Hey awesome,
So what stage are you up to. Couple of things which may help,

Bunnings sells Perspex (same as the lexen they use) pretty cheaply

Tiapan has the whole light setup for abouot 190 delivered. Check the history of this post for details.

Theres a place that sells the perfect ladle in stones corner (reflector)

Fans I got from jaycar

So hope that helps, I live in Fortitude Valley and happy to share notes etc. foe@lumenlab.com. Have u checked my plog for how Im going? Would love to see pics of yours.

Hello Fellow Aussies,

Ill be building soon. While scouting for pj lighting I discovered that
Hydroponic shops are a good source for lights. They have 250w, 400w, 1000w
and 1100w metal halide lamps and 400w, 600w and 1000w high pressure
sodium lamps. Although high pressure sodium has an orange colour no
good for a projector you can get HPS to MH conversion globes for the 400HPS
and the 600HPS, these conversion globes run at 4000 kelin which I
think is ok. The 600w HPS has good potential if you need a few more watts.

The hydro shop only sells standard size globes, no eye style globes, but the
1000w MH globe is the same size as a 400w MH so a kick arse 17' or 19'
super bright projector is possibe.

A complete 400w MH system including remote ballast, lamp holder and globe
costs around $200 new, but ask them for second hand gear, I picked up a
400w HPS ballast and lamp holder for $45. The HPS to MH conv. globe was $75
and the stainless steel bowl for reflector was $5. Not bad.

Here is a pic (if it works)


Kind Regards
T+A
Lubie
*wwg*

Oh, and the lights have a remote ballast with a cable to the lamp
holder so all the ballast components and be outside and away from
the pj enclosure therefore reducing heat.

Another pic

saw these on eyo's web site if anyones interested ... $17.50 , good for monitoring the temp at 2 locations in your box
Temperature Display

1. DUAL TEMPERATURE DISPLAY ( 2 CHANNEL)
2. RANGE: 0¡æto 90¡æ ( 32¨H to 194¨H) guess this means 0 cel to 90 cel
3. RESOLUTION: 0.1¡æ ( 0.1¨H)
4. ACCURACY: +/-1¡æ / +/-2¨H
5. SAMPLING RATE: 1 SECS
6. THERMISTOR WIRE: 1M LENGTH WIRE WITH
103JT THERMISTOR (2PCS)
UPPER: 1M WIRE + 103JT THERMISTOR
DOWN: 900MM WIRE +100MM TEFLONE WIRE
+103JT THERMISTOR
7. POWER: EXTERNAL POWER 3V-12V
8. COLOR: WHITE OR BLACK
9. ¡æ/¨H PAD OPTION

Thanks for that RiCoda, save me going searching for one. I bought my fans from them.

No worries Bazza

I've got something similar on my PC, so was looking for one for the projector
made a typo too ..... they are $17.60

Awesome
my pro lens kit turned up this morning
got my 17" lcd monitor
very excited

My Pro lense kit arrived Monday. Thats dang quick!

Now all I need is some gear that says "Let there be light!"

Cheers
Peter

Ok Selling my Norpo & Lense kit for $120 all together, this is to any australian members.

Unfortuantely i'm too busy to play arounf with this project, and with money constraints and a new property, i'm selling off stuff I don't need.

$120 is cheaper than ordering it all from the states, and its unused.

already got a lens kit, but i'd be interested in the Norpo in you want to seperate them

Hey foe,

I have got my LCD & lenses. Just saving up for the lighting gear. Am planning to have the whole lot built & running before mid December. We want to be watching some good movies & the kids want it yesterday (same as everything they want!!!).

The opening scene on "The Day After Tomorrow" (flying along the polar ice-bergs & ice cap) would be awesome on a big screen. Other scenes like that in moves (Terminator - (walking on skulls), etc) would really hit home when watching a big screen.

Kinda stunning I guess...

Hey Lumens,

I've been out of the loop for a while (so excuse my ignorance) but just checked the order page and found about 3 diff lens kits. What Kit are you selling?

