Hi All,

First time poster, long time reader. I feel its finally time I start a PLOG and hopefully share some insight into my DIY PJ experiences! Building a projector in Australia has always been difficult, mainly due to the problems with sourcing fragile PJ parts from overseas.

I'm basically planning on building a projector for my loungeroom which will sit on top of my stairs. (up in a loft type thing) Have source a lot of parts so far including the following...

- 431mm (f200mm) condensor fresnel
- 431mm (f650mm) field fresnel
- dichrotic reflector from a 3M 9550
- polycarbonate UV filter
- 150W CMH bulb + G12 base (this cracked during shipment, but sent back to get a replacement)

Parts still to acquire include..

- Ceramic MH ballast to suit above bulb
- Pro triplet lens. (have a small triplet from the 9550 but this will be way too small I think)
- LCD screen - Am going with the 17" Samsung 740B mainly because I know they have no FFC issues, have a great response time (8ms) run at 1280x1024 (720p here I come) and a DVI input.
- a truckload of MDF. No pretty wood here. Its MDF all the way.

I'm planning on leaving the Fresnels at their full size and incorporating them into the projector the way they are. This was I can upgrade to a 19" LCD at a later stage.

Oh did I mention this projector will have an XBOX360 built into it somehow? (have yet to determine where or how this will be implemented)
UPDATE: The XBOX360 I had spare to use for my projector has suffered the 3RLOD. Haven't been able to fix this permanently yet.

Some piccys below:

yaK

Off to a flying start....

The great guys were happy to replace it. (even though im not sure if it was broken when it arrived!)

Heres a 3D render of my box.... still needs alot of work of course. Dosen't take into account cooling of which I plan on going a little overboard on. (400 cubic feet / minute?)

The stack of wood in the middle actually consists of 8 peices of MDF routed inbetween to house the UV shield, fresnels and LCD. I plan on sandwiching the whole lot together using 100mm bolts on each corner and washers inbetween. This will allow me to finetune the entire setup easily and securely.

Also, I don't anticipate my final design will consist of a bulb floating in mid air. (see bulb to the right)

Don't kill your self on cooling. The 150 lamp is vary cool I would make sure you don't have any light leaks rather than a lot of air.

Thanks av.

Based on my research it seems my original plan on 400CFM is totally overkill. The LL plans use a single 120mm fan which seems to do the job for most people. Im now planning on using 2 80mm fans at the back of the case instead of the original 4. If this does not suffice I can easily add more fans later.

I also plan on doing some tests with different configurations of the F-L-F (fresnel-lcd-fresnel) sandwich in the middle. I want to find out whether it is worth running the air down the LCD, back up the fresnel, then down the uv sheild into the light box as opposed to running air straight past the LCD and out the back. The modular design allows these sandwiched peices to be flipped upside down to lengthen the path of the airflow.

On another note, i've almost worked out the final dimensions of my box (just need to determine the best distance from the field fresnel to the triplet to allow the light cone to hit the 100mm lens perfectly)

Oh and I have a nice ballast to suit my 150W CMH bulb and 100mm triplet on their way. Should be here by Tuesday depending on whether the lazy postman decides to take Christmas off.

That said, after the delivery next week i'll have all the main components (fresnels, triplet, bulb and ballast) except the LCD, so I can start work on my box. Buying the LCD on the 4th of Jan.

Also, seeing as I live at home with my dad, he has decided to let me paint a white square on his wall to use as a screen. (what a nice father he is? hhahaha)

Pic of the intended projector location. You can see its quite high up so will definately need some keystoning to allow it to be viewed from a decent position downstairs. As the projector will basically be out of sight, the overall size of the projector is of little or no importance at this stage.

Also thought i'd post a pic of the reflector I intend on using. I was pretty impressed with how perfect the surface was...

