Hi Everyone,

Ive been around for a while. My name of course was from wanting to make a projector too!

I'll post a picture of my screen sometime. This will be a no bs scan of slide film. I'd rather just one big pic so you can zoom the corners to check focus yourself.

There was a recent thread on the CDM150 lamp

I use the philips 93cri with an elliptical reflector The type of elliptical is irrelevant as I will show you in my first trick.

I use a process lens. This is not as bright as an opaque projector lens which I would recommend. I chose the Nikkor because I want to pursue a perfect image. The focus on a process lens cant be beat. Many of you would rather have a softer focus that does not show harsh sub-pixels. It is better to watch. I can unfocus a bit...

So here is my first trick. You have to get an elliptical. It makes the best use of light. Some people always want to copy the exact parts of others. Don't worry about it. A MH lamp and elliptical can cause dark spots based on the stucture and orientation of the lamp. commercial projectors often use a light evener to combat the same problem. This is a tunnel that light bouces around in. The exit from the light homogenizer is your new arc. Can't buy one? The cheap version is (a bundle) of fibre optic cable. A normal cable cant pass enough light so you use a custom short fat version that is called a fibre optic faceplate. See the picture.

The faceplate blends the light in tiny bundles. What comes out is a very even cone. So use your favorite lamp and your favorite elliptical reflector. The particular one doesnt matter. Have the elliptical focus the light to the faceplate. Block off the outer area of the faceplate to make an arpeture. Use a precondenser to spread the output from the aperture as needed by your fresnel.

edit: added a pic.

Trick number 2

Use 2 ellipticals facing each other to capture all the light! The only way out is to the aperture at your faceplate.

This is how you use a small cool 150w lamp to generate enough light.

Me2 - sounds like some interesting ideas. Can you post up some pics of your setup? I am still working on the design phase of my project, and if i could integrate something similar to your design (or at least make it compatible) that would be great.

Thanks

I am not sure, if this will be working. You will be unable to push all light to faceplate. I think that results will be the same like without it... Do you have some photos?

Do you have a luxmeter?

sounds very interesting, I too would like to see some results. we want pictures!!!

Here is an example. As you can see my old digital camera cant get a decent picture. I was holding a lamp by the camera.

This is a laser that I use for testing and alignment:

Yay, I have to go shrink the pic...

Here is the crop:Click to view attachment

Here is the laser reflected off the wall:Click to view attachment

Here is the laser through the faceplate. It is cropped a bit tighter.

As you can see the beam is spread into a smooth statistical gradient.

In your projector you want the opposite. Any dark spot from hardware is smoothed out while maintaining a fairly tight point. All this light is coming from a 3mm laser spot on the faceplate. When it exits the faceplate it is still 3mm so your arc size does not grow.


Click to view attachment

Have you immplemented it into a projector design yet? If so, do you have some before/after type screenshots? (and some pics of the device in your pj)
Do you have a source for the faceplates, and/or approximate cost?

There is a thing in my projector that im hoping to get a patent on - I dont want to take pics of my box. I will provide a screen shot and general tips.

The faceplate is $5
http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l3172.html

Me2!
Patent ?
I thought this was a DIY forum.
Alot of other builders here on Lumenlab could patent ideas they have originated but they realise that the spirit of DIY is sharing ideas.
I hope you will reconsider and decide to share all your great finds not just some and share to all.
Many hours are spent by builders and I dont recall anyone not sharing in everything they have discovered.

Just my 2cents.

Cheers

I am still very sceptic about this... I don understand your example with laser? I think that there will be very minimal improvement with/without this thing.
Wish you luck!

heheh is there a patent on a/g removal

I don't know squat about optics, but I'm very interested in seeing some results.

If it's as easy as you make it out sound, could we convince you to "throw together" a quick example and take some pics? Leave the pattent pending part out all together.
[edit]I'm talking about the dual eliptical + fiber optic faceplate + 150w bulb...[/edit]

I’m willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

DJ

Is this something along the lines you were thinking?
DJ

Click to view attachment

Edit:
This shows for diverging rays but it should be simular for converging, I think.

Here’s the converging trace.
Click to view attachment


Note quite as good. I’ll have to try it entering the concave side.

DJ

Last one.

[quote name='Me2!' date='Aug 21 2006, 12:38 AM' post='162578']
There is a thing in my projector that im hoping to get a patent on

Sorry to burst your buble mate, but a patent only gives you the legal leverage to sue somebody who infringes the patent. If you want to invest the money suing every one that copies your design, you are going to need alot of money! You can seel you idea to a company, however I suspect that there is not a marked to DyI Projectors (exept of course people like us, which are not willing to pay retail and end up DYI) so I do not see a lot of future in your efforts.

Hanamalu

That sounds ok. I think i can take it out and set it up on the workbench.

The patent thing is for academic achievement mainly. I'd like to have one. It could possibly be sold but its more likely that laser projectors will make it obsolete. Like this one which I wish was mine:
Click to view attachment

And here is the output that I wish was mine: Click to view attachment

hmmmm thats a laser I used to do service work on,,, a 2025 spectra physics, ceramic core gas plasma baby

DUDE!! THATS THE SCREEN RESULTS I"M AIMING FOR!!!!!!