The stock kit - triplet and fresnel pack "1005 Lumenlab Lens Kit" - delivered to AUS was US$88 (about AU$118).

A Norpo is just a reflector right (does the same job as the old stainless frypan)?

Cheers,

Ozbloke its the standard lense kit. $118? that's cheaper than when I ordered.

THe Norpro is an almost perfect half sphere which is used by most people for reflection.

If your interested i'll do it all for $110 and i'll COD it to you.

Gahday all

Had to go and buy a new DVD player today, my old one sh*t itself and he wanted nearlly $300 to fix it. (i nearlly died!)

anyway .... picked up a cheapie from strathfield called a XMS-747.

he gave it to me for $119 (listed at $149) with 2 year warranty. Got it home and as a added bonus it has VGA out! not mentioned on the box anywhere that i can see.

so if your looking for a cheapie to drive the projector this could be the go. seems great on the TV, once the projectors going i'll give it a try .... might even ask santa for another one

cheers

Hmmm! I've tried a DEC dvd player with VGA out on it, Ugh! $120 image was pretty poor.

I tried a Sony 575 hooked to an Epson projector, with p/scan, man what nice image.

Nothing worse than a bad dvd player on a projector. Tried using an Xbox DVD player on a projector, the results were horrid.

Forgot to say that DEC DVD player was hooked to their $3499 LCD which has recieved fantastic reviews & hooked to a HD-box gives a gorgeous image.

Hooked it to the DEC dvd player through the VGA connection and ran it on progressive.

Guys,

Good to see some Aussies in here, and from Brizzie like me it seems..

I have no dumb questions yet, but don't worry they are on their way.

I plan on going with an LCD that will do HD TV - has anyone else gone this way?

Cheers

Hi Goemon ... welcome onboard.

don't know much about HDTV, but from what i gathered in this forum you need higher resolution than a standard 15" screen. unless you scale it to suit. and that sorta defeats the purpose.

cheers Dave (way down south)

Thanks Dave.

Before I came here I have spent ages looking at other forums.

Actually Bazza Bushy directed me here - I found him on a woodworking forum!

I'm fairly happy about being on this forum though.

Yeah, I was looking at going with one of those 17" monsters. I still have to find a reasonable panel first.

See you on the boards...

have you got a link for this forum .....would'nt mind a gander

Hi RiCoda

Here is a link to the Australian Woodworkers Forum.

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/index.php?s=

This is a great forum and someone with your woodworking skills would be more than welcome here and they are a great bunch of Aussie woodworkers with a very diverse range of skills and great humor.

Hey Goemon

Have a talk to Mr Burns. He has gone the way of HDTV and he used the 15' Benq 567sV2 the same as me. Have a look at his PLOG.

http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2070

Ta Bazza!

Hi Goemon,

I'm running HD too, I'll give you a quick rundown.

HDTV has a number of resolutions in Australia.
These include 540p, 720p and 1080i most commonly.

This refers to the number of vertical lines of resolution and the method by which they are diplayed (p for progressive, i for interlaced). Interlacing draws two fields per frame (so at 25 frames per second an interlaced tv draws 50 fields per second. each field represents half of the image, drawn on every second scan line). 720p is 25 frames per second of the entire 720 lines of resolution.

Because lcd monitors are a progressive display device I believe you are best of trying to achieve a 720p resolution at this point in time.

Taking into account that HDTV is a widescreen (16:9) format you will require a monitor that can display 1280x720 to fully render a 720p signal.

A 15" panel is 1024x768 in resolution.

On a 15" monitor you can force the aspect ratio to 16:9 which results in you displaying 1024x576. This is perfect for DVD (720x567), though the horizontal gets scaled up from 720 to 1024.

For HD you are short 256 horizontal pixels and 144 lines of resolution when displaying 720p.

The video card itself will scale the image to suit your display size so you won't notice a difference unless you compare it to a native 720p display,, just be aware that you won't be viewing the true HD image on a 15" panel.

