Hello - I am new to the forum but "old" to video projection, I will soon include pictures and results of my experience with the use of 5-inch pannels.

Look my proyect in this pictures, working proyector in a light room and finished proyector:

Image

Finished proyector

great result for a 5" lcd.
I'm new in the forums but old with projector too.
My english wasn't good enogh to write before. I think still not good, but I'm writing anyways
I started in 2002 a 5" lcd but not get impressive results.

Can you share more info about you components and box?

I´m using a 5 inch pannel with 640 x 480 resolution and a 300 watts lamp.

WOW, nice job, what are the dimensions? what lens did you use? what fresnels? do you have more pics? I am building the 15" version now and would like to make my next pj smaller, maybe 7, maybe 5.

very bright but if you want it clearer you might consider doing the vga mod.

http://www.bit-tech.net/article/136/

esta muy iluminoso pero si lo quieres mas claro haz el mod para connectar lo con el cable (vga) para monitor.

very nice work.

i believe thats the original sony psone LCD panel?

I'm using 5.25 EF Triplet lens, 3 fresnel lens of 11 EF, 300 watts ELH HALOGEN lamp, Sony PSone lCD panel.

Wow...I was just considering using masonite to enclose my next project...thin, light, inexpensive, easy to work with. I guess it stands up to the heat of the 300watt lamp without too much difficulty?

You mentioned 3 fresnels...how are they placed exactly?

I like how you used quarter round for the framework.

That looks really good for a 5" lcd, but aren't you losing a ton of light through that front placed fan? Not to mention that's gotta be messing with the quality of the image.

I'm new to projectors so maybe I'm wrong.

Can you post another screen pic with the lights off so we can see the contrast better? The PJ looks to be about 30" long based on those floor tiles; can you tell us the actual dimensions?

Previous to this system I have constructed 3 more, therefore, this it is the product of adjustments to predesigns.

the measures of proyector are: 11.7” x 16.0” x 7.4”

Fresnel is clouse-knit to the LCD, they are not seen in the photo which there I am including, but I will include another one.

To position the fan to the front, nonaffection at all the performance of the 300 watts lamp.

I have proven the projector working more than 5 hours of continuous, and the cooling system works perfectly.

I consider east efficient super projector and of low cost of construction, then all their components are very cheap and of easy acquisition in Mexico, This way monitors LCD are even very expensive, I have not found electronic balastras, in return is very easy to find ELH Halojen lamps of 300 watts, although its limitation is that single 35 running hours last continuous, but he is very easy to change

The projector is extreme light and transportable, but I am working in replacing the Halogen lamp by a lamp of the type Metal Halide, this then last one is of 400 watts and superlong duration, although the weight will be increased enormously, then since I have said in Mexico I have not found electronic balastra


Also I will construct the projector of Lumenlab, then I consider that although but expensive that the one that I constructed, he is perfect in definition and with some adjustments to the reflector it will be of super luxury. Soon I will buy 15"monitor LCD to initiate its construction.

I have designed a system of Triplet lens of 6,0 EF that soon I will produce in series. Also I think to construct a Triplet lens of 12,0 EF to use it with
15" LCD (in Mexico it is almost impossible find it)

For a long time it has been designing and I was selling through Popular Mechanics, a system of lens DUPLET (2 lenses) of 12,0 EF to project with 14" TV

Pictures with the lights off

Other pic light off

My idea is to sell in Mexico the planes and instructions and the lenses to arm these projectors, and soon I will do it through MercadoLibre.

Advantages of 5” projector:

Extreme light,very economic Components, Use the LCD Panel 5"of Sony
with definition VGA, 640 xs 480 pixels do not have any problem to project TV images, videocasetera, DVD and VCD because they are compatible with his resolution.



Disadvantages:
It is not of high resolution as PC monitors LCD, do not project PC
images

What's you max image... diagonal...

The screen that I am using is of approximately 80", by lampara it is possible to amplify in dark ROOM until 150"" and it is even seen very well

What changes to the lumenlab reflector design are you suggesting?

THIS BEING USED The LAMP Outside the REFLECTOR And HAS LOST OF
LIGHT. THE PROPOSED DESIGN IS THE LAMP TOTALLY WITHIN THE REFLECTOR TO AVOID LOST OF LIGHT

I WILL TRY TO SPECIALLY CONSTRUCT A REFLECTOR FOR LAMPARA EYE
MULTI-METAL, THAT IT TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE GREATER AMOUNT LIGHT PRODUCED BY THE LAMPARA. THE SERIOUS DESIGN AS I SHOW IN THE FOLLOWING PICTURE

The problem with that kind of design, I would think (correct me if you think I'm wrong) would be that you can't keep a reflector that close to the bulb without keeping an awful lot of heat from being circulated out.