Now if I could only figure how to fit it into my basement....

Hanamalu

Isn't Photoshop amazing?

I would say go for the patent...it doesn't mean you can't share your ideas though. I wish I had gotten a patent on my research thesis...because Sony went and patented my research two years later

You may indeed apply for a patent. The costs are generally prohibitive though. Just the search alone is a big chunk. Bear in mind that optical arrays have been around since the advent of glass, so your might not exactly be breaking new ground... A friend of mine says I could get "a few" patents of my gate design, but I posted for all to see.

Just to let you know, LL has a policy on patents. This is from the EUA.
As an open site for members any intellectual concepts you post will be assumed to be for general consumption. While Proof of Concept ideas may be posted, Lumenlab assumes no responsibility for their ownership, protection of their ownership, or providing proof of their origins or ownership under any circumstances.

So in the meantime, you have us curious. You gonna show your hand? We promise we wont patent it on yah!

I have come up with a few ideas here and posted them right away, IF you really have a "bag of tricks" open it up and lets see. there are quite a few of us here that have done some fantastic builds and couldnt wait to share them with us, next move is yours. ( I wish I patented the big wheel, but I was only 6 yrs old at the time) like it was said, optics have been around since the invention of glass so you are probably not the first to do what you claim to be doing.

and TES,,, look what you did with your wheel,,, need I point out your avatar

My avatar is a shape I have always liked it's called a dodecahedron a 12 sided geometric shape made from pentagons.(I was always good at math and geometry) my orignal big wheel was my tricycle I took apart and flipped the frame and put the forks and handle bars in upside down, the idea came from my friends older brother who had a chopped Harley trike. I spent the next few days "converting " all the other kids on the block. the next year (1967) Matel "introduced" the big wheel. co-incidence, I dont think so.

yeah and Johnathan Archer fears them when they close in on his enterprise too hehehehehe

That's the draw back. Once you post and share with the rest of the world, forget about getting a patnent. Oh and don't forget, that a US patent is only good in the USA. If you want to have your patent effect the rest of the world, then you will need to patent again and again to each country if need be; even Japan has their own seperate patenting system. Therefore, if you go through with it, I hope you, or the institution you work is willing to shovel out the cash to cover yourself well. Of course if your going to shovel out the cash, I hope it is worth your while, or you can be compensated for it. You can easily spend $6000 up front with the research, and then be turned down.

Fulcrum

Ya Ya,

Forget that part.

I am setting up for the demo. Parts are pulled. Here they are:

The fact that I have to crop these means you lose valuable exif info. The original is only 315k. Please increase my limit.

Click to view attachment

Ooohhh!


Click to view attachment

Here you can see the bottom of arc chamber reflected:

Now i have to finish some laundry. More to follow.Click to view attachment

Ok,

Here is the goods. As you can see the arc is too deep. This creates uneven light. Click to view attachment

You can also see the wire in the lamp. Rox, this is what you had a problem with. This is the bane of many a projector.

Click to view attachment

Here is the exact same setup with the little faceplate. The same section of the screen as well of course.

Its almost perfectly smooth.Click to view attachment

The dark bit on the bottom is the end of the bench.

The faceplate will save you. You can use it without 2 ellipticals of course. You can get an amazing amount of light with an elliptical. Anything else is a waste.

These are fancy dichroic ones. If you use 2 you have to go expensive dichroic.

Tip #3

I use laminate flooring for almost all the projector. It is amazingly square. It has tounge and grooves which are very useful. If you make a channel you can slide the parts in 2D for alignment down the grooves.

Forgive the shaky pic. Click to view attachment

Tip #4

Use a laser for alignment. If you send the laser back through your system it should light up the arc chamber. No matter where on your screen you have the light source. Point it at your lens. Look inside. You should see something like this shaky pic. (the camera was close)
Click to view attachment

are you using a OHP lamp and reflector? the light looks very even after going thru your faceplate.

Hello Me2

I'm not clear how you position the 2 elipse reflector and the face plate.
Anyway you could do a rough diagram of component relative positions?

How do you get an OHP from those parts? That was the point.

If you are referring to the pinkish hue, that happens with a dichroic out of alignment. If you align it it goes bright white. The demo was to show a faceplate can make up for problems with the parts.

Looks good so far.
I’m all for elliptical but the biggest problem that I can see is the FL mismatch between F2 and the rear fresnel FL. I’m presuming you are using an LCD less than 15” LCD. Or you have an un-common rear fresnel FL?

DJ

I still don't get it. Is your setup something like this?

If so, I don't think, it could work better than regular spherical reflector.

Hey Me2!

This is like guessing what the picture is showing ..any chance of a pic that shows the whole setup.

I dont know about everyone else ..but this thread certainly has my attention !

Cheers

The fiberoptic faceplate would be placed where the vertical black line is in this pic, normally called the F2 point.
Or somewhere near it.


Click to view attachment

Dazzzla,
I believe Me2! said you had to use a precondenser after the faceplate to get the appropriate spread for your rear fresnel. It shouldnt matter what the f1 and f2 of the elliptical is since the faceplate changes it.

Great work Me2!. Keep the pictures and diagrams coming.