Went to Jaycar today and picked up some nice 240V bits and peices. Got a great 240V 120mm 3000RPM fan. This thing is a monster and you can definately feel the weight in the metal housing. It will move 3 cubic metres of air/min which I think works out to about 106 CFM. (yep, definately only need one of these for now) Jaycar also have a 150mm fan which moves 232 CFM. Was tempted, but the $90 AUD price tag was a little steep!

Also made a trip to Bunnings and picked up some threaded steel rod to use in my fresnel and LCD sandwich. It was much more economic to buy 2.5kg of washers and 150 nuts than it was to buy just what I needed. (and may help with a future MKII )

Merry Christmas folks!

After all the christmasy type crap was out of the way, I've had some time to work on my wiring diagrams. When it comes to wiring this beast, im aiming for a modular design (read: terminal block(s)) which will allow me to extend or remove any electrical part of the projector without needed to snip/solder wires.

I've decided at this stage to wire the LCD, Ballast and Fan seperately with 3 x 240V SPST switches. Have also decided to keep things simple for now and not include any type of timing or temperature circuit to turn the fans off after turning off the ballast. This means that they effectively each have their own circuit all the way to the power point.

Oh, and another thing. I found it very difficult to find proper 240V wiring from my local Jaycar. (was after some coloured stuff rated at 10A) I brought a few metres of this white wire but i've decided to chop up a few IEC power cables i've had lying around to get the correct coloured wire. This should also make wiring and testing inside the projector safer. (Active, Neutral and Ground wires all the same colour never sounded like a good idea!)

Wiring diagram to follow shortly.

Ballast, triplet and my replacement bulb are almost here!

Picking them up tomorrow morning from the post office.

yay!

Picked up my ballast and triplet yesterday. Its 100mm wide.

And my ballast..

Given the parts above, all that I need now is the LCD screen, which I hope to pickup from someone in Sydney next Thursday. (4th Jan)

Also, i've decided to add another 120MM fan to the other side of the (non-existant) box. I figure I may aswell add 2 fans instead of one from the outset rather than discover I have cooling problems and having to add another one later. The second fan will be switched independently of the first.

cant have too much cooling! AV is right though, the bulb you have wont give off as much heat as a 400W MH bulb.

Groovy man, Good to see another aussi here. i am also from nsw, aus and to say the truth did exactly the same thing as u. timber ,screws n hardware from bunnings and fan from electronics from jay car. man this is cool we both almost the same track. well i will try to keep track of this plog. good luck and will catch up gain,tanji
sydney.

The main idea behind having the 2 fans wired independently is so I can control them seperately. This will also make the path to a 400W bulb easier if needed

JayCar all the way!! beats Dickie Smiths any day price wise . Looking forward to seeing your results and comparing which parts you got a hold of

Heres my (very preliminary mind you) wiring diagram..

No thermostats or timers in this one. Just 4 plain independent 240V circuits. (LCD, Ballast, Fan1, Fan2)

For me, the diagram really just gives me an idea on how the wiring will be laid out in the box.

Update: I've just noticed the Active and Neutral wires are coloured in reverse. The diagram below is wrong. Blue is Neutral and Brown is Active.

Good to see another Aussie. All the best with your build.

Cheers

Just had a look at your PLOG, looking forward to seeing the results from that 19" samsung. Im going for the 17" 740B Also leaving fresnels uncut to accomodate a 19" monitor at a later date

Speaking of the Samsung 17" 740B, i'm having a lot of trouble finding one in my town, Wollongong. Not too keen on ordering one off the net as I really want to just go out and buy one and strip it in the same day.

I think a trip to Sydney is in order

Thursday is the day.

double post

Found my Samsung 740B at ComputerTown in Warrawong. $299 AUD. (about $270 US) Picking up Thursday morning.

Also I removed the 300mm x 300mm peice of glass from my old 3M 9550 OHP. (also using the reflector and pre-condensor lens from this OHP) Not sure if this is tempered glass, but im guessing if it can last in a 400W OHP, it should be ok within my 150W pj. Not sure if i'll use the glass sandwiched against my UV sheild.. will probably make a seperate MDF frame for the glass.

