Ok folks, finall got around to getting my progress.. or lack there of recorded into a PLOG. I am using a DELL 1704 FPV monitor, the Lumenlab pro fresnels, and hopefully will be able to adjust for the different triplets... not too sure about that one just yet, I have a pro but don't really want to wait for the fix. I suppose a list format would work better here

Dell 1704 FPV
Pro Lense Set
Lumenlab Ultimate Light kit
Norpro reflector
-edit - now with the pro reflector...

Soon to add HTPC... more on that to come

Stripping the 1704:

Start by locating the small holes on the bottom of the monitor (after taking off the stand) and use these to get your fingers behind the front bezel to yank it off. It takes quite a bit of force so be careful.


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After the front bezel is off, the plastic silver side panel and the back cover should fall away easily. Then remove all of the exposed screws and the control panel/circuit board from the front bezel.


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Unplug the backlight power wires (pink and blue) on both the top and bottom.


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Once all screws are removed, unplug the wire for the USB ports on the side, then the back panel should raise up easily

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Now the powersupply and controller boards are easy to remove

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carefully remove the 'top' part of the silver/aluminum tape that is holding down another circuit board. Only remove this one part b/c the other is protecting the edge connectors. Now you can remove the backlight diffuser and filters (one thich panel about .3" and three sheets) should now look something like this.

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now I removed the last (black) plastic frame from the metal frame and then glued w/ silicone the LCD into the metal frame.

This is the basic idea I am shooting for, except I am trying to make it a floor standing design that with serve a second function as an endtable for my chair.

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SO that change requires that the monitor be rotated 90 degrees, and the dimensions to change accordingly. Since I know my weakness in wood working, i am designing in some spare room to make things highly tweakable.

So the next challenge was to make a fully adjustable (horizontal/vertical/rotational) light mount. First a couple of cardboard prototypes to help me frame up the problem/solution:

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I think i'm onto a working design finally, so back to the wood-shop

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Cutting the norpro was suprisingly difficult. Finally I just took a file and started a groove at the top of the arc-cut and made a flat notch that my hack-saw could bite into. This was aided with the help of 2 quick-grip style clamps - sorry no picks of set up.

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I sank a threaded anchor in here so that the bolt that acts as a hinge point can be tightened down and prevent movement.

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and the other piece next to the prototype

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The completed lighting assembly:

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Here is the mount I made for the mirror, the hindge will attach to the wall of my box, and i will use a turmbuckle/eyebolt combo to adjust the angle. I havn't bought the turnbuckle yet, and havn't glued the mirror (LL F-S mirror) to the front of the masonite yet, but this should give an idea of what I am thinking.

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Here is the frame that I made for the LCD/Collimnator Lense/Heat shield. I know that red oak is probably overkill, but i wanted it to be strong and stiff with a minimal of mount points.

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More of the LCD assembly, the slots are the air entry holes between the heat shield and fresnel and between the fresnel and LCD.

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the bottom side of the assembly

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with the bottom plate removed - I used the same type of threaded anchors here to ensure a good mechanical link as well as to provide the ability to remove the plate easily for cleaning. The airflow exits through the side opening below the masonite that is supporting the LCD circuit board and edge connectors.

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Thats all I have pictures of to post for now, but the Box is also complete, just needing to mount the stuff inside. More to come...

Good visuals! Can't wait to hear how it turns out for ya!!

Ochen Horasho!

Looking good so far! Keep it up!

Looking good, can't wait to see more!

I agree with OKflyboy - Ochen Horasho!

I especially like the use of the cardboard prototypes hinged with a mechanical pencil.

I used a strategically placed mirror and a laser to make sure all my light path angles were correct. I suspect you'll have no problem with angles, though, given the amount of adjustability you're building into the design.

Anyway, those are some awesome pics, very impressive.

So another $25 spent at lowes today on a switch, an attic thermostat andsome hardware. Also got my prototype light cones (aka big paper triangles) ready to start lineing things up. Hope to get the wireing done and the different elements mounted into the box this weekend. I'll get some more pics up soon. Thanks for the good words

Fly- Spaceebo vam bolshoy

Speeking of "another $25 spent" I have now chaulked up keeping track... it just comes out of the personal entertainment fund - I dunno what Chipotle and Qdobo are going to do without me

Sweet so far! I can't wait to see more!

Pajaloosta. (Sheesh, writing phonetically is pretty weird...)

well thanks all for the encouragement, sorr i've been gone from thisfor so lg... midterms were kickng my A%# last week and my schedulehas been completely off from base wood shop's hours. But finally I got around to working on it again today, to realize that i had to re-do a ton because it was backwards... Joe2000chevy helped me figure that out. Oh well eto zhezen. So all of that to say that today i remade the LCD frame, cut the lense hole and mounted the mirror. With any luck i'll be projecting this week...

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Here again i made the mirror totally adjustable (angle and position) so that hopefully when DIY projector Co gets some more 330mm fresnels in i can begin my multi-triplet tweeking. As for now i''m just setting it up for the LL Pro lense.


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Have any of you seen a good detailed description of the assembly that Haas used to hold the triplet on his set up? I'd like to try and combine his PVC skills with DIYeator's lense manipulation skills. We'll see how it comes out.

