I started thinking seriously about building my own projector about two months ago. I got an LCD (KDS k-5), stripped it, and packed the parts away, awaiting the day the Megakits would get back in stock.

Today I got the Megakit that I purchased two weeks ago, so it is time to begin.

I went to Home Depot and had them cut me some 3/4" MDF so that my box will have an interior dimension of 15" X 12" X 28.5". My design is going to be a straight-forward 15" standard projector design, similar to the basic one posted in the reference section.

What I've got thus far:

*Megakit (Where is the UV filter? It's moot since I bought some Lexan, but I didn't see it anywhere)
*Glue gun (For FFC extension)
*Two SPST switches
*12" X 24" XL10 Lexan (UV/Heat protection)
*Weather stripping (For top of case)
*3" Pipe Coupler (For mounting of triplet... I will need to work with this to allow adjustments, but still be solid)
*24" X 48" 1/8" handyboard (For framing fresnels/LCD/whatever)
*76" 16:9 InFocus projector screen ($45 shipped... thank you Woot!)

Total cost is sitting at right around $415 right now, not including my labor. Things I still need to get:
*Chain and eyelet screws for ceiling mount
*Hinges and clasping mechanism for top of case

I hope to have this done by the end of Spring break, but it may be tough... I work full time and go to school full time.

Well almost a month after I "officially" began my project, the case is complete. I ended up buying a table saw, clamps, a hot glue gun, and an orbital sander for this project, but they have very much been an asset thus far. I've been building subwoofer enclosures for years, but I never focused on the aesthetics, just performance. With the table saw, my edges actually line up for once.

I'm trying to get this finished by this friday. My next major obstacles are going to be building the framing for the fresnels, LCD and lexan. I cut a bunch of 1/8th" MDF into small strips that I thought I could use for the framing, but I'm not sure how to tackle it.

Any suggestions?

Crap cakes. I suppose I should have tested the LCD somewhere along the way... I just connected all the stuff to it and fired it up, connected to my PowerBook. My PowerBook detected it properly and even told me what kind of monitor it was, but I got a fat lot of nothing on the screen. Disappointment.

What are the specs on the LCD. Does your computer automatically select the proper resolution for the K5? If not it may be set too high. Maybe set it to a lower resolution first then try the lcd unless you can change it while hooked up to it. might work.

My computer was able to detect the compatible resolutions and I had it set to mirror 1024x768, the monitor's native resolution. Also, with the computer disconnected, and upon further research, the LCD is supposed to flash a message of "No Signal/Check Connection" across the screen, which it did not do.

How vital is the FFC for a side panel? I have the circuit board connected to the bottom of the screen, but then I have one along the side that connects to the bottom one via FFC and FFC extension. Perhaps I should try removing the extension and plugging it back in the normal way to see if all hope is still lost?

Hoo boy... I am off on this thing again. I have the last week of August off of work so I plan on finishing this motherb before school starts again.

I scrapped the KDS RAD5 15" LCD as it wasn't working (additionally, in an altered state of mind I accidentially sat on it and cracked it really bad... it's now a sun-catcher on my window :-)) and I bought a Magnavox 15MF605T off eBay for ~$100 with some minor scuffs on the housing.

Stripping the 15MF605T was a little more difficult than the KDS RAD5 15" but soooo much nicer as a finished project. No fucking ZIF connectors, all more normal connectors that can be connected and disconnected all I want. It was an amazing feeling getting the whole thing apart and then hooking up my iPod to the video input and seeing that it still worked.

I've painted the interior of the box all black and I've drilled holes for the eBallast and the power plug/SPDT terminal.

For my triplet I'm using a piece of PVC pipe, a threaded rod, an L-bracket, and two wing nuts to control the forward/backward motion of the triplet.

As many electronic projects as I've completed in the past, this is easily the most daunting. So many variables, so many things I need to make adjustable, and so little experience with 110v.

Questions:

*Do I need to worry about grounding the ICs involved with the LCD?
*Will I run into any electrical "noise" problems if I hack up all the connectors so everything feeds off one 110v power cable?

Next to do:

*Acquire clear silicone to cement stripped LCD into its metal frame for ease of mounting. Any suggestions on adhesives to use? Any worries about the fumes melting shit?
*Build the LCD sled - this is probably the scariest part of the whole damn thing as I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to accomplish it.
*Acquire thermostat-mabob that will control the fans after everything else shuts off.

