How to make a multimedia projector with your own hands. Independent production of a projector from improvised means. Rules on how to make a projector with your own hands: main features

You can make a projector on your own using Android mobile devices or a laptop monitor. Such a device is perfect for viewing slides. Also, the projection of homemade products will make it possible to watch movies. Assembling a simple device is not difficult.

An option on how to make a projector from a phone with your own hands

You can make a projector at home using a regular cardboard box and a phone. This device is not difficult to do with your own hands. To begin with, they carry out preparatory work and stock up on the necessary tools. The projector will require a cardboard box, a 10x magnifying glass, a sharp knife, a pencil, and electrical tape.

A magnifying glass can be a regular magnifying glass or a Fresnel lens. This item can be purchased at any household store.

If desired, the lens can be made at home. This will require certain knowledge and skills. As a basis, you can take any box, for example, from under shoes.

The sequence of creating a projector from a phone:

First you need to make a hole for the lens. It is performed in the center of the box.
Next, you need to fix the lens in the hole made. To do this, use electrical tape. In some cases, silicone or special glue is used.
Next, you need to install a smartphone stand. To do this, choose the right place. In this case, the phone must hold firmly and not stagger, so that the image does not end up blurry.
The received device should be tested. To do this, the curtains should be closed in the room. After a trial time, the correct placement of the device becomes clear.
On the smartphone itself, you will need to install a special program that will flip the image, because the lamp distorts the picture by 180 degrees.
On the other side of the box, you will need to take care of the hole for charging the phone.

At this homemade cardboard mini projector is considered ready for use. So it turns out a home theater where you can watch movies with the whole family. In addition, this is a great option for viewing photos with a large group.

How to make a projector at home from a laptop

A smartphone is a great option for creating a projector. But if you want to improve the quality, you can use another gadget. So it is advised to take into account a laptop or tablet. Due to the larger screen resolution, the video quality will be much better.

When using a laptop, you should understand that the screen resolution will be much better. However, this will make the design more cumbersome.

The box for building a home theater from a tablet should be large enough. So the length should be at least 50 cm, and the end part should be slightly larger than the screen of the device. It is better to choose a large Soviet magnifying glass.

A hole should be made in the end with a knife. It should be slightly smaller than the magnifying glass itself. The lens is attached with double-sided adhesive tape. Then you should fix the tablet inside the box. In this case, it should be borne in mind that the lens flips the image.

Creating a projector from a laptop has its own characteristics. On both end sides, you will need to cut rectangular holes. The device is placed with the monitor down, while the keyboard is located at the top. This placement will help to get the correct image on the final result.

DIY original 3D projector: creation features

On the basis of a smartphone, you can make an original 3D projector. For such a design, a plastic pyramid is required. You can buy such a device on the Internet, they also get acquainted with the dimensions. Then you just need to fix the pyramid on your smartphone strictly in the center and start the necessary video. The type of construction is determined by the purpose of such a device. Therefore, it should be determined in advance.

Purposes of 3d projector:

You can show a real fairy tale from a technically progressive future. Such tricks will appeal to both the older and younger generations.
This design will interest kids and you can show cartoons to children.
A laser slide projector creates the effect of a cinema and you can not spend extra money, this will help save on the cost of hobbies.

This design does not require special costs and materials. It is enough to show a little imagination. You will only have to spend money on a plastic pyramid, but these are not significant costs.

Rules on how to make a projector with your own hands: main features

Before you start building a projector, you should study its design. Only then can you evaluate your chances of getting the right device. The correct projector provides for the presence of a lens and a lens. They affect the uniform distribution of light. Light must enter the lens at a certain angle.

The image source is usually a liquid crystal matrix. She works for the light. Each pixel is enlarged by several sizes. Therefore, the original image should be of the highest possible quality. The brightness of the projection lamp determines the maximum screen size.

For good image quality, the source material must be FULL HD - that's 1920x1080 pixels.

The simplest video projector is done using a smartphone, a cardboard box and a lens. The box should be chosen larger than the gadget, and the lens should match the size of the screen in diameter. Its focal length determines the distance to the screen.

The principle of arranging a simple projector:

A hole is made in the box for the lens;
Any gadget is fixed inside.

