one thing I love about this site is it’s uncanny ability to feature articles covering topics I’ve been thinking about within a couple of days. (just the other day i was researching the use of a halogen bulb in a projector)

@nubie
“Nice, also you can replace a DLP color wheel if necessary.”

Did a quick search of the article but did not find the word “color”. Please more info on color wheel replacement – especially where to get parts! Have a very expensive projector sitting here with a dead color wheel and I’m too lazy to drive the 40 miles to the nearest authorized repair facility.

Don’t buy InFocus – their customer support sucks (for the consumer) and the two InFocus products that I have purchased made it through the first bulb and died on the second bulb. Not sure if it is due to the fact that their factory bulbs explode at the end of their lives or what. Their customer support was absolutely uninterested.

Amen Greg- I’ve got a dead Infocus 4805 that blew (actually exploded scaring the ever living crap out of me) after only 2000 hours (with scheduled maintenance). You can’t even buy parts for it yourself- I had a buzzing colorwheel issue with this before the bulb blew itself to pieces.

@dave
Yerp, both InFocus projectors blew their lamps – *pop* – run for the mercury free zone! On one the color wheel is completely dead – vibrates real bad on startup and sometimes gives really whacked video, most of the time it refuses to fire up. The second, a 4805 as well, popped a bulb and now about %10 of the projected image on the right side is “dim”. Ok for SD but sucky for HD. And worst of all the InFocus support folks neglected to return my emails and when I called they were rude and did not care that they were losing a customer.

@nubie – thanks! I just never thought replacing the color wheel was something that a user could do (special tools, etc.). I took this one into a non certified local repair guy and he serviced it but could not do the color wheel as he had no source for parts (not being an official InFocus repair guy). I’ll take a look online though! Thanks!

Thinking of replacing the InFocus projectors – can anyone recommend a bullet proof, well supported, awesome looking “full resolution” HD projector? Currently using component but HDMI is not out of the question in the future. Probably something in the < $5K range…

I know that some of the pico projectors use three bright LEDs. I was hoping that someone would come out with a "regular" projector based on the same idea that did away with the color wheel. No color wheel and LEDs would remove the most problematic parts!

googfan is right, it would be very very yellow. Color temp is measured in degrees Kelvin, a halogen bulb is 3-4,000 and white is somewhere around 5,500, so you want to get a good bulb, you can put in another Discharge lamp for $30-100, I would look that direction.

@ Greg:

I know that there is also a laser DLP that looks very interesting to me, I don’t know if LED or Laser is better, but either do away with the bulb and the color wheel. I think Mitsubishi has some Laser DLP rear-projection TV’s out now.

@nubie
Did a little intarweb searching and it sounds like we are not too far off for a laser DLP projector – sounds like laser RPTVs are already here – its just a matter of time. I guess I’ll limp on with the 4805 or try to get the nicer one fixed – but I’m saving my $$$ for a laser DLP!

The project page for the other article is still there. I know because its my project and article. Due to changes in my site format the link is no longer just recklessphilosophers but blog.recklessphilosophers.com the first or second commenter as the link correct. Its not gone, just moved a bit.

@nubie
Sigh, found no place that offered InFocus color wheels for sale and then found a DIY page that said InFocus does not sell parts outside of its service network. They recommend buying a broken unit off of ebay with working color wheel. That sounds like a good time…

InFocus sucks

That is what I read as well, it sounds like a bummer, I even found a page with step-by-step photo instructions.

Here btw from ebay is a guy selling a color wheel :) :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320466045625

Starting at $75, $150 buy it now ($5 shipping.)

I did the same thing. Its low tech really..

I was staring to think about a metal halide car headlight…

blizzarddemon,

You have it backwards. Any incandescent lamp (hot glowing wire) will put out a much more full spectrum than a metal halide. Ever stand under a mercury vapor or sodium vapor streetlight and notice that everything seems monochrome? Same problem with halides, only not as pronounced.

Hello guys !
Can somebody help me to resolve the bulb psu ?
In a few words :

I have started an project that includes the replacement of the lamp from an Benq MP 510 DLP projector with an 100W LED like this one

http://tesladownunder.com/LEDs.htm#100%20W%20LED

I have stuck on hacking the signals from the psu to the logic board . On the Lamp PSU ar etwo optocuplers , one for input signal and one for output signal. If the output singnal ( the one from PSU to logic board ) is in low ( conected to ground with an 100 ohm resistor ) then the projector starts for 1 min. I have image , I can control it but after 1 min the lights from lamp and temperature are going on and the projector is in standby. If i put the signal on high the projector does not start.

What should I do ?

Please , I need some advice.

I have some pictures of the going progress here :

http://www.elforum.ro/viewtopic.php?f=209&t=40374&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=105

but is in romanian and you need subscription.

If anybody whant i will send the photos over mail.

Thank you

koff 100W LED /koff :)

doesent need to be driven at even 40% power and has the advantage that the optical aperture on most projectors is identical to the emitting area.

plus it takes 36V at 3.6A which is well within the requirements of the existing power supply if the HV ignition circuit is removed and the power supply output fed through a constant current (LM317?)

Also it has the advantage of the 100.000 hours operation time.

Here it is the LED on my working bench

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37946127@N05/sets/72157623061838278/

Wow that LumenArc is pretty cheap. I’ve just ordered a complete lamp module for my hubby’s Sony Projector. He don’t know yet…meant to be his birthday gift.

I acquired some 20W LED’s here (basically small variants of the 100W units) for the unbelievable price of £10 inc postage off ebay.

At 20mA it gave me afterimages that took five hours to fully fade, so I think these are closer to 30W.

Someone suggested to perform open-diode surgery :) on these and separate the string into two parallel strings with a common cathode. Add a red/blue filter on one and a green filter on the other, then use standard 3D anaglyph goggles to make a 3D projector on the cheap.