Have you checked to see it it will fit through the door when it's done?

Stranger thing have happend.

Keep it up.

Great job so far.


EDIT

I made a bird perch one day and then went to bring it in and it was 2" too wide!

Uh-oh!!!

Just knock the wall out - that was Axel Rose's sublime solution. He was putting in a Grand Piano. Probably not much bigger than your PJ

oh my,, oh dear,, heheh the classic paint ones self into the corner,,,, now dats funny !!!!

Elken haven't heard from you for a while. Hows your nouveau machina? You're letting all your plogophiles down

D-man - sorry for the hijack.

Mounted the triplet housing last night. Sorry for the blurry pics.

Fired up my lightgate as well and it's throwing a nice arc into the housing even with everything totally unadjusted and with the protective film still on the FS mirror.

My fans weren't running and I was going nutso trying to figure out why but I ain't even gonna reveal how stupid the mistake was.

I hope to have my modified triplet spacers back today in the mail and the way this weather is looking here I may not be going into work tomorrow so . . . maybe more progress?

BTW: I'M ASSEMBLING MY TRIPLET IN REVERSE SO IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MOUNTED THAT WAY.

Holy quiet Batman! I just realized at this moment that I think my ballast was either really silent due to the new mounting scheme or perhaps I was just so dang distracted by the fan problem I didn't take notice of the buzz?????

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lookin great Durachko

get back to work and show us the results

Gonna add a coupla' 120VAC indicator lights to gimme a visual on the status of my thermo-switches. Hey, I had 'em sittin' around in a drawer for years now so I may as well use them. Green for "fans on" and red for "LCD over temp".

Okay, I'm thinking about how best to make my custom control panel.

I have the following items to incorporate:

• Main switch
• HTPC controls (on/off, reset, 2 LED's)
• Sound controls (on/off, headphone jack, volume)
• Aerogate (standard drive bay in size)
• DVD+/-RW (size as above)
• LCD controls
• 2x120VAC indicator lamps (green=auto fans on, red=LCD over temp protect enabled)
• I'll be putting in some USB ports as well but I'm not sure where.

Keyboard and mouse options are giving me heartburn now too.

Here's a crude sketch of the components and approximate relative sizes:

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Maybe I'll scan the items and arrange them with a drawing program to determine the most pleasing configuration but I'm open to suggestions from anyone.

Any thoughts on good-looking labeling possibilities for the controls? Maybe I won't bother?

I was thinking of cutting a hole in the side of my enclosure and using a piece of 1/8 inch thick press-board (stuff that peg board is made from) but I don't know how cleanly that will cut and finish? Maybe paint it gloss black?

Anyone want to offer up some ideas and hints on how I might best approach this part of my build?

Pro lens mod spacers arrived. A generous member made them for me.

They may have arrived yesterday - I forgot to check the mail.

One is made like a piston ring and is compressed prior to insertion.

The original spacers are the black ones.

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Hmmmmm...yep you need to scrap the whole thing and start over......so I can catch back up.

This is great....its like waiting for the space shuttle to launch.

Good luck Big D!!

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Is that Beakeresque? Drool or runny nose?

You know me to well. It’s a drool but I did have it as a nose dribble.

A quick and easy way is a dry Lettraset? The stuff with letters on it that you rub with a pen to transfer them.

Fired her up last night . . . the projector!!!

Good news: Ballast is QUIET.

Bad news: I fixed the fan wiring incorrectly so they still didn't run. Also, I discovered one of my thermal switches is bad. Dunno if I can fix it but it's gonna be a pain pulling it.

I wonder if I can incorporate one of the other ones used around here? Well, I consider it a dang minor setback.

I used a laser to align everything a la DAZZZLA.

460 lux in middle with no panel in and no adjustments. Not sure if that's about right or not. Vignetting seemed good though as per the lux meter.

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Progress continues. Gotta go out and dig my way to the road to see if we can get to work today. Dang snow.

I used to use those to make figures for manuscripts back in the dark ages. I'll have to consider that.

Your doggy looks as though he wants to do number twos.

I need to check that out with the laser, just point the laser in the middle of the back fresnel lens i guess ??

DAZZZLA, you got a post on that?

I PMed it to Durachko so I’ll have to have a look in my messages. I don't think there is a post.
It’s very intuitive to use the laser for a folded design.

Here’s an exert:
“The centers of the fresnels to each other aren't really important. The centre of the arc should be center of the rear fresnel and the centre of the triplet should be center of the front fresnel. Your using a mirror to fold your projector so it is very easy to miss align things. With your projector set up, place your laser at the same height as your triplet at the screen and direct it back into the triplet. Adjust the mirror so the laser passes though the centre of the front fresnel and then back though the centre of the arc. It's very easy to adjust the arc's position to centre the arc image at the triplet, this only aligns the centers but this doesn't mean things are aligned axially.”

