Hi you all,
Have all my equipment now. Ready to build. Intend to build ceiling mount 15" PJ that will swing into wall when not in use. Screen (84" x 84" Dalite) rolls up into ceiling with push of a button.

PJ will be controlled by X-10 macro so that you turn on macro and macro turns on all x-10 modules in sequence to properly fire up the PJ and shut it down. Fans will be remotely mounted an provide filtered pressure air to PJ via 2 (two) "air lines". These air lines will pass air over two micro switches with "flaps" on the levers such that if air flow stops, power to LCD and power to light with shut off. All x-10 switches will have manual overides on PJ as welll (pushbuttons). Plan on auto keystone correction (gravity) and adjustable lamp, reflector, fresnels for fine tuning after build. All this will lock in place after tweaking. Focus mech will be 2 (two) x-10 controlled AC gearmotors. I have a BENQ monitor, standard lens kit, napkin holder on the way. TV box on the way. X-10 modules on the way. 25' VGA cable on the way. Plan to post lots of PICS.

All,
Forgot to mention. I am going with two (2) blowers and two (2) completely seperate cooling circuits. One for lamp and one for LCD/fresnels. Will also be using LL UV filter on front side of tempered glass.

HEY bluesrocker22 - Are your "blowers" going to be wired/controlled seperately? I'm curious because it sounds like you are trying to mitigate a fan/cooling failure with this "flap" system. But if 1 or both of your fans fail, your "flaps" will close and you will have a dark but still intensely hot box. In any case, your setup sounds really similar to mine, so I look forward to seeing your results!

Good luck!

Dear Donkeytech,
The flap system is just really a worse case system. Since I am controlling with X-10, I did not want the light coming on by a freak of the X-10 world without blower pressure.

I am putting the blowers inside the "video cabinet" which will be against the wall. I will probably put the blowers in on the other side of the wall (in the garage to keep noise down). So , the blowers will pull air thru a filter in the room with the PJ, pressurize my "air manifold". From the air manifold, the air exits via large tubing (2" OD or so, 2 of these) and proceeds up the wall, thru the arm folding arm which holds the PJ in "mid air" in the room during use.

Once inside the PJ, one hose will pressurize the lamp side, other hose will pressurize the lcd/fresnel side.

There will be holes in the top and bottom of each side, so that even in a power failure, natural convection will start cooling the box quickly.

Does this sound crazy? I think it will work and keep the inside of the PJ clean. Holes in the PJ will be covered with filter fabric to keep dust out when not in use.

Ah yes - the low x10 reliability factors I'm a big fan of x10, but won't use it for critical applications. Sounds like a well planned design, but seeing drawing would be cool. I have fan on other side of wall as well, and it does cut down noise and allows you to go with beefier fan. The noise is reduced to humming from airflow. Use the plastic venting - it's much quieter than metal. And don't forget to plan to plug all those exhaust lightleaks - especially if you pj is located in center of room. Keep us posted!

All,
Got the tv box today. Here are pics of my first video test (these images are just on the BENQ, not projected).

I just wanted to test the TV Box (version 2.0 from Buy.com).

These pics are with cable tv hooked up.

Just "added attachments" but not sure how to post pics yet (need the images hosted somewhere I guess).

Will get the photos up as quick as I can.

Hi! Welcome aboard!

Ok,
Used photobucket.com and loaded up the images. Not projected, just a BENQ/ LCD TV BOX test.

Looks pretty decent for cable. Can't wait to blow it up to 84 x 84 and pump a dvd signal in. Should be cool.

Here is a quick layout:

Here is an idea of what I will do with the X-10 Modules:

looks interesting....oh and welcome man!

(meant to greet first and respond second but as it is 6:18 in the morning here and I haven't been to sleep yet, maybe that's why)

Here is a pic of the temp sensor/display for LCD and lamp and speed controller for two emergency (DC) fans.

Hey, hope you don't mind me asking but where did you get your thermal/sensor device and how much was it? Thanks!

Hi,
This sensor came from DIRECTRON.COM and cost US$19.95 with shipping. It is made for a computer, so I have to work out the power supply issues (I think it needs +12VDC and +5VDC) but I may have solved that tonight by buying a used computer power supply off of EBAY for $5.00.

Model UC-A3FATR2. It will control two fans and display each fans RPM. It will also disply two temps. It displays fan 1 speed and temp 1 at one time, then you press the mode button to display the fan 2 speed and temp 2.

Pretty cool if I can get it pulled into the project in a neat way.

Bluesrocker22,
X-10 is old technology and has a reputation for being hard to "count on". You may wish to consider another method. Although the X-10 has gone through SOME improvement, the inherent system is still weak relying on the troughs of the 120 volt cycle. I suggest you try the new homeseer versions if you are truly bent on that type of automation. Smarthome has played a bit with it as well and has brought a good amount of success to the field.

IMOHO, I wouldnt want to bet my PJ on the X-10 technology, especially if you live in a larger sized house, or a dense residential neighborhood.

