hi memobug...

the mount looks "golden"... The pic shows and demonstrates what versatility I built into the design,and what action compelling converstion can do to solve the some problem ceilings..

Try doing these applications with the standard mount that costs 300 CDN, 200 US and is just a simple stamped plate with low grade steel that in my opinion looks like crap.. isnt as functional and is more difficult to assemble and adjust.

It was a pleasure and fun working this out with you....amidst the frenzy of my shootout and shipping out the first 45 orders.

Rob

Just a few left... Will save the last 10 to go with the X1's I have.

Rob

I sent you an email. I'd like 2 more.
Richard

Do you have any idea when a mount for the HS10 will be available? Thanks.

Tom

Hi Richard...

Hope you found the shootout useful.

I didnt get an email... try robert@digital-visions.ca

Tom ...I am working on a completely different design for LCD projectors. It will take a huge investment... will know shortly if the demand is there to support it.

Rob

Mandarax, my X1 mount arrived. Thank You. :)

I have a question though: For the 3 little screws that hold the plate onto the X1 - are these roberston? They almost look like an allen key of some size. I tried using a roberston, but I want to sure the plate is FIRMLY screwed to the X1.

If they are allen keys - what size?

Thanks a bunch,

Jim

I received my mount recently and everything was wired up today! Here are some photos:

Closer up...

ramseeker... these are not robertson.. they are allen wrench... size is a common 3mm.

rmannion.. lookin good... nice and clean... even with the extra drop to accomodate your high ceilings.

Do you guys like the NC studs painted? or would you prefer them unfinished? Powder coating these was a challenge... and a ton of extra work.

mandarax: I'm very happy with it - thanks for all your work in developing these mounts! (I need to bring the ladder back upstairs and remove the allen wrench from the hinge :) ). Would you happen to know of a source for short/custom-length power cables?

Ryan

From where I am, I can't see the entire mount plate, bolts, etc., but I sleep better at night knowing they match the projector ;)

Regards,

Matt

Matt... How does your wife like your setup?

Rob

Ok ...now I am down to a handful... have another order in the que. 150 gone... Zero complaints... still have to do another 6000 to be a sponser due to weakness in the US dollar. which happened to coincide with the date following the release of pricing .... US dollar has dropped 18% since rollout of product. Incredulous.

I am doing the NEC next. I love NEC... so if you are wondering why them and not some other product. thats the reason.

Keeping eye out for package so I can get this X1 on the wall. Will post pics when done.
Dr. Novak:D

Originally posted by mandarax
Matt... How does your wife like your setup?
Rob She loves the mount, but she's whining about the wiring now.. Shhhh! :D

Regards,

Matt

Hey .... Whats up doc? lol... I am actually eating a carrot for breakfast.

It left yesterday... My spine is actually starting to bend with all this typing. Have to sort it out with some golf soon.

Matt... let me know what you need for wiring.

Rob

I only have a few left and will be trying to keep the balance of the first run for people that want them with the X1. The US dollar has declined in value by 20%, and there is also costs for home delivery, sending it ground and surcharges from Fedex for fuel. My cost is going to have to go up to 83.00. US. on future orders. I will also offer some alternate choices for payment soon as well.

Rob

Mandarax, did you by any chance look into bringing in a bunch of P. Plastic screens?

Still working on the logistics of a skid of PP... and packaging to make it feasible and cost effective.

Rob

Still waiting with glee, I think Fedex uses Canadian Geese to deliver to Va. Now they are headed more Northerly. The suspence is just killing me, I can not wait. Of course the screen I ordered is being shipped by Italian Snails from Florida. But my make shift screen of Blueprint paper is working. If I can just keep the cat from wanting to knock the X1 of the table. Could be a choice between the cat and the X1, gonna miss that cat.
Doc

"Still working on the logistics of a skid of PP... and packaging to make it feasible and cost effective. "

Ok, thanks!

Hi Mandarax,
This looks like a great mount Have you considered the idea of
adding a capture cable to the mount? Many Mount manufactures do this now to CYA in the unlikely event that the mount breaks Haphazard
installations should be of no concern but whenever you are marketing a product to hold a product over the general publics head it may be a consideration.Many may elect not to install a capture cable but for an extra buck it may release you from liability
Ray

Ray... I supply hardware that if installed properly should not fail even if the projector weighed in at several times the weight of the projector.

I also use 5/8 cnc machined steel .... 1/4" has a load bearing of over 100lbs. Not to say I would not look into this in the future... If my design was made as flimsily as theres I would be very worried about this. Most of the brands I have seen are merely a simple stamped plate that is punched out and bent with a brake... I could do the same thing but they look ugly,,, do not function very well, and are more difficult to install.

Should have an answer this week on the PP..

Doc.... screens should only take 3 days to build and one to ship. When I ship the entire package... it only takes two days. The average days to deliver the mount only to the USA is 4 days by ground. I have found that if you have an arab name it is taking a few days more... but you didnt hear that from me.

Mandarax,
I am very interested in ordering one for my soon to be X1. I would hate to browse through this whole thread to find your current payment contact info. How should I get in touch with you for payment?
Thanks

Hi Mandarax
I hope you know I was not questioning your mounts build quality
it looks outstanding.The capture cable issue has been the focus of many a
discussion in the pro audio and video installation business as well as
custom home installation I think it has to do with liability only
and stems from a series of mount failures from flying gear
I always install capture cables regardless of product if its over head it gets one. I don't claim to be a product liability specialist just passing along what I have gleaned from the inner circles of the A/V world :D
Cheers Ray

Originally posted by Ray
Hi Mandarax
I hope you know I was not questioning your mounts build quality
it looks outstanding.The capture cable issue has been the focus of many a
discussion in the pro audio and video installation business as well as
custom home installation I think it has to do with liability only
and stems from a series of mount failures from flying gear...

The X1 is like six pounds. I think it would hang pretty well from its RGB cable in the event the lag screws gave way.

Regards

Ray... one could always use the flaired springloaded toggle bolts I also provide for additional backup support.

Javaman... you can contact me direct using this email.

robert@digital-visions.ca

Mandarax the mount came yesterday. Got it on the wall in about 5 minutes. Thanks again for a great product.

Doc

Heh doc... thx...

Good to hear... there was some chatter from fedex about some delays due to the weather. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon.

Rob

Hey mandarax, I paypaled you on the 13th, but still haven't heard a word even after PMing and E-mailing you. What's the scoop?

Ok I have 5 left of the originals... and I am in the process of the second run. Please when ordering provide your telephone number as I end up having to chase this down for fedex before I ship.

Rob

I just got the Fed-Ex tracking number from mandarax plus he threw in a free keychain for the wait.

Actually you received your tracking number yesterday. Didnt email me your telephone number until after 9:30 PM on the 13th... and I ran out of hardware which I ordered and picked up on the 15th... figured I may as well pick up all the hardware for the next run... sorry about that day delay.

Rob

Have all the parts for the second run cut and being machined today.

Rob.

Machining and welding to be complete on Wednesday next week.

Two left of the originals.... another 5840 to go then I will become a sponser on this site.

Rob

I sold my demo unit from the first run last night. The next run will be completed late next week. Orders will be filled on a first come first served basis...for the next run. Thanks for your interest in this product.

Rob

Hello Mandarax,
Did mine order make it in before you ran out? Or should I wait until late next week?

- Scott

Woohoo! The mount was waiting for me when I get home from work yesterday. It is very professional looking and solid feeling. I like how you packaged the major parts individually to prevent them from getting scratched up. Once I figured out the placement, it only took a couple of minutes to setp up. Nicely done Mandrax. Do you per-chance sell the ceiling attach part indivdually? I'd like to be able to move it between 2 rooms.

Scott yours was shipped the date it was paid. If I didnt have any left I would have emailed you and given you the choice to cancel or wait.

Javaman.. thanks for the kind words... I do have a few of the ceiling attachments seperate... that happened when I allowed people to start swapping out parts for different ceiling heights. It was working out splendidly.... then all of a sudden I received a rash of orders from people with low ceiling heights. On the second run I just made up parts to go fill out all the left overs. Give me an email robert@digital-visions.ca

I will fill orders on the second run as with the first. First one paid gets shipped first.

Rob

Mandarax, your mount looks like something I'll be needing in a few months. I have a very high vaulted ceiling and wall mounting a projector just above my couch is what I'll probably need to do.

However, I'm interested in one modification. I'd like to have one where the plate that attaches to the wall is permanently afixed to the wall but the support arm that extends out from it (including the projector) can be easily removed. Yes, I'd like to be able to 'lift and unhook' the entire support arm with the projector and all whenever I don't want it to be hovering overhead in my small living room but leave the plate that's attached to the wall where it is.

I suppose I'm imagining some type of sturdy but quickly and easily removable connection like you'd find with an adjustable shelf in a retail display set-up. And like those kinds of shelves, some ability to re-position it a little higher, lower, left or right as needed could come in handy as well, assuming the permanent wall plate would be large enough in all directions to accommodate that to some minor degree.

That way, I could simply reach up, slip the entire system off it's wall mount and set it aside on a side table when not in use for security reasons, living-room esthetics or when maintenance or lamp replacement is required.

A decorative, framed 'camafluage' surrounding that permanent wall mount may also be in order too but that would be a seperate fun project I could add later.

Any thoughts on this?

Hitchfan...

What you describe is exactly how the mount works....

Re: your application... wall mount... to take it off the wall you would simply unthread the cnc 8" machined bolt. Takes seconds to remove. You can also unscrew from the knee joint. Slip off the projector from the knee joint. Get a hanging plant ... hook it onto the knee joint 8"and dont worry about it. USE #611... hanging plant holder.

Those nuts on the mount are for locking the mount into position. Each piece is individually wrapped for shipping and just threads together. Takes just a few seconds to disassemble.

Thanks for the clarification. Perhaps the only thing it lacks from my description would be the ability to shift the works a little to the left, right, up or down if desired unless multiple wall plates are mounted..?

Hitchfan...

