Googfan's Mini Projector

Intro: Googfan's Mini Projector

This is a projection lens for Googfan's Mini TV/Oscilliscope. This instructable will tell you how to make a lens to project the image onto a surface. You will usually get a 7" image in the dark.

Please Note**
This instuctable is assuming you have built my MiniTV and have video camera parts left over. IE, the lens.

Visit my website at mrgoogfan.com

Step 1: Get It 2gether

You will need

Tools:
+ Scissors
+ A hot glue gun
+ A knife to pry the lenses out
+ A small phillips screwdriver

Supplies
+ The camera lens*
+ Thin cardboard

*I used the lens from the construction of my MiniTV, otherwise, you'll need an old video camera.

==Also Note!== You will have to take the lens aperature out of the camera. It is not hard to find. You can just rip it out if you like.

Step 2: Take Apart the Lenses

Once you have the lens assembly out, take out every screw in sight. Get the lenses themselves out. Remember, they are glass, so be careful when prying them out.

Most cameras have alot of lenses, Pick one that you like. It must be bigger than your MiniTV screen, and the lens must be convex on at least one side. I picked the big one.

Step 3: Find the Focal Point.

Take your lens that you picked. You need to go in a dark room with your MiniTV, find a white wall and place your MiniTV 1.5' from the wall, screen facing wall. Next turn on your TV. Hold your lens in front of the screen, Move it back and forth untill the picture comes in focus on the wall. Make a note of how far the lens is from the screen when in focus.

Step 4: Make a Holder for Your Lens

Now you need the craft supplies; cardboard, hot-glue, etc. You will have to make a holder for your lens. I made a tube the length of the measurement I made in the last step. Then I added supports. Next glue in your lens.

Step 5: Try It

Now go in a dark room and put the lens in front of your MiniTV. If it is slightly blurry, move your lens or TV to get it in focus. Oh, because it is a single lens, your pictue will be upside-down. To fix this, flip your MiniTV over. Now you have your own little personal movie theater.

Visit my website at mrgoogfan.com

Comments

[Hawaii00000]

I have been trying to build something like this out of a camera screen. Very similar to yours the problem is that the image is projected upside down and back to front. The upside down is easy to fix but I was wondering how you corrected the reversed image.

[grenadier]

you will have to reverse the horizontal coils. ( + to -) (- to + ).

[Warlrosity]

Could that work with a lcd piure ctveiwer

[junits15]

no because there are no coils to reverse, it would be much more complex to fix with an LCD picture frame.  Just stick with the mini CRT, they are cheap easy to find and have a higher resolution than the picture frame

[jimmyb0nz]

I made a similar projector for my son's Nintendo DS. I have DSONE which allows me to play free games, music and movies on the DS from microSD. I used a small fresnel lens about as big as the screen and the box slides up and down to focus the projection lens which is tubed like yours. In the dark it puts out a decent picture up to 6ft away and crystal clear at distances under 4 ft from screen. Thats perfect for my son since he's on a bunkbed, he projects to the ceiling(3 ft away). If you take the backing of the lcd off, you can backlight with led's.

led's || lcd || = = super bright image

go to url for concept:
www.hommie.net

[GorillazMiko]

Pretty cool Instructable, I want a REALLY big one, that would be SO cool.

[grenadier]

I suppose if you get a bright enough CRT, you could increae the screen size

[dark sponge]

maybe you could add a backlight to make it brighter (LEDs?)

[grenadier]

No, that would wash out the picture. Like taking a laptop in the sun. You would just have to find a way to shine mire electrons on the phosphor. Maybe increase the heater voltage? SLIGHTLY!