Hello everyone. Please see the second posting for current status!

Wow, crazy. I haven't done anything in a year and a half. Wow.

I still have the 15" WUXGA Samsung LCD, Pro Lens Kit, and Pro Fresnels, and I've been thinking of starting again. I have the old GTA controller, and I'm thinking of building with that.

I'm in the process of moving out to western Canada, so I guess I won't be able to afford the lighting engine right away, but I'd like to get this done for the cold winter nights out in the Rockies after a hard day of snowboarding.

Status Update:

[15/05/08]

Lenses: Lumenlab Pro Lens Kit.
LCD: G2A Controller. W02 Sharp LCD.
Lamp: No idea now? There was some interest in the Ceramics, but I'll have to check to see what everyone recommends now.
Ballast: Depends on the bulb.
Reflector: Currently have the IKEA napkin holders. We'll see.
Box: Gonna try to build my own.
Wiring: Nada.
Media: Probably going to use my comp. Specs to come. Just got the hidef adapter for my Xbox. Not sure which nextgen system I'll buy first. If ever. $$$.


Exploring further options.

Query, can anyone recommend a respectable, but reasonably priced light meter? I'd like one for my photography anyways, but to be a bit more accurate on the lux levels of my projector, it'd be nice to have.

I have no idea who you are, but thanks a lot for pming me out of nowhere. I read your thread. Nice to see you wanting to do what you can to make it a little easier for others.

Dude, we messaged each other back and forth like 10 times a couple of weeks ago.

LOL! REALLY!? Sorry, lumenlabs pm box is so small I have to keep deleting messages. Theres a lot of wuxga talk but not a lot of result pictures. I remember a little now because of your avatar.

Well, I'm up in Lake Louise. You're in Vancouver, no? Actually, you're the one who pointed me to the very long and very interesting ceramic lamp thread.

Well, it's begun, no turning back now... I just purchased the pro lens kit. $300+ CDN later....

I just got the emailed invoice. As you can see, I'm absolutely delighted with my purchase...

Click to view attachment

My eagerness has ruined stuff in the past (hence, my regular kit projector lens is scratched). So, I'm hoping I can keep all the LL lens stuff in the box (after checking for quality) until I actually start the build.

Okay, maybe I'll cup the pro lens ever so gently!

thats to funny.well best of luck with your projector ,cant wait to see how it turns out.

Also spurred on by a bonus of sorts, I've decided that a WUXGA projector is by far the most worthy use of my new found cash. Still waiting on it however, I'm still relegated to the planning stages, though I've reached almost identical conclusions. Here is my price list so far. I might use it more as a shopping list for eBay than anything, but I might just get impatient and go for relatively more reliable sources listed:

17" Pro Haas Style Enclosure: $270

http://www.screentekinc.com/Sharp-LQ154M1LW12.shtml
Sharp LQ154M1LW12 15.4" WUXGA LCD Panel: $475 (retail)
Side note, can anyone tell me if the W12 is worth spending the extra $50 for compared to the W02? Know any ®etailers with this either panel at cheaper prices?

G2A LCD Controller: "$370 delivered to Canada"
Dobie Huang: dhuang@aispro.com
Anyone know any other reliable sources? Reliable source for any other lcd controller capable of runing a WUGA laptop lcd?

http://www.lumenlab.com/shop/?ref=
Complete 400w Lighting Kit: $200
LL65K T15 Lamp
Mogul base HID Socket
LL/Vue 400w eBallast
Pro Lense Kit: $250
PRT500 Pro Triplet
PRF220 Pro Condenser Fresnel Lens
PRF650 Pro Field Fresnel Lens
120V Wiring Kit: $25
120mm Ball Bearing Fanx2: $16
120mm Fan Guardx2: $12
120mm Dampener: $6
AC Adaptor: $10
Pro Reflector: $15

Matte Black Spray Paint: ???
Possibly DIY screen: ???

TOTAL: $1629+ USD
Plus Shipping: ???