If you want it to left or right... you just loosen the locknut point it and lock it down again. If you want it to up or down you loosen the knee joint... lift to position and tighten... If you want it to rotate diagonally... you loosen the locknut at the wall plate and position and tighten...

Rob

I apologize if this has been answered already, but can this be used to ceiling mount as opposed to wall mount?

Scott

This mount can be used for ceiling or wall mounting...

The laser cutting, machining, welding is complete... for the 2nd batch will go in for powder coat finishing tomorrow. 21 presold already.

Rob

How well will this work in a room with a 7.5' Ceiling, throw distance about 13 feet (shooting for a 100" Diag 4:3 screen)

Scott

I am a teacher that am probably getting the x1 tomorrow!!! i would like to use this pj for both powerpoint in my classroom and for movies in my HT and was wondering how much two ceiling mounts and a pj mount would cost, and how easy it is to attach/detach from the ceiling mount for easy commuting to and from school. I really like the pictures of the mount and think it is a great design. Thanks for all of your work.
mike

Hi Ho Zamboni...

it is extremely simple to assemble and disassemble. Just loosen and remove the stainless steel nyloc nut from the knee joint and slip off the projector.

Scott.. damn near perfect..

Rob

My wife and I were doing some measurments. We may have to go a big smaller. Still think that would be ok?

Say an approx 85" screen (change was due to limitations of the screen wall), if so let me know how to arrange payment. Thanks

Mandarax:

Don't need one for a couple months but when I do I will come calling. I hope they wills till be available.

Scott.

You could also do a swap for two 2.5" cnc machined knee joints. Depends how high you wish to make the screen. Email me

robert@digital-visions.ca

Haps... As long as people still need them, I will be making them up. The batch quantities may get smaller and therefore the pricing may reflect the smaller batch quantity. The pricing for the laser cutting is based on quantity and the powder coating price is the same if I do 1 or 100.... minimum cost is 450.00... plus assembly... and disassembly time.

What are the size of the "threaded holes" (is there a better term?) in the X1 unit? I've seen reference to 3mm and 4mm within this thread. Is it a standard size for which nuts & bolts (wingnuts?) are available at most hardware stores? If not, where could I go about finding hardware that works?

Thanks.

Originally posted by mandarax
Scott.

You could also do a swap for two 2.5" cnc machined knee joints. Depends how high you wish to make the screen.



So would this make for a 5" drop instead of 10"? That may work out well for me.

Scott

what's the dimension of the wall bracket?
..and I'm assuming that you can mount the bracket horizontal, right?

marshdom .... all the hardware is included. including an allen wrench to tighten the knee joint.

scott it would make it 4.5 inches... the knee joints have a cnc machined joint of .5 inches.

Allen ...horizontal or vertical ... no problem..

Rob

Ok, we'd probably have to remove our ceiling fan, but thats ok

Scott..

They do that every time on trading spaces...

Of course on trading spaces they'd also build the mount from MDF

:D

If it was Heidi...she would just staple it to the ceiling.

Originally posted by mandarax
If it was Heidi...she would just staple it to the ceiling.

Yes, but what would Hildi do? :)

Still have any from the 2nd batch not sold yet? My x-1 should be coming in this tues or so..still trying to figure out where to mount it if any. How easy would it be to take it off the mount if I needed to transport the pj for a meeting or such?

Hi TW

All you do is take out the stainless bolt at the knee joint. Allen wrench is provided... takes a few seconds...

The reason it is a stainless steel bolt and nut is the fact that you do touch this part when assembling and disassembly. Oily fingers will make even a plated nut corrode.

Rob

I am a bit punchy this morning. Packaged until 3:45 in the morning .... All orders that arrived are going out via fedex this morning. I also prepackaged an additional 22 units so right back on track for same day or next day shipping. The powder coating looks terrific...Since I had an extra day before the powder coating finish I spent the day precleaning, filing, and sanding any marks or welding.... They get put into a special wash before powder coating anyway. I added a special infocus projector keychain for all the preorders.

Thanks for your continued support. The email address again for questions is robert@digital-visions.ca

Rob

mandarax,

I'm contemplating one of your mounts. I'll be using a pulldown screen mounted between two bookcases. The screen case will fit "precisely" between the cases such that I obviously have no options to make fine horizontal adjustments.

It seems that I would have to be EXTREMELY precise in mounting your ceiling plate since once installed I would not be able to shift the pj in the horizontal plane. (It's obvious that I could rotate it in a horizontal plane.) It seems like another "knee joint" would be useful here. Am I missing something?

Mistere..

Not sure I understand your situation. You can rotate on the horizontal plane at two locations on the lock nut of the ceiling plate and at the lock nut of the projector plate. You could also move your bookcases... and you could also measure to center... I guess I do not understand. Send me an email to clarify...robert@digital-visions.ca

One of the mounts was donated to the elf foundation auction... make sure you take the opportunity to bid on it if you are after one of these mounts.

Rob

mandarax,

Yes, I know that I can rotate in horizontal plane at ceiling plate and at projector plate. No, I can't move cases since they are built in. I'm worried that if I don't get the center line EXACTLY correct that there is no way to compensate for this by shifting left or right at the mount. The holes in the celing plate are not elongated at all, are they?

Mistere,

it really isn't rocket science. I laser aligned my X1 chassis, forgetting that the lens is actually offset by 3-1/2 inches or so from center! Turns out you can just turn the projector a little bit on the screw that attaches to the chassis bracket, and no one can tell the difference. With any projection distance at all, a misalignment of a couple inches over a dozen feet or more is correctable in this way so that the error is imperceptible.

The actual error in degrees for a misalignment like mine is is something like arctan(offset/projected distance)

atan(3.5 inches /144 inches) = about 1.5 degrees.

memobug,

Thanks. I was afraid that if I "missed the mark" by even an inch that I'd have something akin to keystoning if I rotated the projector to fit the screen. I've been operating in a very crude mode with an ill-hung piece of Parkland or a sheet and a pj that I've not accurately leveled. I've thus not really seen what rotating the projector actually does.

I too thought that I'd borrow a friend's laser level to align the mount. I'm going to tatoo 3.5" to my hand so that I don't forget about the offset. The way some of my projects go, I'll probably move in the wrong direction and be off by 7". ;-)

You will know if you are off if you measure corners of your screen to the center of the mount and you get a different measurement. It really is not that difficult to get it perfect.

Heh there memobug... good to see ya again.

Rob

mandarax,

Literally following your advice to measure from the corners of the screen to the CENTER OF THE MOUNT would assure that I'd be off approximately 3.5" (as memobug noted).

I was taking it for granted that you would factor in the lens...

Guess that was a mistake... sorry.

Rob

These are going out fast and furious.

Also I have a shipment of the adapters ... vga to component ... if your interested just add in 12.00 US to the 83.00 US for the mount and specify you wish to receive the sp-vesa adapter.... vga to component adapter. I only put these with a mount or a projector ...

Also please ....PLEASE ... PLEASE make sure you put on your telephone number on the order. These are shipped via Fedex which is included in the price and Fedex needs that telephone number.

Rob

Rob,

Thanks for the mount, the projector and the goo. Great price and service.

Regards,
Raul

Dang, I totally forgot about the Component->VESA Adaptor. Oh well

Rob,

If you'd like I could put a small website together for you showing all the different prices for different combinations, and whichever pics you want of things and so on ... I would just pop it in a sub directory of my website ( www.mdb-project.com ), or I could make it a sub domain of the site itself, like rob.mdb-project.com or something ... Let me know.

Thanks for the offer tclp... I have a bit of a quandary as far as what products to endorse in the future. I have three more mount designs being made for other projectors. Some extruded aluminum screen frame designs... but the biggest decision is going to be what projectors ...and companies to endorse over the long term. The market has taken a quirky turn over the last year that is good, bad, and ugly. The image and reputation for my company over the long term means everything to me,, so it is difficult to be successful without dipping my toes into the bad and ugly or at least acknowledging its existance and dealing with it in a constructive, well managed way that will have absolutely zero impact on my customers or turn it into a positive for customers. Its amazing how many people have offered assistance with the shootout event... web design... guys like memobug that pop in and assist people...customers sending in pics of their theater completed... customers saying kind words... it sure makes it all worthwhile and incredibly fun. Can you believe over 20000 views on this thread?... It is incredulous. These mounts have hit every state in the USA... every province in Canada... including Nunavut... 4 european countries, New Zealand, Australia.. Wish I had a better word than thanks to show my appreciation for the tremendous support.

I tried a few things to put on the site but they were too damn slow. I have the site www.digital-visions.ca ... just need to get some time to put it all together and update my skills. I get about 29 emails a day just on X1 questions. Soon I will be on Letterman with my typing speed.

Rob
Rob

Rob,

Yes it's all pretty amazing what you've done here and the support you've gotten. I wish I had come up with something similar to your idea instead of software development, I've been working on my MovieDB program now for over 2 years (nearing 2 1/2 years I think). I have yet to see a cent, but someday it will all come together for me and *hopefully* at that point I will have the money to get a projector of my own. No matter how much time I spend developing my program I always find things to change / re-vamp / improve on. Take my advice, if you have a design that looks nice, and works -- Stick with it.

Rob,

Btw .. the offer still stands :) .. if you decide that you need a website done up or even have questions about how to design the site properly yourself just send me an e-mail to jeff@devmatters.com

I'm very impressed with all these great people in Canada (being in Canada myself) ... You, the Goo Systems fellas .... hmmm and others.

tclp... thanks for the generous offer. I checked out your site ...looks terrific..fast and very efficient. As far as other designs... these are for other projectors.... I will stick with this design for the X1. Each projector I try and live with it for a while before I make a mount for it. With different lens offsets, weight... alignment configurations, throw distances, mounting holes... bottom of projectors are not all flat...etc etc etc.. to be successful they each have to be given a design to match the characteristics most people desire in their ht environments. The plexiglass, pipe look makes me cringe. Unless you want the light bouncing off plexiglass and have it bouncing all over the room it isnt a good idea.. The NEC HT1000, LT260, LT240 is going to be completed next week with a real cool mount. NEC doesnt make it easy to configure... but it will be sweet.