But, like I said, its just my feeling....I dont want to crush your idea. Have you tuned your house already? Did you install a bridge? did you need an amplifier?

Curious....
SJ

SJ,
I have a bridge but have not installed it yet. I have been running X-10 for about 2 years and have very few problems. Seems my house is pretty clean as far as noise goes.

Also, I was going to put the PJ on its own housecode and do some other tricks (send commands twice, etc.) to try and make it robust.

I agree that it is tricky, but I like a challange! I have been getting my stuff from Smarthome mostly and have had no problems. The macros make things easier as well (send commands twice and that kind of stuff).

I had wanted to do something else, but the x-10 only cost me $40 for 6 functions, and I could not beat that price, especiallly with the macro capability.

All,
More parts, cost, supplier:



25 ' long vga cable from pc universe for about $26 (runs video from cabinet up to pj)



clockwise from upper left, 13 position terminal strip - $12 for 3
30 RPM 120VAC motor (focus mech?) - $5 for 2
16' 18/2 power cords for running from X-10 controls in cabinet up to pj $10 for 4
all from allelectronics.com



clockwise from upper left, spdt swith with long lever for blower detectors - $2.20 for 2
115 VAC cross flow blowers for main cooling - $19.50 for 2
200 degree F thermal switch - $1.00 for 2
spade terminals - $2.50 for a LOT
ring terminals - $2.50 for a LOT
40' long split loom tubing for running cables from cabinet up to PJ - $11.60 for 40'
spacers for mounting boards - $1.00 for 10
all from allelectronics.com

should start building on 11/15/05

All,
Finally cut the box. Cabinet grade plywood (9/16" thick)for all sides except top. Top will be mouted up against ceiling so I will go with cheaper and thicker stuff there.

Cut 45 degrees on all sides, glued, then installed 45 degree braces inside using Titebond glue. Next comes installing the guts. (AFTER SOME PRELIMINARY SANDING OF THE BOX).











Really busy right now but will try to keep the pictures coming.

Here is the reflector installed:


Here is the reflector adjustment, (wing nut adjusts up and down, two screws in bottom of block can be used to adjust left and right):


Lamp base with standoffs installed to allow room for wires to have a little more room:


Here is the first lamp test WOO-HAR!! (does anyone know if the green color is normal? Does anyone know if little metal "balls" inside the "arc pocket" on the lamp is normal?):


Here are details of lamp bracket:


More to come later.
EDIT
Ended up using 2 (two) reflectors, the napkin holder right behind the lamp and then a secondary about 10" in diameter. Worked really well. Helped brightness lots.

Here is lamp power supply setup (mounted on cold side just beside where focus box will be). Note 16' long AC cable that will be run thru giant arm with cooling hoses back to central control point.





And a shot of the 200 F cutoff switch for the lamp power supply. If temp inside "hot side" gets greater than 200 F, the AC to the lamp power suppply will be cut. This switch will be moved higher or lower in the "hot side" to adjust (since hot air rises).

All,
Just purchased and got in the JVC TH-C5 surround sound system for US$260. Great sound for the price (IMO). Comes with 5 disc player and 6 speakers, including a powered subwoofer. Should be a cool setup for sound.

All,
Just finished with beam design that will hide the PJ in the wall when not in use. Here is a layout:

All,
I blew up the display on my original temperature monitor :angry: (but I will be able to use the backup fan speed controls anyway) so I got this new one to monitor the lcd and light box(might monitor two locations on the LCD instead). The temperature alarms will be set at 104F for the LCD. Got this from DIRECTRON.com.


This is the Enermax UC-A07FATR2.

This will give me 4 (four) backup battery powered fans to cool this puppy if I lose AC power to the main fans.

Plan on building more this weekend.

All,

Just tested both my fresnel lenses (purchased from LL store, standard kit) and found BOTH to have a focal length of ~220 mm. Has anyone else run into this? I may be doing the test wrong but this is what I did:

Set fresnel lens 1 in window of house with grooves facing out window towards driveway.
Brought white piece of paper close to lens to where I could see clear image of car in driveway.
Measured distance from lens to paper = 9" = 228 mm.

Set fresnel lens 2 in window of house with grooves facing out window towards driveway.
Brought white piece of paper close to lens to where I could see clear image of car in driveway.
Measured distance from lens to paper = 8.5" = 216 mm.

Sholdn't one of these be 330 mm or 13"??

Please respond if you have seen this before or can tell me what I am doing wrong.

Here is the thread that shows how to tell which fres is which. Test to find out which fresnel is which Hope this helps.

Hi,
Did the test to see "which fresnel goes towards the back". They look the same to me:



I think I have 2 (two) 220 mm lenses here.

Hey bluesrocker,

Here is what my test results looked like.

Click to view attachment

I hope this helps.

Were the fresnel grooves facing you or the cans when you took that picture? Just reread the test procedure from SupraGuy and he said it doesn't matter which way they are faced during the test. Why is the one on the left so blurry?