Anyway, I hope at least something here was of use. Keep us posted, I can't wait to see how things turn out for you. Not 100% sure, but I don't think anyone has a complete plog of a WUXGA projector that isn't from the now defunct group buy, correct?


Good luck!

I haven't checked out any of the premade enclosure, but at least now, it makes more sense for me to make my own, especially with shipping to Canada! Where are you, semose?



I just bought my LCD on ebay, with shipping and insurance from the USA to Canada for $300 CDN. US to US would be much cheaper.



There has been some talk, from what I've seen, but nothing conclusive. There are a lot of controllers out there, some which seem cheaper, but I haven't heard of anyone ordering from any of these companies.

I could be proven wrong, though.

As for the rest of your list, I can't verify it. I bought a lot of stuff for my 15" projector before I destroyed 2 LCD's (one of which was free, one of which was destroyed by an SMC frying out.. not my fault! honestly!).

As mentioned in my #2 post in this thread, My big purchases this month have been the controller ($400 CDN), Pro Lens Kit ($300 CDN) and LCD ($300 CDN). All including shipping. So, that's $1000 right there.

CHRIST.

testing... testing... 1.. 2... 9'er....

(long story short... youtube now works!!!)

It's.... it's.... ALIVE! Muwhahahahah!

Well, my G2A controller finally arrived. Mix up with the confirmed shipping address with 4D computers for the Sharp panel, so it'll be a bit till that shows up.

Woo.

Okay, quick update. My pro lens kit finally arrived. Exciting!

Yes! I know the sound goes out of sync. I'm having webcam driver issues/
Hopefully I can get that fixed before my next video update.

Until then, I hope this illuminates the kit.

Toodles.



PS: 3 days till Wii. Longer, for Mii.

Not sure about the sound being out of sync thing, but it would seem 90% of the videos on the web are the same way.. well, atleast the one's off youtube.

btw, lol thanks for the vid, I was kind of wondering about the size of standard and pro lens.

Well, that's what I was hoping to illuminate. I'd seen another posting showing off the size, but until you actually hold it, you don't realize. Hoping to fix the sync thing.

Are you planning on going pro? 17"+ or WUXGA?

I myself am going with the X2gen MW15A (15.4") lcd, so i'll be doing standard. Then later down the line i'll be upgrading to the Wuxga. atleast, that is what I hope to do. lol atm, it looks like it will take me a few months before I can get my crap together (still paying some medical bills)

Yeah. "Here's hoping!" is my motto. My original idea to do the standard pj started a year ago. But after I ruined two 15" lcds (one in a move, one for no apparent reason at all while stripping) I decided that considering the investment, I mays well go all the way.

Of course, if I fsck this one up, there's nothing to "move up" to. WUXGA is all the way so far!

Good luck!

"frkkin huuge! " I love it!

I'm not sure how to pronounce fresnel either, i think its actually pronouced FRAYnell (french guy invented them).

I had to trim the corners of my fresnels the other day. I managed to do it with a jigsaw very carfully at low speeds and making sure it didnt flex (holding it with my fingers while cutting). I got away with all but one minor crack, but that was from them flexing not even a mere inch.

Be careful with the fressys!

Wikipedia to the rescue. FRAY-nell. Yes. I'll try to speak ... er... well and proper in the future. I still like FRES-nel, though...

I'm not sure what I'm going to do about trimming these things down yet. Given the strange nature of the town I'm in right now, my odds of finding the right tools are limited. Perhaps I can sweet talk someone at the ski-hill (my friends bf is a head carpenter there) into letting me use their shop...

Oh sweet Fraynels... don't crack!

It's my last, best hope.

I like Fres-nel also.

I will never speak like zee French..... woops

Did anyone answer this? Anyway, check my plog for a $30 light meter in common usage around here. It does the job.

No, nobody did. Thanks for the lead!

Dang it!!
Its a freakin "FRES-NEL" lens in my book.
I don't give a crap what Wikipee-on-ya says.

Besides.. I can't change after saying it like that for 2 and a half years.
I'll just have to be saying it wrong. Besides I live in SC... we can get away with saying things
bass ackwards down here .