On another note... do not forget there is a X1 mount sitting out there that I donated to the Elf Foundation... auction closes on Sunday. It is for a great cause. Click on the box in the top right hand corner... looks like a few great items are being auctioned. I put a reserve on it.. If it doesnt go for at least a decent price I will just donate the proceeds of the next mount sale direct.

Thanks Raul...

Enjoy .... Forgot to tell you... I also rent out my gravity feed gun and compressor for local for a nominal fee... or near local folks. If you are interested drop me a line.

Rob

Just did a count... 38% of the second run is sold.

Mandarax,

Just received my mount. It looks greats, thanks again.

Shaun

mind if I ask what is size of the holes on the x1? M4 screws?

Originally posted by mandarax
[B]Here is the material list for the bracket.
.
.
.

Projector bracket

holes for projector bracket are 3/16"
distances on the triangle are 2@ 6 21/32" and one at 5 7/8"
the nut on the bracket is 5/8" nc nut

Egorrs..

Thanks .. I had them put even a thicker coat of powder coat on the second run... and I actually had them go the the pre powder coat bath system twice this time around. It isnt too easy to powder coat these especially with the lock nuts. Spacing has to be perfect or the lock nuts get powder coated and locked in so you cant adjust it. We worked on this for quite a while to see what the spacing would be with the conductivity of the powder coat drawing to the sides of the nuts and not down through to the threads. I know everything looks quite easy and simple... but finishing these especially with a powder coat finish is not that simple... and is especially not cheap. But it is expected that over time ... with cleaning...(every 250 hrs on the bulb) firmware upgrades that you do not want to use a standard paint bomb... It wouldnt hold up against metal.

jonleelk... All the hardware is included. Fits perfect. BTW... one of my very very good friends is from Singapore..

Hi Mandarax,

Just checking to see if you still have stock on these so I can place an order in the AM.

Thanks

Dave ...

I still have 57 left..

The price is 83.00 US which includes all the hardware and shipping via fedex


Rob

Originally posted by mandarax
Dave ...

I still have 57 left..

The price is 83.00 US which includes all the hardware and shipping via fedex


Rob
Coming at you today Rob.

Thanks

Thanks Dave....

So is 9 X1's that are pre May 31st orders.

newbie needs an x1 mount, how do i go about ordering one?

My mount arrived today, and it looks great. Hope to have it by the weekend, then I'll take some pics of the final results.

Thanks mandarax!

Scott

Originally posted by ronfi
newbie needs an x1 mount, how do i go about ordering one? See the First post in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=1830441#post1830441)

Good luck!

Matt

thanks memobug! i sent my order this morning! cant wait to get this thing mounted so i can move my sofa back where it belongs!

Mandrax, I got my mount yesterday, installed after the kiddies were asleep. The only issue I ran into was that I substituted the butterfly expansion screws with another type of drywall anchor. Unfortunately, the substitute was not flush with the ceiling, so the mount was not flush, resulting in a slight lopsided mount.

Completely something of my own doing. I corrected it with a temporary shim (using a plastic spatula) until a more permanent solution is put in place.

I am very happy with the mount and thank you for making it available!

If your ceiling is off... dont forget that the knee joint can help with this.. It can be oriented to align a correction. The supplied butterfly as you call them,,, more commonly known as toggle bolts are the best solution when you do not have a joist to go through... anything else is not recommended. A toggle bolt at the diameter supplied should withstand a psi force of over 100 lbs....

scottder ... I love seeing pics...

I was up last night packaging, ordering screens, repackaging X1's, and shipping and invoicing and answering email till 5:30 AM. There is now 37 mounts left of the second run.

Rob ...

Did you mean to post a picture with that last message? :D

Here is a view of my front door before packaging more stuff. Thought some of you may get a chuckle... the other side I couldnt get to... found out that my car can take a Da-Lite 100" screen throught the middle and close the trunk... It looked hilarious when it was all in the car.

Rob

Originally posted by mandarax
Here is a view of my front door before packaging more stuff. Thought some of you may get a chuckle... the other side I couldnt get to... found out that my car can take a Da-Lite 100" screen throught the middle and close the trunk... It looked hilarious when it was all in the car.

Rob

Hey I recognize both of those boxes! :)

Here is a photo of my X1 mounted with the mandrax special. Note the fine adjustment tool I am using: a plastic spackle spatula from home despot. The mess of cables is due to an experiment I was running (progressive scan input via the vga vs component in via svideo (to use the built-in dcdi)).

http://alexei.sunsphere.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=CinemaRodriguez&id=P6110002

What size screws do you use for the X1?

BTW: the photos and descriptions are great.

Originally posted by alexeirrm
The mess of cables is due to an experiment I was running (progressive scan input via the vga vs component in via svideo (to use the built-in dcdi)).


What DVD player do you have and what were your results from trying both component to VGA and S-Video.

Scott

Alex...

Turn the knee joint to be oriented to where your ceiling is now off.. align it and tighten it level. Get rid of that spatula. Check out raceways at www.panduit.com and put it beside your trim... and up your ceiling.. to the mount.

Rlsmith... all the hardware is included with the mount.

Scottder... .. i have a surprise box coming soon ...

Originally posted by rlsmith
What size screws do you use for the X1?

BTW: the photos and descriptions are great.

I used the hardware provided in the kit from Robert (mandrax),
with one difference: I used a different set of anchors to attach
the base plate to the ceiling, thus the "spatula hack". I'll clean that
up this weekend and update the photos.

I am pretty sure the screw sizes have been discussed earlier in the
thread.

Hi Rob,

I think I've read every post before asking this question and not seen it addressed.

In order to catch a stud and keep the lens close to center on the screen I'd need to mount this with the mounting bracket underneath the unit (the X1 being right side up).

It seems obviously engineered to be hung upside down, but I really want to catch a stud if I can. There are other ways to get around it but they wouldn't be to aesthetically pleasing. Coming down from the ceiling may be an option but I'm afraid it would compromise the image quality on my high power screen.

Can it be hung in this fashion?

Thanks

Originally posted by scottder
What DVD player do you have and what were your results from trying both component to VGA and S-Video.



I have a Toshiba SD-3900, which I pruchased as part of this "experiment". I took the X1 plunge without having really seen it, but based on all the user experiences posted in this forum. With BestBuy having the sale and return policy, it was a no-risk (aside from my time and patience) experiment.

The experiment has now proceeded to a permanent fixture, as it has been a huge success (and popular with the neighbors!).

The Toshiba has some odd artifacts in the welcome and menu screens. I was trying to determine if these are native to the player or something being introduced by the setup.

During the first few days of X1 ownership, I was doing component out from the SD-3900 to the svideo in on the X1. This looked great (relatively speaking), but I saw rainbows right off the bat (watched the Matrix as the first movie; bad choice to show off the X1 without tuning, in this case). Given what I had read, I knew I wanted to make use of the progressive scan feature on the player.

I acquired the component to vga cable (a2zcables). The difference between the 2 was significant; picture quality improved, visible rainbows almost vanished.

Last night I tried:

- composite from sd-3900 to X1: ok image quality; dark, lots of rainbows (progressive scan off).
- component from sd-3900 to svideo on X1: better image quality, but still noticeable rainbows; no visible improvement as result of the scaler on the X1 (progressive scan off).
- component from the sd-3900 to vga on the X1: awesome picture quality, almost no rainbows (progressive scan on).
- component from sd-3900 to component in on a pioneer vsx-812 receiver, component out from the pioneer to vga in on the X1: no perceptible difference from the direct connection from the player to the X1 (progressive scan on).

I was using "Apocalypse Now: redux" as the test material, specifically the scene on the beach with the surfing and the multi-color smoke grenades.

No, it was not a test with a cross-section of source material. I would rather spend my time watching the movies at this point :)

The end result of my little experiment is that I am sticking with the dvd through receiver to vga on the X1. This setup rocks, with DVD source or HDTV source material.

Dave ..

This is an excellent question....

Just so I am clear on what you are trying to do... You wish to mount the projector on the wall... using the bracket... and have the projector mounted low on the wall with the projector upright... If this is what you are asking the mount will hold it. I had someone use the mount and they actually screwed all of their speakers into the mount.. with the speakers sitting on the projector mounting plate. Worked terrific and an excellent idea no floor vibration... and rock solid.

Hopefully this is what you were referring to?? If not... please clarify.

Rob

Originally posted by mandarax
.
Scottder... .. i have a surprise box coming soon ...

Oh?

Originally posted by mandarax
Dave ..

This is an excellent question....

Just so I am clear on what you are trying to do... You wish to mount the projector on the wall... using the bracket... and have the projector mounted low on the wall with the projector upright... If this is what you are asking the mount will hold it. I had someone use the mount and they actually screwed all of their speakers into the mount.. with the speakers sitting on the projector mounting plate. Worked terrific and an excellent idea no floor vibration... and rock solid.

Hopefully this is what you were referring to?? If not... please clarify.

Rob

That is exactly what I'm trying to do Rob. I have the projector shooting into a bulit-in "fort" kinda thing that won't allow me to angle down much (plus I want to minimize the keystone issue).

I know it sounds weird, but the effect is great. Looks like an old time movie theater.

I can mount it low and still hang it upside down, but the lens will be about 6" off center if I anchor the mount in the closest stud. By keeping it upright I can hit the stud and will be about dead center on the screen.

I was concerned that having the projector sit on top of the mount instead of suspended beneath it may create a stress problem because it wasn't designed to do that.

Sounds like it won't be an issue. That's good news.

Thanks again for your help. I am showing off the X1 and will pass your mount info to everyone as well.

Dave..

I tried this application already and the mount held in place upright no problem. In fact you wouldnt believe some of the applications being used.

Rob

mandarax,

Have you heard back from the Knee & Hip replacement unit at Johns Hopkins?

Regards,

Matt

If mounting to the ceiling, what is the "drop" length from ceiling to where the mount attatches to the projector? And is this adjustable? I will be needing approximately a 5 to 7 inch drop.

