Right now I'm watching a Telex Magnabyte m2x with a 3000 lumen OHP. It looks decent, but I really want to get a better projector for the winter season. How much would the parts be to make a pretty good solid projector that I could watch during the day with the blinds down?
That is a very broad question. Some spend under $200. Some spend closer to $1000. $400 - $500 seems to be a good average. Depends on what you want, where you get it, etc.....
I have a 400W bulb, 17" LCD, and I used oak / poplar to make my box. It ran me about $600. That's with tools and all accessories (fans, lenses, wires, power, screws, angle brackets, etc).
Depends...
I have a 400W bulb, 17" LCD, and I used oak / poplar to make my box. It ran me about $600. That's with tools and all accessories (fans, lenses, wires, power, screws, angle brackets, etc).
Depends...
humm
seriously,
a commercial projector can be obtained for $700 brand spanking new...
think twice before investing any more
just my 2cnts.
Jean-Pierre
seriously,
a commercial projector can be obtained for $700 brand spanking new...
think twice before investing any more
just my 2cnts.
Jean-Pierre
I want to make it using a 15" lcd panel from a benq or a nec as I read those are compatible. I want it to be like the projectors I see on lumenlab because those look simply amazing. Is this everything I need to get results like a lumenlab one?
15" panel $?
LL lens kit $65
2 pc fans $10
LL 400w MH kit $160
Reflector $?
Also how much would a good compatible lcd monitor run me as well as the reflector? Should I use the norpro?
15" panel $?
LL lens kit $65
2 pc fans $10
LL 400w MH kit $160
Reflector $?
Also how much would a good compatible lcd monitor run me as well as the reflector? Should I use the norpro?
other sources
Look in some other recent threads. You can get the same lamp for $38 US and a magnetic core ballast for about $28. There is an entire forum section just on lighting.
You can make a perfectly good projector without a reflector. I measured only a 22% Lux improvement when I include my very good reflector. So I don't think you should spend a lot of money on one. I think some of the DIY online stores have mixing bowl or soup ladle reflectors for under $10 US.
15" LCD monitors are running well under $200 US right now.
Look in some other recent threads. You can get the same lamp for $38 US and a magnetic core ballast for about $28. There is an entire forum section just on lighting.
You can make a perfectly good projector without a reflector. I measured only a 22% Lux improvement when I include my very good reflector. So I don't think you should spend a lot of money on one. I think some of the DIY online stores have mixing bowl or soup ladle reflectors for under $10 US.
15" LCD monitors are running well under $200 US right now.
Thanks man. Here's my plan, I wanna make 1 GOOD projector because I dont think theres any sense wasting time and money on an under 15" projector. I have some questions:
1) Is 15" going to be big enough to make a good projector?
2) Is this ballast good for this project? http://www.1000bulbs.com/product.php?product=801
3) Aside from the ballast what else would I have to buy for lighting? Is the mogul socket and the bulb the only thing?
5) Is this everything besides building materials that I will need to make a good quality projector?:
15" lcd monitor
400w MH ballast (Do I even need 400w?)
400w mogul bulb
Mogul socket
LL lens kit
ladle reflector
2 cooling fans
12v adapter for fans
6) Anyone ever think about using one of these bad boys? Any reason why you can't? 100,000 lumens would insane!
http://www.1000bulbs.com/product.php?product=734
THANK YOU!
1) Is 15" going to be big enough to make a good projector?
2) Is this ballast good for this project? http://www.1000bulbs.com/product.php?product=801
3) Aside from the ballast what else would I have to buy for lighting? Is the mogul socket and the bulb the only thing?
5) Is this everything besides building materials that I will need to make a good quality projector?:
15" lcd monitor
400w MH ballast (Do I even need 400w?)
400w mogul bulb
Mogul socket
LL lens kit
ladle reflector
2 cooling fans
12v adapter for fans
6) Anyone ever think about using one of these bad boys? Any reason why you can't? 100,000 lumens would insane!
http://www.1000bulbs.com/product.php?product=734
THANK YOU!
Yes you can get the cheapest commercial projector for around that price. My projector also does 720p HDTV. Commercial projectors that can do 720p (natively not scaled) are MUCH more expensive than $700. Plus, my bulb costs $35 and lasts 20,000 hours. Compare that to any commercial bulb at $300 - $500 and lasting only 2000 hours. One bulb replacement costs as much as a DIY projector.
yes those damn bulbs. I was thinking about buying one and a friend who does light shows for bands told me to research the replacement bulbs for any pj I was considering buying beforehand. got me here too. that and 720p for $500 😀
My projecter ran under 350$ i think, probably under 300 to be honest. Granted i scored alot of good deals, but if you're the type to build your own projecter you will be attempting to minimize costs.