The frame for the phone should be comfortable to move inside the box. Often, another box is used for this, which is smaller in size. Light reflection should be as low as possible. That is why the inner surface of the box is pasted over with black paper for applications. You can also paint with matte paint. In some cases, shoe cream can be noticed. You can also take a dense canvas of the artist

How to make a magnifying glass at home

The purpose of the lenses is clear. This is a magnifying glass that helps magnify objects. To make a lens yourself, you will need a plastic bottle, water, plasticine or window putty. When typing in a bottle of water, a magnifying device will be ready, but this is clearly not enough.

Sequential creation of a magnifying glass:

From a plastic bottle cut 2 identical circles.
Then the two circles will need to be connected using plasticine or window putty. You should not forget to roll out plasticine before work.
Next, you need to cut the straw into two parts and fix it on the surface of the lens.
One end of the straw is launched into a slot in the lens, while the other end is used to vent air. This will help push water into the lens. But all connections must be tight.
Then the lens is lowered into the water and liquid is drawn inside.

After all, the lens is removed and the gap is sealed with sealant. On this, the manufacture of the lens is considered complete. For convenience, it is advised to stick a lens to the design.

DIY projector screen (video)

To make a projector yourself, you will need to take a magnifying glass, a gadget and a cardboard box. After simple manipulations, such a filmoscope will project films onto the wall if a special elevator is made. But you can buy a ready-made Avon mobile projector. Reviews about him are positive.

I think many people would like to have a home theater in their home. If you have already thought about this, then you must have come across the question - how to make a big screen? If you buy a TV, it will cost a pretty penny, and even a large TV with a diagonal of one and a half meters will not create the impression of a cinema. Another option is to buy a projector. Of course, the idea is also a lot of money, plus you can hardly find any components, and if you do, they are expensive. I mean the projector lamp, and it does not last long.

But when using a real projector at home, you can create a real cinema.

There is a third way that I went - to make the projector myself. To the article, this does not matter, but I will still tell you why I decided to take this step. I had a dream floating in my head for several years to build my own home theater. And then a girl appeared in my life ... And you can’t even imagine what a desire I had to invite her to watch a movie at the cinema. In our seedy town, apart from numerous pubs, there are practically no sights, but only heard about cinemas here. So I decided to build my own.

In general, whatever the goals are, let's get started.

Details and accessories.

Having rummaged through the Internet, I ordered the following with delivery by mail: two fresnel lenses with a focal length of 220 mm and 317 mm, an 80 mm / 1: 4 / FR = 320 lens, and the heart of the projector is a 15 mm LCD matrix with a resolution of 1024x768.

I ordered a case at the sawmill, designed it myself, so a lot of shortcomings were revealed during assembly.

Light. Powerful LED and driver for it. LED power 100W. It was all sent straight from China.

Assembling the projector

First, let's take a look at the monitor.

And very carefully remove the matrix itself.

An anti-reflective film is located on the front of the matrix. Of course, you can leave it, but I preferred to remove it, thereby improving the image quality.
It is removed like this: covered with wet napkins or a towel and left for 10-12 hours. Then it is carefully removed.

Checking the functionality, after removing the anti-glare.

Everything is working. Now let's start assembling the case.

We customize the wrappings on which the matrix and fresnel lenses will be attached

We attach the lenses with ordinary self-tapping screws, with the ribbed side of the lens inward.

Yes, I also forgot to say about buying a radiator with a cooler from a computer. I installed an LED on this radiator, before lubricating the surfaces with a heat-conducting paste for better contact. For reference: a powerful 100W LED is equivalent in light intensity to a 400W metal halide lamp.

We insert and attach the driver and heatsink to the case.

We check and are a little disappointed: our Chinese friends sent a defective LED - one section is off .... Oh well .... Plus, the driver is heating up, and decided to reinstall it.

We rob our box with lenses, insert the matrix in the middle. The image matrix must be rotated 180 degrees relative to the top and bottom and flipped. In other words, where the top is, there should be a bottom, and where the left edge is, there should be a right edge. This is done to ensure that everything is projected correctly, since the lenses flip the entire image.

We fix. lens with a focal length of 220 mm to the LED.

We turn it on and empirically find the place where our box of wrappings is attached, so that the light is distributed evenly across the screen.

Here I got a good picture when projected onto a wall with wallpaper. diagonal 2.5 meters.

