DIY Projector Company

jlhobdey

They say that a 500W fluorex uses only 65W of power produces 8905 lumens, 4550 Photopic Lumens, and Color Temperature: 6500 degrees Kelvin. Just thinking that two of these with the right reflector and condensor lens might work. Has anyone ever tried this solution? They want 35.99 for a complete unit @ http://www.yinyanghome.com/Products/LOA/9266c.html and I saw the bare bulbs at home depot for like 10-15 dollars so I'd like to hear opinions before I dump $70. Ya Know? Thanks -Josh

jlhobdey · Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:14 am Post subject:

I have a paintbrush drawn up of the design, anyone know how to paste this in?

falcona · Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:23 am Post subject:

i will say this .... i use these lights on the front and back of my home in maine. two weeks ago my son and i marked out a sheet of plywood to cut, it was dark out with no moon, the light is 18 feet off the ground. light was not a problum at all. i am going to build a light box in my project to just fit the bulb, this box will come one inch shy of the lcd, it will be tappered to fit the size of the lcd, the box will be made of the litest and hightest reflective material i can find. these light bulbs don't get very warm so cooling should be easy, the light box should make 95% of all the light pass through the lcd. i think its worth trying, after all nothing ventured nothing gained. Smile

jlhobdey · Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:46 am Post subject:

I got impatient and excited so when I got off work I went to home depot and looked to see what they had to offer. They had a 100W fluorex set up. This setup is supposed to produce 10,058 lumens at 6500K Kalvins. and run the same as a 100W incadecent bulb. It cost me 59.00 for the fixture and bulb. replacement bulbs are $15. Anyhow I set it up on a table to give it a test, and I was highly impressed with the results! The room was slightly lit and I could still see each individual pixel in detail. The color was nice too. Actually in my opinion the color was better than the 400W MH bulb I had played with. Unfortunately I do not have a camera so no pics, but I will borrow one as soon as the box is constructed. In short, bye bye MH and hello fluorex BOOYAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

yorik · Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 2:01 am Post subject:

Keep us update, alternative Light sources are always good to know..

Do you think that more light could be harnessed with a reflector or better focused with a condensor?
_________________
Cheers

Yorik

jlhobdey · Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 2:55 am Post subject:

I actually bought the light with a production reflector (one unit that is designed to replace an outside flood light) , the bulb is so much cooler than a MH that I have it sitting about 3 inches before the fresnel. I only have a double sided fresnel from a old overhead projector, and a proxima lcd panel designed for OHPs so in order it goes

#1. 100W Fluorex in flood light fixture (the outside lens was removed)

#2. Double sided fresnel lens from old OHP, I believe it is a 220/330 combo.

#3. Proxima LCD panel designed for OHP use

#4. 80MM projection lens triplet.

That is it! I read in this forum that every time the light has to go through glass or a lens or anything it looses a percentage of light, so I simplified it to prevent such loss. I will cut out some aluminum borders for the light to fresnel though. Just to add a few percentage points. Bummer though, I had spent a lot of time gathering all of the optics (especially my square PCX condenser lens) I might hold it in place to see if there is any difference. I doubt it since my image is crisp and even from center to the edges.

I promise to send pictures when the box is completed. I owe this site that much!!!!!!! I wouldn't have gotten anywhere with out it.

JinxofSpades · (0-9 posts) Newbie Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 7

Do you still feel like you need 2 lights? Or will the 100w do the trick?

I like the idea that I could pick this up at Home Depot, especially since I'm building my first projector and may have to return some things that might now work.

When you say it runs much cooler, do you still need fans?

JinxofSpades · (0-9 posts) Newbie Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 7

I looked around over at diyaudio, and it seems that this has been tried before, although I don't think they used the 1000w equivlent setup. (I just came back from HD and DAMN! Shocked

that thing is huge!)

Could the color be corrected with software?

jlhobdey · Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 2:23 am Post subject:

The 100W should do good for my setup. I am seting it up in a basement that is 100% free of all other light. For a lightly lit room 10K lumens is shy of quality results. I definately am going to use fans. I plan on having two 80MM and my OHP LCD panel has a built in fan that senses LCD temp. I am not consernd about the size of mine, because I am actually going to be installing the projector itself in a furnace/storage roomwedged in between the floor support on the ceiling, and I plan to drill a hole through the wall, so all you'll see is the projection lens. This room is going to be setup as a movie theatre only. The sound from the fans aren't a concern either because the projector will be in another room. Anyhow... I picked up some MDF panels today so final construction will begin tonight... I'll keep you posted. If it isn't bright enough I guess I still have my 400W MH, but what an energy drain!

JinxofSpades · (0-9 posts) Newbie Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 7

Out of curiosity, can you tell me the dimensions of that 100w light?
I think I'm going to give it a shot and I want to work it into my drawing.

jlhobdey · Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:13 am Post subject:

The whole fixture untouched is huge. But you can strip it down quite a bit. The ballast can be removed from it's housing and relocated to anywhere in the box. Thw reflector housing can be removed leaving only the reflector and the bulb. You then can trim the wasted part of the reflector with a dremel. If you do all this then there is no turning back though. After it is all said and done the sive will roughly be the same sive as a 400W Mogul MH bulb and reflector. Might be a little bit longer because the reflector is built in the shape of the bulb to reflect all light. All said and not having it here in front of me to measue I am going to say 14" long 6"wide and a depth of 6"

jlhobdey · Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 5:48 am Post subject:

I must be tired... it size not sive... sorry for any confusion.

ashembers · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 9:41 pm Post subject:

Not to sound like a dim bulb Laughing

but the strongest light available from DPC has an average of 33,000 lumens. The least has a mean of 16,000 lumens. How will this bulb not be, well, too weak for the job?

falcona · Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 12:47 am Post subject:

flourex light is bright, and you would think 1000 watts would be bright enough, however i built my light box using 2 flourex bulbs. the color temp is perfect, but the light hits the lcd and just seems to get absorbed. i know @ 6ft away in almost total darkness there was verylittle light on my white sheet. oh well........... Rolling Eyes

miedosoracing · (500+ posts) Aficionado Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 601

so is this just a fluorescent bulb? Is there an actual point light souce anywhere? If not, it probably is why there isn't good light getting through. You pretty much have to have a smaller point of light source, or it looses alot.