Love the video...takes balls to make a video of yourself an post for all to see.
Esoteric gets 2 thumbs up for that.

Nice video. The pro triplet looks very nice. It doesn't appear to be as long compared to my 18" beseler triplet. Just by eyeballing it, it is perhaps 2/3's of the length of my beseler lens. I now understand the reason for the premium price of the pro lens. The shorter length alone seems to be a desirable quality should you have a need to do some keystoning/lens shifting, I would assume that it would be a lot more forgiving with focus and brightness issues.

Thanks for opening my eyes Esoteric. The tricky part is going to be trying to keep my wallet closed!

GASP! But... it's.... it's.... Wikipedia! The un-biased and 100% source of all information about our universe. And it's slightly cheaper than the Encyclopedia Galactica!



Mreah... well, it did take a couple of takes.

I think once I actually get down into the nitty gritty I'm going to try and do some construction time-lapses, including cutting the FREY-nels, etc. That is, once I solve the audio sync issue. If I solve the audio sync issue.



Thanks. I'm fairly impressed with it myself already. Can't wait to start constructing the box and checking it out. You're right though, I would think that the more compact package would make keystoning/etc easier and more flexible. I'm just at the box design stage now, so we'll see! 2/3's the length, eh? Sounds long. Do you have a pic of it? I don't know much about it... I'm checking the forums now.

Well, I suppose I'm at the box design stage.

I found the image with the dimensions of the Sharp WUXGA screen. So I'll probably start designing while waiting for the screen.

Joy.

I'm actually not really looking forward to this part. Lots of research and designing.

BRUTAL.

I bought my Sharp LCD panel from 4D computers on eBay on October 24th. Buried in the "you've won" email was a note saying that if your shipping address isn't confirmed they hold the item for 45 days.

After not hearing anything from the after paying for the item I emailed them and got the news. So I attempted to confirm my new address (I recently moved) through paypal following the procedures in their help files. Then I waited for them to refund my payment so I could resubmit with the confirmed address. They refunded, I resent payment (with an extra $16 because the exchange rate changed) and got a message back saying my paypal address wasn't confirmed even though I had followed the procedure. Sure enough, it wasn't, so I went back and tried to contact Paypals help department and after a couple of weeks of emails getting nowhere I realized that December 8th was less than a week away and that was 45 days after my first payment.

So, I emailed 4D and asked them when the item would be shipping. They said December 30th. I replied and protested saying that my original payment was on October 24th and all of the information is the same. They replied saying, "Oops, you're right. It will ship on December 8th". Days pass and I hear nothing from them so I request the tracking number. They reply that the 2nd payment date was on 11/15 so they won't be shipping till the 30th.

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! Ridiculous!

Sorry for the late reply but I had posted some pictures of it on this thread.

Sorry to hear about your shipping woes.

Well, it *should* be showing up today! Merry Christmas to me. I can actually start building this thing. Wohoo!

Thanks for the link!

Esoteric,

Don't worry about cutting your fresnels. There is a very good way to do it without damaging them. Use a variable speed drill and some small size cut off blades. Use the three or four inch size. These are used in body shops and metal fabrication to cut sheet metal.

With a variable speed drill you will be running it a lot slower than when used with a die grinder and it is a lot safer and cuts very well.

Just lay the fresnel down on a soft, flat, clean towel and hold it down with something heavy that won't scratch it. The cut off wheels can be purchased at most hardware stores and are 5-6 USD for a pack of five.

By the way, fun video.

Cool, thanks very much for the tip!

Okay, my LCD finally arrived and I'm FREAKING OUT... considering I've lost 2 LCD's already... 15"ers, but this is the almighty WUXGA screen.

I'm desperately eager to fire it up with the controller to test it out, but perhaps I should slow down and considering NOT frying the screen and the controller.

Anybody know what approach I should take?

I guess I could scroung up the parts to make a kind of "lift" from nuts and bolts for the controller to get it completely off of the surface it's on, thereby making sure it won't short out or get zapped by static electricity (it has 4 holes in the corners like a motherboard).