The enclosure would keep more heat inside your box. It would hinder the airflow from the fan.

just a thought,
-Dave

In lampS of projection that has the integrated reflector, the reflector is of the type that I propose, it is to say this fact in such a way that they almost reflect towards
screen LCD the 100% of the light. the piece that emits the light this totally stuck to the reflector.
On the other hand, the cooling system (fan and tuneles of wind) must be designed
in such a way that a great amount makes sure that fresh air between a
the projector and circulates around LCD panel and beats front to
lamp and its reflector, and to assure that the hot air leaves the projector.

These aspects consider them in my design of 5", which allows that my projector can be working per almost limitless time (single limited by the duration of lamp, that it is of 35 hours)

Structure of a projection lamp

GRA_PELAYO,
I think that the problem with using such a construction is that you need the reflector to be at a *very* specific geometrical shape (for any given lamp position), which will be hard to create, let alone find something ready.

The reason people use the classical reflector approach (which you drew incorrectly), where the lamp is at the center sphere of a half bowl reflector, is because all the light which hit the reflector, will hit it at a 90 degree angle, so it will come back from where is was originated, ie. through the light source (The first mistake in your drawing of the classical reflector approach was that you drew a reflector which is not symmetrically round, so I can't really blame you for your second mistake, of not drawing all the light rays which come back from it, as going throught the lamp). This way you still get a point light source. Plus, getting a perfect symmetrical half sphere reflector is possible, like the norpro. You don't have to build it from scratch, which saves both time and money, and guarantee good results.

When using your suggested approach, unless the reflector is created at a very specific geometrical shape, the light hitting it from the bulb, won't go back (at least not from all directions) through the bulb when it comes back from the reflector, so you'll have problems with uneven lighting on the LCD, because it won't be a point light source system anymore.

I do not think GRA isn't trying to create a point light source. He is trying to capture all light within a parabolic and focus it onto a condensor. I do not think he is advocating using this scheme with the standard LL set up.
John

I then request excuses I do not speak ingles well, but the important thing is to share with people who have pleasures
such.

Respect to the light source for the projector, I consider that lampara that uses Lumenlab it's excellent, I will use it. Single I want to assure does not have lost of its power of illumination.

jerseyjohn,
Because I saw that in his drawings he paid no attention to the need of a point light source, I assumed he had no knowledge that if it is even possible (and I don't think that it is) then the reflector will need to be optically designed to work well. You can't just take any reflector and sink a lamp in it.

Can you draw me a correct picture of how it could work ?.
I simply can't see any way for this to work without compromising the point light source necessity.

IN MY FIRST DIAGRAM, SINGLE SHOW AS THE LIGHT IS LOST IF THE SOURCE IS VERY IN FRONT OF THE REFLECTOR.

ASSOCIATE IMAGENES TREATING TO FIT ME To The LAW OF REFLECTION OF The
LIGHT.
IT IS NOT REALLY THE GREAT SCIENCE OF MAKING A REFLECTOR

REFLECTION LIGHT

What you fail to realise, is that a reflector like the one you suggest, will give uneven lighting on the LCD.

Do you understand what "uneven lighting" is ?. I really don't think that you do. Uneven lighting happens when you have more than one point-light-source. I tried to show you how you had more than one point light source, in the image with the red circles, but you seemed to disregard it, and continued to draw more reflectors which give more than one point-light-source.

What language do you speak ?.

I think I now understand why he is using 3 fresnels instead of 2: Its because of his use of uneven lighting more than likely.

This design of this reflector mixes two different theories; a point light source theory and a collumating reflector theory. They can't be combined for a beneficial result althought each theory is valid if used independently. A proper collumating reflector would negate the need of a collumating fresnel completely but should have no direct light hitting the LCD. This cannot be accomplished with the bulb in this orientation.

What may work for this type of reflector is my design that I have posted here:Proposed collumating reflector

I do not have any illusions that this will be sucessful. I intend to experiment with the idea but I will also have a Norpro and fresnel ready to go as a backup.

YES, I UNDERSTAND WHAT MEANS uneven lighting, THE RESULT WORRIES TO ME THAT I HAVE SEEN THE LUMENLAB, IN THAT DARK IMAGENES IN THE CORNERS OF THE SCREEN ARE SEEN. IN MY PROJECTOR IT WILL USE A Halide Metal LAMP And IT WILL TRY TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, PROVING SEVERAL DESIGNS OF REFLECTORS.

I´M WRITING FROM MEXICO, AND SPEAK SPANISH LANGUGE

I think Jones was being a little bit rude and condiscending to you. I don't believe that it was out of malice, but of frustration. I think that your design has potential but you must realize that the reason that you two were not agreeing is that you are both supporting two different theories.