My father and I spent the evening watching war of the worlds, the image impressed him alot. He has been in the market for a new projecter for the last few weeks so he has viewed his fair share of high end stuff. We ran the audio through a marantz reciever just to give you an idea. Yeah it isnt a light cannon, but with a nice screen and controlled lighting (his room is strictly a theater room, the movie chairs, riser, rope lighting, the whole nine yards) you get more then adequate results for your money.
I wouldnt spend more then 600$ building one , but for 300$ its probably the closest thing next to a steal you can swing. If you are one to cut corners to save time i dont recommend you DIY. This is something that really takes time and patience to get done right the first time. I think we spent about 6 full days working on this from start to finish. In six days we could have easily earned the money to just buy a projecter, hell two of something like a z3 panny 700 but instead we downed a case of high life and had a good time. With my graduation from college coming up, I might not get to spend that kind of time with my father as easily. Quality time together more than made up for whatever lumens i lose in the corners or the projecter box i have to remind guests not to run into that hanging from the ceiling.
Weigh your options, its fun and rewarding if..done correctly.
Cheers 🙂
My father and I spent the evening watching war of the worlds, the image impressed him alot. He has been in the market for a new projecter for the last few weeks so he has viewed his fair share of high end stuff. We ran the audio through a marantz reciever just to give you an idea. Yeah it isnt a light cannon, but with a nice screen and controlled lighting (his room is strictly a theater room, the movie chairs, riser, rope lighting, the whole nine yards) you get more then adequate results for your money.
I wouldnt spend more then 600$ building one , but for 300$ its probably the closest thing next to a steal you can swing. If you are one to cut corners to save time i dont recommend you DIY. This is something that really takes time and patience to get done right the first time. I think we spent about 6 full days working on this from start to finish. In six days we could have easily earned the money to just buy a projecter, hell two of something like a z3 panny 700 but instead we downed a case of high life and had a good time. With my graduation from college coming up, I might not get to spend that kind of time with my father as easily. Quality time together more than made up for whatever lumens i lose in the corners or the projecter box i have to remind guests not to run into that hanging from the ceiling.
Weigh your options, its fun and rewarding if..done correctly.
Cheers 🙂
BigMastodon's questions
1) 15" is actually about the best high quality choice right now. (Or there is a 15.4" Proview 1280 by 800 LCD that would be able to do 720P format HDTV. ) The standard 15" XGA LCDs are very good at 1024 by 768, with response times under 25 ms, and contrast ratios over 300:1. 17" LCDs have even better specs, but it is difficult to get optics that work very well for them. Smaller LCDs could give you a more compact projector, but you won't find those specs in a smaller LCD.
2) That ballast is fine, if you find a lamp that matches it: There are several different types of 400 Watt MH lamps, and each type needs a matching ballast. This ballast will NOT work with the Ushio Retrofit lamps. (They need an electronic ballast or an S51 HPS ballast.) Key things to look for: A small lamp size, with an arc length under 30 mm, color temp in the 5000-5500 K range, lumens over 30000, life over 10000 hours. Find your lamp, then get the matching ballast.
3) Ballast kits include the other parts, like a capacitor, an ignitor, and mounting brackets. All you need is a ballast kit, lamp, and socket.
5) The lamp lumens you need depend on your final image size. For a size over 80", I think you would be happiest with 400 Watts. Besides the items you listed, you need UV and IR filters. You can actually use 120 VAC fan(s) and skip the power supply. If you want to run your LCD monitor from anything other than VGA computer-type input, then you may need a video-to-VGA converter box.
6) The only reason to use a 1000 Watt lamp is if you want to project a really large image. (ie 150"-200") Otherwise it will just give you cooling headaches, and a killer electric bill.
1) 15" is actually about the best high quality choice right now. (Or there is a 15.4" Proview 1280 by 800 LCD that would be able to do 720P format HDTV. ) The standard 15" XGA LCDs are very good at 1024 by 768, with response times under 25 ms, and contrast ratios over 300:1. 17" LCDs have even better specs, but it is difficult to get optics that work very well for them. Smaller LCDs could give you a more compact projector, but you won't find those specs in a smaller LCD.
2) That ballast is fine, if you find a lamp that matches it: There are several different types of 400 Watt MH lamps, and each type needs a matching ballast. This ballast will NOT work with the Ushio Retrofit lamps. (They need an electronic ballast or an S51 HPS ballast.) Key things to look for: A small lamp size, with an arc length under 30 mm, color temp in the 5000-5500 K range, lumens over 30000, life over 10000 hours. Find your lamp, then get the matching ballast.