Another day, another trip to the hardware store. I picked up some clear adhesive silicone, a digital thermometer, a couple dowels and an Ikea napkin holder (It was their display model... I got it for $.32!).

I think I have my "lightbox" design nailed down, but I wanted to post it to see if anyone can see anything wrong with it. I'm using some 4" PVC which the triplet sits in, siliconed tight in a thick cardboard ring snugging it in tighter. There are two L-brackets that are squeezed against the PVC with a circular clamp thing, and I have two threaded rods that will be mounted in the box so I can adjust it essentially every direction using the wing nuts.

Here are some pictures of everything so far. Does it look like any of the L-brackets are going to block any of the light/picture?

Well after a great deal of brainstorming, I realized that the best option for mounting the LCD in the case was to use the original outer casing from the Magnavox 15" itself. So I took some measurements, busted out the dremel and cut it out.

The plastic isn't very thick or sturdy, but it's thick and sturdy enough to hold the LCD and electrical components without posing a risk to any of them. I'm going to probably silicone the metal frame the LCD is attached to into the plastic, as there isn't any other easy way to affix the two. As an added bonus, it is the exact internal height of the box, so sealing off the LCD from the front will be very easy.

Does this seem like a good idea? I could really use some feedback, guys... on any of my project. Thanks.Click to view attachment

My biggest obstacle for this project is that I live in an apartment. I've got a table saw, a circular saw, and a ton of other power tools, but I can't really use them because I have no place in which to use them. I'd love to be able to build a sled like most people do, but I simply cannot due to my living space restrictions.

I finally took the piece of protective plastic off of the Lexan and it turns out it has a greenish tint to it. Will this be fine or is it going to tint the picture to a large degree? Are others' XL10 Lexan greenish as well, or did I get screwed?

ARGHHHHH... I've been at this thing since 3 PM and I am finally at the stage where I can spark up the bulb and let it burn through the night while I sleep...

Except it's not turning on! I flip the switch and nothing happens. I'm certain all my 110v-to-and-from-ballast wiring is fine, and I'm pretty sure my wiring from the bulb to ballast and from the ballast to the 110v is fine, but nothing's happening.

*weep*

I'm using the wiring diagram located in http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?s...ost&p=70727

Any ideas?

I just saw that TESCORP posted this in a thread... is a gasket necessary? I currently have my mogul mounted directly to the side of the box; if I put a gasket underneath it, I would have to make it diagonal instead of straight across.

A few photos and I'm off to bed... I'll tackle the bulb problem tomorrow.

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Continued... my apartment is a warzone right now.
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I rewired everything again and it's still not working at all. So disappointing.

Does anything look wrong with the bulb or the ballast? It seems like it would have to be one of those two at fault.

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Next step:

Find a DMM and see if I can pinpoint where the failure is. If I fail to do so, I suppose I'll have to contact LL to see if either they can test my bulb or ballast, or if I simply have to purchase new ones.

First I would make sure that the bulb in firmly seated.
Then pull up slightly on the little tab in the mogul.
Then if everything still seems fine go to home depot and pick up a cheap 400 watt mh bulb and check your ballast with that. Then after testing take it back. Tell 'em your wife bought the wrong one or something....
Dunno if you are positive about your wiring.......
Post some closer pics of the wiring itself, maybe we can see something.

Wives... they take a lot, don't they? I just thought this was very funny.

Heh, tell me about it! There are so many plogs it's very hard to come close to keeping up with them all... If you have a dier question about something it might be a good idea to post it in the Projector Technical Support forum. If you haven't already I'd suggest posting the pics of your wiring in the PJ Tech Support forum and see if anyone can help ya there.

One question I have... It looks like you've brushed-on the black paint in the box. Did you use "high temp" paint, or just run of the mill paint? Most people use high temp, but I'm not personally convinced it's required. If you didn't use high temp paint you should probably keep a close eye on the insides and make sure something in there isn't going to... I dunno, catch fire or something.

As for using the original plastic from the LCD, I'd say go for it!

Hirudin makes an excellent point here. It's hard to keep up with everything. If you're lucky enough to kinda fall in with a crew of knowledgable members who hang in your plog or at least visit frequently you can get away with asking a question in your plog. Otherwise, if searching for similar past troubles fails (and maybe reviving an old similar thread) it'll probably serve you better to post a question for help someplace appropriate other than your plog. Also, take advantage of the ability to edit the subtitle to your plog accessible in the first post of the thread. You can post a summary of your question(s) there and people can see them.It's what I did and others too. Can work like a charm.