Don't sweat it. My best guess is that there'll be arguably no notable difference in a 330+pre-con vs. a 220. Chalk it up to me having enough time to spend money but no time to build. There are debatable pros & cons to each setup. Not worth going into detail though and I'm neither well-versed enough nor currently prone to present an easily digested explanation anyway. I also have my eye on the future and upgradability and have some ideas in my all-too-simple brain.

I need ole "telephone wipes" to chime in about now . . .

Can you say 12 gauge? It's a tricky thing to try to hit a golf-ball sized object with a shotgun from 4 feet away especially when said object is around 12 inches from a building you'd rather not "ventilate". Ah . . . tweren't so bad. I have pics but feel so bad about the whole ordeal I refuse to share them.............JUST KIDDING!!!!(?)

sneek peek ?? ... is this where D inserts picture of 4x8' sheet of plywood ?!

Just look up a few posts to see those sheets of plywood. They haven't been touched since then. At least I can enjoy picking on others in their plogs.

Gadget: What's your mailing address? I'm gonna send you a timber rattler USPS Priority w/Delivery Confirmation!!! :angry: (Get your mower ready.)

you sending out free food now? mmmmmm.....snake.....

Snickers to snakes. What's next?

deep fried snickers for dessert.... and theres fried snake. sweet and sour snake, snake gumbo, snake and kidney pie.....

snake kabobs, coconut snake, ...

... maybe you could make a timber rattler hotel/PJ all in one ... you could train the snakes that move in to finish the wiring on the PJ

(BTW... I never open boxes that rattle... it's a good rule to live by )

Fine. Gonna send one that TICKS!

Edit: Damn. Now Homeland Security'll be all over me.

As far as adjusting the condenser lens for some reason the math work in favor of the condenser being further away. You would think that you would loose just as much light from moving the condenser away because of the square law but the light cone from the condenser tightens up faster than the square law looses light.
A small change in lamp to condenser distance makes for a large chance of the angle of the light hitting the condenser and makes for a large change of the light cone.

It may hold true until the majority of the light rays hitting the condenser are at less than 45deg. A lux meter is really needed to do this.

The 220mm Fresnel and the 6x9 had the lamp almost touching the condenser and the light was not that even a 6x12 would be better for this.

thanks Durachko and Az, ..

Well, my LCD is alive. Checked her last night. (Can you tell I'm happy?)

Also, this MHDE 400W 6500K FC2 bulb plays much nicer with the S51 than the M135 so I'll be going with the S51. I didn't do a scientific measurement but the bulb just looks way brighter with the S51. Ultimately, I think I'll be selling the M135 and T15 PS/w mogul but maybe I'll still do a quantitative brightness test before I do.

Maybe . . .

I'm currently planning to overdrive with a 5.7uF cap provided by AV and he says I'm running around 500 to 550W or thereabouts.

Switching the cap in on-the-fly results in an impressive brightness increase which measured out at over a 15% gain.

The lightbox and condenser appear to be very happy with the overdrive and twin fans running in series (to slow 'em down) so that will be my initial setup.

I'm gearing up for making some sawdust soon. Everyone please say a prayer, chant a mantra, and/or sacrifice a chicken (or some shaped hummis if you are a vegan), or whatever you think might be appropriate for me so I can get some good karma going and don't stall out yet again.

Can't wait to see the ffdshow filter results on the big screen since they look so dang good just on the monitor.

Whoaaa,,, great news,, phew,, hate a patient lost,,,

maybe in the year 2525,, both of us will have a finished PJ, with all the wrappers on for months without a fingerprint to show tampering, and 200 DVD's thru....

Oh PS I am invoking the Non dark side of teh force for you

LET THERE BE RGB LIGHT !!!

is the pro reflector mount an 80mm fan guard?

Yep. It's actually part of the case from a computer power supply so it wuz already cut out for a fan guard. I doctored it up some and added some springs to hold 'er down and voila! - I had a mount. It's a bonus that I added additional springs and bolts for some fore-and-aft adjustment of it.

yup I really like how you built the mount, especially the springs holding the reflector to the guard. very simple to construct and offers good adjustability. I'm going to steal it.. I know I have a few PSUs that I can probably sacrifice as well how is the whole mount attached to the light box? do the adjusting rods hold it stationary? I can't make it out from the pics. thanks

Wow! I just got really confused chasing you around editing your edits!!!

Anyway, after a few clicks on "refresh" we're back on track it seems.

The piece to which the pro reflector is attached is U-shaped in cross section. It rests on a sled having one direction of adjustment - let's call it the X-axis. The U-shaped piece has one direction of adjustment upon the sled holding it and this adjustment is at a right angle to the X-axis. Hope that makes some sense.

