Home made projector!

[Chernobyl]

Hi Miccy
This was covered a while back, I cant blame you for not finding it tho

All OHP's as far as I know have too small a display area to fit a 15" LCD on fully. The top and bottom fit with ease but the left or right is too small.
The Fresnel lense in my OHP will support a 15" LCD though.

To improve the situation I cut away the plastic which was blocking the light passing to the LCD from the Fresnel lense.
Home made projector!

This worked a treat, giving me 1/2 what was missing. I then used a setting on the LCD called 'Clock' which shrunk the screen to the left so it almost all fits on. This looks great, I was amazed that it does work!
I cant find my ruler but I would say about 1/30th of the LCD isnt on the screen.

The closer the LCD is to the Fresnel the more will fit on the screen, so any distance between the LCD and the Fresnel reduces the amount displayed.

If I make an IE window fit full screen, on the right I can see 1/2 of the X to close the window and the scroll bar for easy use. On the left I can see the e of the word 'File', so no problem using the menus, hmmm.
I had become accustomed to not using full screen, each IE window fits the screen I can see when it opens. I only realised through your asking right now that it is useable full screen!
......

Yep been using it full screen for an hour now and its great.

[Chaz]

I've used a shrink tool which is part of my ATI driver set, and in combination with the clock function on the LCD, I have nothing at all missing off the sides, or top. I do however have small triangles at each of the corners chopped off, if you imagine a right angled triangle sitting in the absolute lower left hand side of your screen, with the hypotenuse slashing the little windows logo on the start button in half (diagonally of course), thats how much is chopped off. Maybe I should cut away at some of the plastic, that should sort it out.

Chernobyl, I dont know if you misunderstood the photo of my OHP, but it isnt a portable. The distance from the inside floor of the OHP to the fresnel lense is about 20cm. You think I can get a MH kit in it? I think I'm going to try my luck anyway in either case.

[Chernobyl]

Yes my bad, you have a 3M 9550 OHP
If you remove the cooling stage there should be no problem fitting an MH bulb.
It is unfortunate that there is no moving shelf to mount the bulb on so you will need to use a bit of trial and error to get the bulb height.
Unless you have other heatproof materials, I suggest making the bulb/reflector/lense mounts from metal.
Good Luck

Regarding cutting away the corners:
I cut most of my corners away (you can just see them still).
It looks much better, I say yeah do it

The shrink tool for your ATI card sounds good! NVidia drivers have a tool called NVKeystone but it makes the mouse jerky and isnt a preferred option.
Luckily I dont need it.

[MiccyNarc]

So, a typical 15" screen is 11"x8 1/2" I believe, so that would cut off .5" in from both sides. I think I can live with that :P
Now I just need some more money.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...527832091&rd=1
^^ Just saw this OHP. What do you all experts think?
Here's another 9550:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...528016010&rd=1

I might go with this, it's very cheap.

[Chernobyl]

1) isnt powerful enough (3000 Lumens, needs to be 4000 Lumens+) to use as it is.
Its a portable so will be hard work to put a better bulb in.
I'd leave that one.

2) is fine if you dont mind DIY or want to leave it as is.
It needs the cooling layer removing to fit a MH bulb. There is no adjustable mount for the bulb/reflector/lense so you will need to make one. Trial and error is needed to get the bulb height correct.

The original bulb lasts up to 100 hours on low power mode (which should be about 3700 Lumens, you wont tell much difference from full power)
Chaz seems to have got a bit longer from his first bulb
If you dont use it all the time this one might be ok.
Chaz I'm sure can tell you what life is like with one

This is a fair description.
http://www.touchboards.com/a3m/ohp9550.asp
Bear in mind that it recommends full power for LCDs, but you wont use that.
Full power will make the bulb last 50hrs ish (according to the specs).

[MiccyNarc]

It needs the cooling layer removing to fit a MH bulb

Pardon my ignorance, but what is an MH bulb?

There is no adjustable mount for the bulb/reflector/lense so you will need to make one. Trial and error is needed to get the bulb height correct.

This doesn't sound so difficult. Thanks for the advice

[Chernobyl]

MH stands for Metal Halide.
Its more efficient than a standard bulb (produces more light less heat) and can be bought in a light colour close to that of daylight. The ones I am interested in last between 6,000 and 20,000 hours.
They cost under £30 for a 250W bulb which is the minimum for a bright 6ft screen or under £45 for a 400W which will scale much bigger.