I don't have exact measurement yet but I'd like to order the mount if I can be sure it will work.

memobug...

If I keep working this hard I am going to have to put one of these on my back to hold me up. Memo... you know about trees right? I have one Japanese Maple about 8" diameter at the trunk.. only one leaf on it. Any chance it will live. Looks cool... for one of those motivational pictures.

Brian. Here is the standard drop ... if you use two 2.5 knee joints it is 4.5" ..the standard drop is 10" ... if you use two 8" knee joints it is 15.5 inches.

Dont forget that the knee joint can be places into orient the unit for different axis angles.

Rob

Mandarax,

So do I need to *specify* either 4.5", 10", or 15.5" when ordering? Or do I get all the parts and put it together in whichever combination works for me?

Thanks,
Brian

Brian...

You need to specify else I will have no clue. I shipped out 75 this week and can't remember everyones special requirements unless it is specified.

Rob

mandarax,
I just wanted to thank you for posting this. I really appreciate that someone who went to the trouble of spec'ing up a custom X1 mount would share it with his fellow enthusiasts.
Thanks again
weswar

As soon as I see the mount being produced and copied by someone commercially I can start relaxing and make some money on this myself.

I just took a look at the thread count on this ... WOW... this is amazing. Thanks for all the support and positive feedback. The X1 community of enthusiasts makes this great fun to do. Put a pin hole in the Netherlands on the map yesterday.

I have a bunch of the VGA to Component adapters now... So if you want this with the mount let me know... I can't believe the thinking from Infocus to stop including the special svideo/component adapter with the X1. What a public relations faux pas that will become. I did a special run on Wednesday ... helped out a person with their installation... they had raceways with component cables... the screen all made up and ready to go.. We put the mount in... Opened the box... and voila.... an addendum with a note saying despite all the literature stating it was included... that it was merely a mistake.... with instructions on how to order the cable seperately. Now I know when I get a new toy ... the adrenaline starts to peek about the time I am ready to hook everything up... just can't believe it. Should have seen the persons face when they opened the box... Get on the horn people and start getting that phone ringing off the hook at Infocus. My Canadian Rep for Infocus who is suppose to be the grand Puba of Infocus didnt even realize it was not included. Had to give my customer a free VGA to component to lift the moment of dread and sorrow.

Get on that phone... and beotch, beotch, beotch. Make them realize the error of their ways. Your legal rights and remedies will dictate that if the product literature has not been pulled, and they do not have revised literature....they owe you the cable. Its as simple as that. Especially since it is a proprietary cable. My guess would be that in the frenzy of the moment they ran out of cables and decided this was a good way to go.. Hopefully it wasnt ... lets drop the price and hit em up for another 30.00 for the cable... and another 20 for shipping. Outrageous

Rob

Rob

That Dutch pin hole would be me... Looking forward to receive the mount, Rob! I ordered four X1's out of the US (European price is about double of current US pricing, so even with taxes/shipping there's still a significant saving). Three of those will go to friends, they're not sure yet how they're going to setup their X1, but I wouldn't be surprised that after I show them mine, you may soon be adding more pin holes in the Netherlands...

They also don't include the Euro power cord either. Seems thats the cord that they should have stopped suppling in order to cut costs. It also might be to make the 4800 look better and worth $500.00 more (not supplying the s-video adapter)

Hi Jeroen... Shipped on Friday ... should be there Monday. lol... faster than going to the USA. Double the US pricing .... OUCH... That sucks..Whats with the pricing in Europe? My oldest daughter (10) is having a blast putting pin holes all over the map. She is learning all about projectors, light, color, how a color wheel works.. Pretty soon she will be answering all my email. This is a great experience for her. She packs mounts with me... makes a bubble wrap dress ... tapes bubbles on her cheeks and nose... and we have lively discussions while packaging..

Mr Mago...

With customer relations decisions like these ... they are wrapping that cord around their necks for a few dollars. That adapter costs them about 2.00.
I truly feel sorry for Infocus Customer Relations employees on this latest stunt.

BTW... You can use my regular email address now to order the mount from paypal.

robert@digital-visions.ca

83.00 US

Rob

Order for batch number 3... is in progress. Anyone have any cool ideas for the plate. I was thinking of going with 12 gauge instead of 14 gauge with the next run and possibly having the cnc laser cutter cut an X1 right on the plate.. right through or try and possibly emboss X1 on the plate. Of course you wouldnt see it but what do you guys think of the idea.

To past purchasers of the mount ... I may be making up more different designed plates for this design .. therefore if you one day you change your projector... you simply will have to swap out the projector plate only. Is zis good or no... or would you care at all.

Rob

Hmmm invisible embossings? How about an X1 signature run: Signed and numbered by the artist? A patriotic large maple leaf plate? Gold plated edition? Enduring Freedom camouflage edition? Black Chrome Stealth mount? Triple louvred Dale Earnhardt Race Mount? Looney Tunes characters? Art Deco Engine Turned plate with Tailfins? Surfmount? Nike Swooshmount? Snakeskin mount? Sharkskin mount? iMount? Pinkmount? Mt Fujimount?...

Does AVS get some of the proceeds for this (I hope)?

At this point it just seems like the longest running ad on avs...

memobug...

keep those juices flowing... you lost me at pinkmount. The embossing would have to be a real thick plate... I tried doing one on the 14 ga and the powder coat filled the embossing... Guess I should can the idea else it could get koo koo.

Robert....

I had Alan's blessing before doing this. AVS members pricing is very much different than what I sell these for to non AVS members. If it is a successful venture in the long term... IE a market for this and other designs I am coming out with it will be much simpler and efficient to become a full time sponser, which is my overall goal. For now it seems to be bringing other people to the forum, ie new people in the market for home theater at the X1 price point, and give them options for a professional looking installation. They no doubt with the monies saved buy items like screens from AVS, or cables from the sponsor here, or other items offered from other sponsors. But it also brings in people to the site itself. Most of my sales on AVS are from actual people that have never been to the forum. They discovered the X1 from a friend or collegue and came here and bit the bullet to do their first home theater application where at the price point it fell within their budget. This mount assists people in that process to get an affordable option to do it right. They no doubt will be doing installations, gain knowledge and advance their understanding of home theater and share that knowledge with others in an ongoing process. If you look at the pricing of commercial mounts offered the price point shipped is in excess of 3 times the cost for this one, and you will note that it comprises of stamped plates, an extention arm alone costs 250.00 US. If you think I am getting rich selling these for $83.00 shipped, and getting upset about it... I think that may be a bit misguided. All of the processes involve machinery that costs a minimum $70.00 per hour. Even the welding for the certified welder is billed at $58.00 per hour. Add to this a minimum order cost of $450.00 for the powder coating. My time for prewashing, grinding any welding residue. Time is then spent assembling the parts for racking at the powder coating facility. The assembly is such that the there is two assemblies... the parts have to be assembled so that there is a spacing between the parts so that the powder coat paint finish does not lock the bolts in place or fill the threads and that the conductivity of the powder coat draws to the edges of the locknuts. Once powder coated I have to go and remove all the parts from the racks. Disassemble the parts early enough so that they can be packaged. Each part is bubble wrapped and taped with bubble wrap and packaged in a box. The hardware has to be assembled and packaged. Email on applications ... aproximately on average three per mount plus the actual paypal. Paypal takes a 3% cut for processing the payment. It takes on average 39 minutes to package, cut a commercial invoice, go onto fedex ship manager and prepare bar codes and export shipping documents so that these flow smooth. Then I drop these off to fedex warehouse 30 minutes away... when people get them they usually send post emails that have to get answered and also normally I will send out an email of the tracking number when it ships. I then have to input all the invoices to my accounting package, prepare tax input, and remit. Do the math, the invoice states it most accurately... it is an AVS promo. Who is gaining the most from this product being available? Is there money in selling the projector? People will be getting hooked onto home theater with this product and some no doubt will move onto other products over time. With the progression maybe there will be an opportunity for people to make a decent margin over the long term. Most people realize the above. Take a look at other some other sponsers here. How did they get started? Right now it is just fun for me to do this. My daughter is learning alot of how the real world works... As you are aware I was a VP finance for an international company... but spent most of my quality time with engineers and the people in the plant. I gave it up to be with my daughters and spend as much time as possible with them. From a business sense I can make this venture do whatever I want. If it angers many people at the AVS community then it simply gets shut down here. It wouldnt be fun to make people upset. I can only attribute the number of hits here due to this being fun for everyone. I love designing products and seeing them go out and seeing the pics of peoples installations and receiving the emails and helping people out. I get to meet fellow enthusiasts in person... its all fun and its all good and thats what this whole forum is about, bringing people together and having fun. If people were not having fun buying it and or participating in it, there wouldnt be anyone coming to the thread.

Rob ..

Hey Rob,

This thread keeps living because people like what you offer and because you give good advice. You've given me more info in different posts on this newsgroup than anybody, which I appreciate.

I love the mount and appreciate the time and effort you put into it as well as the time you put into helping with advice on this forum.

Thanks again (make sure your daughters put a pin in southern NH for me!).

Hey Rob,

Just wanna show my support for what you've been doing here! I have yet to get my X1 (still waiting for the demo unit to see if I'm one of those "rainbow-seers" before buying one - Infocus is backlogged) but I'm learning a lot about projectors in this thread. For ht novice like me who wants to keep the up-front cost low (due to limited resources) you're doing a tremendous thing. Please keep the energy going and don't be distracted by nuisance posts. I'll be ordering one of your mounts as soon as I decide on which projector to get. I'm really hoping it would be X1, though, but I have to see the image first.

-Ruel

Originally posted by a4rpl
Hey Rob,

Just wanna show my support for what you've been doing here! I have yet to get my X1 (still waiting for the demo unit to see if I'm one of those "rainbow-seers" before buying one - Infocus is backlogged) but I'm learning a lot about projectors in this thread. For ht novice like me who wants to keep the up-front cost low (due to limited resources) you're doing a tremendous thing. Please keep the energy going and don't be distracted by nuisance posts. I'll be ordering one of your mounts as soon as I decide on which projector to get. I'm really hoping it would be X1, though, but I have to see the image first.

