A little over a week ago I had never even heard of a DIY projector. Roughly 25 hours of research and $350 (so far.. expecting to top out around $500) later, I've became infatuated with the idea that in the somewhat near future I'll (hopefully) be playing Command & Conquer (as well as Black, Doom3, Morrowind, etc..) on a 100 or so inch screen in my basement tongue.gif The idea is a very basic box that's "easy" to build. I only have a circular saw and an attachment for my drill to cut circles, so I don't expect it to be anything fancy. I'll primarily be playing games on the pj (pc and xbox) but will also watch an occassional movie/TV show. I'll post pics once I actually get started building. So far I've just been reading, reading, spending money, asking questions, and more reading. (And to think my boss thinks I've been working all this time laugh.gif )

So far I've ordered:
S15 Lens Kit from LL $64.98
Pro Reflector from LL $14.99
LL65K T15 Lamp from LL $49 (I think I was the last one to order this before they ran out, but I'm not sure if I really got that lucky because my order hasn't shipped yet unsure.gif )
Mogul Base HID Socket from LL $9.99
BenQ FP51G 15" 12ms LCD Monitor 400:1 from Newegg $138.99 + $10.18 S/H.
Leadtek TV2000XP/EXPERT PCI Interface TV/FM Tuner Card from Newegg $44.99 + $5.64 shipping.

I've managed to get some free stuff too:
Viewsonic 500vg 15" lcd, which I've decided not to use because, well, it sucks. wink.gif
A couple of 120mm fans out of an old server as well as a 12v "wall wart" from some old speakers. I spliced one of the fans into the 12v adapter today. Those things blow A LOT of air, but of course are a bit loud. They'll work for now, but down the road I will probably shell out $25 or so for some better ones. Based solely on reviews, the Silverstone FN131 fans seem to be decent, and about $7 each.
Several 18awg power cords. Instead of buying wire I'm going to cut some of these and use them to wire up everything. I'll probably even cut one apart and use the 3 wires inside individually for the 12v fans.
I might be getting a ballast for free, but I'm not sure. If not, I think I'll go with this: http://cgi.ebay.com/400-watt-HPS-Grow-Ligh...1QQcmdZViewItem

I guess that's all for now.. I'm going to try to pick up my DPST switch, power entry thingamajig, MDF, pvc/shower drain, and attic thermostat this weekend. Wish me luck cool.gif

Hopefully I'm the first to say, "GOOD LUCK!" It's really exciting when you get bit
by the building bug, isn't it?

Aerosoul -- good luck with the build. A word of caution though on that eBay auction -- a lot of people I've read on this board don't like the HPS lamps because of their color temperature and that you should use a MH bulb instead. HIDirect.com is where I got mine and they offer a discount for first time buyers. I got my bulb, ballast (incl. capicator and ignitor), and mougl base for about $80. Although if I were to do it again I would get a smaller bulb.

Something to look into anyway before dropping the $$ on that auction just to be dis-satisfied.

Tom

Hi Tom, thanks for the input. I've been reading (and learning) from your plog. It's probably the reason I got inspired to start my own actually. I've already ordered the bulb from LL. Are you saying it's not a good one? I'm getting a bit confused on the bulbs and ballasts.. I know I can't go with an electronic ballast because of the prices, but I guess thats about all I know. When you say people on here don't like the HPS lamps, you're talking about the bulb right? What specific bulb/ballast did you use? (I forget if it's in your plog or not, probably is..)

Thanks, and also thanks to everyone else who has been helpful, including SupraGuy, Jambi, tameone, vonneuton, and anyone else I'm forgetting.

Areo -

On the advice of tameone I bought this:
V90D7612K ballast, 73531 400w bulb

If I were to do it again I would buy this bulb instead as it's a bit smaller:
Venture MS 400W/H75/ED28/PS

I believe that this ballast will work with the LL bulb but I would like someone to confirm that just to be sure before you buy it. The price is reasonable on HIDirect.com. I'm no expert which is why I don't want to give you a ton of advice on bulbs / ballasts -- just what I was suggested to buy and the price was right.

Tom

Thanks! I'll check out that ballast. My LL order hasn't shipped yet, and LL says you can add/remove items to it, however I'm not sure if I want to try to drop the bulb from my order or not.. Does anybody reading this use the LL65K T15? Happy with it?

Woohoo almost time to go home

Have a good weekend everyone. Hopefully it'll go nice and slow.

Well not too much to update. Still haven't recevied my LL or Newegg orders, hopefully they'll both arrive by this weekend.

So far today I've went to Ace, Home Depot, Radio Shack, and a small lumber yard. I priced MDF and the best price I found was at Home Depot. $16.99 a sheet for 4x8' 1/2" or $21 for 3/4" and they said they'll cut it for free. I just need it cut in 3 16" sections so I can fit it in my car , I'll do the "real" cutting once I get it home.

Couldn't find any attic thermostats. Ace definitely didn't have them, and the employee at Home Depot could only find furnance and regular ones. I did get some gate brackets for the privacy fence I'm building, so that trip wasn't a total loss.

Radio Shack just pissed me off. They only had one DPST switch, which was in a multi-pack of switches so it cost $6. It's a pretty small and crappy looking switch so I might try to order something better online. It's a "1 x DPST 0.5A/125VAC slide switch." I'm not sure if the 0.5A is a problem Here's a pic and a link:
Click to view attachment
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...=2062487&cp
I couldn't find any 5amp circuit breakers anywhere so I also bought a 4-pack of "5-Amp Fast-Acting Fuses" for $1.99. Well crap I just realized they are 250v. Also based on the wiring diagram I have it says slow blow is prefered. At least they were only $2.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...rentPage=search

Ace was the best trip of the day. The guy was extremely helpful, like they always are there. I got a General Metric Steel Rule for $3.59. Some Natural Aire Foam 15x24 (like the air conditioner cloth people talk about) for $1.67. And 4' of 20" wide aluminum flashing for $0.98 a foot.

Time to search www.radioshack.com The guy at the store said that 2/3s of their stores are now online, and you can order anything from the website and they'll ship it for free. I haven't checked it out yet but we'll see..

Found this thermostat on homedepot's website, what do you guys think?
Click to view attachment
http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US....0&MID=9876

That's what mine looks like. Different brand but otherwise looks the same. Just make sure it makes contact when the temp gets too high (attic thermostat) vs. when it gets too low (heater thermostat). Link doesn't take me right to the page.

Tom

Finally got my LL stuff in the mail today. I've also bought a sheet of 1/2" MDF, a thermostat, a ballast, etc. Hopefully I'll cut some wood tomorrow and have pics soon.

Haven't find so many here using FP51G (I do) so it's nice to see the results you get with it.
Good luck again