Movable Ceiling-Mounted Projector? (1 Viewer)

[DanThomas]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this or not, but I thought I'd try here first. Feel free to direct me elsewhere if this isn't the right place.

I want to ceiling-mount my new InFocus 4805 projector. But I want to have it on some sort of track so I can move it closer to the screen, and further away, whenever I want to. The reason I want to do this is because I want to have a smaller picture for SD daily viewing, and a larger picture when I watch movies, so it feels "special" to watch movies.

Here's what I have in mind:

Since I have to manually adjust the zoom and focus on the projector, I want to have the projector be about seven feet or so above my head (I'll figure out exactly how high I can reach comfortably).

I'm thinking I can hang the projector mount from a track of some kind. Perhaps something like the kind of track that sliding closet doors hang from. So the mount would be a platform of some kind, with, say, four arms that go up to the track and have wheels on them. I can slide the mount forward and backwards by hand.

I may have to vary the angle of the tracks at the two different stopping points, so I don't have to mess with the angle of the projector. I'll probably have to adjust the Keystone a little, but that's no biggie.

Anyone ever done this? Anyone have any ideas of the best way to do this? All suggestions will be appreciated!!

-Dan

 

[BrianMe]

What size picture are you going for? What are the biggest and smallest sizes? That would help.

Also, 7 feet from the ground puts the image pretty close to the floor. Make sure you measure that off as well.

 

[Leo Kerr]

One of the 'secrets' that some installers I know use (in permenant, commercial settings,) is to use a unistrut 'grid.'

Two mount cross-path, and allow the projector to be slid side to side for proper centering, and the other two run along-path, to allow for a fine-tuning image size with fixed focal-length lens.

Conceptually, you could do the same, but with a much longer set of 'rails.' Cabling, however, will be awkward - you'll need a way to keep the cables from drooping down into people's faces.

Leo

 

[drobbins]

Use a garage door opener. It could be mounted higher and you would have a remote

 

[DanThomas]

I have to laugh -- someone else said that to me also. I'm picturing a Tim Taylor-type disaster.

-Dan

 

[Dennis Gardner]

The zoom feature doesn't hold enough difference in size for you?

I set my PJ back as far as the screen will allow at maximum zoom and then the zoom ring allows me to get a smaller more detailed picture when needed. No need to move the PJ.

 

[DanThomas]

Well, I don't have long enough cables to put the projector at the distance I want, so I'm not sure if the zoom has enough difference or not. The cables should arrive today or tomorrow.

I do have an idea of how to mount it and have it be movable. If I decide to build it, I'll post some pictures.