The screen I am more worried about. Making a sled for it is going to take some time and research, but I'd like to check it out now, before I attempt to strip it and remove the backlight. Can I just lay it upside down on the "static bag" (turned inside out) that it came in... or do these bags actually conduct to "distribute" any static charge???

Thanks guys!

ACK!

Most important thing, always ground yourself before touching the electronics. All you have to do is touch your computer case, or a doorknob.

For testing I used 2 pieces of 1x1" wood and rested the panel on these with the controller board underneath sitting on a my computer desk (which is wood).

Be gentle with the connectors.

You will be fine.

Thanks man.. lol

I'll be fine until I get ... crazy enough to try to strip the screen. THEN the real worrying will begin.

Quick update! Panel is working! No blowing up yet! But I have to get to bed, so I haven't been able to do extensive testing.

Although, so far I can only get 1600x1200 to work... 1920x1200 squashes to 1/6th the center of the screen. I think I remember reading about that.... Hmmm...

Ati Radeon X1600 Pro on DVI.

HDTV WMV samples already look fricking brilliant though.

cool video man.

i have been saying and writing fresnel ,frensel ,frensle and i am glad i am not the only one confused about it

I had the same problem with my geforce3 on VGA. I used some random ATI on vga and got full screen to work. It also worked off my girlfriends dell inspiron laptop on dvi.

Actually, I can do 1920x1080 now on DVI, which looks pretty sweet unscaled. I think the thread I was reading was on an NVidia and they had to tweak the timings.

Ran some HD WMV's through it and they looked SWEET. I'm really motivated to get this all working now...

How hot does your controller get, btw? I can feel heat off of it from a few inches above it...

The genesis chip gets pretty warm to the touch. I'm going to put a heat sink on it once it's in the PJ.

Okay, so the controller does work... with a little high-def Ben Folds. =)

Now I'm just trying to figure out how to hook up my Xbox1 to it ... with no component input... well... wtf??? No easy hack? I suppose I could try the VGA mod, but I'll have to order the chip from somewhere.

Why don't you just use a VGA-to-component cable and use the component cables out of the Xbox ?

I can see in that pic that your g2a board has the audio inputs. Mine doesn't yet it still shows audio options in the menu and volume buttons on the controller itself. Also, your chip is the genesis gm1601- then BF or LF or something? Mine is just gm1601, is there a difference between the two?

Weird. I keep reading about these different versions of the board.

You're correct... it has the audio inputs and the chip is gm1601-LF. As for the audio inputs, I wonder about them, because there are extra connectors on the board that I didn't get connectors for. There's 5, by my count.

I haven't had a chance to play around with the board and the different inputs, but I tried adjusting brightness on the composite input and that didn't work (which agrees with a different thread I've lost track of).

I bought my board back in October 2006.

Genesis Chip = gm1601-LF
LCD Chip = SHR1-AV230
DVI connector sticker = 90ADG2A00003
Connector by powder = W066008946

So the GTA130 will accept a straight component->vga connection without needing a transcoder? One thing I did see in my research is that some vga connections won't accept the direct component->vga connection (a cable you can build yourself given extraordinary patience ) ... but only those transcoded?

Is that the type of cable you are using? Direct?

Yep, I'm just using one of these :

Being in a fairly remote area (I can't just shop around for a VGA to Component Cable), and having extra time lately... I decided to try to follow this guide and build my own (using an old CAT5 cable and one of my few VGA cables).

Surprisingly, it half-worked. I get a visual, but the sync appears to be lost every second or two and the GTA130 turns on and off repeatedly. VGA timing issue or something? Also, XBMC doesn't recognize the HDTV resolutions, and only NTSC 4:3.

Guess I'll try tweaking it.

Still, I'm surprised that this worked at all!!!

Probably just a shorted wire or cold solder joint or something. Just buy one off Ebay for $15

Check:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product....at=2&style=
among others.
[Few 'videophiles' think Cat5 suitable for displays, btw...and it may be part of your 'sync-issue']

Yeah, I just had the spare time while watching movies.

Thanks for the link! Wow... great prices and they ship to Canada cheaply too!