The complete holder can be lifted right off of the sled. The design depends upon gravity not failing me although it could be incorporated into a horizontal projector as well with some minor alterations.

It's been described elsewhere as overkill - with good reason - but I'm happy with it.

Go for it if ya wanna copy and if you need an extra photo or something just ask and I'll get you one . . . eventually.

Edit: Yeah, the rods hold it where it belongs. Turn one of the rods and it slides along that rod.

So are we going to see some pics this weekend?
The lightbox looks very nice. I think you are gonna have a winner on your hands. What S51 ballast are you using?

He teases us so doesn't he.

Hmmm . . . is this tit-for-tat pressure?

Seriously, my son has off daycare next week and the in-laws are coming to watch him so I might squeeze in some woodcutting if I'm lucky.

I bought the S51 from AV. It's not fixed in my mind precisely from whence it cometh (manufacturer, etc.) but if I remember I'll getcha that info. Heck, AV probably knows. Maybe he'll drop in and fill in the blanks. It really seems to make the new bulb I got run way better. You know, I've got something on my HD here about it. A pdf user manual for it. I'll check after this post.

Y'know, I just put my M135 up for sale today. Perhaps I should do a scientific comparison before it's gone?

It's been a long road to get this far and I truly am feeling like I've not buckled down and just forged ahead like I should.

I've honestly been rather busy at work but I did just get some good results and maybe that'll take a little pressure off. (Ha!)

I think it's time for some projector-vacation-days. There's ALWAYS something else to do around the house.

I keep remembering you saying how you did that dance when you fired yours up for the first time and how I felt when I did my schlocky hand-held test. I think I'm gonna be a bit more excited when I get the real thing burnin'.

Anyway, thanks for stopping in and givin' a little prod. And if I do come up a winner it's because of you and all the other great members here.

Wait - what kind of pictures do you want?

Here 'tis: Advance High Pressure Sodium Lamp Ballast Catalog Number 71A8493 For 400W S51 60 Hz CWA.

Ask and ye shall receive.

You guys feel free to give me all the grief you want (I deserve it) but it'll still only get done when it gets done.

Besides - I'm still waitin' on a screen from Lumenlab. I figure we both move at glacial speeds.

Well, if it werent for the wife, the kids, the pets, the various childhood diseases that crop up, and this work thing...I might just have enough time to get something done!



Its such a cool feeling to see that first screen and then just freak out at how big it is! I cant wait to see your reaction when you post your first projection! The high lasts for hours too. But the best part is casually mentioning to your friends that you built it from scratch...

Bond....James Bond...

So you mentioned you got some work done this weekend? Well? Can we at least hear a stirring saga of it?

Sigh . . .

I was afraid this might happen. I literally winced when I saw YOU had posted a reply here.

I do not make this stuff up. Honest injun. Whoops - that's not PC - is it? How 'bout scout's honor then?

Some things may be slightly out of order but I do not overembellish IMHO.

Okay, I spent at least an hour digging through mountains of sketches because I knew I had jotted down rough dimensions for my enclosure panels SOMEWHERE. I took them down to the garage and kinda set everything up for my much-anticipated free time.

Last night turned out to be THE night. I rode my motorcycle to work so I could leave at least an hour early.

I left work 30 minutes late.

My in-laws, wife, and son were scheduled to be at a state park beach until dark.

I got home, let the dogs out, had a quick snack, washed unidentified fecal matter off both of them when they came bounding back to me, noticed an odd odor in the basement, <surreptitiously checking my thong>, found three dead toads in a window well so cleaned them out, went down to the garage where my plywood has been languishing for what . . . weeks?, discovered bird poop on my plywood since a day or two ago but no big deal, realized I had forgotten the phone so went back up to the house, returned with the phone, looked around . . . ahhhhhh. Everything appears to be in place. Let's go!!!

Wait, wrong blade in circular saw. Forgot I was using it for porch railing. Now where is that plywood blade?

Found it and replaced blade.

Pick up the drawings, do the math again (measure twice, cut once!), realize I had forgotten to incorporate the thickness of my edge banding so back to the house to size up the banding to make the allowance.

Whoops - caliper battery dead. No sweat - got a spare!!! Okay, banding is 0.025 inches thick. Set!

Back to the garage. Make measurement corrections. Gotta go sharpen a coupla' pencils.

Pick up the tape measure and stretch it out <I can feel the endorphins flowing here> and RING . . . RING . . . RING . . .

Dare I NOT answer?

"Hello?" <in a meekly & tentatively querulous voice>

"It's too windy. We're coming home now. Peel some yams and potatoes and steam them. Two potatoes for each yam. And start the campfire for the bratwurst." :angry:

Later . . .

I'm getting closer.

