The HANKUN Mid-Size Three-Line Amber Trailer-Mounted PCMS is a versatile portable variable message sign engineered for urban traffic control, local roadwork, and work zone safety. Featuring high-intensity amber LEDs displaying 3 lines of text, this solar-powered electronic variable message sign system (PCMS sign) complies with changeable message sign MUTCD standards. Built on a compact foldable variable message sign trailer, it ensures fast single-operator setup.
Mid-Size 3-Line Trailer-Mounted Amber PCMS
Model HK-PTMS-MS-0809-37-A Mid-Size Trailer-Mounted Amber PCMS
| Active Display Area | Max Character Height | Pixel Structure | Display Colour | Cabinet Dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2619.1 × 1321 mm / 103.11 × 52.01 in | 347.7 mm (13.69 in) with the 5 × 7 character matrix; no extended character matrix offered on this platform | 56 × 27 pixels ｜ 4 LEDs per pixel (5 mm through-hole LED, single colour) | Amber. A five-colour configuration of the same platform is available: its pixel carries up to 17 individual LEDs — 4 red, 4 amber, 3 green, 3 blue, 3 white. | 2819.1 × 1521 mm (100 mm border basis; depth 200–250 mm) |
The HK-PTMS-MS-0809-37-A is a mid-size, trailer-mounted portable changeable message sign featuring a 2619.1 × 1321 mm amber LED matrix display with 3-line text and graphic symbol capabilities, powered by a self-sustaining solar array for continuous remote operations.
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The HK-PTMS-MS-0809-37-A is part of the HANKUN variable message sign range, built for road authorities, contractors and rental fleets that need a legible, power-autonomous message sign at the roadside. It is a mid-size trailer-mounted portable changeable message sign (PCMS), and its published figures are taken from the released engineering drawings.
PCMS
In North America this class of equipment is called a portable changeable message sign, or PCMS — which is how this model is specified.
Trailer VMS
In Australia and New Zealand the trailer-mounted version of this equipment is commonly specified as a trailer-mounted VMS board, per AS 4852.2 practice.
Trailer VMS
UK and European road authorities and contractors refer to the trailer-mounted version as a mobile VMS or trailer-mounted VMS in tenders and specifications.
— Core Characteristics
01
Every model in this range is a full-matrix display — each pixel is individually addressed — so message text, left and right arrows and work-zone warning symbols can all be combined on the same panel. Models differ in pixel matrix, display colour and active display area, not in whether symbols can be shown. Symbol capability is stated as a display capability and is not tied to any compliance claim.
02
347.7 mm (13.69 in) with the 5 × 7 character matrix. No extended character matrix is offered on this platform. Character height depends on the character matrix selected, so the two are always published together.
03
56 × 27 pixels, 4 LEDs per pixel (5 mm through-hole LED, single colour).
04
2619.1 × 1321 mm (103.11 × 52.01 in) — the illuminated area, stated separately from the cabinet.
05
3 lines × 8 characters per line (variable format) — stated together with the number of characters per line.
06
Amber. A five-colour configuration of the same platform is available; it is linked from this page.
07
Cabinet 2819.1 × 1521 mm on a 100 mm border basis, depth 200–250 mm. Trailer-mounted with a road-tow configuration.
08
Automatic dimming — display brightness and grey level are adjusted to ambient light conditions; a manual brightness setting is also available. The display therefore draws less power in low light, which extends the working time available from the solar array and battery bank.
09
Powder-coated and oven-baked finish. 2,000 lb (907 kg) capacity; 5-on-4.5 in. bolt-circle idler hub. Double-eye leaf spring group, 1.5 t (3,300 lb) gross capacity. Wheel track 1,800–2,200 mm matched to the active display area. Tires ST205/75 D15. Lifting: electro-hydraulic; manual winch (optional).
10
4G; GPS position reporting. Message management from phone, tablet or PC. Open API and SDK protocol provided, for integration into an existing fleet management platform.
11
This page states what is confirmed and what is not. Confirmed for this model: the 56 × 27 display matrix, the 2619.1 × 1321 mm active display area, the character height of 347.7 mm (13.69 in) and the pixel structure, together with the solar array, battery, chassis and lifting figures. The remaining items are listed as to be confirmed rather than estimated, so nothing on this page is a placeholder value.