That being said HD still looks quiet nice on a 15", just that it'd look a damn site better on a widesceen 1280x720 panel. Unfortunately they are very hard to find with the right specifications, or at a reasonable price.

Going with a 4:3 aspect ratio 17" panel is the most cost affective at this point in time.

A 1280x1024 (4:3) monitor can render a widescreen image up to 1280x720 (16:9) with black bars above and below. You can choose to use software such as powerstrip to permanently force the 1280x720 res if you want to mount a permanent widescreen screen, you can then also mask off the lcd so you don't get grey bars above and below the image which can improve perceived contrast ratios.

If you want to go future proof and money is no objective then you need a panel that can do 1080p. i.e. A panel with a resolution of at least 1920x1080.

The next thing you need to consider is how you will get a HD signal to your monitor. There are a few options, the cheapest and least user friendly is a HD DVB-T card for your PC. Unfortunately software for these cards is still maturing. If you're good with a PC then I'd go this way, if not I'd buy a settop HD receiver and something like an N6 that will allow you to feed the HD tuner, VCR, Xbox etc etc all into the projector from a single box.

That all probably sounds highly confusing so fire off some questions if you need some clarification.

Cheers,
Arkay.

Arkay,

Thanks mate. The biggest problem I have right now is monitor selection. I don't have a problem if I go with 15" as I'll go with the Benq.

If I go with 17", what are my options here in Oz? I have been looking for the LG 1730B but it looks like only 1730S is available and I'm not sure whether it will be the same on the inside...

Does anyone know where is a good place to get a 17"?

Then of course the next challenge is a decent lense kit!

Thanks again,

Thommo

i have just brought the lg 1730s
good specs and i have run it through some fast action scenes in movies and games and have found no blurring (as with slower response timing) and great colours. dont know if there are any fcc issues yet as i haven't stripped it down

you have several options
1. benq 767 -12 about $549
2. lg1730s about $467
3. samsung 172x ( the best out of the three) about $759
these prices are from a local com store so you could find them cheaper if you look around or check out ebay.
all have 12ms response times
if you dont think you will need such a low ms you could look at the benq 731 $429
the cheapest 17" lcd i found in a store was the 17" polyview for $380

Just M,

Thanks for the info!! I have also decided on the 1730s. I will be interested to hear about its stripability.

I see the 172 is better, but I don't think its $260.00 better! Slightly faster (4 ms)and slightly better contrast (extra 50:1), but not enough to make that much of a difference to my poverty driven eyeballs. The digital sound interface I guess I will get over **DEEEP SIGH***.

I think I finally have a 400mm projection lens (but they want $100 US!!) but I don't have any fresnells yet that would be big enough for this setup. Seen anything useful in this time of drought???

Thanks again,


Thommo

Guys,

The more I look at the Polyview the sexier it becomes - I'm obviously drinking a little too much, but the specs arent too bad.

Its worst spec is the contrast ratio of 400:1.

Here are the specs (for the Polyview 17" PT725):

Input Interface: D-SuB/DVI-D
Pixel Pitch: 0.264 mm
Resolution: 1280 x 1024 / SXGA
Display Color: 16.7 M
Brightness: 370 cd/m
Contrast Ratio: 400 : 1
Viewing Angle: Horizontal 160 degree
Viewing Angle: Vertical 140 degree
Scan Rate: Horizontal 28~82 KHz
Vertical: 50~76 Hz
Display Area: 340 x 272 mm
Response Time: 16 ms
Power Source: Stand-Alone AC Adapter 100~240VAC, 50/60Hz (Output: 19VDC, 3.16A)
Weight: 3.5 kg ( Including Stand )
Tilt Angle: 0 ~ 20 degree
Speakers: 2.5W x 2
Wall Mount: VESA Standard
Dimension: 400 x 388 x 192 mm
Power Consumption: 51 W
Power Saving State: 3 W

If this can be obtained for $380, its not bad.