There was another bit but I don’t have it anymore. D might though.

Durachko sweet projector. I wish I had the time and patients to build something like that but I guess it would be hard to move every three months back to school. I think I will stick with hanging my projector out of harms way in my fraternity.

It has been my experience there is no place within or near a fraternity that may be even remotely classified as being "out of harms way". Actually he just seemed to get freaked out by the projector. Kept growling out at the snow. Sorry but I cleaned out my PM's just last night.

Remove your triplet and carefully set up a laser pointer to shoot backwards through your projector.

Adjust stuff until the laser hits the fresnel centers and the arc/reflector centers.

I was very pleased to find that my careful building resulted in having to do very little to get things just so.

I'd say I've everything aligned to within a millimeter, roughly. Very roughly.

Woo-hooo!!! Work is closed today!!! Maybe I'll slap the LCD in there?

Gotta fix them dang fans first though.

True. But less beer gets into the electronics when they are close to the ceiling in my room. We keep the beer on the ceiling over by the bar. I did get a lot of flower on it last term though because of antiquing people.

See what I mean?

Its Alive! its Alive!! well done D man. ok, so what did you do to your fans? I am digging out here too, I hate snow. got the day off eh, I expect we can see some screen shots soon?

Just a really, REALLY, silly mistake. Two mistakes in a row actually. That's all I'm sayin'.

BTW: To assist in using the laser alignment technique I suggest making a drawing of some concentric circles which vary around 1/2" in diameter and then punch a teeny hole dead center. Tape that over your empty triplet hole. Kind of like a target so you can hit the bulls-eye.

And I notice I kinda forgot to actually state I used those pro triplet mod rings and they worked great - so, I'm running a modded pro triplet as of now and it's assembled backwards so it mounts more cleanly into my enclosure.

YAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The "bad" thermal switch just needed to have the differential slider moved from its lowest setting. I ripped the whole dang thing out only to find I just needed to push a lever. Funny - the sister switch works just fine at the lowest setting. Oh well - live and learn. Back to it . . .

My wife is getting a little testy over this thing. But she did say I could use one of her old white bedsheets until Lumenlab gets some 4:3 manuals in - which I really hope they do. So, if I can get this stinking switch back in and the foobar fan extension cables fixed up right I'll be just a shade away from slapping in the LCD and getting a real idea of what this baby will do.

Thermal switch back in. Fan cables fixed. I'm bushed from being out in the cold and plowing/shoveling all day. Sooooo . . . tomorrow's another day. It's coming together folks. Stay tuned . . .

PS: Hmmm . . . maybe the hot tub?

Oh my,,, A launch, and I missed it,,,,

I'm away from the forum for a couple of days and you light up a sun in your workshop well done. It's a brilliant moment (poor choice of words). When's that LCD going in?

Anyhoo, re the quote, once you have drawn everything up so you really, really like it, take your (scale) drawing to a place that does computer/laser engraving. Have them laser cut your panel out of aluminium, including all the holes you need and have them engrave the labels you want in whatever font you want. Get 'em to paint the letters in. If you don't want an aluminium panel, you can use the fake carbon fibre ABS plastic sheet, for example, and get them to paint your letter white or yellow or somesuch.

I had this done (with aluminium) for a mock up V8 engine cover to go over the dummy engine in my chassis. 600mm square with some folds to represent the rocker cover angles, and I think the whole lot only cost me about A$120 including the aluminium! Yours should be an order of magnitude less even though your money isn't worth as much these days

Rout your box to accept the panel so it's a nice flush fit, and attach it using some chromed hex key bolts.

That's my thought on the subject. And it's a damn good one

I read that totally wrong the first time, oh so wrong...

Blake, you're a very bad man.

Superior idea!!! Thanks. I'm very intrigued by this and will likely go this route. Here's an e-beer for ya.

Edit: For anyone who fancies this idea here's a nice site for an intro - http://www.pololu.com/laser_cutting.html (Note: This place doesn't cut metal.)

Confusion reigns supreme.

Placed projector where it's going to live.

Dang thermal switch is acting funky again.

Adjusted arc fore and aft until I saw blue or yellow corners and finalized it roughly in between those two extremes.

Still saw some fresnel rings projected and as it turns out even though I was quite generous I didn't leave quite enough distance between my triplet and rearmost fresnel sled position. But I can deal with that later. I just need a whisker and can machine an extension ring for my triplet I suppose (to "bump" it out further from my box).

