How to create a NEW neon sign that has appearance of old fading / flickering sign

[signarama-charleston]

Can anyone point me in the direction of finding a neon accessory that would make a NEW neon sign flicker / fade / work intermittently so that it appears to be an OLD neon sign that is about to stop working. Any ideas?

 

[Rick]

If this is an exterior sign, would code allow it?

Pretty sure Intersate Electric still carries flashers/animators
http://www.iecdelivers.com/wp-content/uploads/Product Images/IEC09_Catalog-lowres-ALL.pdf Pages A-34 thru A-37

Or Here...
http://www.sfsupplies.com/default.sfs?categoryid=80

 

[Z SIGNS]

Here's a redneck way

We made a neon sign that was a stage prop that had to flicker.
This worked for the show but doing this as a permanent sign might not be recommended by the experts.

You could hook a dimmer switch to the primary side of the transformer and reduce the voltage to the transformer.
I think the neon experts call this a flicker test

Got to be a core and coil transformer with no gfi and not an electronic.

Be careful messing with high voltage experiments.You might end up burning down someones store.

Erik from the Sign syndicate who is member here can give you the real story on this.

 

[Westcoast Sign Guy]

Tech 22 makes a controller that you use with their SST Tranniesfor this, so does one other mfg which escapes my memory at the moment, if Tech 22 doesn't then chime back and I'll try to locate the other. Tech 22 makes awesome little electronics for Neon.

http://www.t2-neonpower.com/