Would really like to get started on my box, but I don't want to cut a single peice of wood until I know exactly how big the monitor is going to be.

I was 'that' close to getting a 740N (ie a B without DVI), but had a last minute 'to hell with the cash' moment and splurged for the 940N. After dysmal results with my SoG experiment I decided the 940N was a fantastic monitor for my computer - and it is. HL2, Doom 3, Fear etc look far better at 1280x1024 than on my old 17" crt on 1600x1200 - and had another 'to hell with the cash' moment with the 940MG.

The box will be HUGE with uncut fresnels, but as you say, good to be able to upgrade if you want to. Still 'n all (practices his USisms) the results I've seen on the forum with the 740Bs and Ns are awesome. Lots of good stripping and AG removal info available too.

I know this is probably way to late but maybe someone else can use the idea. Like someone said "don't kill yourself on cooling worry about lite leaking", I think i thought of a way to get maximum airflow but has absolutely no lite leaks or at least darn near it. I think if used an kind of vacume method to almost literally suck the air out through a hose in an S shape, this way you can move as much air as you need and let almost no light escape at all. If you you don't exactely get what I mean email me and I can try se if I can give you a picture or render or something along those line to help appropriate what i mean. But i can't say that i will definitlly get back to you.

So hopefully from my extremely vague discription you can get an idea, or at least that is if your a dreamer like me.




P.S. I wrote this at 8 in the morning after staying up nearly 24 hours, so sorry if some of it seems odd or sentences don't seem to end right or go anywhere.

I did consider the 740N, but I really want the DVI port for when I upgrade my PJ with a HD set top box in the future (no plans currently, but its nice to have that capability) I also managed to find the 740B at the same price I was planning on paying for the 740N.

You're right, the box will be huge. About 480mm in width and height if my calculations are correct. (my god!) The box dosent look so big in my 3d render, but its hard to get an idea of scale when you are looking at 3D MDF . Main reason behind getting the samsung was because I know they are easy to strip and have no FFC issues. Don't have any plans to remove the AG just yet. Looking forward to just having a working projector.

Thanks Mr47,

I did think of this idea in my early box designs. From what I can tell, the trick to ensuring maximum airflow is finding a balance between the smallest cross sectional area of your exhaust hole an the number of 'bends' you have in the intake ara.

I have been absoutely racking my brain trying to find the best way to design my bulb setup. I have a reflector, bulb (with socket) and pre-condensor. What im after is a way to adjust them slightly in all three dimensions. (X, Y and Z) I do have some solutions but im not yet 100% satisfied that any of them are good enough.

I think i've caught the illness. The one which takes over your life while you try and think of the best way to build this monster.

More 'real' progress coming in the next few days. I go back to work on Monday (today is Tuesday) and pick up my LCD tomorrow. This gives me 4 full days to work on this thing. Can finally cut some wood too and have something tangible as opposed to just a pile of expensive parts.

Be careful you don't leave the AG on too long after you strart using your projector. I've read quite a few plogs where the AG has become very difficult to get off after baking for a while.

I think it's very much a case of diminishing returns. I rate z axis as the most important for realtime adjustability, and decided to go simple on x and y as they only need adjusting once. BUT - if you want to go the whole hog, have you thought about how lathe cross slides, mills and CNC machines are designed? Bulky and time consuming to do for a PJ, but would be a very noble engineering exercise. I might do something like this in a folded PJ down the track just for the pleasure of the build. But like you, I was keen for early results.

Don't forget pitch and yaw control on the reflector.

Thanks for the tip about the AG. This didn't occur to me and makes total sense!

You are right about the Z. It's important that what I come up with allows minute adjustments between the reflector, bulb and precondensor. I have some pics below of the beginnings of my whole adjustment rig...

I haven't thought about pitch and yaw for the reflector or pre-condensor. I can't imaging i'd need much adjustment in this area, (after all, i'd like to think they were already perfectly perpendicular to their mounting brackets) but the rig i've come up with will allow some 'play' of the bolts for miniscule fine tuning.

