Re: Greatest. Gaming. Table. Ever.

Alan and Carmel Brain wrote:
> OK for use for a few hours at a time, but don't expect a long life
from 
> the light valve. Other technology might work, but costs.
> 
> Sorry, I was involved with this type of stuff for military purposes 
> nearly 20 years ago now. The technology has changed and gotten a lot 
> better, and the prices are 1/100 of what they used to be, with 
> reliability better by a factor of 100 too. Also, wargames don't have
the 
> usual military requirements about shock resistance, ability to work at

> 60C and -10C, insensitivity to vibration etc.
> 
> Still not ready for prime time.
> 
> To get sufficient lumens in a normally illuminated room, and not have 
> huge heat dissipation problems is tricky. The problems can be solved -

> at a a price. The price either being in $ or reliability.

	The people who have this arrangement are talking about
	adding additional cooling fans.

	There are some suggestions that mounting the projector
	with the lens pointing down violates the manufacturers
	warranty.  The internal struts are stressed for horizontal
	use, not vertical.  A mirror or prism might be required.

	The set up they have is about 1600 lumens.  They say that
	it is easy to see if the room has slightly reduced
	illumination.  Not enough to make it hard to read a book.
	They have been running it for six hour game sessions
	once a week or so, for about three years.  So far they
	have not had to replace the bulb, but they have a
	spare on hand.	Cost about $200 for the bulb.

	They had some specs about the minimum projector one
	should settle for.  Something like 1600 lumens,
	1024xwhatever resolution, and some contrast rating
	that I cannot remember off the top of my head.
	Currently about $1000 new, and $700 used.
	However, they also say that the prices are
	steadily declining.