Just saw http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3030224977&category=20385 And caught myself asking "WTF?" Looks like they're selling the lense and instruction to make a projector? How can the projector be ~12 GBP? Even if it's something like it has to be 100" and there's no focusing, I don't see how it could be so cheap. So could someone enlighten me??
FRESNEL LENS ALERT!! http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=fresnel+lens&btnG=Google+Search
I went through my own little bout of research when I saw those too... found some good sites a long time ago that showed the construction of the projectors.
aw jeeze, please tell me the instructions are for something more complicated than This /me feels stupid /me looks for a cheap us source for a fresnel lense
well, the kit includes the lens but, yeah.. I've read on several places that you can find the lenses at office places like Staples.
it says it's a "kit" but from the looks of it it's just the lense and some instructions. I found another source for a lense that's $6.25 including shipping. as for local sources, I ran a search on staples.com and found $70-ish lenses or the entire projector. Might run down to the store and ask em though... I'd be asking about what? overhead projector lenses?
well, it's called fresnel lens but the aisle jockey may not know that, just look in the section that sells supplies for overhead projectors, it is flexible plastic, sometimes you see them in the rear window of RV's (carvans) so if you discribe it, a light bulb may go off in the PFY-clerkboy's head.
roge-O may walk down there a bit later today. Would be kinda nice to show movies on my wall from my monitor...
OI. Went down to Staples. Talked to the manager (everyone else was far too busy to talk to me ) he had no idea what I was talking about. I had to go up to a projector and point to the lense (I hope I pointed to the right part, it's the big piece that you set the transparency on, not the lense up top, right?), and after 5 minutes of arguing he finally informed me that Staples doesn't sell parts and that I should contact a parts supplier Ah well, guess I'll have to get one off ebay really didn't want to have to pay shipping.
Hi Yes, this stuff does seem to work, I saw alot of site's about them.. But here are the things to keep in mind.. the carboard thing.. well.. that wont last long... but U could easily make a nice on in wood... but the lens that u can find for a couple of pounds isnt worth alot.. and it will probebly stretch ur image, and mess it up... So U will need a better quality lens, this aint SO expensive, but it will alot more then the one's that are on Ebay etc... Its going to be Very hard to focus... It will be a bit like cheap videoprojector ... very big pixels... but For a movie, without subtitle's, and if you sit on some distance, it should work pretty ok (if you have alot of friends over, this will be handy) I also think ur going to have to make very dark to get a nice picture To expain it , its basiclly the same as a overhead(overheat?) projector.. (the one's teachers use to show transparancy sheets.... but then instead of image u get video.... ,but as u probebly know, the projector's have alot of things that u have to set to make ur picture nice and sharp.. height of the lense, angle (else u get a non-proportial stretches image) , and the distance between the projector and the wall... The reason that this seems to be so cheap , is because the tv does all the work... But if your going to use a cheap small TV, ur image isnt going to be so good either... Why ? this lense trick, does the same thing as you would put a giant magnify glass infront of ur tv, so its 5feet tall... you dont just enlarge ur image, u enlarge the 'pixels/dots,..' of your tv too... if you look close to a tv u can see them... image them 10 times as big.. so the quality of the tv will infect the quality of the big picture (logically) I would love to see someone pull this off... post a guide or something !!! L
Do it using your monitor. Use Detonator drivers to flip the image from the monitor 180 degrees, negating the need to invert the monitor itself. I think i'll try this afte ri move... *n
I'm going to use a 15 (maybe my 19 if I can make it semi-portable) monitor and find a lense large enough. I know the picture quality won't be great, but if I wanted great I wouldn't be looking into ghetto projection. If I use the 15" monitor, it'll be on an old pos video card, so no dets. But flipping that monitor will be no prob. If I can use my 19" I'll flip it via the drivers. If I can find someplace around here to find a lense I'll have one of these suckers built in no time. If I have to order online things get a bit hairy (mom rarely lets me use her credit card).
damn now you people got me thinking of running down to the lumber yard and picking up some wood. build a proper enclosure with a gear system to focus the lense. its because of people like you all im broke LOL always giving me ideas to spend my money on
There is only one problem.. They are selling this, what is it a projector..ok first off.. There is 90" i think it is.. But Its a wide screen Projector and its one of the best and it was like 9000$ erm ruff estimate 6000 pounds? im not sure of the currency thing.. but its expensive.. And if this thing is soo nice why not sell it for like 100$ and make tons more money.. I mean alls i can say is scam or ramma...
Like it said, they're selling the lense and instructions. That's all. Lense ~$5. Instructions (if printed on their own) ~$0.01 Sounds like legit profit to me. They assume that you have a TV at home. And this thing doesn't work soooooooo nice. It works sooooooo nice for $5.
Perhaps a supplier that deals in lighting supplies for stuf like theature and concerts would have better quality fresnel lenses, like somthing made from glass.
