I'm probably not looking well enough, but are there any screen shots of a completed HID light source projection?

I'm really considering this option, but having trouble finding example of what to expect..

this is totaly subjective, but what might give better light output? HID or a 400W 65K MH

thanks for the help..

-Cap

Let's start off with some Wikipedia: HID = High-intensity discharge lamp

Varieties of HID lamp include:
- Metal halide (MH) lamps
- Ceramic MH lamps
- High-pressure and low-pressure sodium vapor lamps
- xenon short-arc lamps

Nearly all of us use HID lamps.

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Below is a little tidbit I give to newcomers:

The best place to start is The Lumenlab PRO DIY Projector Guide V.3.

Once you have a grasp of the basics, you might want to peruse the pinned topics at the top of the Beginner's Forum. This is also where you should go to create your own threads when you have questions. When you start your build, you can create your own PLOG to chart your progress and to ask questions about your particular build.

Then you can move on to the pinned topics of the DIY Video Projector Design forum.

When you're ready, you'll need to decide what parts (LCD, Fresnels and triplet) you'll need. To do that, you can use the handy FocalCalc. FocalCalc will help you determine your enclosure measurements and will let you experiment with different parts before buying anything. This will also tell you how far from the screen your projector needs to be (throw distance).

I've found that Google Sketchup is handy to use to design and visualize what your projector will look like. And best of all, there's a free version you can use.

A lot of the questions you might have probably have already been asked and answered several times. While most of us do not mind answering some of the same questions repeatedly, you might get more satisfaction in finding the answers yourself. Unfortunately, the built-in Search feature on most of these online forums is quite limited in what it can do. You might find it easier to search using Google using the "site" parameter. Below is an example:

Google search: site:lumenlab.com +"12.1" projector +plans

You can find other parameters by clicking the Google links in my signature.

You might run across a "quirk" when searching using Google, however. If you notice the thread looking "wonky" like this image, simply go up the the top right corner of the thread and click on Options and then Switch to: Standard.

I hope this gets you started on the road to your new obsession and I look forward to seeing your progress.

Welcome to the obsession!

You said peruse...