Took some rough and quick raw lux readings before slapping in the LCD.

0980 1170 1070

1150 1500 1230

1020 1260 1090

Forgot to measure projection of course but that can come later.

Slapped in LCD sled. Minor glowies evident but nothing to cry about - yet.

Saw the "Check Signal Cable" message.

Plugged in PC and got something like "Not Optimum Setting. Recommend 1280x1024 60Hz." plus a yellow(?) box with a question mark in it. WTF?

Can't get that devil to return to hell.

Getting late so giving up for now.

Last time I checked the LCD it worked fine with my laptop but not tonight. Neither the HTPC nor the laptop will drive it. Best guess is something went awry on the controller board? Oh well, I'll fiddle with it and see if I can bring it back to life.

Good news is the projected image (well, the "no cable" message) looks good.

Sorry no screenies.

Good night . . .



PS: WHY DOES MY HOME PC FORMAT EVERYTHING WITH EXTRA SPACES (BLANK LINES)???? IS IT JUST THAT MY BROWSER IS USING SOME FUNKY FONT?

check to make sure your cables are all the way plugged in. I had an s-video cable do that to me. tore down the whole PJ to find the cable not in all the way. BTW, I have an engraving machine and can make some desi plates for you if you want. check out one of my nameplates. I can only cut plastic right now.

What can I say?

Thanks, D. I'm full of it (I mean 'them').

I really hope you get your 11th hour issues sorted without too much pain. It's always the way, though. Looking forward to mine

I hope and pray it's something that simple. I tried two different cables and my lappie and desktop but no go. Maybe the connector is shady? I'll puzzle it out but thanks for mentioning the cable because that's where I'll focus my attentions initially. The whole unit has seen no trauma since last tested so I can think of no reason for it to have gone wonky. Maybe too must dust and too many cobwebs are in/on the controller board? Not THAT'S a distinct possibility!!!

woohoo! congrats on the progress. If you can read stuff on the screen then at least the LCD itself is working.

rearden

Anita Bryant used to say "A day without orange juice is like a day without sunshine."

To paraphrase "A panel without a working controller is a royal pain in my behind." (She's rolling in her grave.)

Yeah, the projected image looks pretty dang sweet. I watched the little box telling me to hook up a cable bounce all over the place but that gets boring fast. It's been a l-o-n-g road to get here and I didn't expect to reach the end anytime soon but this rest stop on the highway to projecterism has a janitor mopping the bathroom and I gotta go bad!!!!!!!

Well Durachko You have 2 days to make it to the Chinese new year..........and Yes it is the Year of the Pig.
I see no better grand entrance than for the pig to fly!!

Fingers crossed for ya...

Whoa! For real? I had no idea. That's really funny!

I think I recall that your panel fell off a table, do you think this could have something to do with it? doesnt sound like theres signal getting to the board, at least it still works because you have the no signal bouncing around. check for loose inputs or broken solder connections. might be something simple as a common ground. maybe a loose chip? good luck.

One of the female sheath connectors on the controller board (15p connector) pushed in and isn't making contact. It would appear that's the only problem BUT I haven't been able to fix it yet. What a pain.

Any and all free time this weekend will probably be eaten up by this newest problem.

Well, compared that connector hole to another sister monitor and it's just not used. So, I spent some time going over the boards very, very well and see no obvious broken traces or anything. This damn SM stuff is soooo tiny. Anyway, it looks as though I've got to strip another monitor to proceed. Don't know what else to try.

BTW: The error message on the screen is "Not Optimum Mode. Recommend 1280x1024 60Hz." Just can't figure what's going on. I think I'll just walk away from this for awhile.

I suppose I could at least isolate the problem by swapping out the power board and the controller board between the two sister monitors I have but I'm not at all certain I'll be able to then fix the problem anyway. How likely is it to find a compatible board for either of them?

So close, yet so far.

Take your panel and connect it to a regular PC or adjust your settings on your source to the specs that it wants. If you were driving a regular CRT monitor before you hooked up the LCD, you may have been driving it at a refresh beyond the LCD's capabilities. So bump your refresh down to 60 hz at 1280 x1024, THEN try connectiing the LCD...

That will at least eliminate the signal issue, then you have one more thing eliminated...

Samuraijack

I have an identical monitor running at those specs (1280x1024 60Hz) and cannot get my stripped panel to function. Tried with both my PC and laptop. It's bizarre. I'll keep picking away at it. Funny thing is the stripped monitor never gave me any trouble before and it wasn't bumped or dropped since last successful test. Funky huh? Thanks for the input SJ.