DIY Projector - Completed!

Radon199 · Post by **Radon199** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 11:48 am

Ok it's time for an update on my projector, it's managed somehow to get to 90%compleeted without me totally breaking it (ripped some of the connections on my monitor so some parts of the screen have lines running through them, oh well Iâ€™m going to get a new one anyways). Today I got my lens kit from Lumen Lab, took it almost two weeks to get here because I live in Canada but it was well worth the wait. Anyone who wants so make there own projector needs to get there stuff from these guys, they defiantly know what they are doing. It was well packed and the frensels are strong and sturdy (about 1/8th of an inch thick O.o) and the triplet lens is amazing. Now I get the kit, sloping put the frensles on their respective sides and lean them up agents the LCD sled, didn't even try aligning them, I then took the triplet lens and held it about 1 ft from the LCD. I only have one word for you...amazing... With a $3.00 bulb from the Kent store putting out 6000 lumens the images was great (want more lumens

). With this test setup I through together I had a picture far better than I could have imagined and it wasn't even in focus O.O

Right now my main concern is getting a new LCD (most likely a Sharp Projection Panel) and getting a MH bulb (the one Iâ€™m useing creates a hot spot across the center of the screen but works great for testing, worth the $3 I spent on it). After I have all that it's a blackout cloth screen and then MOVIE/GAME night WOOOOOOOOOOO!...

I'll post picks as soon as they are available... (and I find out how to take them, got to configure the digital camera to take picks of it in the dark)

SNESguy · Post by **SNESguy** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 1:03 pm

If you are having problems with the bulb's heat, then you can get some heat shielding glass from the DIY projector company (www.diyprojector.com). The panes are called IR(Infrared) filtering glass, and block all heat from damaging the LCD, but allow visible light to go through.

These sometimes show up on Ebay as well.

Good luck with your project. I'm in the process of building one as well.

SNESguy

Radon199 · Post by **Radon199** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:06 pm

I have some glass out of a scanner that blocks about 50% of the direct heat from the bulb, but unfortunatly its still not enugh and I might need to get some actual 90% rated stuff when I finaly get my projector working in top condition.

Also it's because my bulbs filiment is too long so theres a wavy band of very bright light across the center of the screen and then it tapers out as you move up and down.

It's prolly gonna cost me around $300 CDN to finish this project (my most expencive yet) but from the results ive got so far its gonna be well worth it ^.^

Radon199 · Post by **Radon199** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:21 pm

Ok tommorow Ill have some picutes, my projector is 98% compleeted.

As I said above I broke my screen, so im gonna be getting a projection panel with a S-Video input and Composit Video.

I got my Metal Halide bulb today. Found a local suplyer here in Nova Scotia called Liteco that had an amazing deal on a Ballast and bulb. I got a 400W M400/U bulb and a Magnetic Ballast. The total came to around $100 CDN so $80 USD. Not bad seeing as it costs around $190 CDN to get almost the same kit from LumenLab.

Only down side is I don't have some UV filtering lexan yet... so the damn projector game me a freaking sun burn... stupid UV rays...

superdeformed · Post by **superdeformed** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:46 pm

Radon199 wrote: I got my Metal Halide bulb today. Found a local suplyer here in Nova Scotia called Liteco that had an amazing deal on a Ballast and bulb. I got a 400W M400/U bulb and a Magnetic Ballast. The total came to around $100 CDN so $80 USD. Not bad seeing as it costs around $190 CDN to get almost the same kit from LumenLab.

Only down side is I don't have some UV filtering lexan yet... so the damn projector game me a freaking sun burn... stupid UV rays...

Thats a nice find for the bulb and ballast, but there's a reason the kit from LumenLab is more expensive. It uses an electronic ballast as opposed to a magnetic one, so you don't get that annoying buzzing noise when you have the bulb burning. As for the UV light, I suggest you get some UV filtering glass. A 400W bulb might melt lexan.

FDSMAN · Post by **FDSMAN** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:47 pm

some pics would be nice

xxxeagle · Post by **xxxeagle** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:50 pm

Speaking of this I should really start building one of these, The crt on the tv in the living room is going my dad said we might get an lcd or plasma but I still need to make one of these.

Radon199 · Post by **Radon199** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 10:33 pm

Well, I could put my hand between the IR glass and the LCD and I could barly feel any heat at all so Lexan should work, its what most people use.

And I can't even hear a buzz from the magnet so its all good, any time I'm running the projector I'm gonna have my speakers up high so if there is a ringing... I can't hear it

Radon199 · Post by **Radon199** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 3:06 pm

Ok, it's the moment you've all been waiting for, the pictures!!!!!!

There are a few things you have to understand when viewing these...
1) My LCD is broken and im gonna be getting a new one but that is why there are weird lines on the screen.
and 2) It's almost imposible to take a good picture of a projection, the colors tend to be off and so is the brightness, and the same is with these pivtures. The actual image is way brighter and sharper in real life.
The image size is currently 100".

So here we go........

Here is Mase looking rather ass kicky

Jango getting a face full of lightsaber.

Boom!... hehehe

Boom with the lights on, to show how big the screen is.

More to come as soon as I go eat some Turky mmmmm foood... (drool)...

superdeformed · Post by **superdeformed** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:49 pm

Very nice

. No pictures of the box though?

Metroid fan · Post by **Metroid fan** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:52 pm

Wow nice one game night would be fun on that.

G-force · Post by **G-force** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 6:02 pm

Very nice! Looks pretty good even from the pics. What LCD did you end up using, the laptop one?

And mace does kick ass. Too bad open windows are his greatest enemy.

xxxeagle · Post by **xxxeagle** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 6:09 pm

Nice good job, can you post some pics of inside the projector.

Radon199 · Post by **Radon199** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 7:28 pm

Ok, just got back from dinner (well not really, I went to dinner... then came home and watched The Lord of The Rings: The fellowship of the Ring, but thats a small detail).

Anyways, heres some more pics

Heres the bulb (bright little bugger, 36,000 lumens)

Yoda

Me forgetting to pause the DVD and having to long a shutter time...lol

The actual projector itself, the frenzles are too tall at the moment so I have to cover the top of the projector with scrap wood instead of the top, but it works fine for now.

Ill get more picks as soon as the projector cools down (the LCD compartment might be cool but the lamp part behind the IR glass sure isn't

Turbo Tax 1.0 · Post by **Turbo Tax 1.0** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 7:34 pm

awesome that is some good work you did there

benheck.com Forums

DIY Projector - Completed!

It's the moment you've all been waiting for (56K WARNING)