Creating a projector with your own hands at home is not difficult: often a phone or tablet and a small amount of stationery are enough for this. A homemade device will allow you to view photos, a movie or a video on a larger screen. When choosing how to build a projector, be guided by your goals: different options are suitable for different situations.

Based on a mobile device

Homemade projector can be made from a smartphone. It is necessary to collect in advance the materials necessary to create a slide projector. You will need a cardboard shoebox, a 10x magnifying lens or magnifying glass, tape or blue electrical tape, a simple pencil, a paper clip, and a mobile phone.

This option is suitable for people who want to entertain children with cartoons. The picture shown on the wall is less harmful to children's eyesight than watching cartoons from the TV screen, laptop or tablet. In addition, this option allows parents to control what kids watch, exclude programs that are not intended for children.

It is necessary to cut a window for the lens in the box. It should be installed exactly in the center of the box. Calculating the required distance is simple: you need to connect the corners with diagonal lines, at the intersection of which the desired point will be located. When the center is found, make a hole of the desired size.

After that, you should fix the magnifying glass. For this, tape, electrical tape is suitable. You can use other methods: glue gun, silicone.

Then, in the cardboard projector for the smartphone, you need to install a stand so that the phone is fixed in one position. A paperclip curved in a special way will do. You can also make a stand from pieces of cardboard.

You should first test the operation of the resulting device, choose the appropriate location of the smartphone in the box. It is worth trying different gadget positions to find the best angle. It is also important to fix the picture on the phone in the right position: the lens flips the image, so the picture (video) on the device must be upside down.

To make a projector from a phone, you also need to make a small hole in the box for the charger. This will allow you to watch a movie without interrupting to recharge your gadget.

Tablet or laptop based

There are several ways to make a projector with your own hands. For this purpose, you can use laptops or tablets. They have a larger screen resolution, the picture quality will be better than when watching movies from your phone.

You will have to make a projector out of a larger box. Its length should be at least 0.5 m. The back wall should be slightly larger than the tablet in order for the gadget to fit inside. For a projector from a monitor, an even more voluminous box is required.

The tablet should be fixed inside the box. Remember that the lens will flip the image. If the gadget automatically rotates the picture, you should download a special application in which you can fix the screen in the desired position.

If a laptop is used to create the projector, 2 cuts should be made in the box. The device is folded on the top half with the keyboard down. In this case, the inverted screen should be located at the cut site. It is important to choose a box that will support the weight of the device placed on top of it.

How to improve image quality?

When a projector is made from a phone with your own hands, the image projected from a magnifying glass can be improved for a more comfortable viewing. On the screen from which the image will be projected, set the maximum settings. You can also adjust the quality by moving the smartphone in the box. The closer the phone is to the magnifying glass, the sharper the image, but its size will be smaller.

The lens should also be prepared: cleaned of dust and dirt. If the lens is scratched, it is recommended to replace it with another one to improve the image quality.

There should be no light in the room in which the home theater projection room is located. Blackout curtains should be used, all extraneous sources should be eliminated. Painting the inner surface of the box with black paint will also help: this will eliminate the “leakage” of light rays through the cracks, making the picture clearer.

The quality of the surface on which the film is projected is also important. There should be no defects, seams, pollution on the canvas. It is recommended to use a special screen or a white surface.

original solutions

You can also make a 3D projector with your own hands at home. It is more difficult to create such a device, and financial costs will be required.

It is necessary to create a truncated plastic pyramid. There are different sizes. An option is suitable, the larger base of which is 60x60 mm, the smaller one is 10x10 mm, and the height is 45 mm. To show holograms from a tablet, you need a larger pyramid, since the screen of the device is larger than that of a phone.

It should be placed on the phone screen in the center. After that, you can turn on the movie. This type of projector is well suited for entertaining kids: holograms will strain your eyes less. In addition, this option looks unusual, attracts attention.

The projector is an important part of a home theater. Unlike a TV, it has a compact size and does not take up much space. This allows you to take it with you to presentations, parties and much more. But the projector is unreasonably expensive, and not everyone can buy it. Therefore, the idea of making a projector with your own hands is not without meaning and has the right to life.

Device and principle of operation

There are several types of projectors in the world. Of these, two main ones are distinguished, which are the most common. These are projectors on cathode ray tubes and with a liquid crystal matrix.