The present Lumenlab theory is a point of light source with the lamp at the focal point of a fresnel lens. With this setup there will be parallel light comming out of the other side of the fresnel lens which is perfect for passing through an LCD panel. Any light that comes from a direction at too different an angle than the point of light will be rejected by the fresnel and will not pass through it. The drawbacks of this design are that you can have a brighter center and dark corners. This can be almost completely fixed by making adjustments to your lens distances as can be seen in the great result in many of the projectors.

Your idea can work but you would not want to use a fresnel lens to make your light parallel. If you have parallel light comming off of your reflector it will pass through the LCD just fine. The problems that you will have with this design are that you will have to make a reflector that will light up the LCD evenly. Also the light directly from the bulb will naturally light up the middle of the LCD too much. It would best if you could design a reflector that would cast only reflected light on the LCD and as parallel as possible. Did you look at my link in the post above? It is an attempt at this theory, I think that you might find it interesting.

Anyway, welcome to the forum and I would like to say that it has been my experience that all ideas are welcome here.

A properly fitted spherical reflector and properly distanced lenses will yield very even lighting. The next step in our rear optic design is to begin using a lamp on the focal surface of a reflector which will collimate the light into an intense beam. With this beam we will add another optic called a precondenser (in our case) which will then spread the light evenly across the condenser fresnel as if it originated from a point light source. Those optics are practically nonexistent for the large lamps we use so....I'm having them made in China With this new rig we can expect our lumen output to double.

I think you have great results no matter which system you are using, the pic looks really good for a 5" projector at 80 " diagonal. I would like to see more of your designs.

I can't wait for this development. Are the finalized specs already with the boys in China? Are they currently in production or are you still in the testing phase? Will we be changing to a parabolic reflector? Sorry for all the questions but I'm excited about this baby.

Got the engineers working on it. Should know more soon.

Excellent!

most eeeexcellent

I'm sorry if I was rude, it was indeed out of frustration, not cruelty.

I understand the differences between the two theories. One is the point light source, and the other is the "backlight" approach (which emits parralel light with no need for a collimating fresnel).

I wasn't sure if he was talking about the "backlight" approach, because the reflector was not as wide as the LCD panel, so light is still not collimated perfectly at the sides, and because the LCD panel uses a polarizer, it will cause the sides of the image, where the light hit the lcd panel at an angle, to receive less light then the center.

What I tried to say over and over again, is that it will be very hard to use the "backlight" approach, while using a reflector and a point light source. Because it will be very hard to achieve even lighting.


Brainchild,
That's great news. Can you sketch something so we could see how it should work exactly ?.

I hope is understood that my objective is to make a reflector design that optimizes the use of the light that generates the lamp, that it does not have lost of light, to try to use the 100%, then it is not good wastes the light that it generates, to a high heat cost.

I understand the two theories, but a good design of reflector is necessary and will work in it, considering the guessed right suggestions of the forum of lumenlab.

I want to clarify that the sketches of reflectors that there are including, they are that sketches, whose main objective is to show a strategy not to lose light. That I did not include fresnel, but it was for that reason, because they are sketches that try to only show possible method not to lose light.

Look other pic of my projector

I have a general technical question along these lines....

Tell me if this is accurate...

IF I were able to create a perfectly even and powerful light source (i.e.backlight turned way up) would it be correct to assume that the first fresnel could be eliminated from the design?

Is what we are looking for, an extremely bright but diffuse light source?

Just curious as to the possibilities..

Eric

Yes. If the backlight that comes with a panel were bright enough, we could just mount that in there with the lcd. But that's not even close to what's real, unfortunately.

how did you mount the RCA Jacks? i know there is a mini ear phone jack for A/V jacik.

Also what is the specs on the Sony 5" lcd? I know ther are other 5" lcds that are not sonys...i think the specs are not as good as the sony

any information on this lcd? It's a 5" similar to the PS 1 type.

Only info on the box is Color M-5000

TFT

224,640 dots

4:3 aspect

I couldn't find a manufacturer.

This one is smashed, a friend just gave it to me to check out. Upon disassembly, the boards and the lcd were easy to remove. one board is hinged via 3 connectors (thin but flexible) and can be swung out of the way for 90 or 180 degrees.

If it compares favorably to the PS 1 screen, I can get it new for $70.

Let me know!

Thanks,

Eric

FWIW - If you are looking for a playstation LCD I suggest that you visit your local EB Games. I was there a few weeks ago with my boys and they were selling trade-in playstations with the LCD for 75.00. You could use the LCD for the PJ and have a "free" playstation. A better deal if you don't have PS and you are going to spend the money anyways.

John