-Ruel
Hey Ruel,

You may want to check CDW. They have them in stock and usually have a 30 day return policy. I'd certainly ask the rep to confirm that, but it's worth a shot.

Hi, just another happy AVS member wanting to give a big GOOD JOB and thanks to Robert for designing a needed product for such a reasonable price.

I am sure if the administrators had any issue with this thread the would have closed it long before page 13.

Oh, by the way. Robert have you considered adding a second knee joint near the ceiling for a Version 2.

It was a legitimate question.. no problem.

Thanks for the kind words.

It would take more than words to take the wind out of my sails. One of the side benefits not mentioned... Got to spend the day relaxing on the golf course with someone I met at the shootout. Very relaxing day ... but the golf cart would have been better with a mount for holding my beer and cigar. Have to make a revision.

I considered having a double nc machined extention piece but decided for the number of requests that it could just remain as it is now...a special.

Ruel... I have a few favors to call in, so check back with me again when you have your demo complete. Hopefully all will go well and have fun reviewing your demo... I know here sometimes I will get a demo unit and the settings are horrid. Make sure you use some of the settings found here as recommendations as a starting point. How long is the backlog?

Thanks again guys...

Rob

Originally posted by alexeirrm
Here is a photo of my X1 mounted with the mandrax special. Note the fine adjustment tool I am using: a plastic spackle spatula from home despot...


alexeirrm,
I recommend this very small, clear plastic shim from Home Despot over your obvious orange spatula...

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=NAVIGATION&CNTKEY=market%2fpg_zip_code.jsp&BV_SessionID=@@@@0854946714.1056001434@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccchadciimkeeelcgelceffdfgidgmn.0&search_text=609773&DRC=4

I think the shim would blend into your ceiling far better. Just a suggestion.

lol.. you dont like the spatula..

Actually I already got back to him... he is removing the anchor that he replaced with the toggle bolts supplied. Anchors have no where near the support that the toggle bolt provided supplies. The anchor he put in was the problem since it protruded on the one side. This wouldnt happen with the toggle bolt. The toggle bolts are much more expensive than an anchor... I recommend that you use it if there is no possible way to get into a stud. You just drill a 3/16th hole.. insert the toggle ... it is spring loaded and compresses .. insert the toggle compressed with your fingers...as soon as it passes through the drywall it will spring open and you tighten.

Also sent an email to him advising that if it had been the ceiling that was off ...one could just align the knee joint to correspond to the shift required to realign and then tighten. It was something that some people did not realize and therefore a great post. You can put in the knee joint pieces and align them to suit. Just thread it in all the way then back it off to where you need it to be... then lock it in place with the lock nut on the projector mounting plate and also the lock nut on the ceiling/wall mounting plate. Thats what they are there for. to lock it into position. Be careful if you are using a wrench to not damage the powder coat finish. You want it to remain gorgeous... Use some material over the nut... I try and make them as free as possible when I ship it. and you should be able to just hand turn it to lock it.

The Stainless steel bolt and nut that go through the cnc machined knee joint.. you can crank that using an adjustable wrench and the allen wrench supplied. Hold the stainless nut with an adjustable and tighten with the Allen wrench.. This has been mentioned before but this should be your last assembly...

I am also now allowing people to buy extra mounting plates and 8" knee joints for alternate rooms. Some people are doing setups where they want to move the projector to the bedroom... or alternate room. Just let me know. Hopefully it will work out where I don't have all kinds of extra pieces.

Rob

Originally posted by mandarax
...
Ruel... I have a few favors to call in, so check back with me again when you have your demo complete. Hopefully all will go well and have fun reviewing your demo... I know here sometimes I will get a demo unit and the settings are horrid. Make sure you use some of the settings found here as recommendations as a starting point. How long is the backlog?


Rob,

InFocus said 5-10 business days. They will email me when the demo unit is shipped. Actually, I'm really tempted to just order one from InFocus since someone posted in AVS that they are willing to take the unit back no questions asked. However, in their website, the return policy specifically says that if the non-defective unit is returned for a refund 15% restocking fee will be charged... And, of course the $100 rebate which they say may not be honored anymore even if I have the June 30 deadline form. Oh well... I guess I just have to wait. I will check back with you when I've made my decision.

BTW, a lot of my friends are waiting for the demo unit as well. They want to see the pq since they are also trying to decide whether to go plasma or FP. It might lead to more converts to order the "mandarax mount".

Cheers!

-Ruel

Originally posted by Stable Dave
Hey Ruel,

You may want to check CDW. They have them in stock and usually have a 30 day return policy. I'd certainly ask the rep to confirm that, but it's worth a shot.

This is another option, indeed. I just haven't found time to dial up and confirm it from CDW. We'll see... But thanks for the heads up, Dave.

-Ruel

Alot of people are keeping the demo beyond the 10 days... You should see my demo unit at times when I get it back... had a hair in it last week and it was a real treat to get it out. I think the dog was getting friendly with it. Another reason to get it the X1 mounted... before it gets mounted.

Plasma... yipes... give me their names and email addresses.

Hi Rob,

Quick question for you. You probably answered it above and I can't figure it out.

My picture is slightly angled to the bottom right. It may be the ceiling is off a bit, I'm not sure what causes it. I just need to pull the right side of the projector up a tiny bit. Is there any way to adjust the mount to compensate for this?

Thanks

When I think plasma, I think two words "burn in"....oh and "high price".

Scott

Dave ..

You should be able to put the knee joint to align for your ceiling being off..bring it up to level and tighten.

Scott... When I think plasma I think ka ching..

Well, it's been 5 days so I maybe I'll receive the demo unit from InFocus anytime next week. Haven't had a chance to call the other vendors during office hours to confirm full refund if I return the unit for whatever reason. Ahhh... I should have been watching my T2 that I got for my birthday in X1! Maybe I'll be able to call tomorrow since there's forecast of rain here the whole day!

Plasma is definitely way too out of my budget...

If there is ever a problem with the projector... I just have it sent back DOA. within the 30 day period.

Just saw the Imax Super Speedway today... was a hoot. May get to meet the individual that shoots the Imax movies this summer.

Rob

mandarax...watch it again when the wife and kids are out of the house and turn the volume WAY up. It's amazing 5.1 sound on that disk.

Rich... I know .... I used to have the disk but let someone borrow it and it never did make it back here. You should here it with 4 Bryston 7bs pushing 4 Energy Veritas on a EAD Signature processor... I miss that disk.

I have been getting alot of email from people wondering if the mount is still available. It is... I have them prepackaged ready to go. Also there is not a build/ wait time. I get them made all at once...then package in open boxes in case someone is in need of an VGA to Component adapter or whatever.

Rob

Got my mount last week and installed it over the weekend. Very cool! Thanks Mandarax!

-sv

Welcome to the club Vuman... Glad you liked it.

Rob

Kinda kool that someone takes the time to give feedback.

Rob

I have 7.5 foot ceiling. Is there a way to install the mount so that I won't need any keystone adjustments (i.e. projector perpendicular to screen) given my ceiling height limitation.

Originally posted by David Barteaux
I have 7.5 foot ceiling. Is there a way to install the mount so that I won't need any keystone adjustments (i.e. projector perpendicular to screen) given my ceiling height limitation.

That's what I have, I got the mount with 2 knee joins for a 4.5 inch drop.

Scott

Scott,

How high is the top of your screen? Is it 16:9? How far back is the X1 from the screen? Sorry for so many questions but my homemade mount is about 4" from ceiling to center of lens and ~13' back. When the X1 is level, my picture is too low because of the offset. The bottom of my 80x45 screen would have to be very close to the floor and this is no good for center channel placement. Therefore, I have to tilt the projector up which prevents it from projecting perpendicular to the screen.
I like my eyes about 1/3 the way up the screen when sitting.

David...

Send me an email and I will attempt to help you out.

robert@digital-visions.ca

Rob

Looks like the swapout for parts is going to leave me with some unuseable parts. If anyone would like to have additional parts for additional setups in the house to move the projector around ...please advise.

Rob

Is this the highest page count of any thread you have seen on AVS??

Rob

Maybe since they pulled the IRAQ forum.

:D

no, the rocket thread is much longer.

The parkland plastic projection screen thread ran for just over a year I think. That one must have the record. For some reason I remember 100+ pages.

jeff

LOL ... a 100 pages for a piece of bathroom plastic...
thats too funny. The parklands did good at my shootout tho with the Goo Screen coating... I am going to do up another one this week.

I guess I will have to invent something else soon to catch up.

I am getting alot of emails complaining about the length of the thread...

The price again is 83.00 U.S. shipped via fedex.
You can use paypal for payment ....
If you want to swap parts... please specify on the paypal info..
Dont forget your telephone number for fedex.
If you want to include the VGA to component adapter it is 95.00 with the mount.
There is other payment options.

email is robert@digital-visions.ca

Thanks for all the support doing this.... The second batch is just about gone.

Rob

Almost forgot ...

I get asked to do one of these or my alternate for the Pan300. A local customer is allowing me to test with the his projector... so it will be finalized soon...

Originally posted by mandarax
...The price again is 83.00 U.S. shipped via fedex...

Better update your first page post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=1830441#post1830441):

US pricing .... $68.00US which includes shipping by Fedex ground.

Regards,

Matt

Thanks memobug..

It is revised... should have done this ages ago...

How are you liking the X1 BTW.. ?

Rob

Only 7 units left from the second run...

Ok through some miracle I only have one extra plate....That swap out option really works out great so far.

Rob

.... 4 units left...

rob...

To those that purchased the mount.... let me ask you a serious question...

Lets say I kept making alternate plates for other projectors with this design. Would you mind if it was all the same color as it is now or would you prefer Black... or some other color... Then if down the road you purchase an alternate projector you just need the plate at a much lower price. I am interested in your opinions on this. Thanking you in advance.

Rob ..

My vote would have the plate match the current hardware, but honestly it doesn't really matter to me.