(Tonight is a boat ride.)

Yep...that proves it!!
We got to be related.

This sounds suspiciously like my my most recent shipping adventure...

Yes it do! Life continually conspires against us all. And then along comes "Samuria_Jack" to rub salt into the wounds.

Sounds like one of my days! everyday! check drawings, check lcd sled measurements, cut wood, route wood, sharpen pencils, answer e-mails, remeasure, redesign sled, recut wood, fix website. fun,fun,fun!
What kinda bike you got? mines mad at me for ignoring her. but she's always a kick start away from a ride. its very jealous of these enclosures surrounding it. so did you get anything done?

1984 Honda VT500FT Ascot, red. See it hiding here.

Getting tired of these 50°F morning rides to work. Usually too lazy to layer up so I suffer.

Rather long commute especially at those temps. I think it's time for one of those neato heated jackets.

I'm really close to cutting wood TES. Thanks fer askin'.

Is that like close, as in.. your going to cut some for the PJ soon. Or close, as in.. you pass by the wood stacked in the garage on the way to work every day?

I don't even bother getting involved in a project unless I have at least two hours... one hour to get "warmed up", leaving an hour for work... well, at least a 1/2 hour of work 'cause I know the phone will ring at least twice... ... such is life...

better luck to you this weekend !

cheers,
gs

Hee, hee, heeeeeeeeeeeeee . . .

Actually, I purposefully avoid the plywood. Avert my eyes whenever nearby.

I'm gonna start SOON dammit!!!!!! :angry: :angry: :angry: Promise!

I'd love 2 hours.

you just got to make the time. priorities Man. we are going to nag you until it gets done you know.

TES, you don't stand a chance in hell in a nagging contest up against my family!!!

(Psssst . . . I did some cutting last night!!! I'll keep y'all posted.)

Pictures....fun stuff...proof that you are still crazy for lumens....

All in good time.

Pics didn't seem worth it after I was done.

Just a pile of fine, fluffy sawdust and small panels of plywood where previously there were large ones.

Okay, I want to make side panels on my enclosure removeable. I want some "clean" fasteners to hold the panels in place. They must go into 3/4" plywood and be able to withstand at least a few hundred cycles without becoming stripped out, ruined, unusable. They needn't be totally flush but I'd like them to be at least low profile. A bonus would be if they had socket heads (allen, square, or torx? perhaps even cross-point?) so I wouldn't wind up having a tool slip during removal which might mar my final finish. Be nice if they are readily available and don't require expensive, special tooling to install. I think that spells out the bulk of my requirements.

Suggestions? (No, I have yet to comb the hardware store aisles.)

How about some pronged tees ?



You drill out a small hole then hammer the fixing in... it then accepts a standard machine screw.

Very neat (and cheap) I looked at using these on some of my panels.

I figured I wasn't specific enough! I have right angle butt joints like this:

Click to view attachment

Fastener to go where the arrow points.

Thanks for the reply though!

How about using short studs and acorn nuts

sounds like a good idea to me!

Well, I had thought of this but note I mentioned "low profile" as a requirement.

Thanks though.

have you considered using something like this...

Click to view attachment

you can countersink the area where the head of the bolt is so the end of the bolt sits flush with the surface of the plywood... this meathod involves careful drilling...

... you can also use furniture fasteners...

cheers,
gs

I recall flat head screw with the threads on the inside of a hollow tube.
this way you can countersink the head.
I think i might have seen them at Home Depot

GS & MP: Thanks! Both of those hold promise. I'll keep an eye peeled for 'em.

I have several ideas but need more info.
How thick are the panels and approximate weight of each?
Is the PJ mounted overhead or on the floor?
Do you need access inside the projector to disconnect braces or whatnot before removing the panel in question?

Ackkk Hmmmmm!!!

http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?s...st&p=153678


They are called "Insert Nuts" (no jokes please )
I found mine at Home Depot, I'm sure Lowe's carries something similar and do not forget wood workers supply stores, plus you can find them online.

They come in a plethora of types and sizes and finishes.

Now I know how you got yer name.

Building with 3/4" plywood. 5 to 10 pounds each? I'm thinking one on each of two opposing sides for two panels total. Provide access to HTPC and main workings of projector.

Floor.

Nope, don't need access. I want to be able to pull 'em and get to the guts for tweaking, maintenance, etc.

The rest of the carcass will be structurally self-supporting.

You thinkin' "Dzus"?

Cripes Rem!!! How'd I forget I saw them in YOUR plog??? Thanks! This may very well be precisely what I wind up using. Ever hear of false testicles for neutered pets? I think they call 'em neuticles?

Ya see, that's not really a joke! Thanks again!

Meanwhile I eagerly await THE PALADIN!!!