12
Every published dimension — including the 56 × 27 matrix and the 2619.1 × 1321 mm (103.11 × 52.01 in) active display area — is taken from the released engineering drawings and is internally re-checkable, so the figures can be quoted in a project specification.
Work zones on multi-lane arterial roads. This model carries 3 lines of 8 characters on a 56 × 27 matrix with 2619.1 × 1321 mm (103.11 × 52.01 in) of active display area — 347.7 mm (13.69 in) characters — and the single amber output, which leaves one instruction with nothing competing against it, matches the reading task on an arterial approach.
Tight corridors and junction works. A 2819.1 × 1521 mm cabinet fits kerbside and lay-by placement, the 56 × 27 matrix decides how much of the closure sequence fits on one screen, and one colour keeps a street notice readable without a colour decision.
Diversions that need two or three lines rather than a full programme. 3 lines × 8 characters per line (variable format) keeps the closure and the direction together, and a single-colour message — the panel shows one layer of information at a time — is enough where the message does not change through the day.
Rapid deployment at short notice. Road-tow trailer mounting with an independent solar array means no site power arrangement and no cabling, the 2619.1 × 1321 mm display area is read from the approach rather than from the kerb, and a single-colour panel is set once and left alone.
Staged traffic control across a day or a weekend. The 56 × 27 matrix carries the sequence, and one message colour lets the marshalling instruction be picked out from the parking and access lines at a site that changes a single instruction rather than a sequence.
Long-term placement inside a site. A 347.7 mm (13.69 in) character height is set by the position on the road, the 2619.1 × 1321 mm display area is specified against that distance, and the amber-only panel suits a site that issues one class of message.
§ MUTCD Part 6 (Chapter 6F)
§ MUTCD Table 2E-4
US practice sets letter height from the posted approach speed. MUTCD Part 6 (Chapter 6F) gives 18 in (457 mm) as the minimum letter height for a portable changeable message sign and permits shorter letters on low-speed facilities; Table 2E-4 adds that 450 mm (18 in) should be used where speeds are greater than 90 km/h (55 mph), in persistently poor weather, or where the driving task is complex. Messages are limited to two phases, and animation, flashing and scrolling are not used.
§ AS 1742.3:2019
§ State roadworks guidance
AS 1742.3:2019 and the state roadworks guidance size characters to the approach speed, at roughly 120 mm for 60 km/h approaches and 160–200 mm for 80 km/h approaches, with the larger alphabet series applied to high-speed and multi-lane works. The sign face is confirmed with the road authority for each project.
§ NZTA CoP for Temporary Traffic Management
§ Published NZ figures for LED message signs
The NZTA Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management sets a temporary speed limit at least 20 km/h below the normal limit, gated across the carriageway, with repeat signs at 400 m intervals. The published NZ figures for LED message signs set characters at not smaller than 300 mm inside a 50 km/h area and not smaller than 347.7 mm elsewhere.
§ Traffic Signs Manual Ch. 8, Table A1.2
§ TSRGD 2016
The UK sizes characters by x-height rather than cap height. Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 8 (Table A1.2) runs from 62.5 mm at 30 mph to 200 mm on dual carriageways at the national speed limit, and TSRGD 2016 sets the legal x-height limits at 35 mm to 347.7 mm, so a cap-height figure has to be converted before it can be placed in that table.
§ EN 12966:2014+A1:2018
EN 12966:2014+A1:2018 classifies a variable message sign on luminance, beam width, colour and luminance ratio, with a temperature class. The class required follows the road type, the viewing geometry and the climate at the site, and it is stated per configuration rather than as a single figure.
3 lines of 8 characters at 347.7 mm (13.69 in) keeps one message phase readable while the closure moves, and the 2619.1 × 1321 mm display area is the figure used to place it against the advance warning arrangement. The same platform is also published in five-colour if a second scheme needs a priority colour line.
A crew that arrives for a few days gets the message up and then moves it to the next outage, and the 56 × 27 matrix with a 2619.1 × 1321 mm display area are the two figures that decide whether the site fits.
One 2819.1 × 1521 mm cabinet and one controller across the fleet means one spare-part set and one training path, and the 56 × 27 matrix is the figure to quote when a client asks what the unit can display.
2619.1 × 1321 mm of active display area is sized for arterial work, where the sign stands closer to traffic than a motorway deployment, and 3 lines of 8 characters covers the message set a district office actually posts.
