DIY Video Projector Part II

[Redevil]

Mystique

Good job on the filter research.
I need a boost from 4100K to 5500K.
I did not see it there or I may be blind.
5500K would be ideal, and cheap.
Would produce a much better picture as far as color.

As for the 15" LCD, to hard to find converter board for some.
And to hard to find a cheap fresenel that would cover it.
But if you use a overhead projector that has a lare staging area,
that would be the way.
Nothing wrong with the 15" LCD if you can find the stuff for it.
And if you do, then you got yourself a HDTV projector.
My OHP LCD can handle 1024X768.
My PC games look excellent.
TV image at 640X480 (looks good at 95" Diag)
Good luck, good job
Keep me posted about the filter
Later

[Myren]

Hello all,

Long time no see.

I havent gotten much actual progress done in a while. Things have ground to a standstill as school consumes my pathetic life. Quite irritating really.

Does anyone know a place where I can get weird and exotic ribbon cables? I've got a couple LCD's (mostly VG150's) with ripped ribbon cables that I'd like to use again. I just need to find someplace to get these weirdo ribbon cables (with strange end connectors.... photo "soon"). I'm still crying, but for now I'm just glad that the replaceable ribbon cable broke, and not the one coming off the lcd.

Sadly the best plan I've thought of for the future is casting my own ellipsoidal reflectors. Electroforming has proved too hard to setup as a hobbiest operation, and doesnt let me do fun things like add waterblocks to the reflector. So I'm starting my own little foundry, in my backyard. After I get a couple of these things cast, I'm going to have to figure out some way to get vacuum deposition hot or cold mirroring (cant remember which.... the one that lets heat go through, but bounces light).

With that and some decent waterflow, I should be ready for 400 watts of <i>completely and totally silent</i> sweet metal halide loving. goodbye fans!

if all goes well, I'll make a HUGE ******* reflector for the 1000 watt metal halides I've got lying around. these bulbs are ******** gigantic. over a foot long, seven inches in diameter. i'll probably end up having to make the damned reflector alone about three feet long just to fit the damned bulbs in. in the end, it'll be something vaguely taller than your industrial sized mini-fridge, but should give imax a run for the money. 150,000 lumens. what the hell do you do with that much light? honestly? since it going to have to be a insultingly long reflector, it'll get 93% - 95% optical efficiency. thats a recoculous amount of light. great scot.

then i "just" need to scrounge up a couple grand for the bigass 24 inch LCD to go with it. i wish multiple display technology were further up to par, i'd much rather just have a two by three array of 400watt 1280x1024's, for the same price, but the righteous computing hacks required to actually do anything besides basic computing (ie videos, video games, movies, et all) are.... well beyond my realm of knowledge, and i suspect far beyond the abilities of modern desktop computing.

Most of all, I need to get off my *** and move. I havent dont jack or **** really since the last time i posted here, aside from assembling a couple projectors for myself and friends. I've got the molding sand, although I'm thinking of switching to some sort of plaster/cermaic casting, for longevity issues. its time to move on though.

Myren

[Supporter]

Wow... I'm a newbie first off, but I am a quick study. I've been browsing this forum for the past few months dreaming of making myself a projector (Some of the people here at work think I'm crazy) anyway, I've never been a part of a forum/newsgroup before, but I HAVE done lots of DIY projects. I would just like to know if there's anything special I should know about before I start making a PJ...

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I am a purist when it comes to DIY. I'm not interested in making an OHP/LCD combo. I want to make a box with a big honkin' light and do it in the $500 price range. I hope to become an important part of your community.

[zardoz]

Hi: I've been in the forum for a little while and have read extensively on your setup. It's very much like the one I am building, although I'm going with the (too many dollars ~L~) laptop screen and controller card.
My card is on the way from Taiwan, and the panel is coming from the US...waiting for parts is the story of my life. I'd like you to take a look at a PCX I found and get your opinion on the lens. It's a 7-1/2” DIAM BY 20” FL PCX LENS - New This Week!
Item No.: L2152 from surplus shed. I'd also appreciate your advice on what lens to buy for next to my 400 MH lamp.

I was one of the missinformed folks that thought an old CRT lens would be helpfull to this project (untill I spent most of last night reading back posts that is). Fortuneately I didnt pay anything for the JBL PJ it was a DOA on it's way to the dump when I grabbed it (hehe also got a working Novabeam 1A from the guy).

Any assistance in my new nightmare....... "optics" would be great.

zardoz

[Redevil]

zardoz

At that price, worth a shot.
Get two of them.
Well worth project.
A bar owner that I know spent $7,000.00 for his projector.
It has two bulbs. Cost him $750.00 for each bulb for him to get back up.
My cost for bulb replacement $26.00.
I have all kind of people coming over to look at it.
They say its great.
My friend bought a 53 inch rear projection TV.
And is bringing or gona tell them to come and get it back because
the picture is not that great for the price he paid.
Good Luck
By the way, the optics must, I mean must be perfectly aligned.
L8r

[zardoz]

If I recall you are running a 14 inch screen? and are getting great result with your 6 inch/14fl PCX. Do you know if the 7.5 inch/20fl is going to make my PJ a "longer or shorter" overall box (dimensionally speaking) I can handle the 10 feet to the screen distance now.. but in the near future intend to move it into a spot where I can get about 18 or 20 feet from the screen. Screen to be determined, currently I'm watching the Novabeam CRT on a bed sheet LOL. But in the new location I am thinking of really testing myself and building a Torus screen... If my new hobby doesnt kill me the wife will for sure!

zardoz

[Redevil]

Zardoz

My LCD is 10" Diag.
Yes this lens will make your PJ box longer.
As far as the picture size, I would not know.
For me it was a try it till I get it right (one year later).
I will tell you one thing, a 4 1/2" PCX lens with FL of 20" at ten feet produced an image of about 1/2 the size.
Therefore this is maybe what you may be looking for in the future to get that 18 or 20 feet.
If I where you I would get the 7 1/2 for the bulb side for sure, another for the objective and a 4 1/2 as an extra to see which one would work for you.
The diagram that I have shown is a basic configuration.
When you get to that point make a post on this site and I will
tell you a couple of other things that will fine tune your image.
L8r

[ywh]

[exipnos]

ywh

Is that a picture from the results of your projector? It looks great! Congratulations. Tell us more about your setup.

Exipnos.

[ywh]

Originally posted by exipnos
ywh

Is that a picture from the results of your projector? It looks great! Congratulations. Tell us more about your setup.

Exipnos.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8345