Scott

Your price is already very good Rob.
I think in general this is something which you should explore though. Perhaps most people wouldn't mind saving a few bucks and getting whatever color is available.
If you do go to a generic one color fits all, you should possibly allow some flexibility for those who wouldn't mind paying extra to get a particular shade. If it's worth it to them, and they're still saving money compared to the really expensive mounts sold by the manufacturers, then everybody wins again.
However, if it's a case of just going to one color, period, well, hey, we didn't get to pick the color of our projectors did we? So we shouldn't bellyache about the color of the accessories.
We could always paint what you send us whatever color we like anyway.
So I guess my vote goes for the one color option.
Wayne.

My plate can't really be seen on the projector when it is mounted on the ceiling. All you see barely is one pipe going up... I don't think the color really matters that much...

Thanks for the feedback..

I am just thinking if you end up changing projectors in the future you could just buy only the plate and your set to go again. I do not want to make up a smorgasborg of colors for each plate as this would drive the cost up. The present color is matched to the underside of the X1 to make it look like one homogenous unit to the projector.

This whole enterprise is more of a service to compliment an arsenal of other products. The more units made the lower the cost. Since I had alot of faith in this design I made up enough units to keep the cost down and so far it has worked out very good. The processes so far are very labor intensive and it is impeding the progression of other things I want to explore. When I get the plates back from the cnc laser cutter and they are welded, I prewash all the plates and sand and grind the plates, then assemble the lock nuts and space them for powder coating... They go through a bath system at the powder coating facility before painting. When they are finished I have to take them off the racks disassemble them and package them up individually. So what I am hoping to do is be able to make up enough of these to be able to hire an individual that does all the prep work and dissassembly and package and ship. This way I would get to spend all my time designing and building more high quality solutions for the lowest possible cost.

Rob

mandarax,

Well I for one am thankful you offer such a service and look forward to anything you come up with in the future.

Scott

Originally posted by mandarax
.... 4 units left...

rob...

Hi Rob,

I placed an order yesterday, but haven't received any confirmation yet....Hope I managed to get one of your last 4! Let me know when it ships.

TIA

DT1

Rob,
Same here. Let me know if there is one left and I'll send payment right away. Keep up the good work.
Thanks,
Joe

No worries.. I have the third batch finished now...

Rob

Hey Rob,

I've sent payment through PayPal midnight the other night...

Thanks,
Ruel

Everything is packaged and is on its way...

Will advise tracking # through email...

I actually still have one left from the first run floating out there with fedex. The driver delivered it to a wrong address and I had sent another to the customer... later to find that the courier misdelivered to the wrong address.... doh... ever notice how difficult it is to get good help these days. This week ... one screen crushed... one screen lost...rebuilt...found... one mount lost... found. One projector... shipped the wrong method by supplier. One projector destined for europe shipped from Vancouver vs Toronto.... paperwork for an import goes to a competitor for payment... maybe its just the heat...

Rob

Thanks for your PM's and email and posts here on the interchanging of projector mounting plates for other projectors. The consensus so far is positive to have the ability to interchange the projector mounting plate when people upgrade.

Sorry about lamenting on last weeks shipping fiasco's. There is always a positive side when things go wrong. It is just frustrating when a customer has to suffer through it and it bleeds your time.

Rob,

I emailed you a few days ago about the pricing on an X1, your custom mount, and a cable. Did you get it? If not, I'll send again. Thanks.

-Kevin

Are there any more mounts left? Please let me know.

Thx,
Roy C.

There will always be mounts left. I will keep making these till there is no more demand for it. The third batch is complete and ready to go.

I also have a few of the svideo to component adapters.

Kevin... I did not get the email... try using this address

robert@digital-visions.ca

Rob

Ok, I re-sent the email. I'm using Mozilla Mail and sometimes it's a bit flaky. Hopefully you get it this time! :)

-Kevin

KV3

I got it but having trouble responding as it does not send properly...

I got your reply. Thanks...I'll let you know when I'm ready to purchase :)

How much for the component to svideo adapter?
It may have been stated in an earlier thread but it may take a week's worth of reading to find it.LOL

Thanks,
RK

Just an FYI, last night we starting setting up the projector in it's final resting place, when I was attempting to attach the plate to the projector, there was an issue with the spacing of the rear two screws, it was just a minute hair off, not a lot , but enough to make it impossible to get both screws in. My wife (being handier with tool than I) use a drill press to make the hole a hair (a very minute hair) bigger. Not sure if it was the plate, or maybe my projector was just an oddball.


Scott

scottder,

I had the exact same problem. I thought, 'Oh, Oh!'. However, I managed to go back and forth between the two screws, lightly tightening them alternately and eventually they all behaved.

Perhaps your spacing wasn't as forgiving as mine.

The tolerance of the holes is very tight. Even tighter on the 2nd batch since the powder coating was a bit thicker. If you thread one of screws all the way down and it is not aligned you will obviously have a problem lining up the screws. If you put the two bottom ones first you will not have this problem. If you just get all the screws started, then thread them all in all the way you will also not have this problem.

Mystery...

The plates are all cut at the same time with a cnc laser cutter. The holes are also cut with the cnc laser cutter at the same time as the shape is cut. Therefore there is no difference on any one of them as they are all cut from the same drawing that is fed into the cnc program. Also note that the one you purchased when you were physically here was actually mounted on my X1 when you purchased it with all the other toy accessories.

Rob

Rob,

With such a tight tolerance (I know how well it fit mine anyway ;) aren't you a little worried that you've been more precise than Infocus? I mean, it's possible that their screw holes are slightly off on some projectors, isn't it?

Haven't been here for a while, but I thought I'd chip in again to thank you - I got one of the first batch a couple of months ago. Top notch product.

Rob,

Thanks for the explanation. I had no idea that the holes were absolutely identical with each plate. I guess I wasn't aware that the mount's plate which you sold me had been attached to your X1. It was a little difficult at first to line up the holes properly but as I said, it was only a simple matter of carefully tightening each screw lightly, one after another and soon the plate 'loosened' up quite nicely.
I don't think people should be making the holes any bigger than they are. It probably isn't really necessary in the first place and also, it may introduce some play which might not be desirable.
Anyway, it's a terrific mount. There is hardly a direction which I can't adjust it.
Thanks again, Rob.
Wayne.

Rob,

I got mine a couple of days ago but was unable to attend to it until last night. I had the same problem mentioned above and I tried your suggestion. I had to stop though for fear of putting stress on the screw holes of the projector. I got my drill and a 1/8" bit (the closest one I have available) and just ran it through to widen the two holes at the back a little bit. Now, it's perfect. Thanks for a great product.

Hi Nodecam...

Good to hear from you again. It is a valid point. I have had a few demo units go through here that were a bit off. The same CAD drawing was used in the second run as the first. Only difference was that I wanted a thicker coat off powder coat finish on the second run, and also shot blast the plates clean on the second run. Each of the holes is burned through with the laser cutter exactly the same on each one. Absolutely not necessary to drill holes. I am on run number 3 now and almost out again. that was 160 on run one , 100 on run two, and now only about 26 left of run three. Believe me if there was a hole alignment problem on the drawing or the program people would be screamin. On run number 4 I am going to eliminate the shot blast operation as I suspect that this may actually distort or put a very slight bend on a few. I personally threaded every one of the 2nd run in myself on my demo unit before packaging.

Wayne... I only cut the first one by hand. It would take way to long to do these by hand. and the first one looks like crap compared to the production units ... there is over 325 of these all over north america, europe, australia and new zealand. All the parts are cnc cut or cnc machined. I also don't paint them... they are powder coated by one of the highest rated powder coating facilities in North America. I wouldnt be able to make these in this volume and have them look the way they do without using cnc equipment to produce it. Maybe on the next run I can take a few pics of the plates getting laser cut.

Rob

Maybe just some oddball X1's? Oh well, doesn't matter...my X1 is happily on the ceiling now thanks to you. Keep up the great work.

Scott

Hey Rob,
Pictures would be interesting of the manufacturing process but not necessary. We believe you. You're right. If the plate was off there would be lots more posts about it. I think that the fault when there's difficulty lies with the spacing of the X1's holes.
Listen, truly, this mount costs just a smidgen of what we all could be paying somewhere else and is really perfect for the X1. I can't really find any fault with it.
I'll tell you what, if you're this capable of putting something together like this, then I'll be visiting again if you ever start making your own projectors or screens. Don't laugh. You could probably do it!
We could call it the 'Mandarax 1' for the pj and the screen could be the 'Robevision'.:D
Seriously though, if you've ever thought about branching out into virgin territory again, I'm sure we'd all like to see what kind of screen you might come up with. I know about the Goo but I mean something that isn't DIY.
Wayne.

Just ordered mine rig! Thanks for your help, Rob.
Jerroid

Originally posted by Soobat
Just ordered mine rig! Thanks for your help, Rob.
Jerroid

You won't regret it! :)

I hate typo's! I meant 'my rig'. hehe.

Anyway, here is a question I'm hoping someone can answer. My theatre room has a skylight. I have two choices for mounting my X1: From the ceiling just past the skylight, or on the wall underneath the skylight. The ceiling is about 13' high, so I'd rather hang the projector on the wall, but I'm wondering if the skylight will wash out the picture. This is probably a stupid question with an easy answer, so no flames! ;) What do you think?

Originally posted by scottder
You won't regret it! :)

Thanks scottder. Hey, I just checked out your website...how did the goo screen turn out?

- Jer

Originally posted by Soobat
Thanks scottder. Hey, I just checked out your website...how did the goo screen turn out?

- Jer

Goo isn't up yet, soon...soon

Who would have thought when Mandarax started this thread that it would someday be approaching 500 posts?!?
I can see it going indefinitely because Rob will no doubt be supplying mounts for many projectors in the not too distant future.

Soobat - unless you've got no light coming in the skylight, I'd recommend either building a cover system for it, or put the screen where light from the skylight won't hit it.

I won't say the skylight will make the image unwatchable, just that you'll like the image better (a lot better) without the ambient light interfering with it (or washing it out)

Good luck!

Originally posted by Nodecam
Soobat - unless you've got no light coming in the skylight, ...
Good luck!

