Well, i thought it was about time i started a topic for my first (finished) projector.

I kind of "Winged it" as i went along so i didn't keep track of when i did what but the parts i used were

Delta II Lens
PSone LCD (brightness mod) (FFC Extended)
3 100W (incandescent equivalent) Daylight CFLs
1 100w Bright White CFL
1 60W Soft White CFL (Not very consistent on bulb types )
4 Light Bulb Sockets
Plywood

So here are some pictures (original card board box)
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Accidentally hit reply so this is sort of out of order: Screenshots! (Looks better in person )

THIS IS FROM THE WOODEN BOX (next reply)!

Fullscreen is about 90 inches (not sure how to measure widescreen (the same way?))

Pirates of the Caribbean:
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it's not as "Grainy" in person (that was the camera (thought there is a slight screen door effect but its watchable)) Also it is projected on a bed sheet.

Also in person the brightness is even...

Heres the wood box:
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Here's the wood box:
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Looks good, but i think you should try taking out the 60w soft white bulb, it is making your projection very yellow.

Here are two shots without the Soft White bulb (looks better and not as yellow in person):

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Looks like its a lot brighter than mine. Then again i only have 2 bulbs. And removing that soft white bulb defenetly got rid of a lot of the yellow.

hey pm me about your ag removle and the brightness mod.

did it work good for dark seens?

i watched that twin tower movie on my ps1 projector and couldn't see
nothing...
would it help?

Yes , yes , and yes.

Take off that Ag and definitely do the brightness mod.

The wooden box looks much better then the cardboard mock up! how about some inside shots of the box and the way you have it set up. are you using any type of cooling? do you need any cooling?

Yes, please let us know the answer to these questions, I just got my Delta II lens (If you want one, jump on the deal in the Fluorescent thread, mine was $24 after shipping.)

I have a similar 5" screen from an Audiovox D-1500A DVD player, they are all over eBay. It currently accepts S-Video and Composite, but I have the pinout for RGB, so it will be adding a switch and possibly a VGA socket as well. It has a brightness knob and a couple potentiometers on the PCB for the contrast, so I am looking good.

For pics of the PCB see my posts in this forum (Benheck.com): http://forums.benheck.com/viewtopic.php?t=18744

I was planning on using a 175watt Mercury bulb to start with (Just because it was in a security light I picked up at the local second-hand store for $10), and move up to a different bulb, does anyone know if the eVo bulb is compatible with a solid-core ballast?

Thanks everyone!

Here's some inside shots:
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more:
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more:
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Basically The First compartment holds the Lens and LCD Controler, then in the second there is the lights (knex wrapped in aluminum foil focuses the light on the lcd (and there is a fan)), and in the thrid compartment there are the wires.

It is surprisingly bright even during the dark scenes (the AG removal and brightness mod helped alot)

I've been able to watch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Die Hard (the first one) fairly well. I'm definitely pleased with my work

There is still alot of Duct Tape and Surprisingly it doesn't get too hot (i'm not worried about it catching fire)

And remember, this image is about 90" if i brought it down to about 70, it would probably look a little better, but i find it watchable where its at.

Does anyone know if keystone adjustments can be done with the Delta II Lens (the lens that I used)?

Also, does anyone know of any REALLY cheap rear projection material, if there is i would cut the size to about 40-50" and make a rear projection TV.

I hope i don't have to wait through the whole weekend for the answers...

EDIT: Oh yea, and also is there something (cheap) that i can get that i can put infront of the lens in order to flip the picture (sideways, not upside down)? The only reason that my FFC is extended is because of a broken Mouser extender thing (?) and a whole lot of Duct tape (but it works). It won't be easy getting the LCD out and flipping it...

.........a mirror?

specifically a cheap, thin mirror (the thinner it is, the less ghosting).

Regarding using a mirror, you could try making a first surface mirror like in this thread.

SCB - did you try orienting the bulbs sideways instead of the tips facing the LCD?

Did it make a difference in light output?






I've done it with a really cheap $4 walmart mirror.
It was almost too easy.
I also picked up a glass cutter at a local hardware store for $3
My only problem is I need more practice cutting glass.