CRT projectors have many disadvantages that LCD projectors do not have.. This is a lot of weight, a brightness of no more than 300 lumens versus 10 thousand for liquid crystals and poor image quality. Therefore, now they can only be found in the museum. They were replaced by LCD projectors. These projectors are similar in principle to those in which the source of the image was a film. Now, instead of it, a liquid crystal matrix is \u200b\u200bused.

An LCD projector consists of several basic elements:

Control boards;
Light source in the form of a lamp or LED;
2 Fresnel lenses;
Liquid crystal matrix;
lens.

The light leaving the LED hits the Fresnel lens, which scatters it. Scattered light is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the matrix and passes through it. Passing the matrix, the light takes on the colors of the frame that was on the matrix during its passage. After the matrix, the light enters the second Fresnel lens, which is turned on the other side. The lens collects the light into a beam and sends it to the lens. The lens focuses the light in such a way that the picture is clear and does not have blur at the edges.

Also, with the help of the lens, the focal length is changed. This is to set up the projector when you put it in a new location.

DIY manufacturing

A good projector will cost you a lot of money, so you should think about how to make it for your phone with your own hands.

Such a projector is easily assembled from improvised materials. Here is a list of what is needed:

Hot glue gun;
Elongated rectangular box;
Magnifying glass;
Black marker or paint;
Stationery knife.

If you have collected everything you need, then you can start making a projector from your smartphone with your own hands.

Paint the inside of the box and lid black to prevent light from reflecting off the walls and interfering with the operation of the device. Wait for the paint to dry and start cutting out the hole for the lens.

Remember that the magnifying glass is the key element of the projector. The quality of the picture directly depends on it. In no case do not take cheap glasses with plastic lenses. Glass lenses made from 10x magnifiers are ideal. If you have a Soviet magnifying glass lying around at home, use it. If you don’t know which box to use, take it from under your shoes, it has the right size. Attach a magnifying glass to the end of the box and circle it with a marker. Use a utility knife to cut a hole along the contour and place a magnifying glass there.

There are only two options for installing a magnifying glass: put the magnifier in its entirety or remove the lens from it and install only it. Choose the option that is convenient for you and install the glass.

Plug the gun into the network and wait until the glue in it melts. Be careful when using a glue gun. The glue in it is heated to 130 ° C and, if it comes into contact with the skin, causes deep burns. Attach the lens to the hole and apply a little hot glue on different sides. Align the lens with the housing and hold until the adhesive has cured. Take the gun and glue the remaining gaps with glue. After curing, carefully cut off excess glue from the lens.

Put your phone in the box. You need to put it sideways, with the screen to the lens. Set your phone to maximum brightness and turn on some video. Turn off the light in the room and point the box with the lens at the wall. A fuzzy image will appear on the wall. By moving the phone closer or further away from the lens, achieve a clear picture on the wall. As you can see, making a projector at home is very simple. Now you can stock up on cookies and enjoy watching your favorite movie on the big screen.

How to make a high resolution projector

Not everyone can make a high-quality projector with their own hands at home, since certain skills are needed. If you can not separate the matrix from the light-distributing substrate - do not take on this matter.

You will need:

2 Fresnel lenses;
Good magnifying glass lens;
Segment of a sewer pipe of the same diameter as a lens;
2 guides with plain bearings;
Long screw with nut;
Fixings for screw and guides;
100 watt LED;
Processor heatsink with a power dissipation of at least 100 watts;
Computer fans 120 and 80 mm;
300 watt computer power supply;
150 watt DC-DC boost converter;
Two-core cable with a total cross section of 2 mm²;
Cheap Chinese tablet or phone with OTG support;
Clock button;
Glue B-7000;
Any thermal paste;
hot glue;
4 silicone or rubber feet;
Sheet plastic that does not transmit light;
A can of black matte paint;
2 furniture hinges;
Plywood;
Corners for fastening plywood sheets;
A lamb from a valve, a wheel from a toy car, or something else that is suitable for a focus knob;
Self-tapping screws.

The dimensions of the projector directly depend on the matrix you have chosen, so when reading the diagrams, be guided by the proportions. If they don't match up a bit, no big deal. The main thing is that everything works.