Cool!
Loving it so far,very nice.

whats the overall size of your box tovarishrob i am verry intrsted

Pun15her i don't know what i've done to earn your compliments, i hope that my next PJ is half as sweet as the one you are working on. I love the smooth curves and basic design.

I was uncertain what the dimensions would finally be and decided to go simple and a little big to accomidate adjustibility. I am trying to make this such that I can run it with either the LL Pro lense or the regular LL triplet with a DIYProjectorco fresnel. So to answer your question, outside dimensions including the ~3/4" plywood on all sides are 20" (lense axis) X 19" deep X 28" high. Now that I have been putting the pieces together I could have shaved about 2" off the height and another 3" off the depth. But there again this is a work in progress, and I am using this to test theory more than anything. My next enclosure will be more trimmed down and hopefully more attractive.

No way,Your build is looking nice and clean.you have the dimensions sorted in theory,exactly what I did,I decided to change my design as i moved along.which,in the end,is just delaying my viewing pleasure.I am glad that you are going vertical.To me it is a more aesthetically productive and practical way to go.(Unless you can go Haas style(which I cant))

Man Punisher, you dont give yourself enough credit!
I am still quite impressed with how well you got your side panels to fit so seamlessly

Nice woodwork! I would choose red oak over particle board any day. (note to self: get a brad gun)

Well the wife popped and now I'm a dad... but the projector awaits... maybe this week i'll get back to it. SO close i can taste its sweetness!

Congratulations!

Congrats!
I am liking your design quite a bit. Cant wait to see how it turns out!

Hey,congratulations.
That is one hell of an experience.

Congrats on the baby. Mine is 5.5 months. Don't let your obsession for the pj ruin any of these early joys, they only happen once. Makes it a challenge to get the pj done, but its worth it!

Yea I know what you mean... He is so entertaining to watch and play with that i sometimes wonder if the projector will ever get done! but its a really great delay, my wife and I feel so blessed to have a child and a healthy one at that. Sorry my previous post was so short... sleep deprivation has a strang effect on you after a week. well with no further ado, here are some pics

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first salute

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I must say that my pride in building cool stuff is a little put to shame when I realize what got done in her womb in 9 months compared to the workshop I've been fiddling with in the last 9 months!

Oh well I guess it is cool to be God, you get to show everybody up every now and then to keep humanity humble.


-on another note i did get the PJ together and tried to fire it up the other night but I had the condenser fresnel backwards so it was a dissipating fresnel and the image was horrible and upside down... maybe I can get those issues tweaked this week sometime.

Enjoy the toothless smiles. babies rule.

Our first was 27 hours in labor, suction cups, forceps and finally a vaginal cesaerian. Turns out she was "Sunny side up". Our second was 4 hours and 10.1 pounds! Adventure happens...!

There is nothing like a baby to make you realize how fragile we are and how much COULD go wrong. In the end, when you get a beautiful kid like yours, you cant help but feel lucky and humble.

Now repeat after me....

Simethicone, Tylenol, Motrin, Creamy Desitin and Nightime OraJel.
( You will come to appreciate these things a lot...)

Congratulations on a stunningly cute kid!

Did you have any FCC issues with this monitor. From the pics, it looks like you did not, but I want to be sure before I purchase one.

Thanks,
CMessa

congrats on a new one to the world heheheheh

clive...

Wow its the first time my plog has hit the new post search in awhile... I was suprised (been waiting for the replacement pro lenses - and getting used to life with kiddo) any way, the Dell 1740FP stripped beautifully, no FFC issues at all. Let me know if I can help you out with anything else. Also I before I stripped it I sat it next to a Benq 17" (proview) and wow was I suprised at the difference in quality.. The blacks are much much blacker and the colors noticably more vivid. In my opinion this is a great choice. Now if i could just finish mine

Thanks for the info. I am probably going to get this for my pro lense setup also.

Good luck finding the time to build anything now, I have an 18 month old and when he is around, all I want to do is play with him. Many projects have taken a back seat to him and I am thrilled about it

Corbett

Comin' along nicely! I like the compact design.

When they vacuumed our kid out of my wife (ugh) and I saw the bump on his head from the suck-machine I immediately wrote him off as chub-chub-pa-tang (drool, drool) material. No one warned me about that. Pretty resilient at that stage of life. I seriously wondered why they would use a device that destroyed the babies entire cranial structure. What a silly twit I was. Then he peed all over the nurse carrying him and I knew all was well and that he was "a chip off the old block." Wait a second . . . that's NOT to say I'm into that . . . err . . . you know . . . kind of stuff.

LOL! Congrats, Durachko!!...............OOOOPS, sorry tovarsishrob. Guess I should have read further back...I know the feeling, I shed a few tears when my first boy was born. Unbelievable high.

The sad thing is I am about one weekend away from having a working PJ... have been since last year But on a brighter note we just moved into a place with a garage so at least I can start working on it at home and not have to truck all of my parts all over town to where the tools are. There should be more to come very soon - I am working on getting a panel saw up and running and then I will be good to go in my own workshop.

So how is it coming along? I'm considering using a 1704FPV and am wondering how it's working out for you.