Well, after seeing people get so much good results, I couldn't wait any longer.

I've decided to go the DIY route.

More to come soon.

List of part as of now :

samsung 152n monitor 15'' - Ebay - 80$
Mega-kit - Lumenlab - coming in soon.
tempered glass - coming

1st update - I received my mega-kit with a broken bulb. :S But, LL say they'll send another one, so YAY!





Next up = stripping

I stripped the samsung 152n

Here are some pictures.

AG on one side. May remove it later, might not. I'll try a fire test with it on and if I'm not happy with the picture, I'll remove it.

Back removed - No screws yet


back


Lights removed - guess there's no turning back now!



LCD in plastic and metal frame - back - no fcc issue


control modules and HI-TECH FLOORING!!!




I don't want to try the LCD. The fcc seems fragile as can be. So I'm waiting a while until I can separate the control module a bit...
Or even until the lcd is in place.
Next up :

Calculations (focals) and pre-measuring the box.

LL, send me that replacement bulb so I can put some light shot here!
Time : 3hours.
I'm a noob and taking my time.

Welcom to LL and good luck to you math, i hope it goes well. Im actually thinking of doing my own 14 or 15" build soon considering how well my psone projector works.

Big thanks

I considered going the psone way. Do you have a plog? I'm still new and having difficulties moving around here

Anyways, thanks for the welcome!

---edit---

Sorry about that, didn't read the signature. My bad.

Math

Not a problem, Its easy to miss. I cant wait to see how this turns out though because after i get my room clean (could be a month long prosses) i am going to build an HD projector and turn my bedrrom into a media room/bedroom thing.

You know, I'm literraly on the edge of my seat as long as results go. I've seen such good screen pictures, I'm anxious to know if I can pull it off too.

Quite frankly, yesterday at 9pm, I had a crazy idea to hold stuff together.

The box is quite smaller than what I expected. It's basically the size of the LCD but somehow, I expected something a lot bigger!!! Especially after the user posted pictures. Often, you have nothing to compare it with. I'm quite happy to see that I'll be able to hang it from the ceiling in the basement. (my ceiling is 7 foot high...) and NOT bump my head on it too often.

I still have to figure out how to make everything stand in there while allowing for ajustement. A 3d ajustement.

I have seen the metal rod method. where a big screw is used. I think for practicallity, I'll go that route too. Just got a laser level to make sure everything is centered. After building my beginning of enclosure, I stayed there looking at it like a kid that just got a brand new toy.

No matter what happens from here, I'm betting that the results will be the "worst" part of the fun. Staying there wondering how to put it together was much fun.

My gf was really wondering what I was doing there, staring idely at fixed plywood.
Extract from dialog :
gf:"Hey, matt, it's only that big?"
me:"Yeah, I thought it'd be bigger too"
gf:"Looks like a dog coffin"
Me: LOLOL

Pictures to come.

Lol. i cant wait to see it.

Well, I guess I've killed my lcd...

I plugged it and voila :



Dead?

Guess I'm off hunting for another one...

make sure all the fcc's are connected secure, some people get weird artifacts when they havent checked their ffc's, i know i got weird lines and stuff when i acciedently touch the fcc connectors

what exactly did you do when this happened?

Did you check the connector from the driver board to the panel itself? it may not be seated all the way. I have used many samsung panels and they are pretty tough. if you were careful with the FFC's on the panels circut board you should be ok. double check all the connectors. needless to say do this with the power disconnected completly.

Hi Ronin, thanks for the reply.

Here's what I've done :

- I built the frame to hold it in place
- put it in
- secured the frame
- then, I took the control module and plugged it in. Meaning I plugged the fcc veeeeeery gently and made sure it was in all the way.
- Then, I put the power on.

Result : one part of the lcd works, corresponding to a fcc cable part
All the other parts receive some kind of signal, because they change color. Meaning the LCD gets "tainted" with color on all other parts.

So, I double checked my connections after unplugging the power.

