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[on:]

Right, similar to the 'Your latest purchase' thread:
http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,50154.0.html

What's your latest scrounged/acquired product.

Mine is a broken NEC projector (VT470). It's been hit with a stick or something... I think the bulb is ok (pretty sure where I got it from tried it with a new one before they chucked it - it's got one in it) and I'm hoping it will be an easy fix. Gonna do the zenon/halogen headlight bulb mod if I get it working fine - not gonna pay a few hundred for a new bulb.

I have a second one in my sights too which I might get in a few weeks

I got a hot plate a few months back for SMD soldering (just about to get some new thermal fuses to make it safe again).

You guys must have got some cool stuff for free recently.

[Reply #1 on:]

My dad died before Christmas (he'd been ill for ages so it wasn't out of the blue).  I now own a couple of early 80s style acrylic cardigans, a selection of ties I'll probably never wear and a load of oxygen tubing. 

No idea what to do with the tubing really though it might come in handy if I ever attempt a water droplet "printer".

[Reply #2 on:]

Why not try some powerful LEDs instead? I am totally going to try that when the expensive xenon bulb in mine dies

Right, similar to the 'Your latest purchase' thread:
http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,50154.0.html

What's your latest scrounged/acquired product.

Mine is a broken NEC projector (VT470). It's been hit with a stick or something... I think the bulb is ok (pretty sure where I got it from tried it with a new one before they chucked it - it's got one in it) and I'm hoping it will be an easy fix. Gonna do the zenon/halogen headlight bulb mod if I get it working fine - not gonna pay a few hundred for a new bulb.

I have a second one in my sights too which I might get in a few weeks

I got a hot plate a few months back for SMD soldering (just about to get some new thermal fuses to make it safe again).

You guys must have got some cool stuff for free recently.

[Reply #3 on:]

Why not try some powerful LEDs instead? I am totally going to try that when the expensive xenon bulb in mine dies

Well, could do but they're more expensive than a car headlight
Good idea though, I'll keep it in mind.

[Reply #4 on:]

Most recent thing I got was a dead microwave

Ripped it apart and took the transformer, motor, entire pcb, and fan (with step down transformer attached)

[Reply #5 on:]

Most recent thing I got was a dead microwave

Ripped it apart and took the transformer, motor, entire pcb, and fan (with step down transformer attached)

Didn't make a herf gun then

[Reply #6 on:]

Why not try some powerful LEDs instead? I am totally going to try that when the expensive xenon bulb in mine dies

Well, could do but they're more expensive than a car headlight
Good idea though, I'll keep it in mind.

A normal bulb from a car cant be used, or it can, but the colors would be wrong.

The normal ones got yellow'ish light, and all colors form the projector will then be changed a bit by that. That is why they use xenon bulbs in them, and one xenon bulb is 25$, plus the ballast to power it, in case the build-in can't run it.

The prices on LEDs are like 5-10$ (maybe more too) depending on what you want. But at the same time, they will also produce less heat than the xenon one, even when the LED also require a heat spreader. Plus the LED should live longer than the xenon (the ones in my projector is rated for 1000 hours).

So by changing it to a LED in mine, I can both change to a smaller, an more silent fan, reduce power consumption (the xenon is 150W), and have the same light source longer.

[Reply #7 on:]

Someone at work was going to throw out a couple dead tape backup drives so I snagged them. Not sure what I'll do with them yet.

[Reply #8 on:]

Most recent thing I got was a dead microwave

Ripped it apart and took the transformer, motor, entire pcb, and fan (with step down transformer attached)

Didn't make a herf gun then

no, I chunked the magnetron into the trash, I'm not brave enough yet to mess with radiation (you know, besides the every day ones I subject my face to)

Why not try some powerful LEDs instead? I am totally going to try that when the expensive xenon bulb in mine dies

Well, could do but they're more expensive than a car headlight
Good idea though, I'll keep it in mind.

A normal bulb from a car cant be used, or it can, but the colors would be wrong.

You could modify the colors to make it right again


though I agree that the LEDs would be better

[Reply #9 on:]

You could modify the colors to make it right again

Yes, you could modify the other colors, but white will still be a problem. And not all projectors got the option for modifying RGB, mine doesn't have it, so it totally relies on the light source having the right color. That is also why I will look after a powerfull RGB led, and I can then make a tiny arduino board with ir receiver, and use that to adjust the color of the led on-the-fly

[Reply #10 on:]

The projector has the option to correct the colour so it would not be too much of an issue but I may go with LEDs as I do agree with what has been posted.

After having a bit more of a look at it - looks like the error it gets is that the bulb doesn't light. I wouldn't have thought that the bulb is just broken. Possibly because the case is a bit cracked they chucked it out over a broken bulb...
Just need to work out how it works out when the bulb is lit and hack it into thinking it's always lit. Then I can use some nice LEDs or something.

[Reply #11 on:]

A broken WowWee Rovio Wifi Mobile Webcam... now mostly functional after a few minor repairs and cobbling together a battery pack from a half-dozen AA NIMH batteries.  It's surprisingly easy to solder wires onto those batteries..

Taking care of a few things, but I plan to set up to let some remote folks play with it over the next day or so..

[Reply #12 on:]

This post makes me want to hit the thrifty stores this weekend.

[Reply #13 on:]

This post makes me want to hit the thrifty stores this weekend.

I'm ridin' shotgun

[Reply #14 on:]

OK guys don't make me regret this:

http://24.60.232.215:9000

That's the Rovio.  Take her for a drive... maybe 30 mins of battery at best...