Brian,
The one on the left is blurry (I think) because of just how you position your eye (or camera) during the test (a slight movement can make a big difference in the way the object looks). I did not really notice a difference in the quality of the images while I was doing the test. I did the test with the grooves towards the soda cans.

I have emailed LL and I think they will agree I have 2 (two) 220 mm lenses.

I have built the first fresnel lens frame. It is a sandwich type, using 1/4" thk plywood, fresnel lens, then 1/2" thk plywood (1/2" thk will keep everything flat). Finished with high temp black paint.

More to come tonight hopefully.





Thanks for the help on the fresnel lenses Brian.

All,
Just got an email from Kellie and LL is shipping me a 330 mm lens. Very good customer service there!
Soon I can mount the LCD and front fresnel!

The temp sender is mounted to the wood It reads the temp from the flat face so you might think about fliping it.
Nice job so far.

Thanks Arizona!
Did not think about that one. I will probably just stand it off of the wood so air can get behind it. I need to put an insulator around it since it has 120 VAC on those terminals.

All,
LL has GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE!!

Kellie shipped me a 317 mm lens at no cost using FED EX.

Here is the NEW test to see which one is which:



I think the one on the left is 220 mm and the one on the right is 317 mm (that is what my other test {real image focus test} showed).

That looks better bluesrocker. I believe you are correct.

Thanks Brian,
Built my auto keystone correction frame tonight. Will post pics tonight. Ordered ESD mat so I can strip the LCD. Getting closer. Will start on focus mechanisim tonight.

All,
Working on focus mechanisim and I have an optics question.

I don't know if this would work because of the divergent light rays coming into the triplet on the second position??

Any help would be appreciated.

Hi all,
Here is my auto keystoning frame (no fresnel installed yet to keep the lens as clean as possible):



Here is a close up of the pivot mechanisim:



Here is a close up with zero "auto keystone correction":



Here is a close up with lots of "auto keystone correction":



And here is an overall with:
lamp
glass
fixed fresnel lens frame
(lcd not installed yet, will be as soon as I get my ESD mat in)
auto keystone lens frame
terminal strip
lamp power supply

Very nice, very clean work so far! I wish I could get my wiring that tidy.

Speaking of which, are you using some kind of blue shrink-wrap tubing on those electrical prongs, or are they just really snug sleeves? My electrical tape always peels away under the heat.

i think those are crimp prongs right?? I just picked some up today...

The blue items are the plastic sleeves that came on the crimp on electrical connectors. Those with terminal strips is the way to go to keep the wiring clean.

All,
Here is my POSSIBLE solution to make SURE the lamp never comes on when the projector is swung into the wall (not being used).

As you swing the PJ into the wall, first the "spring plunger" comes into contact with the switch upper part (turning it on, but it is already on).

As you continue to put the pj away, the solid rubber bumper comes into contact with the lower part of the switch, overcoming the spring force, and breaking the lamp circuit for good.

Now, when you open the pj, the rubber bumper loses contact first, so then the spring force turns on the pj lamp circuit safety switch.

Could use a momentary NC switch (without the bumpers) as well, but I don't have one of those handy

test

Crapola,
Watch those edge connectors. I got all the way down to taking the LCD out of the plastic frame, the LCD slipped just a bit and "RIPPPP".

Oh well $250 is a pretty good teacher.

Ordered another BENQ FP567S.

CRAPOLA!

At least now I will have spare parts!

Here are some pics of me taking apart the BENQ before I blew it and tore the edge connector:








Will keep going even though I am still ticked at myself for blowing the LCD. :angry:

Here are some shots of the focus slide table (just did this tonight). Note DIY hand wheel crank to adjust.
Holding assembly for Triplet lens will mount on top of this slide table (turn crank to focus).

Hi all,
Here are photos of triplet assembly in place. PVC pipe will be painted with "bumper coat" black paint from auto parts store. All inside parts will be black.

Total travel is over 3 inches, but we should not need anything near that.







I may attempt a repair on the LCD edge connector I blew , but I have another LCD on the way to get us going.

Stinks to make mistakes but I have to learn somehow.

All,
Top is done. Safety is an issue (pj will be mounted overhead and swung into wall), so I have 4 solid mounts inside that will carry the weight from the frame to the top, and then to the beam. The four solid mounts are connected to the top via 4 (four) 3" long square drive screws. For maintainence, these four will be unscrewed, then the main body of the pj will swing down from the top via hinges. This should provide easy access for working on this puppy.



Here are hinges (four for more margin of safety):



Top open:



Top closed:



Top closed and secured via 4 square drive screws. Ready for final sanding, stain, and installation of fresnels, UV filter, and LCD.

Really nice work so far!

Quick observation: I'd be worried about the PVC obstructing some of the image.
I might be wrong, but it's a gut feeling.

D.

Also, that toilet in the background might make a cool stand?

David,
I have done the calculations, and IF I AM RIGHT, I should have ~1/4" before the PVC will block anything.

If it does block, I plan on cutting it shorter and touching up with paint.

Thanks for the encouragement.