Then, when I re-plugged everything, the cuircuit board went :"poof" and a burnt smell came to my nose. When I checked, there are two modules. The one having the power connection and then, the control module. They were touching when I plugged the power on.

So now, I have a new problem :

Burnt fuse or something. But then, I have no way of knowing if working on the fcc connections will resolve anything.

So I either :

Work on seeing what killed the LCD
or
Buy a new one.

Any leads as to what I should do?

Man, when the little burnt smell came to my nose, my face went reaaaaly down..

Hi tescorp,

Thanks for the reply too.

As I mentionned in my previous reply, I have two problems now...

I'll give this time and not rush into any decision for now. It's not like used panels are expensive, meaning a 15'' lcd is around 70-80$ off he-bay..

Later.

Well, found another syncmaster via he bayse

30$

Well, got an email saying my replacement lamp is on the way. - NICE!

The LCD is dead beyond dead. Got a resistor dead and the condenser(french to english??) is dead too. Short-circuit.

Gonna have to see if I can salvage stuff from my old CRT, but I seriously doubt it will work... Worth a try.

back to building the frame - tomorrow, hopefully, else.... errrrr probably sunday. Work, classes, work, then belt test and installing an air conditionning thing.

It's blistering hot around here. 32 Celcius + 85% humidity.

Well,

after some fiddling :

My LCD is dead for sure. I tried to salvage parts, but to no avail.

Good news is : I now got a dead LCD to play around with. Meaning I can use it to make a sled without having too much to worry about in terms of breaking anything.

Next update on sunday.

ouch, even if you did find the components needed from your crt monitor i doubt u will be able to solder them in place, it would be one thing if the circuitboards where created in the 80's when the solderings still where fairly accessable (meaning at least 1.5 mm in diameter hehe..) but i doubt u will make it.

good to hear a new lamp is on it's way! some brightness in yer dark world.
Listen, i know how it feels being so frustrated over a messy LCD, i ripped my polars up with the AG-removal, luckily i stopped so i only have a corner not showing picture but it's still anoying as heck, and since i live in sweden and 3Dlens.com is in the states (only company ive found with polarizersheets available for replacement on our tft's) it means it will take a good while before i get it and it will cost me more than i think is resonable but probably i'll do it anyways.

But keep yer chin up! finding a replacement tft with a broken backlight or something on ebay shouldn't be too hard =)

I'll check in on ya to see how yer doin every now and then mate

Is something wrong in there?

I think I'm ok and I realize that this is only as reference, not an absolute.

hum....

My new lamp is at the ups desk, I have to get it! I hope it's unbroken

no that sounds about right, take into consideration that keystoning will play it's game with picture size as well, not to mention if the active pixel-area is actually 15" -try to make an exact messure of how large the active image is on yer panel and put that figure in the calculator, im using the pro lenses so my figures look different but from what you have pitched in it looks corect

now go get yer lamp mate!

You can also try polarization.com. I don't know if it'll be any better price wise, but it'll give you an alternative source.

Thanks lothar, pricewise they are actually a bit more expensive (from what i can tell) and i haveto cut it myself (and how to angle everything is still a puzzle to me

But lets not steal the thread from math here =D

u said you would update sunday, well it's sunday so where the heck is our update?

LOLOL

Sorry about that. Real life got in the way (AGAIN)
I had a belt test on saturday and sunday was a day off - can you believe that, a day off!! YAHOO!!

So, on the update thing:

I haven't got my lamp yet, because ups is closed on the weekends ()(*&/±@¢!!!

Good news :

I found a controller on ebay for a laptop LCD I have in the basement (DEAD laptop) so I now have on the way :

-A used LCD
-a controller for laptop LCD. - if I don't need it, I'll probably use it to make a kitchen tv or something like that. Or a "bedroom" tv to play games while people are actually watching lots of stuff on the projector. (hehe)

So, no wood cutting and I'm still debating about what to use for the fresnel. I've tried different things up to here, but I'm wondering about the keystoning that I'm gonna need... ? ? ?