Thanks Nodecam! Good advice. I might look at a cover for the skylight because I would rather, for sake of ease, install the projector on the far wall. The good news is that the skylight is translucent, so any light that comes through is diffused. And I'd mostly be watching movies after sundown, in which case, there'd be no problem. I'll keep you posted.

- J

Jer ... they have skylights with built in shades. It works off a remote. Maybe you can just by a kit for the shades. I would use some blinds and make an extention to open and close the blinds.

Thanks for the kind words. I am actually looking at an aluminum extrusion for a screen frame. Have to commit to 90,000 lbs of aluminum before the suppliers will even discuss it. Thats a fairly huge commitment of cash to drop.

I have to build other mounts in order to enable me to have some spare time to come up with other designs and products. Hopefully will be able to hire someone to handle all the logistics. My poor motorcycle is sitting in the garage still covered up.

WORK! Damn you! WORK! And every time you look at the bike... go work some more!

As if this isn't the routine already....

You should go rent a bike! Remember how fast those rentals seem to go.....

As for extrusions.. take look at the Wakefield books. They have somewhere around 50k extrusions on file. Many k's are 'stock' items.

Heh Ken...

Real men don't read books. They design and build and WORK.. well it really is more like play...

The third batch is almost finito...

Rob

Is there a Z1 version of this mount yet?

mtbell...

I have been struggling with shipping the others lately. Z1 is on my list tho... I have it designed in the shape of a Z but I have not that many interested inquiries yet to produce it with the same amount of volume to make it cost efficient. Also have been working more closely with Studio Experience HD1.

There is only a few very few left from the third run. I dropped the qty run to a lower qty as I run them out. I do not want to be stuck with 100 mounts if something should happen. Interesting that the pricing is starting to increase in Canada for the X1.

There is a fourth run in progress.... so I will not be running out.



Rob

Rob,

I want to go ahead and order your mount but I'm still undecided as to what extensions or "drop" I want/need since I'd like to do a wall mount rather than a ceiling mount. Are there any pros or cons at to which choice to go with? Also, if I do wall, is there a minimum drop I need for the mount to clear the projector?

According to my calculations (with Infocus' and Da-Lite's help!), I need to have the screen 18" from the ceiling. My room measurements are 13' x 19' but the sitting position is about 14' from the screen, which is 52" x 92" and 1.85:1 (HDTV).

Can you help?

TIA,

Roy,
Until Rob can respond, let me try to help a bit.
I just bought this very mount within the last month and you can choose to either mount it from the ceiling or on a wall. It comes to you in such a way that you have great versatility.
I've wall mounted mine right where the wall meets the ceiling because the back of my recroom has a venting which lowers the ceiling. Because of this, I needed all of the height which I could get.
I've mounted the base horizontally against the wall and the arm extends out towards the screen and is about 2" from the 'ceiling'.
I'm about 14' lens to screen and the distance from the floor to the lens is 6'2". The screen is 45"X80 16X9 and drops down from the ceiling about 23" including the screen case and the distance from the floor to the screen bottom is approximately 18". I sit with my head 1/3 up from the bottom of the screen. I have compromised a bit in order to accommodate the screen's placement where I want it. The image is not exactly square to the screen but I don't need to keystone because the slight overlap is obscured by the screen's masking.
Sorry to be so long but it seems that you are kind of in a quandary. Hey, if I can make it work you can too!

Mystery,

thanks so much for your input. That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for! It seems that our situations are very similar... Did I configure the screen too big, 52"x92"? I could've sworn I was right! My calculations again came out to be: projector 14' from screen, screen 18" from ceiling and 24" from floor, etc. I still have not masked it some I guess I can work a bit if I have to. Fortunately for me I have more ceiling space, i.e. 7'10" so I should not have any keystone issues if at all.

So, what extension/drop did you go with for your wall mount? Was it the standard 10" or the 2 8" ones...??

Thanks again,

Roy,
My extension seems to be 8" from the base attached to the wall. From there it then drops straight down 2" to the plate which mounts to the projector.
Your calculations are probably correct. I'm jealous of your ceiling height.
Mine is actually about 7'6" but it's much lower where the pj had to be installed. I didn't have much leeway in the installation process for either the screen or the pj. I'm utilizing a 64" Pioneer widescreen RPTV as well and this is a recroom, not a dedicated HT room. I also have a computer and desk at the bottom of the stairs.
I decided to forgo detailed calculations in setting the pj and screen up. Basically I went as high as I could and centered the pj as best I could behind the couch with one screw going into a stud and the other drywall anchored.
Then it was just a matter of centering the screen to the pj and hanging it at a decent level. I lucked out! It's not perfect, nor exact but it requires no keystoning and looks fantastic!
If I'd had more ceiling to work with I would have painstakingly measured like you probably have.
I've just re-measured my pj to screen distance and I see it's actually 13', not 14'. So you should be able to fill that extra height and width of your larger screen given that you are a foot farther back than my setup. If you can't fill it then it's the perfect opportunity to take up the slack with some masking. I have 2" masking all around the perimeter of the picture and it's really nice for contrast and to hide picture bleed.
Good Luck!
Wayne.

Roy...

Sorry for the delay...

The Standard mount will work in your situation. No Extentions are required. The lens is not in the middle of the projector. Take that into consideration when you mount it on the wall... Height...make sure you allow for the lens offset to eliminate keystoning.

Piece of cake to assemble... all the hardware is included and adjustments are a snap... Intuitive and easy.

Sorry again for the delay. Was doing all my paperwork.... The non fun stuff.

Rob

For those emailing me... I am still making and shipping these.

mystery,

What is the "clearance" between the rear of your projector and the wall? (I'm guessing it is about 2.5") Is there ample space for cabling or is it a bit on the tight side? Thanks.

Mistere,
Good guess!
Its exactly 2.5 inches clearance but you must note that the rear of the X1 is a curvature and at the spot where the cables enter the projector, the clearance actually gains another .5 inch so you can plan safely on about 3 inches.
I have the vga to component adapter going into the computer input and the wiring which connects to component cables is very flexible so that you can manipulate it just about any direction needed. At the present time, my adapter is configured in such a way as to hang downwardly and I have the component cables coming up from the floor connecting on a level plane with the bottom rear of the pj. I'm probably going to change this to a ceiling entrance for the cables.
I would not say that the fit is tight or even snug. It looks good and is really just about perfect. As a matter of fact, I can move the pj in just about any direction if needed and the cables move nicely right along with the pj without rubbing up against anything.
Good job Rob (Mandarax)!
Hope this helps Mistere.
Wayne.

Thanks Wayne..

An endorsement from a customer is better than I could possibly do. If I said it was perfect it would mean less than an actual user of the product.

Rob

I am looking for colored screws for the mounting plate. Does anyone know of a good source to get these? If so email me.

The third batch is sold out.... Will be on Vacation next week. Fourth batch will be complete when I get back. Thanks for your support and orders.

Robert

Hi Robert,
Are you back from vacation? I would like to order a mount.

Sorry was gone for a few extra days....

Power outage caused some delays on the 4th batch but it is now complete and I am picking up today and all orders will be shipped tomorrow. ....

Again sorry for the delay....

Robert

All shipping is complete and 60% of the 4th batch is sold.
Reminder .... please do not forget to put your phone number on the order for Fedex. All orders that came in are now shipped.

If you have any questions please email robert@digital-visions.ca

Thanks again for all the support, and orders, and inquiries.


Robert

Have a 5th batch finished this week so supply is good. Will be going to Cedia and trying to determine what the life cycle of the X1 is going to be before making up any more inventory beyond the 5th batch.

Robert

Just another reminder to please include your telephone number for Fedex.

Robert

4th batch is done....
I am picking up the 5th batch today...

Still havent found out what Infocus is going to do with the product .. X1.. ie if they are going to revise it or try and push it on the screenplay side and charge the extra. In any event, I will most probably like to find this out before comitting to a 6th batch. There have been rumors floating about this in a few different arenas...

Had a chance to view a NEC LT240K on the weekend... very very excellent product for the money. I am going with bigger quantities of mounts on the NEC line.

Robert

Could you please do a recap of current info about your product? Also the current price.

For example, I am doing a ceiling mount, and would like to know the 'drop' distance from the ceiling to the bottom of the X1. I realize the threaded rods make it somewhat adjustable. What diameter and thread are the rods, should one need to do something 'different' with your unit?

Also, I notice there's apparently no easy adjustment for horizontal alignment of the pj versus the screen, when your unit is ceiling mounted. Do you offer a 'double knuckle'? Or, am I missing something?? :)

Thank you so much for coming up with what is by all reports a fine product!

Ron Yost

Ron ...

The price is still 83.00..

Drop distance from the "top" of the mount plate is 10 ".
It isnt really threaded rod but rather a cnc machined bolt with threads and and the diameter is 5/8"

I also make up special drops for people with higher ceilings and sloped ceiling up to a point. Have also done some double knuckes... for most ceiling heights the standard drop seems to work perfect, if it is a lower ceilng people have been swapping out the long cnc bolt for the shorter one...which then brings the drop to 4.5 inches... of course the same can be done to increase the drop to 14.5"... Actually you wouldnt believe some of the specials I have made up for people.

I have actually shipped more units to California than to all of Canada.

There is a solution designed for all the products endorsed. I may offer the alternate ceiling design for the X1 in the future... depends on what Infocus future plans are for the projector.

Ron ...

Horizontal adjustment on a ceiling can easily be achieved at the locknut at the mounting plate and also an additional one at the projector plate. All you do is align it and hand lock it in place... couldnt be any easier than this. Sorry I didnt address this in the last post.

Robert

Many times I get asked for pics for the WAF factor. You will note from the attached pic on a wall mount config that as beautiful the mount is,,, one can barely see it once it is mounted.... Paint the opposing wall in Goo and see how easily the waf acceptance factor is. This is a mount that went to Italy. Those Italians can do great looking ceilings.

Robert

You will not in the pic that if the electrical outlet was just under the mount that almost zero wires would be exposed.

