2 screens no room

[Sam Whitehead]

I got a jobcome in that the custmer requires a screen for the evening entertainment, I do video projection afair amount but in venues that do not have this problem. the room has a screen but for aconfrence where the projecter goeson the floor, this is not possible. we plan to set the main show/rig etc up on the wall to leftof this so would be poss to hand projector form our rig and try and correct but not too sure. 2nd planisto have 2 rear projector scrrens in the corner and hope the distance is not too far for the big image. budget looks to be not too good i.e. less than 200 for the av gear would be good. plasmas not big enough and too dear to hire. 2 rear screens are bout 90 quid each on 1 call to an av company. another option I did have was to remove the celing tile and replace with my mdf one with a 12mm hole in, this is what I hand par cans from sometime, I think I could hang my projector to this just weight and safety bit of prob, not sure if I got gurders up ubove this. any ideas would be great bearing in ming 200 is prob going to be top.

 

 

cheers sam

[lamps galore]

eh?? ;)

 

Can you re-post a bit clearer please?

 

I'm not sure I understand some of your options - you might put two rear projection screens in a corner - how are you then going to project? Is the space big enough?

 

You then mention hanging projector from the ceiling presumably in front?? :huh:

 

Give us a bit more details - size of room, etc - you might want to do a site visit with a trusty tape measure and notebook!

[Sam Whitehead]

yh soz wrote in a bit of a rush. I havent seen the job some one else has, its a bit of a treck there so another site visit not possible. options are

 

1. main screen in room is about 12ft by 8ft ish can project on this by taking a celing tile out and hanging direct here as described earlier this is a bit un safe, im not sure if there is a gurger of any other fixings but this is not ideal.

 

2. project on the above screen from our rig. our rig going on the wall to the side of the screen so 90 degrees from the screen, I dont think this will work as talking bout at least 20meters to the screen from corner of our rig.

 

3. more favorible option, 2 rear projection screen in the corners( away enough though to get an image on them, e.g a projecter right in the corner then a screen far enough away top get a big enough image on them, projectors I got are not with changerble lens so distance going to be quite a way

 

4. plasmas seem to be too dear to hire and arent going tobe big enough.

 

cheers sam

[lamps galore]

I think you might have answered your own question...

 

If there are no safe/secure hanging positions for front projection, which I think would be a better option, then you may well have to stick to rear projection - presuming you have the space.

 

You might want to then consider "blocking off" this area to prevent people walking in front of the projector and making a mess of the image for the people on the right side of the screen (if this makes sense). ;)

[Sam Whitehead]

yh it does m8 thanks, does 90 quid for 1 x 8 ft by 6 ft rear projection screen sound fair?

 

is hanging a projecter off a home made celing tile unsafe? I would get a second bond on the projector, wether a gurder is there or not, I can soon drill in the celing ** laughs out loud ** ;)

[lamps galore]

haven't hired a screen in years, so can't help you there...

 

but I'd definitely check the loadings on whatever is above the ceiling before I'd hang anything...

[david.elsbury]

If you are unsure about hanging things from a ceiling grid, please consult a rigger or someone more qualified than yourself BEFORE YOU KILL SOMEONE. Oh, and please write in proper words and sentances... text speak isn't appreciated round these parts.

[Pete McCrea]

Aaaaarrrrrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!

 

So you're not sure about the safety of hanging a projector off a home made ceiling tile. Well if you aren't sure don't bloody well do it!!

 

I'll hire you an 8'x6' Da-Lite Fastfold Deluxe for £40/day ex VAT. Delivery Extra.

 

Please also make sure that if your running a true company (either Partnership, Limited company etc) you have the correct Public Liability and Employers Liability sorted. Hanging projectors from a ceiling tile could well lead to you having to try and claim against it. Some of us work damned hard to make a living from this industry. It's then hard to see people who don't have a clue doing it on the cheap. It only lowers clients view as to what is achieveable (safetly) for the budgets they have. Please make sure you do a good site visit, charge appropriately for the work you do, and make sure you do it safely.

 

[/end of Rant]

[Ynot]

Oh dear.

 

Sam, I'm going to be rather direct here and ask how old you are and how long you've been running your company?

From your profile you're still at college on an HNC course - my recent experience of education isn't too hot, but I reckon that could mean you're late teens early 20's, yes? (What's the IET, by the way? Institute of Engineering & Technology? Institute of Education and Technology of the OU?)

 

However, your writing style smacks of many 14 yr olds, I'm afraid - txt spk, poor spelling and grammar and lazy attitudes to things like punctuation and capitalisation. The second post clarifying some bits was better, but still lacks something.

 

Now, those things don't necessarily mean you're not good at what you do, if indeed Brightlights is a valid, registered and insured company (run I presume in your 'spare' time after college), BUT they do tend (in my experience) to indicate a similar attitude in life - ie lack of maturity, lazy approach to various aspects of routine etc.

