glass in front of projector

[fredinstl]

Hello,

I just made a small opening in the wall between my garage and my living
room, so I could install my projector in the garage. Everything works
well except that, when I put a glass in between the projector and the
screen, there is a lot of reflection.
I don't seem to be losing a lot in image quality, but I am not sure. I
was actually planning on putting 2 pieces of glass (one against each
wall) to get a better insulation from cold--it can get cold in my
garage.
Do I need a special type glass ? Let me know what you think. thanks.
Fred.

[Rich Clark]

"fredinstl" <fredinstl@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1109012585.414595.61430@o13g2000cwo.googlegro ups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I just made a small opening in the wall between my garage and my living
> room, so I could install my projector in the garage. Everything works
> well except that, when I put a glass in between the projector and the
> screen, there is a lot of reflection.
> I don't seem to be losing a lot in image quality, but I am not sure. I
> was actually planning on putting 2 pieces of glass (one against each
> wall) to get a better insulation from cold--it can get cold in my
> garage.
> Do I need a special type glass ? Let me know what you think. thanks.

Theater projection rooms use "optical glass" that usually has to be
special-ordered. I've never seen it used in a double-pane configuration (and
I'd worry about refraction), but sometimes the single panes are pretty
thick. I don't have any good ideas for finding any other than searching.

Check your projector's recommended operating temperature range. If it really
is cold in that garage you may damage your projector and/or the lamp by
running it. I've seen minimum temperatures specified in the 32-45 F range.

RichC

[C what I mean]

look at the Edmund Optics site
http://www.edmundoptics.com/onlinecatalog/displayproduct.cfm?productID=1919&search=1
and order yourself some AR coated single strength glass. That is what we
use with laser to reduce the reflections. Works very well.

"fredinstl" <fredinstl@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1109012585.414595.61430@o13g2000cwo.googlegro ups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I just made a small opening in the wall between my garage and my living
> room, so I could install my projector in the garage. Everything works
> well except that, when I put a glass in between the projector and the
> screen, there is a lot of reflection.
> I don't seem to be losing a lot in image quality, but I am not sure. I
> was actually planning on putting 2 pieces of glass (one against each
> wall) to get a better insulation from cold--it can get cold in my
> garage.
> Do I need a special type glass ? Let me know what you think. thanks.
> Fred.
>

[fredinstl]

thanks for bringing up the point about minimum temperature (also thanks
to other poster for the link on the optical glass)

I didn't think of that when I installed it in my garage.
So I now have other questions: what if I operate my projector off
ranges ?

In the manual, it says:
operating
temperature: 50 to 104F
humidity (relative, non condensing): 10 to 95%
non operating
temperature: -4 to 140
humidity (relative, non condensing): 10 to 90%

What I could guess:
- operating at low temperature: it may take a few times before the lamp
fires. Nothing bad for the projector. may use lamp faster
- operating at high temperature: we're not there yet (winter in St
Louis), but I think it can be a 100F in my garage, specially at feet
high. Probably not wise to operate when it's that hot
- operating at high temperature. it can be pretty sticky in summer
here. Not sure if it get that humid in the garage. what do you thing ?

also, do you know if it could be 'condensing' humidity in my garage ?

thanks for any advice.

Fred.

Rich Clark wrote:
> "fredinstl" <fredinstl@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1109012585.414595.61430@o13g2000cwo.googlegro ups.com...
> > Hello,
> >
> > I just made a small opening in the wall between my garage and my
living
> > room, so I could install my projector in the garage. Everything
works
> > well except that, when I put a glass in between the projector and
the
> > screen, there is a lot of reflection.
> > I don't seem to be losing a lot in image quality, but I am not
sure. I
> > was actually planning on putting 2 pieces of glass (one against
each
> > wall) to get a better insulation from cold--it can get cold in my
> > garage.
> > Do I need a special type glass ? Let me know what you think.
thanks.
>
> Theater projection rooms use "optical glass" that usually has to be
> special-ordered. I've never seen it used in a double-pane
configuration (and
> I'd worry about refraction), but sometimes the single panes are
pretty
> thick. I don't have any good ideas for finding any other than
searching.
>
> Check your projector's recommended operating temperature range. If it
really
> is cold in that garage you may damage your projector and/or the lamp
by
> running it. I've seen minimum temperatures specified in the 32-45 F
range.
>
> RichC

[dg]

"fredinstl" <fredinstl@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1109012585.414595.61430@o13g2000cwo.googlegro ups.com...
> I just made a small opening in the wall between my garage and my living
> room, so I could install my projector in the garage. Everything works
> well except that, when I put a glass in between the projector and the
> screen, there is a lot of reflection.
> I don't seem to be losing a lot in image quality, but I am not sure. I
> was actually planning on putting 2 pieces of glass (one against each
> wall) to get a better insulation from cold--it can get cold in my
> garage.
> Do I need a special type glass ? Let me know what you think. thanks.
> Fred.

How about this, enclose the projector on the garage side so that the
projector isn't exposed to the cold and your theatre room also doesn't get
cold air inside from the garage? It wouldn't take much to do, even an
enclosure built from rigid urethane insulation and duct tape would do nicely
and could be constructed in extremely little time. Since it would only be
seen in the garage, you wouldn't HAVE to make it look pretty, but it would
be easy to do so.

No image loss, no heat loss. You might want to rig something up to keep
your theatre room air circulating near the projector though-to keep the heat
from building up.

--Dan

"fredinstl" <fredinstl@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1109012585.414595.61430@o13g2000cwo.googlegro ups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I just made a small opening in the wall between my garage and my living
> room, so I could install my projector in the garage. Everything works
> well except that, when I put a glass in between the projector and the
> screen, there is a lot of reflection.
> I don't seem to be losing a lot in image quality, but I am not sure. I
> was actually planning on putting 2 pieces of glass (one against each
> wall) to get a better insulation from cold--it can get cold in my
> garage.
> Do I need a special type glass ? Let me know what you think. thanks.
> Fred.
You can maybe get away with one piece of glass, but it will impair image q
slightly.
If you use two pieces your in for trouble, I dont know for sure but it would
seem like they will work like a lens.
Also you will have to clean between these periodically
>

[Noozer]

<steve99@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:gW8Ud.23906$hd6.20100@bignews1.bellsouth.net. ..
>
> "fredinstl" <fredinstl@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1109012585.414595.61430@o13g2000cwo.googlegro ups.com...
> > Hello,
> >
> > I just made a small opening in the wall between my garage and my living
> > room, so I could install my projector in the garage. Everything works
> > well except that, when I put a glass in between the projector and the
> > screen, there is a lot of reflection.
> > I don't seem to be losing a lot in image quality, but I am not sure. I
> > was actually planning on putting 2 pieces of glass (one against each
> > wall) to get a better insulation from cold--it can get cold in my
> > garage.
> > Do I need a special type glass ? Let me know what you think. thanks.
> > Fred.
> You can maybe get away with one piece of glass, but it will impair image q
> slightly.
> If you use two pieces your in for trouble, I dont know for sure but it
would
> seem like they will work like a lens.
> Also you will have to clean between these periodically

Or just box the projector to keep it insulated and the draft out of the hole
and don't use any glass.

[azzure@olypen.com]

Noozer and dg have the answer, IMO. The lamp will not like firing up
out of a cold environment. It will self-destruct. The insulated box
will require ventilation so it doesn't heat up. I would use a labyrinth
to expel the air (one-way!) into the garage. The intake should be from
the warm room. The hole for the lens might be large enough. A quiet
fan or two should do the job.