Heres my workbench... Ok, so its not a workbench, more a wooden box on the floor with junk mail to catch the metal shards. Ha! I've spent so much on parts I have neglected to invest in the improtant things such as a proper place to work.

The aluminium im using for my adjustment rig for the lighting... quite cheap at about 15 bucks (AUD) for 2 metres. Now all I need is a good hacksaw. The $3 one I brought broke after the first cut (as expected)

Heres the first pic of the first part of my lighting adjustment setup. This peice below allows adjustment on the X axis for the pre-condensor. Obviously the threaded rod wont be hanging off the left, it'll be hanging off the right. (the cheap hacksaw I have wouldn't cut the steel.. will get a better one tomorrow)

The aluminium angle bar you can see on the right of the picture will be attached to another peice of angle bar which will allow adjustment on the Z axis. For the Y axis, (up and down) i'll need to make the holes on the aluminium peice to the right into a 'slot'. (not actually sure how I will do this yet )

There will be an almost identical setup for the reflector. (although will be positioned on the other side... possibly even the bottom)

It's a little confusing to visualise what im doing and thats because even i'm not quite sure how it will look when its done. All I know is aluminium angle bar, threaded steel rod, and bolts and washers are your friend . Also, you'll notice in the pic the peice of metal holding the lens. This is the original peice from the 3m 9550 OHP which is was salvaged from. There is a similar peice for the reflector. (glad I didn't have to fabricate these myself)

Sorry, must have missed that you were using a system with original mounts. Fingers crossed they are perfect and you get them in straight.

You might want to think about some very fine threaded adjustment for pitch and yaw though, as if even say half a degree out you will be beaming the centre of the light along way from the centre of the LCD and particularly the triplet. I don't know if it's the greatest analogy, but think of holding a torch with your arm hanging down. Pick the point on the distant wall you're aiming at and switch the torch on. How close were you? Actually you were probably pretty close 'cause the body is an amazing instrument, but you know what I'm getting at.

Anyway, my pitch and yaw will both be way out 'cause I'm just gluing the reflector into a cut out fan guard

It's a nice feeling to start building, isn't it?

Not starting to build just yet! I called ComputerTown Australia in Warrawong on Tues to confirm they had the Samsung 740B in stock. "Yes, we have 4 of those" was my reply.

I went to see them this morning and lo and behold, no 740B's, just 740N's. I tried to explain to the clueless sales boy ("Nick") that I wanted a 740B and not the 740N. His reply?

"Oh, but the 740N's are silver, and the 740B is black. You said you didn't care what colour it was".

Not the case im afraid. The 740N and 740B are in both black AND silver. The B denotes the display has a DVI + VGA input, whereas the N only a VGA.

The search continues!

Richard's right..... isn't it just good to start building. Long time reading, planning and finally your building.

We did our first pj with a 17" off brand lcd computer monitor but weren't happy with the multiple input conversion to the vga panel. We tried several different options, but weren't happy with the results, so we sold most of the stuff, salvaged the rest and built a second pj with the samsung 19" 940mw which comes with the tv tuner so the conversion wasn't an issue. Either way the Samsung 940 whatever is an excellent choice.

Sounds good so far. Keep it up and remember we're all here to help.

Thanks swill01. I've got every single peice I need except the LCD. (even all the little bits).

I have considered using the 740N but I really want a screen with DVI (740B) input so I can plut my HD set top box in and keep the signal purely digital.

I can get a 940N on ebay for the same price as a 740N locally. hmmm..

Screw the samsung. I'm sick of looking for the right one. Instead I found out what I could get locally then compared it to the LL compatibility database.

I brought an Acer 1916W widescreen LCD. Cost me only $319 from OfficeWorks of all places. (my local officeworks is notorious for being overly expensive)

Specs:

Res: 1440x900
Brightness: 300nits (wth is the nit?)
Constrast: 700:1
Response time: 5ms (wow!)

AND... it has a DVI input!