Wow #575... just went out the door... Just another 5500 to go. For those that purchased this mount and would like to upgrade later. I will be offering up some replacement projector plates so that all you have to do is swap out the plate that attaches to the projector. Would like to see more pics of installed units. Almost reached 14000 views. Still a bit less than my Canuck shootout.

Robert

Rob,
Just in case you might think that nobody's around, I thought I'd post and say hi.
You've added 5 messages in a row to this thread in over a week and unless people are communicating with you by private email, it would appear that you're being somewhat ignored.
It's okay to post to yourself but if you start talking to yourself that's another story altogether.
Please assure me that you still have all your wits about you and you'll be in retention of your full faculties when I purchase something else from you in the future.:D
Wayne.

lol...

Hi Wayne... no worries I have cleared my PM list out a few times, and my email. I sold out of the 4th run and am over half done the 5th. I was asked several times to post more pics. I get a ton of email asking if these are still available. and recently some people are starting to trade up to other projectors and want to swap out the plates. If I post this here it seems to eliminate many emails and PMS on those subjects. Many of the pics that people were generous to provide need to be reformatted to fit in the allowed specs of this site. Will post some more of the specials when I get a chance. This product is a small part of what I do, but it is one of the most fun when people send me pics of their installations, and rooms from all over the world and you know you were small or significant part of making it happen.

The thread has become somewhat of a monster in size, and to some degree very cumbersome... if I let people know they are still available on the later parts of the thread it also makes it unnecessary to have to email me with this inquiry and possibly having to go through pages of this thread... Also if it disappears in to oblivion some of the new people that keep coming would never find out this product that was predominately made up for the AVS inquiries and requests even exists. I've seen some of the pipe, wood, plexiglass and other solutions that make me cringe.

So Wayne ..hope that helps explain things a bit. If the demand for this goes away... then I will just stop making it.... I thought demand would go down, and so far it actually has gone up. Daughter is still having fun learning the business and she is going to ace geography... so it is all still a great fun project.

BTW ... I am thinking of having another Shootout .... before hibernation season... would welcome your thoughts.

Hey Rob,
Another shootout sounds great! Especially since I was unable to attend the first one due to a cough during the sars scare period.
Hopefully you can secure the same building again, although I was mighty impressed with your dedicated HT room. Of course it wouldn't allow for a huge gathering but in a pinch...
It would be nice to see the new pjs you've been talking about, HT1000 etc..
I want to also take another look at the hi-power screen. So yes, another shootout sounds like fun.
By the way, should we all bring our swimsuits for a dip in your indoor pool in the kitchen or have you drained the swamp by now. :D :D
Wayne.

Just wanted to post a thank you for such an awesome product. I have actually purchased two of these and they both arrived quickly and were little effort to install. My first purchase was for my church and my second purchase was for my house after I sold my RPTV. I needed a custom drop made to get the picture under my ceiling fan, but it looks and works great! If you are thinking about an X1, do yourself a favor and save time and headaches by getting this mount! If anyone would like to see a pic of the mount with an extension, drop me an PM and I will send it out.

Let me add my voice to yours. It was a pleasure dealing with Robert for the mount plus the two X1 adapters. I placed my order quite late in the day and Robert managed to get me a FedEx tracking number that same evening.

A+!!

Wayne .... no way am I putting over 100 people in my kitchen, or my room.

I do a movie night for the kids in this small hamlet every month in the schoolhouse. I have made the room a permanent room, so it is alot less difficult to set up. I was thinking of a Toshiba, 2 Infocus models, 2 NEC models, 2 Panasonic models, 2 Sanyo models, 1 or 2 Optoma models, 2 Epson models ... maybe a mits... and maybe the JVC again. and only 4 or 6 screens this time... not 14 or 15 like last time. Also maybe a HTPC with Maudio revo card... . Kens working on another new kind of brew.
Will know shortly.

Hey ... thanks for the kind words guys. npep ... send me a pic...robert@digital-visions.ca would love to see it.

Will have some pics of the swap out plate next week. I will still carry the X1 mount until the demand drops... Run 6 is on order. I may shift the color to be powder coated black beyond run 6 for the X1.

Rob

Just to clarify and at the risk of talking to myself again....

Run 6 is on order so that I do not run out... Still have stock of run 5.

Run 6 will still be powder coated grey... same grey as the underside of the X1...

Some of my other designs are going to be in black and therefore I may have to switch to a common powder coat black unless the demand stays high for the grey.

Thanks for all the inquiries.

Rob

Here is a pic of a swap out plate for the NEC chassis.

You will note that the color of the plate is black. Again I am not sure what direction I will go to for color. Your comments are welcome and appreciated.

Here is a pic of a short knuckle for ceiling mount on a low ceiling.

this is a new design mount I came up with. Casting housing on top with a very heavy spring loaded onto a ss ball via a heavy press. The spring is compressed and locked into the casting. Perfect spring tension to easily move the projector into position on any axis with no mechanical adjustment. Just point it and let go. Has a hole for video wire feed. and also a wire groove on the top of the casting for electrical. The movement is on any axis dynamically. It will not budge once positioned.

Rob,
This mount looks brilliantly conceived!!
I wouldn't even mind changing your current X1 mount to this if it were possible someday.
I don't know that I would be gaining any height advantage over what I have now though.
How far from ceiling to pj is it using this piece?
Any approximate cost info to consumers?
I love the fact that slight movements would be locked in without mechanical adjustment. Hey, you should become a sex therapist!! :D :D :D
Wayne.

Wayne...

Thanks for the kind review. It took a bit to get the spring perfect. I am not sure about the offering of the new one for the X1, as the X1 may be over soon. Will have to see what happens with that chassis?

I am going to have plates/ mounts made up for all the projectors I endorse. Kind of like a stamp of approval. The mount is 4" to the projector.

Cost to the consumer... Thats a tough one. As you are aware I do not allow compromises in the design and esthetics. To date the universal route from what I have seen just looks bad. I much prefer something designed specifically for a particular chassis. Since this is an add on product to the product line I felt if I was able to add more options to people it would not only enhance the product, but allow me to keep the cost down as low as possible. My goal with all the products I design is to be in a position to have someone hired to do all of the logistics, packaging, order fullfillment, prewashing, assembly prior to powder coat finish (requires some precision so the adjusting lock nut does not lock together or too far apart where the powder coat fills the threads), the dissassembly post powder coating.. I have a ton of other goodies I would like to put into the HT market. My time spent doing the logistics is not the best use of it. Hoping again to someday be in a position where my business can become a full time sponser on this forum. To date I have only been able to give back via donation to the Elf foundation. I would love to be in a position to do more. Cost is going to be determined on expected volumes. I have alot of faith in both these designs. But it is too early to tell how it will sell. Many above 5000. folks perceive that if the cost is so low there must be something wrong with it. A tough call that I do not want to finalize just yet. My trend is to take the risk, at the volume required to make it the best value product possible. Some companies do not like... in fact hate the fact that I design and manufacture these. They want to push their stamped plates that cost X for over 150.00.

I had an engineer buddy over last night and he looked at it and thought no way is this going to hold in position. My poor NEC took quite a rattling last night. He was amazed.

What did you think of the black?... It is actually Hummer black... It is the same powder coat that is used on the Hummer rocker panels. I personally love it as it does not reflect any light spill.

Rob,
Thanks for the update info on the new mount.
The color is very classy. I also like the fact that it's non reflective.
I would pay more for a mount such as this one which eliminates the 'potential' fuss involved in making small adjustments to the pj's position.
Actually, I have found that your present mount acts in much that way now. However you can't always count on the pj to stay in it's exact position, perhaps due to vibrations from the unit itself or the pounding reverberating from the ceiling when people walk on the floor above.
I also like the ability to rout wires through it.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, with the time and effort which you put into these mounts, I wouldn't be surprised if you came up with a superb projector someday which would have the same impact on the industry that the X1 has had.
For all I know, you're already working on it!!
Anyway, congratulations on the new design and keep us posted on your progress.
Wayne.

Wayne...

I have no aspirations to make a projector.

#1 ... I wouldnt get any of my items manufactured in China due to quality issues

#2 ... Because of #1 how would I compete.

The technology for home theater... big CRTs' etc blossomed in my home town ...ever hear of Electrohome. I worked some summers as an interplant shipper for college and university money, and spent quite a bit of time with the engineers that were pioneering this technology. Unfortunately they did not know how to market it to the public and when they had their own cash cow broadcasting company the rest of the business sort of went for a crap. At this time it is very difficult to be competitive unless you manufacture and assemble in Asia, Mexico.

I just make these up to add to my arsenal of other products, and due to the fact that most other solutions are cheaply made, poorly designed, look awful, and are very expensive. Very fun to design..... trust me the manufacturers of projectors do not like me offering these products. If you look at the swap out plate for the NEC you will note that it is not symetrical like the X1... has a bend and was not unintentionally made more difficult to produce a good solution.

Crank it down and it will hold.... no problem.

How much for the X1 mount shipped to New Zealand ? Can you also tell me more about your Xbox products mentioned in the 1st post ?

Originally posted by mandarax
#1 ... I wouldnt get any of my items manufactured in China due to quality issues

Isn't the x1 made in China?

dpadair,
Rob is simply saying that if he were to design a projector himself, he would choose not to have it mass produced in China.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of things which we buy in North America which used to be assembled here but are now coming to us from China, including the X1 as far as I know.

Hessian...

I have actually shipped to New Zealand already... But for inquiries best to email robert@digital-visions.ca ... Also shipped to Denmark, Italy, UK, Australia, Chile, France, Belgium, Norway,

The X1 is manufactured in China... It is amazing what China can do price wise. If the X1 was produced in North America or Europe... obviously no way would it be anywhere close to the price level... so its not all bad. I just wouldnt do anything with metal castings or forgings, or machined parts there. I have a friend who does and even tho the failure rate is over 38% it still saves him 40%... I just couldnt be bothered.

Hey Rob! I was speaking to Dwayne today. We talked about the mount, and he mentioned your name. I thought of the new mount, and well, there it is.