One matrix · one layout
56 × 27 matrix→3 lines × 8→347.7 mm
347.7 mm→fixed 5 × 7→no taller matrix
Character height and line count are the same decision, and this platform answers it with its matrix rather than with a menu: a 56 × 27 grid laid out for 3 lines of 8 characters, giving 347.7 mm (13.69 in). No taller character matrix is offered on this platform, so the character height stays where it is instead of being traded against line count. That is the deliberate answer for a board whose job is one fixed message format.
Pixel → stroke → character
4 LEDs / pixel→5 mm through-hole
→clean strokes→347.7 mm character
The pixel structure is published as: 4 LEDs per pixel (5 mm through-hole LED, single colour). That is what lets a 347.7 mm (13.69 in) character be assembled from a character matrix rather than drawn as a single line of block letters, because the pixels are large enough to build a character without crowding the strokes at this height.
Power on board · site off the brief
Solar + battery→no generator / cabling→towable 2819.1 × 1521 mm
The platform carries its own power, which takes the site out of the design brief: no generator, no cabling and no mains connection has to be arranged before the sign can work. What is left to design is a 2819.1 × 1521 mm cabinet that tows between long-duration sites behind vehicles the customer already runs
North AmericaAustralia / New ZealandUK / EuropeOther
Long-duration highway work zoneShort-term / incident responseSpecial eventsFixed facility (port, airport, utility)
Arrows (left / right)Arrows plus other symbols (work-zone triangle, speed roundel, etc.)
Amber is sufficientWe need five-colour
Answered the four? Send them with your enquiry.
We reply with the configuration that matches your market, duty and message set — amber on this platform, or the five-colour model if Q4 says so.
Colour branch
Identical display geometry, only the colour configuration changes.
This is a colour choice, not a selection branch: it does not change resolution, character size or message format.
Size branch
Larger matrix and display area: 56 × 28 with a 3156 × 1563 mm active display area.
Choose the larger model when the viewing distance needs more than 3156 × 1563 mm; choose this model when that area is enough.
Mounting branch
The same display class in the other mounting configuration.
Trailer-mounted suits long-duration deployment and towing; truck-mounted suits vehicle-integrated operation.
If the viewing distance or the message volume is beyond what a 2619.1 × 1321 mm active display area can serve, the HK-PTMS-FS-0807-47-A is the next step up in the amber trailer-mounted range, with a 56 × 28 matrix and a 3156 × 1563 mm active display area.
If the sign can be placed closer to the traffic, the HK-PTMS-MS-0607-49-A covers the same message format at a smaller footprint, with a 54 × 28 matrix and a 2025 × 1050 mm active display area.
If a trailer is not practical, the HK-TMVMS-1207-44-5C is the truck-mounted alternative in the same size class: vehicle mounting with power taken from the vehicle.
Between two sizes? Send the viewing distance and the message set.
We confirm the model against your site geometry — or point you to the 56 × 28 step up before you commit.
The HK-PTMS-MS-0809-37-A is one of 19 catalogued models — 15 of them published and available for specification — and it is the 11th by active display area among the published models. Within the mid-size amber trailer group it is the 5th of 7. It carries a 56 × 27 pixel matrix — 56 pixels across and 27 down — over 2619.1 × 1321 mm (103.11 × 52.01 in) of active display area, with a character height of 347.7 mm (13.69 in). Those five figures are the whole basis on which this model is chosen: the rest of the range differs in matrix, colour and display area, not in what a full-matrix display can do.
Those five figures are the whole basis on which this model is chosen: the rest of the range differs in matrix, colour and display area, not in what a full-matrix display can do.
catalogued models
in the HANKUN PCMS range
published & available
for specification
by active display area
among published models
within the mid-size amber trailer group
Published range · by active display area11 / 15
This model sits in the middle band of the published range — larger units above it carry up to a 56 × 32 matrix.
Mid-size amber trailer group5 / 7
Middle of its own group — two larger amber trailer configurations sit above it.
Need a different position in the range? Tell us the viewing distance.