Let the building begin! I have today, Friday and the weekend to work on my PJ. Back to work on Monday.

Ok, I have striped my LCD. It's not the easiest thing i've ever done and I can see why some people have problems and end up with broken screens and/or connectors.

Here is a pic of the screen in action... before stripping. Its hooked up to my XBOX360 via the Microsoft VGA cable. (worth every cent!) I know it doesn't look it in the pic, but I assure you the image is rich and sharp.

Here is the sticker on the back for those of you who may find it useful...

removing the stand... 4 screws and off it comes..

The front and back plastic housing pretty much clipped straight off. (with a little help from mr flathead, and his good friend, brute force) There are a whole stack of clips. Needed to make sure each and every clip had been unclipped before it came off.

After the plastic housing is removed from the front and back, there is another metal housing which needs to be removed from the back. This was very tricky as the cable attaching the controller board to the LCD was very small. I had to angle it correctly so I could get the screwdriver in there and undo the screws. I don't have any photos of this procedure because I only have 2 hands and didn't want to risk trying to support the whole thing with just 1 hand. Here are the results after removing the metal backing plate...

You can see the cables for the backlight over on the far right. (which have been removed from the controller board)

You'll also see why it was tricky to get the back plate off. The controller board on the left had no support except from the yellow peice of sticky tape.

The next few steps have no photos either unfortunately. Removing the backlight is very tricky. Mainly because the FFC's bend over on top of it. After removing 4 tiny, tiny screws (with one stubborn one) the FFC cable was free to bend 180" so it was lying flat away from the LCD. This had to be done while supporting the controller boards and carefully making sure the FFC connected to the graphics board does not break.

After this, the backlight pretty much lifted straight off the LCD (after a few small metal clips). There were 2 very small metal clips which allowed me to seperate the controller boards from the FFC's connected to the LCD. Here is the result...

The LCD is now sitting on a large peice of MDF. I don't plan on moving the LCD again until it is time to insert it into the MDF frame for my box. This will work fine assuming no-one steps on it.

One more pic from the LCD strip... the controller boards...

Thou contradictith thyself


No, no - the 740S is the silver one. Trust me, I know these things


Traitor

Congrats for going 19" widescreen, and well done on the strip. You'll start to outpace me within days ...

I don't consider having built anything until I have a box. Until then it's just 'bits'.

Oh, and I just got wood. Not the "put the kids in bed" type of wood, the boring MDF type. Silly girl at Bunnings had no idea what I was buying so she charged me for 12mm instead of 16mm (might not sound like much, but I brought 9 sheets!)

Somehow, the pre-cut sheets of wood that I have are a perfect size for my projector. (900mm x 450mm x 16mm) I shouldn't have to cut anything to build the top, bottom and sides of the box. The 12mm is the same width and length. I made sure all the wood I brought was exactly the same width. This will make my fresnel sandwich MUCH easier to make, and will ensure everything fits together snug.

Oh, and the Samsung just wasn't doing it for me. Just tested my stripped LCD (yes, its still on the MDF) and it looks to be working fine. I didn't plug it into a source, by the power light came on and the 'no signal' box came up.

Well, I forgive you about the Acer.

I'm building my box from 900*450*12 MDF. I thought about 16mm but changed my mind for 2 reasons: (a) weight (it'll be ceiling mounted), and (, my internal height would have been 8mm smaller (I want over all height to be 450mm max, so the sides go outside of rather than on top of the floor). I narrowed the internal width to 434mm to allow 1.5mm each side for the fresnels to 'grow' when hot. Don't know if they will expand this much, but it is about what is mentioned in the guide, and I think it would give a better optical result than putting them in a 431mm wide gap just to have them bow with heat. Can pack with some closed cell foam if they don't stay centred.

I'm also happy to have the slightly taller internal height by using the 12mm MDF to better match the airflow to my air intake gap.

Well done on the price, too

PS I'm using Bunglings 12mm square moulding to define my lexan / fresnel gaps.