Didn't think about that



In the original card board box i had the bulbs sideways but when i went to test the difference, it seemed (at least to me) that it got brighter when they were facing the LCD.

But either way, there would be no easy way to change that now...


No ideas on the keystoning or rear projection material? (would a sheet work)

I was thinking spreading out the bulbs with the tips facing the screen might make for a brighter light because more bulb length is facing reflective material. (the sides)

as opposed to just rear reflective material.
Maybe I can get time this weekend to work on a light box.

I can't help on keystoning because I havn't built a projector yet.
However, I am planing on using a screen from a RPTV.
That probably doesn't help you.

this however might.
This guy is using some cheap material to make a rear screen.

http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12765

I don't think i'm going to make it a RPTV anymore, but thanks!

I know the resolution of the PSone Screen is 320x234 but does the VGA mod setting it at 640x480 and creating an interlaced signal do anything to help the screen door effect?

and how easy is it to do the VGA mod (i don't want to mess anything up)

I was wondering because i don't want the Projector to be sitting in the middle of the floor at eye level to get a good looking picture. At an optimal distance, it projects a 100" picture (it is bright enough, but the screen door effect is pretty bad)

I either want to put it farther back, or put it on the floor (but that would require keystone adjustment, i can't figure out how to do that)

Any help would be great!

I dont think the vga mod would help with the screen door because the pixels are a fixed size in the screen. Also, i dont think it is posible to do keysonte adjustment with the Delta II. I also, had the same proble, it was eather have the projector right in front of me or have a dim 114" projection. I ended up going with the biger projection.

Thanks, although none of that is what i wanted to hear

And that is what i thought the answer would be

a mirror couldn't help with keystone adjustment, could it?

P.S. the only reason that i was not considering a RPTV is because of my FFC extension (it is held together by a whole lot of duct tape (took forever to get right) and I can't reverse the LCD

i was thinking about the mirror flipping the image (but couldn't figure out how to get it work)

I guess what i'm saying is that RPTV is back as an idea, if i didn't have to move the LCD

how about the following CFL lamp, do you guys think it will be good,

4 flat tubes 27w 6500k

http://www.lampsplus.com/Products/Light-Bu...ge_4@PIN/04959/

if your planning on using only one, it would probably be VERY dim...

i don't have a small table handy, so...

do you think this will stay?

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I love it. K-nex are strong so i dont see a reason why it wont stay.

Sweet I am just going to tell the wife the k-nex are for the kids then secretly "borrow" some for other purposes

Why else would she let me buy them I can already here it now "dam projector parts"
what she dont know wont hurt her

I don't know if you can tell from my previous pictures, but the bottom a fullscreen projection is really dark (it's like it fades out)

If I look into the lens (blinding, i know ) I don't see anything, but it's really distracting.

Any ideas on why it would be happening, i don't think there is anything in the way...

Oh, she will know cause I'm gonna tell her...and stay away from the dinning silvers too!

I cant get anything by SIM sheesh um um what are you talking about what silvers it never came out the drawer I stole it from somebody house I mean I found it ................ um um

I think I fixed my dark bottom problem, it turns out there was something in the way...

I've also decided that I'm going to have to settle with some keystoneing because haveing a table in my face is not going to cut it. I made my K'nex structure shorter and added some tilt to it. The keystoning is noticable but I've gotten used to it.

It may not be the best projector in the world, but it is my own handywork

You can do what i did with my projector to avoyed keystoneing. I put it behind me and above where my head is when i sit. The only problem is that i have a 123" picture that i am only 7 or 8 feet from.

I'm trying to keep it smaller to avoid a horrible screen door effect.

I have also thought about editing every DVD to account for keystoneing (maybe I could write a program to do everything) but that might not be worth my time. But then I still would have to deal with games. The occasional Wii on it is fun. (I also have a 360 but havn't tried it because of the low resolution)

Have you tried tilting the screen to offset the keystone? this sometimes works if you cant keystone in the projector.

I haven't tried that, but it's a pretty good idea. I may give it a shot. Thanks!