We place your requirement on the same scale and name the model — this one, a step up, or a step down.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | HK-PTMS-MS-0809-37-A |
| Mounting | Trailer-mounted (road tow) |
| Display colour | Amber |
| Active display area | 2619.1 × 1321 mm (103.11 × 52.01 in) |
| Cabinet dimensions | 2819.1 × 1521 mm (100 mm border basis; depth 200–250 mm) |
| Display matrix | 56 × 27 pixels | 4 LEDs per pixel (5 mm through-hole LED, single colour) |
| LEDs per pixel | 4 per pixel — Single colour — amber (5 mm through-hole LED) |
| Message format | 3 lines × 8 characters per line (variable format) |
| Character height — standard matrix | 347.7 mm (13.69 in) with the 5 × 7 character matrix |
| Character height — extended matrix | no extended character matrix offered on this platform |
| Compliance path | MUTCD configuration options · North AmericaEN 12966 compatible configuration · Europe & UKAS 4852.2 configuration options · Australia & New Zealand |
— System & Operation
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power | |
| Solar array | 2 × 360 W (720 W total) |
| Battery | 2 × 250 Ah AGM deep-cycle battery |
| Charge controller | MPPT charge controller, 30–40 A charge current |
| Panel mounting | Fixed as standard; tilt-and-rotate mounting (optional) |
| Trailer chassis | |
| Coating | Powder-coated and oven-baked |
| Axle assembly | 2,000 lb (907 kg) capacity; 5-on-4.5 in. bolt-circle idler hub |
| Suspension | Double-eye leaf spring group, 1.5 t (3,300 lb) gross capacity |
| Wheel track | 1,800–2,200 mm (model dependent) |
| Tires | ST205/75 D15 |
| Lifting | Electro-hydraulic; manual winch (optional) |
| Automatic dimming | |
| Ambient light control | Automatic dimming — display brightness and grey level are adjusted to ambient light conditions; a manual brightness setting is also available. |
| Remote operation and integration | |
| Connectivity | 4G; GPS position reporting |
| Operating terminal | Message management from phone, tablet or PC |
| Fleet integration | Open API and SDK protocol provided, for integration into an existing fleet management platform. |
— Compliance & Regional Configuration
MUTCD configuration options; NEMA TS-4 testing available on request.
✓MUTCD
✓NEMA TS-4
EN 12966 compatible configuration (class confirmed per project); CE marking and Declaration of Conformity available.
✓EN 12966
✓CE + DoC
AS 4852.2 configuration options; trailer build to applicable ADR requirements.
✓AS 4852.2
✓ADR
— Procurement Case
01
A 56 × 27 display over 2619.1 × 1321 mm of active display area deploys on a road-tow trailer with its own power, so the site needs no generator and no cabling for the duration of the works.
02
The five published figures for this mid-size trailer model — 2619.1 × 1321 mm active display area, 347.7 mm (13.69 in) character height, 56 × 27 matrix, amber display colour and a 2819.1 × 1521 mm cabinet — can be quoted straight into a project specification, because each one is traceable to the engineering record.
03
The amber output carries one message layer on this 56 × 27 display, so a crew is briefed once and there is no colour decision to make in service — and the same-platform options mean one spare-part set and one training path across a mixed fleet.
04
At 2619.1 × 1321 mm this model is the 11th largest active display area among the 15 published models, and the 5th of 7 in the mid-size amber trailer group — so it can be placed against the other models on published figures rather than on a sales description.
— Before You Specify
Footprint & Urban Deployment
Mid-size buys manoeuvrability; full-size buys message size — and the choice is set by where the trailer has to stand, not by the model number. On this platform a mid-size board carries a 56 × 27 matrix with 2619 × 1321 mm of active display area, about 70% of the full-size 3156 × 1563 mm panel. That smaller footprint is what lets the unit be positioned along a tight urban curb, a suburban arterial or a crowded work zone without standing in an active lane. If the approach speed or the reading distance calls for the full 56 × 28 panel, step up; if the constraint is where the trailer can be placed, the mid-size unit is the one that actually gets put on the ground.
Yes — that is what the compact chassis is for. A compact portable changeable message sign (PCMS) in this size class sets up an advance warning display on a narrow shoulder or an urban footway where a full-size trailer would either block the lane or overhang it. The unit is towed to position, the outriggers are levelled and the mast is raised by electro-hydraulic lift (manual winch optional), so one operator can place it without site power, cabling or a second crew. Deployed width, outrigger spread and the clear width left for pedestrians are confirmed from the configuration drawing before the site arrangement is approved — they are not published as fixed figures, because they change with mast and outrigger options.