Maybe with a metal rod but I'm unsure...
The enclosure I built is surely too small and I'll have to revise that (I have an almost infinite wood supply around here - my in-laws work as carpenters). But for now, I'll be working on the LCD holder, and the fresnel holders and a beer holder. Wait, that's my hand

That's it for now. Next work will be done on wednesday - karate classes will be off.

Cheers!

here we are,

a brand new bulb!!!!

fire test #1


Fire test #2


and fire tset #3


YOWZERRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That thing is really bright!

It's official, my neighbors think that I grow weed.

QUOTE(Ronin @ Jun 14 2007, 01:01 PM) *

and since i live in sweden and 3Dlens.com is in the states (only company ive found with polarizersheets available for replacement on our tft's) it means it will take a good while before i get it and it will cost me more than i think is resonable but probably i'll do it anyways.


3Dlens is located in Malaysia, not the states... but, they are fast and reliable... bought my large fres's from 'em.

oh ok wulff, i'll order from them when it's time for final -assembly.

MATH DONT LOOK INTO THE LIGHT!!!

u'll burn yer eyes.. trust me, if you havent allready experienced a dreadfull night with screwed up eyes you will.. ( if you havent been carefull that is..)

ive managed to scorche my eyes twice from dealing with that frickin lamp and i wont make it a 3rd time. so be carefull lol

I had me trusty sunglasses

But my gf didn't look at it straight.

Also, it flickered from white to yellow to white. So I shut it off. Is that normal?

Ok, sorry I asked about the lamp,

I just read the fact and read that the lamp goes through "cycles".

Good to know I didn't mess up everything just yet.

Update :

I did my wiring and I still have to solder everything. I just hope there won't be something in the way of the light...

Man, I spent about 2h figuring out and putting everything together to test it. I'll have three switches on the back

Master,
Lamp and LCD
and fans.

Fans are independant, while the lamp and lcd can only run if the fans are running.

I use standard 115v outlets and switches. I might do a expansion on the side of the box for the wiring. Not sure.

Pictures to come.



EDIT_

I forgot to say : everything works.
ANd those fans are powerful!!!
Also, I have to go to the post office, a parcel has arrived. JOY!

PICTURES!!!

1


2


3 upside down


4


5 LIftoff


I still need to shorten the wires, make it cleaner, but the good news is that it works like I want it to work.

Fans off. no lcd or lamp
Fans on, lcd or lamp works.

NOTE TO SELF :
Do not cut wood near the ballast. It started making WEIRD noises after being thrown some dust at.
Luckily, it stopped doing the weird noise after I use the aspirator to clean it up. ANd the compressor too.

SECOND NOTE TO SELF :
BE MORE CAREFUL!!!

No work done, except fresnel frames.

Working on the house.

ugh

Math,

No, not Dead!!!, but your connection is wrong, and if you buy the exact LCD, you may get the same issue again. So instead buy a dual FFC connector (aka PCB Connector) as I did from www.DIY-Beamer.com.

Click to view attachment

I will work great for you, and only takes 10 seconds to connect

Reference my Plog for attaching the PCB Connector.

Cheers!

Fulcrum

Progress :

box update,

fresnel frames

New LCD monitor - 570stft monitor - samsung received.

next update :

Sunday

as promised, update.

1 - redone wiring



2 - test with X on scrap LCD - flash on



3- test with X on scrap LCD - flash off #1



4 - test with X on scrap LCD - flash off #2



Lots lots lots lots lots of alignment to do. My light is off to the back, I have to put it straight. But I've worked so much up to here, I wanted to do a test to see what came out of it.

edit----

after 20 minutes, nothing is hot. So air flow is good. Objective reached.

Oh, man,

first shot of stuff tonight.

IT LIVESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


dark/blurry corners though and I see some fresnel circles in there...

Just a pointer, you probably don't want your ballast where its sitting right now. It would prefer a cooler spot like the front of your case.

Yeah, I am gonna move it.

Hey, I was actually able to watch a movie in 16:9 format with a little blur here and there.

