build or buy (noob)

[codepuncher]

hi everyone.
wow this is an awesome board.

well first off, i`m a complete noob with projectors.
i` have browsed a bit thru the forums and read about some of the amazing stuff being put together.
i`d love the chance to build something on my own but atm i`m feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the technical details, and have been on some roller-coaster rides following posted links and info.

i have been offered a NEC VT45 projector for £250 , in very good condition, with 100 hrs on the clock. as far as i can see this model was first produced in 2001.

[ Connections: S-video input; composite video input; mini D-SUB 15-pin RGB input (shared with YCbCr); mini D-SUB 15-pin RGB output; stereo RCA audio input:, stereo mini-jack audio input; stereo mini-jack audio output; DIN 8-pin PC control input;

TV formats: NTSC 3.58/4.43 MHz; PAL, PAL60, PAL-M, N; Secam ]

if i`m reading that right it seems i could connect a TV, Computer, DVD or the Xbox (please confirm this for me)

If anyone could recommend/comment on this machine i`d be very grateful.

I spose the other question is, should i buy or should i be patient and try to get to grips with building a projector hopefully in the same price range.

many thanks.

[snortonnorton]

most of us don't know the specs on that projector..

try to look up the specs in the internet.


then, ask yourself these questions...

do i want higher resolution which you can get from a lcd pc monitor
do i want higher contrast which i can also get from the pc monitor.

if you really want the best you can afford, then building it is worth it.

[codepuncher]

hi snortonnorton (what a cool nick)

for ref the specs can be seen here
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Productinforma...Video%20Output

i love building things and dont give up on a problem, just a bit worried ii`ll mess up and end up spend spend to correct it.

while i go off searching into the bowels of the forum, could i maybe ask for a simplified rundown of parts required.
What i`d really like is a good quality picture, about 4-5 foot diagonal

Lens/lenses :- i`m clueless
Lamp :- as above
Filters :- necessary ? and should these be incorporated into the planning phase.
Mechanical Adjustments :- i`ll do it if it`ll help ?
LCD pc Monitor :- what parts of it get used ?
Input connections :- how to build to have input from DVD and Xbox. is this incorporated into the monitor somehow?
Portability :- is it a mission to re-position and focus.
Anything i have`nt mentioned :-

really appreciate being able to ask such (dumb ?) questions.


regards

[v1d9uy]

most of the answers you want are here http://www.diyprojectorcompany.com/ i could tell you but he has the basics well laid out
and the big thing about this project is the more money and time you put into it ... the better it is that and if yer creative you can get a really cool looking PJ to.

[snortonnorton]

codepuncher,

yeah my name is that cause i own an Norton Commando. british bikes rule!!!

and yes, you're correct to be a bit worried about building them.

i ruined 2 lcd's because i tried to start the project before i found this site which helps list which lcd monitors are DIY friendly.

so i lost like 300 bucks..........

but now i'm building it correctly......... so it's gonna be worth it.

just read everything you can here. that's all i can really say.

good luck man, cheers,

oh, your specs for that projector are great, the contrast is good, the resolution is good.

but the lumens (brightness) is very low compared to what you could
achieve buy using a metal halide ballast and lamp.

so that's holding you back.

[codepuncher]

thanks for your advice snorton`
well i spent a lot of time viewing posts today, and i think i may have picked up a bit of a virus here , yep i think the DIY bug is starting to take control over me

v1d9uy many thanks for the link, that helped open my eyes and yeah why couldnt i build one for myself. At first count tho it seems i`ll need around £300-350 to complete, but as you point out, buy cheap and get cheap, so i`ll be basing my ideas on the 2nd cheapest parts lol.

I was really impressed with Ace_3000`s build as it looked nice and tidy and pretty compact. So i wouldn`t mind leeching his plans.

I`ve also been looking at exclusiv-online.com and am busy putting together a parts lists, i`ll post it here later to hopefully get rubber stamped by you guys.

cheers for now

[codepuncher]

well i`ve been shopping around and have put together the following,
watcha think ? any feed back very welcome.

Light Set MH 400

Light source MH 400 W
36000 lumen
12000 working hours
Bulb
Power supply
IR/UV Filter
http://www.exclusiv-online.com/shop/...ct&art=LGSETMH
-------------------------------------
Optics Set

Vario-Focus objective. The lens has an adjustable focal length of 285-330 mm
special positive-positive fresnel lens. Size: 200x200 mm
professional glass reflector (cold mirror)
big glass condensor lens

Reflector + 1mm to HQI + 23.85mm to condensor + 136.15mm to fresnel + 285 to 330mm to objective
http://www.exclusiv-online.com/shop/...duct&art=OSET1
-------------------------------------
Front surface mirror
154x93x4 mm
http://www.exclusiv-online.com/shop/...&art=OF-SPIEG1
-------------------------------------
80 mm FanSet

2 x 80 mm fans
2 x 80 mm finger protection
http://www.exclusiv-online.com/shop/...t&art=80fanset
-------------------------------------
available at exclusiv-online.com

1 Optics Set £44.80
2 Light Set MH 400 £99.00
3 Front surface mirror 154x93x4 mm £10.50
4 80 mm FanSet £ 9.00

Subtotal £163.30
Shipping charge £ 13.00
payment method extra fee £ 7.05
Sum total £183.35
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
seller chinaezone at ebay

Lilliput TFT 8" LCD Color TV & monitor Whole Package -Buy It Now price: £89.99
free shipping

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lilliput-TFT-8...QQcmdZViewItem
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grand total so far £273.34 = $473.78

[soulja]

i cant comment on that set up but i would like to thank you as ive been searching for a month for some where i can purchase a light and fresnel from at a nice price and the link you posted is perfect.hope your projector works out ok will be intrested to see.
what kind of design are you looking at ?

[hoobatech]

there are cheaper options out there for lighting that will yield better colors. get an S51 HPS ballast and an Ushio S400DD MH bulb the bulb is about $50($38+shipping) from atlantalightbulbs.com and the ballast can be found on ebay, i used this seller http://stores.ebay.com/TOTALIGHT-SYSTEMS and i paid $36 shipped in the states.

the s400dd has a temp of 5200k and is 400w. with your mh lamp, if its 36,000 its going to be very washed out and look like sh!t, at 3,600 its going to be very yellow. 5300 is about ideal

you should check the ebay for 15-17inch monitors that have bad backlights, they have noticibly better quality then the 8inch. I picked up a Daewoo with a bad backlight for $26.50 shipped from ebay

[phutton]

If you decide to go with a MH bulb I would recommend the Venture 400 watt Pulse start horizontal burn with M135 ballast. It puts out 40,000 lumens and lasts longer than regular MH bulbs. It will be significantly brighter than a regular setup.

I got mine here. DIY Store