3) Ballast kits include the other parts, like a capacitor, an ignitor, and mounting brackets. All you need is a ballast kit, lamp, and socket.
5) The lamp lumens you need depend on your final image size. For a size over 80", I think you would be happiest with 400 Watts. Besides the items you listed, you need UV and IR filters. You can actually use 120 VAC fan(s) and skip the power supply. If you want to run your LCD monitor from anything other than VGA computer-type input, then you may need a video-to-VGA converter box.
6) The only reason to use a 1000 Watt lamp is if you want to project a really large image. (ie 150"-200") Otherwise it will just give you cooling headaches, and a killer electric bill.
Thanks a TON Grotke. I am still wondering a few things...
Do I need both IR and UV filters?
If I have both filters will I still need to have fans running?
Do I need the fans blowing air near the lightsource or only across the panel?
What would a good cheap cooling setup be for my 400w magnetic and a 15" lcd?
Thanks.
Do I need both IR and UV filters?
If I have both filters will I still need to have fans running?
Do I need the fans blowing air near the lightsource or only across the panel?
What would a good cheap cooling setup be for my 400w magnetic and a 15" lcd?
Thanks.
You need to filter out both UV and IR. There are actually some filters that do both, but most builders include one of each.
You still need one or more fans, even with filters. Anything exposed to even just the visible light from the lamp will get hotter and hotter, unless there is a way for heat to escape. Forced air is an easy way to do that.
You need to have one fan pulling hot air from around your lamp and the surrounding metal box, and then dumping that hot air outside the projector. If you design the air flow path very carefully, that air can pass over and under the LCD and fresnels before it gets to the lamp chamber. Otherwise, you would need another fan to cool the LCD and fresnels.
I use one Radio Shack 120 VAC 65 CFM fan in my projector. Lots of other builders use 12 VDC computer case fans with a power supply to run them. Neither is very expensive.
You still need one or more fans, even with filters. Anything exposed to even just the visible light from the lamp will get hotter and hotter, unless there is a way for heat to escape. Forced air is an easy way to do that.
You need to have one fan pulling hot air from around your lamp and the surrounding metal box, and then dumping that hot air outside the projector. If you design the air flow path very carefully, that air can pass over and under the LCD and fresnels before it gets to the lamp chamber. Otherwise, you would need another fan to cool the LCD and fresnels.
I use one Radio Shack 120 VAC 65 CFM fan in my projector. Lots of other builders use 12 VDC computer case fans with a power supply to run them. Neither is very expensive.
Thanks a lot. I got the lumenlab projector guide yesterday so I'm just going to follow the directions exactly. I will include IR and UV glass though. Is this what my PJ would look like?
Light - IR - UV - Tempered Glass - DualFocus Fresnel - LCD - Projective Lens - screen
Light - IR - UV - Tempered Glass - DualFocus Fresnel - LCD - Projective Lens - screen
redundancy
I have not seen the Lumenlab plans, but I think they are using the tempered glass as an IR filter. If you use a seperate IR filter (like a piece of DIYprojectorCompany's IR filter glass, then you could use a piece of Lexan XL10 to support your fresnels AND work as a UV filter. So then you would not need the tempered glass. A usable piece of the IR filter glass costs around $10. Lexan XL10 is at Home Depot (next to window glass) for about $6.
I have tried the DIYPC IR filter glass, and it does work pretty well for removing IR.
I have not seen the Lumenlab plans, but I think they are using the tempered glass as an IR filter. If you use a seperate IR filter (like a piece of DIYprojectorCompany's IR filter glass, then you could use a piece of Lexan XL10 to support your fresnels AND work as a UV filter. So then you would not need the tempered glass. A usable piece of the IR filter glass costs around $10. Lexan XL10 is at Home Depot (next to window glass) for about $6.
I have tried the DIYPC IR filter glass, and it does work pretty well for removing IR.
Thanks a lot. I can send you the LL guide if you want it. Brainchild said I could distribute it however I wanted as long as I didn't sell it.
Re: BigMastodon's questions
I have a 370w bulb and have projected 450" while still having an extremley visible screen. wish I took pics
Guy Grotke said:
I have a 370w bulb and have projected 450" while still having an extremley visible screen. wish I took pics
I have a friend who does light shows w/ old school techniques using overheads and other types of projectors. He'll project crazy big, bright as hell. like all over the side of his 2 story house. It's unbelievable. but he doesn't project through an lcd, so that is that. he has some over heads w/ 575w bulbs that are unbelievably bright until you put an lcd on them, lol.
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