Hi
Im on a real tight budget(~$120AU) and have already purchased a faulty 7" portable dvd player for $50 so now i have around $70 to get the rest of the parts with. The projection will be viewed with very little light coming in from a fairly large window with the shades closed(and of course at night).The image doesnt have to be really bright but should be 'watchable'. So i need some suggestion on light, the optics, and the enclosure.

Lighting(from a site that ships worldwide-Australia-, unless i can get it cheap in a local store):
CFL: leaning towards CFLs but really not sure
Halogen: Not sure

Optics(please remember Im in Australia):
Im slightly confused on the needed lens, as in what are the possible setups ( rare and front fresnel, just front, etc.) and what are the benefits?
And Im guessing www.surplusshed.com ships overseas(how much will it cost?) so if you can, please advise on what lens to look out for. I also need advise on the fresnel and where to get them or cheap alternatives and how they can be used (page magnifier, etc)
Would something like this be ok: 4-1/8" DIA NEC TV PROJECTION LENS...id like to not use a Fresnel, but the diameter of that lens looks too small

Thanks

Just received my portable dvd player with the faulty backlight...not sure of the resolution but probably crappy because its a no-brand one (ESC)...i want to make one without the Fresnel to reduce cost and work needed to make it work...This DELTA IV lens would probably work but the diameter is only 5". Would it be possible to make this lens work with the 7" LCD? If not which lens can i use?(preferably from surplusshed as they ship world wide pretty cheap it seems)

thanx

lol you cant just exclude the Fresnel lenses, they're a key part to it all. Id suggest that you try get a working overhead projector, maybe an old one from a school (thats how i got mine) or somewhere cheap online. That way you'd have the lenses and the lights.

Well yes you can remove the field fresnel if the triplet is the same size as the Lcd.

But you still need the collimating fresnel.

i just tried taking the lcd panel apart and i think something went wrong ... when i turn it on i dont get any image on the lcd, if i wiggle around a bit i get these random vertical coloured lines ...am i totally screwed??...i just spent $50 on this thing....man im starting to freakout

The flat cable connecting to the lcd is probably loose.

yeh...but i cant seem to fix it and the connection doesnt seem to be loose:( But when i was bending the connection about i kinda got the 'DVD' image on the screen but it was really distorted and wavy....so what do you think the problem is and how can i go about fixing it.
thanks

Hi if you posted some photos it would help.

sorry i dont have the cammara on me and the photos i took with the phone are crap...but in playing around with the cable more iv notived that there is a small 'crack' on one of the bends on the ffc (or fpc) cable. Is there any way to fix it?

i don t think there's any way to fix it...so now im back to the start...i want to use something like the DELTA IV lens so am looking for a cheap small lcd (under 5"). The PSOne lcd looks perfect but i cant seem to find one for a cheap price...I guess ill just wait for something cheap to come on ebay

I think I can make your day then

The Zenith screens are the exact same screens on the inside and they are cheap. Here you go, $19 shipped :

Ebay Linky

sweet...thanks man ...not sure if they ship overseas or how much it'll cost but $19, god damn that is cheap!....

hmm...i was thinking maybe i should retrofit a commercial projector. This
Infocus LP725 seem like something you can retrofit but Im not really sure. Would i be able to say put one of those halogen bulbs and a condenser instead of buying a commercial bulb for it? If say the LCDs (its the 3LCD type) was messed up can i replace it with an lcd and controller, and if so what size would it have to be?

...I might also be able to get these ones(if the bidding ends at a really cheap price):
InFocus-LP770
Infocus-LitePro-580

So which one do you guys think is worth buying, with the intention of retrofitting latter on.

Thanks

actually, it looks like they all not suitable for retrofitting as they use 3LCD...theres an InFocus-LitePro i can get, but im not sure if its actually 3lcd or not, its really old and seems quite large and there's very little information on it. It also only has inputs for pc. Is it worth buying? please reply guys as its ending soon: ebay link

Trying to retrofit a commercial projector is probably going to be even more difficult than building your own PJ. Everything in there is smaller. Postings on this forum indicate that the DIY route is actually less chanllenging than a retrofit route. I would recommend doing a lot of research on this forum and other places online and taking notes.

Here is a solid basic plan for anybody looking into home theater projection.
1. Figure out what you want your end result to be
2. Evaluate your handyman skills & inventory your available tools
3. Do a LOT of research into LCD projection and DIY projects (don't forget to take notes)
4. Decide how much money you can spend
5. Decide how much TIME you are willing to invest

What I've discovered is that do-it-yourself home theater is no sprinting race, it is a marathon that will require blood (had my first DIY/LCD induced bloodshed a couple weeks ago while dismantling another panel), money, and a lot of hard work and patience.

