and undersized. If you have a stuck disc on an old board, 99% chance you just need to replace the diode. If it still flips but gets stuck on one side, a pin has gotten sticky and needs graphite applied.

The Luminator MAX 3000 is an interesting hybrid between a flip dot display and an LED display. I find it very pleasing to the eye and easy to read, particularly at night.

In front of the flip dots is a frame that has a mini-LED that faces and front-lights each flip dot. This gives the appearance that each flip dot is glowing.

(1) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ru1DSs1tjQ

Yes, even the ones that have an LED behind each disk which are on in the dark. This display [1] is the same but in the dark [2] you see the LEDs instead.

[2] https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/...

[1] https://cdn.unitycms.io/images/2padXosoqh99o13dcrN3co.jpg

The LED / LCD displays are probably lighter (less heavy), and someone figured they can save 0.001 gallons of diesel a year fleet wide if they replace displays.

Net Zero Fatigue is real.

Much more likely, I think, the mechanical displays had some maintenance cost which cheap LED displays will not.

You've confabulated a reason why they replaced them, linked it to initiative then complained about them doing it all in two sentences. A gold medal in mental gymnastics is warranted here!

They’re probably just cheaper and require less maintenance.

You’re not doing your cause any favors by projecting everything on an ill-fitting frame.

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