That litteraly made my day.

FALLOUT ICON!

Definitely something wrong :

Dark corners. Gonna try moving everything tonight towards/away the light.

Plus, I think my fresnel are not properly centered. Because when I tried centering my triplet in front, I didn't get a clear circle. More like an oval shape

That may be the cause of my dark corners.?? I'm kind of lost.

I did my best to make everything square and identical, but my skills are limited. Way limited

Also, finding focus is really hard. When I have it to the left, I lose it on the right. CLEAR focus.

First test pictures (actual results as this is all put together and holding with tape - no kidding.

with flash.



without flash



paused



LEGO !!!



So.

What should I do to improve image?

Next steps are :

- getting smaller frames. I'm cutting light with the present one.
- Painting it black
- Try various settings for the lamp. I'm currently fixed.
- Putting the reflector in there.
- Build a light box?
- Build a better box - hardwood.

Any other ideas?

Cheers!!!

IT'S ALIVEEEEEEEEEEE

Blue girl results

1



2




3 - WITH A LITTLE ANALYSIS



There we go. My fresnels are not aligned horizontally. Not vertically either

by the by, I'm shooting on a yellow wall for now. So that may explain the color difference or brightness levels I get. I manually inserted the reflector to see if it made a difference and well... got close to no difference.
hummm....

I have to redo those frames. &&%%??

Man, I love those pictures.

hmm dark corners are to be expected but from the images you posted they look a little too dark, i assume it looks a little better in real life since cameras has a way of enhancing the bright area in the middle and REALLY show off the dark corners in the projections, you basicly haveto fiddle around with ISO-settings and Exposure-settings to get the hotspot down to how it looks in real life, something tells me you dont have the groves facing the LCD both front and back fresnel.. alignment of the fresnels doesn't have souch a harsh impact on a split setup, in an unsplit setup it's VERY important but since the LCD difusses the groves of the rear fresnel the only reason u want yer fresnels fairly aligned is to get as much light as possible to hit the tripplet.

other than that GRATS TO YA ON THE FIRST MOVIE WATCHED WITH YER HOMEBUILDT PROJECTOR!! WOHO -gosh i remember the feeling hehe
Somewhere in the lines of ... "ok now that's huge..."

What Ronin said.
Make sure that the grooves of both Fresnel's are facing the LCD.

HO yeah!!!

You guys are geniuses. They were indeed not facing the lcd. More like both towards the wall.

HERE WE GO!

Looks good my friend!
I recognized the problem because I was guilty of the same mistake.

Thank you again guys. Other screenies :

That is excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6,5 feet wide screen.

HEEELLOOO NURRRRRSEEEEEEEEE



Nurse 2



EXCELLLLENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Another question :


On my triplet, I have light going through it, and some that's hitting my wood plank.

Like this : ((( (\Triplet/) )))


THE ((( being light hitting the wood.

I mean, that's lost light, right? On both side. right and left.

I realize that since our light source is not a point, but more like a wide point, we'll get that, but is there a way to minimize it? I was thinking kind of light box made of aluminum. Folded around the bulb with the reflector in the back of it.

hmmm....

Light not going through the triplet is indeed light lost. Check this recent post for a nice description of optimization along the lines of what you should do. Congrats on getting to this point!!! Oh, also note that if you're using the pro triplet it has been pointed out to me that the lens may not process light real well at its periphery. So, in pursuit of perfection, you may wish to "stop down" the triplet using an external iris. See my plog or Natural Newbie's for some info along that line of thinking.

Edit: That spilled light is commonly referred to as "triplet spill" in these here parts.

Wow, great results math. With everyone finishing up projectors recently and the results they are getting it is making me more and more anctious to get started on mine. But i have to clean my room first

boy if cleaning your room is the only thing standing between you and building that projector u're a lucky guy, some fellas out there would love to build but simply dont have the cash..

Thanks!!

I'm getting on this on the double (tonight)

WHAT RONIN SAID!!!

and thanks! a lot of work in there.