My advice to you would be to get your hands on a used overhead projector and use a cheap LCD panel that strips easily (do research on the forums for which one would work). Search Google for some other OHP projects by using "overhead projector LCD" as the search terms. Or try this: link You'll find more info than you can shake a stick at. Hope this helps!

ok...i think i might just buy this cheap 7" projector ...i think its the same as a FAVI 1500 but im not really sure if it will be worth it...if its as good as the evo than from the screenshots iv seen it will be perfect. The other problems is the projector will be placed at the top shelf almost near the celing with a throw distance of around 3-4meters (10-13 feet) so im not sure how big of an image i will get and if its really big, them how bright the image will be...please reply guys the auctions ending in a day....the seller said that they will post images of the projector of it today so ill just have to wait.

I wouldn't waste my money with this seller.
They're not a retailer. This leads me to ask, "Why are they selling it?"
A very low feedback score rings bells, as well.

A little searching shows this could be the "manufacturer's" website: http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/products/4...ector_V100.html - looks like some kind of Chinese knock-off.

But, hey... it's your money.

iv just asked him why he's selling it...anyways just because hes got a low feedback rating doesnt mean he's a scam? hes only sold a couple items...would it be just as good as the evo?

If you MUST spend your money go right ahead, BUT it is only: Native resolution: 800 x 480!!

Why don't you build a DIY using the S15 kit and a 15" or less monitor, go look up ebay.com.au ...... or are you looking for a ready made slick looking job? Do you realise that a typical 15" lcd has a better resolution and response than the projector you are taking about, and just think how proud you would be to have built your own.

See this one would suit you

Ebay Aust 15" monitor

It is broken but the fault as described will make it very suitable for projector use. He is willing to post even though the original part says local pickup.

Its just I probably couldn't make even a half-ass enclosure if my life depended on it....plus i really don't have time(Im in year 12 and got a shit load of studying to do) but for some reason really want a projector...and yes i realise that 15" lcd has better specs, but the evo seems pretty good and it seems to have similar specs to the projector on ebay...would it be as good?

Im also thinking maybe i can get this Infocus ScreenPlay 4805, but it doesn't have a bulb so i might get one off ywh from diyaudio.com...would that be worth it or would there be a risk of it failing really quickly due to its age?

If it doesn't have a bulb then it means no lamp enclosure either (probably). What ywh sells is the bulb but you need the lamp enclosure to fit it. Which in the end means buying a brand new lamp

Victor

yeh sorry i meant a dead bulb...not a missing bulb...would it be worth it?

Depends- The lamp costs USD$300 but is supposed to last up to 3000hrs. Your call

LOL you're exactly like me, when HSC came around last year all I wanted to do was build a projector, and with being cheap like you I ended up only spending $20 on a decent projector. I managed to get a 'broken' 7" portable dvd player and a overhead projector from school and i built the enclosure from some mdf i found at home.

When some money starts rolling in this year ill try make a proper one.

I think that you had the right idea when you started with the portable DVD player screen. You were probably just in a hurry to get into it (like most of us are) and nicked the ribbon cable. I would say, instead of spending so much money on one that you find on ebay, search on craigslist, or even look for a "freecycle" type of group in your area. I am in Raleigh, NC and we have a yahoo group called "Wake FreeCycle" and pretty much it's all free, unwanted stuff from other people. You can post whether you want something, or are giving something away. If you can find a group like that, it would be best. I got like 3 portable dvd players from on there all with working screens. But anyways, if you don't have something like that, go look at local colleges in your area for the surplus departments where they get rid of classroom items such as old LCD projectors, overheads, monitors, computers etc. Here's what I think you should really do with your initial idea:

Obtain another portable dvd player (the best kind are actually the ones that have two screens that they hook up to, and each screen usually has it's own input/controls. Very good for diy projectors)

Then find an overhead projector (preferably one with a working bulb or two in it already for testing and usage purposes. Also make sure it's nice and bright. you can usually find specs on the lumen output just by searching for the brand/model)

Grab a MidATX or FullATX sized aluminum/steel computer case (make sure it has a panel on the side you can easily take off and put on, this will become the "top" of the projector)

Then find yourself some 80mm PC fans, a pc power supply, wiring, toggle switches etc.

If you found all those parts (which I know you can for your budget) then you are well on your way and it's just a matter of rearranging the internal parts of the overhead, stripping the LCD, and mounting it all inside the box with maybe one or two FS mirrors (which you can make from standard mirrors). You can use the CD drive bay holes for the focal lens, and there should be plenty of room inside to place everything. Plus you've already got mounts/grills for the fans. As far as the overhead bulb goes, they usually get pretty hot, but that is easily solved by finding a sheet of thin cheap aluminum, folding it to make a wind tunnel, and placing a piece of glass in an opening in front of the bulb. Then just push/pull air directly from the outside of the case using some of the PC fans and maybe some AC tubing. Honestly you can go wild with your design, my point is, for your budget, it's easy to make something great and fun and functional. Hope this helped a bit.