These bulbs need sockets, an Ignitor and transformer (Ballast). The starter should be replaced with each bulb change. This works on a similar principle to the starter for a flourescent tube.

A complete kit of Bulb, fittings, Ballast and Ignitor can be found here
250W
http://62.75.177.102/shop2/index.php...oid=13&skat=25

400W
http://62.75.177.102/shop2/index.php...oid=54&skat=25

The 400W will also need a UV filter.
It would be sensible to use a UV filter with the 250W but they arent bright enough. The 250W bulb this guy supplies has a UV filter built in. Its not as effective but does a fair job for a free extra.
This is what I am using.

My experiences with it can be found just over 1/2 way down this page
Home made projector!

[MiccyNarc]

Its more efficient than a standard bulb (produces more light less heat) and can be bought in a light colour close to that of daylight. The ones I am interested in last between 6,000 and 20,000 hours.

Wow!
I'll be buying one of these definitely

[Chernobyl]

lol, cool.
My advice then is to get an ohp that can adjust the colour temperature.
All this means is that there is a knob which allows you to change the height of the bulb with a nice platform to mount your new bulb on.
If you can get a triplet lense OHP, it will save you having to purchase more parts and will be easier to setup with the new bulb.

You need as a minimum:
.Bulb kit
.Rear reflector (sphärischer Reflektor). Sadly he doesnt have stock of this at the moment. You can make do with the one in your OHP until he gets stock, or buy elsewhere.
.If you get a 400W bulb you must get the UV filter (UV Schutzglas - 111mmx163mm), again he has no stock.
You will need to find a way to mount this inside the OHP.

You can place the UV filter on the OHP glass with the LCD on top, but the extra height of the LCD will mean you lose a little of the screen and as it retains a lot of heat as well as UV, it will make the LCD quite warm.
For best results, find a way to mount the UV filter inside the OHP.
(edit: the UV filter is small and needs to be fitted near the bulb, it isnt big enough to go under the LCD)

When this guy has stock, snap up the parts quick as they are soon gone, especially the bulbs!

He is going on holiday for 2 months in 4 days, so place your orders quick!
His is a home business which provides nearly a one stop shop for home made projectors with amazing prices on many things.
This page shows the dates he is away.
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babel...e74a0458231953
Note it is translated. If you wish to order you must visit the original site
http://62.75.177.102/shop2/index.php?user=gadaffy

For the record, I'm sticking with my 250W bulb and will save for one of the Glass Bead screens, probably the 100" one at the top of this page.
http://62.75.177.102/shop2/index.php...at=27&vskats=1
This screen has a gain of 2.3 ! but a narrow viewing angle of 30 degrees (15 degrees either side of centre). I have to move my seating position near the centre, move the screen and the seats as far back from each other as possible.
It is practically immune to ambient light that enters outside of this angle, very nice!
I have no idea if this screen will actually useable due to the viewing angle, theres only one way to find out (its the ideal solution for me too if it does work). Viewers not near the centre may not be able to see the far edge of the picture unless sat far back enough.

Total cost is about £150 including delivery to the UK.

I'm not sure I can recommend his non beaded screens when using a 250W bulb as they have a gain of 0.85 (Gain of 1.0 is the minimum for the 250W for a 5 to 6ft screen)
If you have a very dark room it may be ok.

[Chaz]

Unfortunatly I'm going away on Sunday, so I wont be in when it arrives, it'll just get sent back to him. Maybe I can get it sent to a friend.

[Chernobyl]

I dont mind if its sent here

[LBJGH]

My buddy built one of these projectors and they are amazing... this is what the display from his projector looks like...

[Chernobyl]

You can feel the urge,
its becoming overwhelming!
I'll help you build it

That looks jolly nice. Have you any action pics and/or piccies of his projector?

[Chaz]

I'll tell you what, Chernobyl. Since you're more familiar with this guy, his shipping policies and all that, how about I PayPal you the cash, and you make the order, along with anything else you may need. Once I get back from holiday (Italy, wahey), you can post it to me. Is that alright with you?

Around about how much is this going to cost? I work it out as £70. Correct?

I tried playing a bit more Doom 3 today, of all levels I chose the Hell levels, and it actually gave me the shivers! I got really really cold! Not to sound macho, but usually these kind of things dont scare me *too* much, I've completed Doom 3 and the expansion pack, but seriously, it's so much more emersive on a 90 inch screen!