A closure or a utility repair needs a sign on the approach the same day, not a procurement cycle. A foldable trailer-mounted VMS tows at highway speed with the panel in its transport position, then raises on site by electro-hydraulic lift and takes its message over 4G from a phone or tablet — tow, level, raise and set, a sequence one operator completes without lifting equipment. Working time on site is measured in minutes rather than a shift; total call-out time is set by the distance to the location and the site’s own traffic control. Mast lift height and deployment procedure for this size class are confirmed per configuration rather than published as a single figure.
Message Clarity & Radar Integration
Format to the line and character capacity first, then to the reading window. A mid-size amber board carries 3 lines × 8 characters per line at a 347.7 mm (13.69 in) character height, which is the format MUTCD practice sets for a portable changeable message sign: a concise message in up to two phases, no animation, flashing or scrolling. High-intensity 590 nm amber LEDs hold contrast against the background at the distance the panel is read from, and the practical target is a message a driver can take in within roughly three seconds at the posted approach speed. Character height and the matrix that produces it are always stated together — which is why every figure here names the 56 × 27 grid beside it.
Yes. Pairing the board with Doppler radar makes it speed-responsive: the controller reads the approach and switches to a warning display when the threshold set for the zone is exceeded, which is how the same panel operates as an automated speed feedback unit and a variable speed limit sign on a neighbourhood or arterial approach. Radar is a configuration item, not a base function — the sensor, the trigger logic, the threshold and the message set are agreed at ordering, because the threshold belongs to the site rather than to the panel. Where speed data has to be logged or shared, the reporting arrangement is confirmed with the road authority.
Power, Towing & Cost
By sizing the array for the shaded case rather than the open one, and by not spending power on brightness the scene does not need. The platform pairs a solar array with an MPPT-controlled deep-cycle battery bank and automatic dimming, so brightness and grey level follow ambient light — the panel draws less exactly when it is also generating less. Panel mounting and tilt are set for the site, because a fixed array under a building shadow gains more from being aimed than from being enlarged. Tilt range, array wattage and bank capacity for this size class are confirmed per project, and continuous operation through a shaded period is quoted as an autonomy figure rather than published as a fixed number of days.
Less than a full-size unit, because the chassis is lighter and the display smaller — but the requirement is still set by the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the trailer as configured, not by the model name. Light commercial trucks and pickup-based vans are the usual tow vehicles for this size class. Check three figures before hitching: the trailer GVWR against the vehicle’s rated towing capacity, the coupling and lighting arrangement, and the local rules on trailer braking and overall width. GVWR, axle rating and transport dimensions for this size class are confirmed at the configuration stage rather than published as a single number, because they move with battery, mast and panel options.
Three lines in the budget decide it. Power draw — single-colour amber at 4 LEDs per pixel on a 56 × 27 grid, so a smaller array and bank carry the same duty cycle. Component cost — one LED type and one spare module across the fleet, with no colour-mixing electronics to service or calibrate. Maintenance — fewer parts to stock, and diagnostics visible over 4G before a fault becomes a dark sign at the roadside. Buying factory-direct also removes the reseller margin from the purchase line and lets the configuration be specified item by item, which is what makes two quotes comparable. A five-colour panel is the right answer when the message needs a priority colour layer; for a fleet issuing one class of message, amber is the lower lifetime cost.
Applications & Procurement
Where the panel has to fit rather than dominate: a tunnel portal approach, a low-clearance entrance, a car park or garage approach, or an arterial whose verge leaves no room for a full-size trailer. In those positions a mid-size board works as a high-visibility warning sign — lane status, height restriction and the hazard ahead — at the distance available before the decision point. Tunnel and covered-approach deployment is confirmed per project, because mounting, controller interface, luminance class and the approval path sit with the road or facility authority. The arrangement is agreed against their requirement rather than assumed from a general product description.
Four things, in this order. Message capacity and legibility — 3 lines × 8 characters at the published character height, always stated with the matrix beside it. Controller compatibility — whether the controller supports NTCIP 1203 for remote software control, which is confirmed per configuration and should be asked for as a written statement rather than read off a datasheet. Ingress protection — the IP rating is confirmed per configuration, so request the rating and its test reference in writing. Compliance path and support — MUTCD configuration options with testing documentation available on request, plus factory support, spares availability and a manual supplied with the unit. We do not describe a sign as certified unless a certificate number applies to that configuration.
A question not listed here? Send it with your project location — the answer comes back with the configuration sheet.
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