Cheers

the poly view monitor is a v17e dvi for $389
haven't checked specs so i don't know good or bad it is.
check out this site for pricing.
http://www.cpl.net.au/
2 melbourne stores

Just M,

Heres the v17e specs:

S/V 17E Spec :
Model
A170E1

Type
S17E
V17E

Input Interface
D-SuB
D-SuB/DVI-D

Pixel Pitch
0.264 mm

Resolution
1280 x 1024 / SXGA

Display Color
16.7 M

Brightness
400 cd/m2

Contrast Ratio
450｡G1

Viewing Angle
Horizontal
160｢X

Vertical
140｢X

Scan Rate
Horizontal
28~82 KHz

Vertical
50~76 Hz

Display Area
338 x 272 mm

Response Time
14 ms

Power Source
Stand-Alone AC Adapter 100~240VAC, 50/60Hz｡｣Output: 19VDC, 3.16A｡､

Weight
3.3 kg｡｣Including Stand｡､

Tilt Angle
0｢X ~ 20｢X

Speakers
2.5W x 2

Wall Mount
VESA Standard

Dimension｡｣W x H x D｡､
387 x 403 x 212 mm

Power Consumption
51 W

Power Saving State
3 W


My only concern with it is the amount of dishonesty in reporting response times. Some manufacturers are only reporting rising response time and ignoring the falling time which effectively doubles the response time.

I am so doubtful, I really want to wait to see how the 1730 pans out.

Thanks again Just M.

I've got two 1730's sitting on my desk at the moment. They were bought for use as monitors but I didn't think it'd hurt if they could be made into projectors one day

One of the Aussies on here has already used one for his PJ, reported no FFC's, mostly wires, easy to strip and work with.

Contrast ratio is 550:1 but it is a dithered panel (not 24bit native 16.7 mil colours).

The Polyview does look attractive but if you're going to go to 17" I would aim for the highest possible contrast ratio. I don't think any new(ish) panel will exhibit any ghosting these days.

The 1730's are very nice, Good colour, can use it as a monitor for hours easily. It's fast too (12ms), no problems on any movie or game that I've tried and they are reasonably priced.

Cheers,
Arkay.

glad to hear no ffc's, that was the one thing bothering me about this monitor

One of the guys at work told me that there is a Phillips 19" LCD monitor on the market for around $650 - $750. A quick google search last night revealed this was true. The specs look decent 500:1 contrast with quick response.

Great... more to think about! I may never get started.

Cheers

Arkay,

What is a dithered screen?

How is the output different?

Thanks.

I posted a long post on what dithering is some time ago but I can't seem to find it now.

Basically there seems to be two types of panels available, dithered and non dithered.

A dithered panel is 18 bit resolution and a non dithered panel has 24 bit resolution.

The difference is that an 18 bit panel can only display 262144 (2^18) native colours where a 24 bit panel can natively display 16777216 (2^24) colours.

On a dithered panel several techniques are used to make you think you're seeing more than 262144 colours.

It gets pretty complex and hard to explain but there are only really two methods that can be used to make you think you're seeing something that you're not.

One is to use a combination of the native colors/intensity around a specific pixel to make an actual pixel appear to be of a differing colour (a colour that the monitor cannot natively display). i.e. Your brain assembles the picture infomation and concludes that certain variations of "non native" colour must exist in an area given what your eyes are seeing. This is called spacial dithering.

The second involves rapid "flashing" of a single pixel between two native colours, forcing your brain to conclude that the real colour of the pixel is the average of the two native colour/intensity pairs. This is called temporal dithering.

There are many methods employed to pull it off which vary from panel to panel.

The end result though is still pleasing to the eye and on a fast 16ms or less panel I doubt you could ever perceive the dithering.

On a 24 bit panel there is no dithering but generally speaking the response time on 24 bit panel is slower.

I've never heard of anyone complaining that the colours on their dithered panel are off. I have however heard of people stating they would never use anything other than a 24 bit panel. It seems to be a religious argument more than anything as I've never heard of any quantifyable tests that put one above the other.

24 bit panel are usually dearer too.

The Che-Mei (polyview) panels are usually 24 bit which is why so many used them. Not sure about the newer ones though.