Deciphering the designations:

LCD matrix.
Fresnel lenses.
Fresnel lens holders.
Matrix holder.
Guide fasteners.
Screw fixings.
Guides.
Screw.
Plain bearings.
Screw.
Lens carriage.
Lens holder.
Lens.
Focus knob.
phone motherboard.
Display matrix cable.
Air intakes.
Loops.
120mm fan.
Cover border.
Light-emitting diode.
Radiator.
80mm fan.
Lens hole.
phone USB port.
Motherboard power cable.
Power supply and converter.
Fan power cable.
Cover of the ventilated compartment.
LED power cables.
Rubber feet.
Motherboard power button.

To get started, visit the furniture, construction and radio store. There you will find everything you need. When you get home, check if you have bought everything. Otherwise, you run the risk of finding yourself in a situation where half of the project is ready and then it turns out that some detail is missing. And according to the law of meanness, this will happen at a time when the shops are closed.

Production of individual parts

Decide on the dimensions and cut out the components of the body from plywood. There are only 7 of them:

Base;
Top;
Cover of the ventilated compartment;
Front and back panels;
2 side walls.

Paint the inside of all parts black matte red. Solder a plate with holes to the nut, on which the carriage will be attached. Install one rail mount to the base and secure it with self-tapping screws. Put the bearing on the guide and insert it into the installed mount. Then put the second fastener on the free end of the guide and screw it to the base. Repeat this operation with the second guide and screw. The screw is installed strictly along the longitudinal axis of the base, and the guides are at the same distance from it.

Cut the carriage out of plywood and fix it to the rails using brackets and screws. Do not forget to fasten the nut, without it the carriage will not be able to move. Fasten the bearings and the nut in the center of the carriage, otherwise it will warp. Cut off about 5 cm from the sewer pipe. Insert the lens removed from the magnifying glass into the segment and fix it with hot glue. Glue the resulting lens with hot glue to the carriage.

From plywood, cut out holders for Fresnel lenses. Make cuts in them in advance for laying the matrix cable and power wires. Install the lenses in the center of the holders and glue them. Cut out the holder for the matrix from plastic, gluing it to plywood is a so-so idea. The cutout in the holder should be slightly smaller than the matrix itself.

Snap off the cover from the phone, remove or disconnect the battery and unscrew all the screws. Disconnect the display cable from the motherboard and remove it. Unscrew the screws holding the display and remove it from the phone case. If the display is stuck on with double-sided tape, carefully pry it around the perimeter of the credit card until it comes off. Gently prying with your nails, separate the light-distributing substrate with LEDs from the matrix. Try not to damage the conductive tracks and cables going to the matrix.

With a sharp clerical knife or scalpel, cut off the separated substrate. Coat the edges of the cutout with B-7000 glue and cover it with a matrix. Put a book on the resulting sandwich and wait for the glue to dry. To prevent the cable from coming off, glue it to the holder. Fresnel lenses are glued to the holders in the same way.

Solder the wires to the LED and screw it to the heatsink, after lubricating it with thermal paste. Insert the heatsink with LED into the cutout on the rear panel and secure it with corners. Install an 80mm fan on it and lead the wires through the cutout. Make ventilation holes in the side walls and assemble air intakes from plywood. Install a 120 mm fan on the inside of the wall, and put air intakes on the outside.

The intake holes should face back so that the light coming out of them does not hit the screen. Unsolder the standard power button from the motherboard and solder the wires in its place. Also solder the wires to the battery terminals. Attach the board to the side wall using small screws. Cut all the necessary holes in the front panel and start assembling the projector.

Assembling into one

Use corners and self-tapping screws to connect the base to the front and back panels. Attach the side walls to them. Install the holders with the matrix and lenses in their places. The lens closest to the LED should be placed from the matrix with a gap of two centimeters. This will protect it from unwanted heating. Install the remaining lens tightly.

Solder the tact switch to the wires from the motherboard and insert it into the front panel. Fill the button with hot glue from the inside of the case, thereby securely fixing it. Connect a 12 volt line from the power supply to the input of the converter and set it to the LED voltage. Connect the power cable of the LED to the output of the converter. Connect the wires from the fans to twelve, and from the motherboard to the five-volt line. Observe polarity when connecting all wires. If you confuse the plus with the minus, your motherboard will burn out.