[Chernobyl]

Sorry Chaz
I've only bought one thing from the German supplier, I dont know him!
I am pleased with the way he handles business, his products and prices tho

I havent got a lot of spare cash and its now tied up getting a Freeview Aerial and PC receiver . This is instead of saving for the 100" screen which will have to wait a few months.

I'll keep my eye out for other places to get bulbs etc.

hehe, the experience of using a PC is taken up a huge notch with the projector GTA San Andreas looks goooorgeous, Counterstrike Source is stunning, Half Life 2 as well, especially looking down from high places, I really feel the height (not scared of heights either).
Doom3 also gives me the creeps!

[Chernobyl]

Oops I misread. I'll PM you.

[Schuster]

Well hello to everyone, looks like Im gonna go with the flow and also build myself one of those. The idea has actually been going through my head for months now, ever since Tomshardware first posted that article.. and now here I am, with enough saved up to make it happen.

Ive only been looking around for more detailed info for the past week now, and I must say this is by far one of the most comprehensible and complete posts anywhere.. diyaudio sure is great, but what you need to know is generally scattered, even though of great use as well.
Congrats to everyone here who's actually realised their project so far, everything looks great and gives an impressive overview of what can be achieved even without completely disassembling the ohp.

For now Im just going to post the individual components Im planning to order tomorrow.. forgive the german sites, Im from Austria.

Videoseven L15PS tft screen

Or, alternatively, this one if I decide to wait for a week and the price doesnt go through the roof: Liyama E380S

As far as the overhead is concerned, Ive got my eyes on this one right now: Liesegang 610 SY

I cant find any of the more recommended ohp's on ebay or anywhere else at a decent price, so thats the one it's probably going to be.

Again, great thread.. gave me the final push to get it started

[Chernobyl]

Hi Schuster,
welcome to the project

You have chosen wisely.
The OHP sounds top class and is a little brighter than mine was with the standard bulb.
As you know I like the iiyama E380S, the other monitor you have selected seems like the same LCD in a different shell.

Good luck getting those bits I sure would like to see what the OHP is like.

[_Gonzo_]

Hi Guys,

I have been following this theme for a bit and see you guys are pro's!

I have read the Toms hardware guide and got myself a projector (for nothing..work threw it out..I fixed it) then I went and got a tft over ebay (German Ebay. I live in Munich) but it was impossible to take apart. So I went and got Belina 101536 which is on Toms site as one to go for! Last night I took it apart to find a cable linking the vertical pcb boards to the horizontal board is too short! (hope you know what I mean)

This cable will end up in the way! So I sat up most of last night and scanned the internet and came across this thread! So heres the question!

Should I

A - Give up and cry - (not an option)
B - put it back together and flog it cheap and buy a BENQ FP 567s V2? or something else? please tell me which one I should go for..I work for a distributor so I can get most brands at cost.
C - Cut the cable and extend it somehow! how?
D - get an extender cable (FCC?) if so where can I get one for the Belina 101536?

I would be grateful if you had the time to reply to a virgin diy projector noob!

Ciao
Gonzo

[cyrax83]

guys a couple of questions ...

my project looks shocking with cardboard =/ (pics attached)

any ideas on how to make this thing look a bit more presentable ? A couple of issues i have is :

1) for blocking out parts of the light where the lcd doesnt cover i've used bits of long strips of cardboard, and taped it to the ohp, but it sometimes moves a little and some light may filter through, what else can i use here to block light ? I was thinking about just putting black tape straight over the panel but i thought it wouldnt cover all the light and the black tape may melt.

2) I have the actual component sitting on a box at the back which is the perfect height. it looks pretty ugly. the attachment to the lcd isnt very long so i cant move it very far at all. How else can i mount this ?

3) sometimes the lcd panel moves (the side is just dodgingly taped onto the ohp)

4) the cardboard looks fugly =/

as you can see my dilemma in the pictures below

http://img336.imageshack.us/img336/1241/56cd00102uu.jpg

http://img336.imageshack.us/img336/4069/56cd00110mn.jpg

http://img336.imageshack.us/img336/7375/56cd00129nw.jpg

as you can obviously tell its one big eye sore lol. i knew the thing wouldn't turn out as pretty as a retail projector obviously but dang, shrek is prettier than this.