To me the contrast ratio is still of this highest concern, followed by the response time, followed by the colour rendering model.

What you ultimately want is a 24 bit panel with a 2000:1 CR with <12ms response... Now that'd be great

You can't really rely on manufacturer specs at all either, the numbers are always bent to suit the marketing department..

My best piece of advice is that if you're happy with it as a monitor (for gaming, movies etc), then you'll be happy with it as a projector.

These things are all subjective and it's really up to you're own personal tastes as to what you perceive as good or bad.

Cheers,
Arkay.

Arkay,

You have set my mind at ease. All I need now is a lens that will project the 1730s and I'm laughing. Anyone seen one kicking around?

Cheers,

Hey, another Aussie builder here,

im thinking of using the 15" Benq FP567S V2 for my pj,

whts the BEST price anyone has found on one of these, or can somone recommend another well performing monitor for a cheaper price to me.

also, it seems that the generall concensus (correct me if im wrong) is that ordering lamps from overseas is what most aussies have done.

i assume that lumenlab doesent stock any 240v models....(again correct me if im wrong)

any tips on the monitor, and lamp would be appreciated

Ruben

get your lamp from taipan (nsw) under 200 bucks complete with p&h
try ebay for monitor, or do a aussie search in google for an online store

Ruben,

I asked Taipan a few days ago and he said that he lost his cheap supplier and so we can't get good deals anymore.

Dunno what next, but it has been suggested to me to hunt down a lighting company in Aust called Pron Lamps who may be able to supply sub $300 lamp setups.

If you're searching on ebay you want to find a high bay light or parts of one.

I think 15" is currently our sweet spot as 17" makes it more expensive and its next to impossible to get the lenses. No matter what they tell you at the DIY Projector Company, a 330mm focal length lens cannot service a 17" monitor.

Happy Hunting.

Thommo

For anyone that might be interested, I have two basic lens kits for sale. I bought them a while ago, with plans to make a unit for myself and my brother. But I've just bought a new house, and started a new job - so no time or money to complete the projector.

I paid about $125 Aus for each kit landed in Australia, and I am asking $100 plus shipping.

They are as new - still in the package!

Contact me at sales@ausheepskin.com if you are interested.

Squidmarx

Thommo

I got a quote from Auslec before I bought from Taipan and they worked out about $100 dearer than Taipan.

Bazza,

Mate - thanks again. Lately its been pretty tough to source parts. I have to careful as with all the shipping costs, this could wind up being a very expensive exercise.

Cheers.

hi guys,
i'm from australia 2,
gonna start my projector real sool,
kinda stuck wif this lighting problem?
dunno where to get the lights from, went to some electrical wholesaler place, asked for a 400w MH, he showed me this massive chunk of crap
lol, u guys consideered ordering the bulb and ballast from the lumenlab store, btw i'm from melbourne

namanh

Attached is a quote I got from Auslec Electrical Wholesalers about 2 months ago.

They also trade as Rexel.

Print it out and take it along with you and you shouldn't have any problems. Should be an Auslec branch near you some where. Look them up in the yellow pages.

hi thanx for that u know how i said i went to a electrical wholesaler it was rexel
maybe i should go back with that invoice
thanx

hi again
i worked out that the lumenlab ballast, lamp holder and bigger bulb
works out to be about 272AUD shipped do i still need an ignitor?

Don't know about that but I am sure someone on the board can answer that.

The eballast won't need an ignitor.

Watch out there, the 1022 S400DD Ultimate Light Kit is for 120V connections, Australia uses 240V. There is a 240V ballast but not sure how it's going to go here.. We'll be testing the gear here, if it works it'll be sold on the upcoming AU store.. But it will take some weeks after the US store gets them.

Hi, Guys

just starting out and looking forward to having this thing up and running.

I have come across this ballast and capacitor and was wondering if it would be suitable for the MH400U bulbs?

The ballast is semi submerged in some kind of hard resin. I am thinking of cutting it out with a grinder if it is suitable.

Thanks in advance for your help