First use and setup

Insert a cable from the matrix into the motherboard and cover the entire structure with a lid. Place the projector in a dark room, point it at the wall, and turn it on. Install the focus knob on the screw. Rotate it until a clear image appears on the wall. If nothing worked out for you, carefully move the holders with lenses and the matrix back and forth. After the appearance of a clear image, carefully fix the holders with hot glue. Attach the top to the case and fix the power supply with the converter on it. Replace the hinges and hang the lid on them. Glue the rubber feet to the base and place the finished projector in the place prepared for it.

As it turned out, you can make a projector with your own hands. And the quality is not inferior to the store. And the materials spent on its manufacture will cost you much less than a new projector. The only question is whether you have free time and skills. But it rarely happens that a person does not have free time at all, and if there is time, skills will appear.

In this article, which continues our cycle of simple various crafts at home, we will tell you how to make a simple but adequately working projector at home. A homemade device that can be easily made at home even without special skills can replace a small home theater for watching movies or family photos.

Of course, the factory assembly wins in quality, but in terms of comfort and atmosphere, a homemade projector will be much better. Moreover, it can be done together with the child - this is a very serious plus for your relationship.

Even the child himself will not have any difficulties in assembling the projector from an ordinary box of cardboard and a banal magnifying glass if he decides to work on the device without the help of adults. This will take a maximum of 15 minutes.

Let's now tell you step by step how best to make such a projector with minimal time and effort. There are simple and complex schemes, we will analyze one that is as easy as possible in practical implementation.

Preparing to create a projector

To begin with, let's collect in front of us all those materials and components from which it will be possible to make our miracle projector itself.

We will definitely need an ordinary medium-sized shoe box, a 10X magnification lens, a stationery sharp knife, an ordinary marking pencil, black electrical tape, a paper clip and, of course, a smartphone. A homemade projector for viewing photos and videos will be ready very soon.

Carefully on one of the side walls of the box we cut out a hole exactly in the center in which the lens will be placed. It is very important that it is located strictly in the center - here a pencil will come in handy, with which we will draw diagonals on the side where we will cut the hole. It is in the center of the intersection of the diagonals that the lens will be placed.

We fix the lens with the help of a pre-stored electrical tape. However, other options for fixing are also suitable, for example, building glue or silicone.

Inside the box, we make a stand for placing a smartphone (if there is a special case that allows you to put a smartphone behind the lens, then no stand is simply needed).

We turn off the light, hang the curtains and start testing the projector. It will be necessary just by moving the smartphone to find the optimal location of it relative to the lens. It is necessary to achieve the highest quality image - everything is simple here and depends only on the position of the device and the box.

A properly working image flip application must be downloaded and installed on your phone. The fact is that when passing through the lens, the video or photo will automatically turn 180 degrees.

The best option for Android OS would be Ultimate Rotation Control, and owners of "apple" devices will be able to use Video Rotate & Flip or another option.

It is desirable to make a convenient input for the MicroUSB wire - phones are quickly discharged when playing videos or viewing photos.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in making a simple home projector. The more pleasant moment will be that you will have to spend a minimum amount of money - after all, everything you need for it can be found in almost any apartment.

What points should be considered when working?

If you decide to make a really good projector, then you should increase all overall dimensions. Accordingly, use a tablet or laptop instead of a phone, and the box will also be larger, respectively. The manufacturing mechanics are exactly the same as in the small format.

IMPORTANT: If the image does not improve in any way, no matter how you move the device, then the problem is most likely the quality of the lens you have installed. It will be optimal if you find an old Soviet magnifying glass - their quality is simply amazing.

The brightness settings on your smartphone or tablet should be set to the highest possible. Painting the inside of the box black will also improve the quality of the projected image. Not every wall is suitable either - it would be best if the projection goes onto whatman paper placed on the wall evenly and at a right angle.

Be sure to organize viewing only at night and with minimal ambient light - only in such conditions the picture quality will be more or less normal.

Do not forget that this is homemade, not professional equipment - do not expect too much from it. Homemade projectors with a lens, without a magnifier, can also work fine.

We are sure that our ideas and detailed instructions for creating a home projector have become useful to you. Working with your child on such a device will help you establish additional contact with him, and cozy family evenings will be great activities to relax after a hard day at work. Make a projector and be sure that everything will work out for you.