 

Now - I may be completely wrong in this impression, (and of course that's all it is - based on your posts), but it seems that it's shared by others here.

 

On to the actual questions you raise - bearing in mind that I'm not an AV tech, but have had some experience over the years with various needs (both day job and in the theatre).

 

You're not very clear about what sort of entertainment event this is for... Disco with video jockey facility? Backgrounds for a dance troupe? Live camera feeds for a speaker/act/turn/singer?

 

You do seem to be happy to explore options, but to be perfectly honest the bit that gets me worried (as it seems to do the rest of us) is the idea of hanging ANYTHING from a home-made ceiling tile! This alone is a highly irresponsible idea for many reasons.

• The ceiling tile structure is FAR from sturdy enough to take the weight of even a domestic projector;
  
• Unless you had a long extension arm to drop it low enough you could find there was too little air to allow proper circulation thus risking overheating;
  
• Bolting a par can to one of these is something I would SERIOUSLY recommend you don't do again! Heat from a 56, let alone a 64, is certainly enough to make that a SERIOUS fire risk!
  

Anyway. Sorry if this sounds a little harsh, but if you're REALLY the owner of an entertainments company, you should really know the answers to a lot of your questions...

[ceecrb1]

• The ceiling tile structure is FAR from sturdy enough to take the weight of even a domestic projector;
  

 

 

I have seen this done with great effect.

the trick is plcae the LONGEST scaff bar you can accross the tile system BUT you have to orient the bar as well.

The tiles (IF done well) will be (eg) north-south, continuous lines of the metal work and east-west, small short cut parts hung on the north-south rails.

The idea is the bar goes on top of as MANY north-south running rails as possible. (really there is no minimum, its down to the longest bar you can push into the roof.. for a normal small proj + unicol kit at LEAST 4-5mtrs)

The bar is slided in the hole where the prodj will be... till the bar dissapears. then reversed back so the centre of the bar is where the missing tile is.

Then just use a UNICOL drop kit and thats it.

 

 

obviously this can only be used with smaller sized projectors.

[landy]

I have seen this done with great effect.

the trick is place the LONGEST scaff bar you can across the tile system BUT you have to orient the bar as well.

The tiles (IF done well) will be (e.g.) north-south, continuous lines of the metal work and east-west, small short cut parts hung on the north-south rails.

The idea is the bar goes on top of as MANY north-south running rails as possible. (Really there is no minimum, its down to the longest bar you can push into the roof.. for a normal small proj + unicol kit at LEAST 4-5mtrs)

The bar is slid in the hole where the prodj will be... till the bar disappears. Then reversed back so the centre of the bar is where the missing tile is.

Then just use a UNICOL drop kit and thats it.

 

And I could drive at 150mph on the public road in the middle of the night if it was quiet, but its not safe to do.

 

So for arguments sake; projector and flying frame 30kg, scaff 10kg, unicol and clamps 20kg and cable 5kg =65kg. 7:1 safety factor (approximately) gives the thick end of half a ton SWL of the ceiling. Even if the numbers are generous you see where I am going.

[Seano]

I have seen this done with great effect.

the trick is plcae the LONGEST scaff bar you can accross the tile system BUT you have to orient the bar as well.

The tiles (IF done well) will be (eg) north-south, continuous lines of the metal work and east-west, small short cut parts hung on the north-south rails.

The idea is the bar goes on top of as MANY north-south running rails as possible. (really there is no minimum, its down to the longest bar you can push into the roof.. for a normal small proj + unicol kit at LEAST 4-5mtrs)

The bar is slided in the hole where the prodj will be... till the bar dissapears. then reversed back so the centre of the bar is where the missing tile is.

Then just use a UNICOL drop kit and thats it.

 

I think that may be the dumbest, most irresponsible post I've seen on this forum. ;)

Note to the unwary: this is seriously bad advice, don't even think about following it.

[ceecrb1]

ok points taken but please not I said I've SEEN it done..

NOT done it.

 

on reflection yes, bad advice.

 

edit to add: however I do know a company in edin who do this every time there is a football match, at one of the 2 clubs, they put a line of projectors and screens in for the punters to view..

again... as someone has pointed out the math I didnt do.. :down: :huh: ;) bad idea.

[Shez]

At the risk of being shot down in flames, there are quite a few projectors installed in my work place that are supported from the suspended ceiling grid. We're talking classroom type projectors though, which weigh little more than the light fittings that surround them. They were installed by reputable companies and nobody here, including those in charge of H&S has had a problem with them.

I wouldn't want to see this kind of thing done as a temporary rig, as is being suggested here, but in the right circumstances I don't think the idea is completely unfeasable.

[Ynot]

At the risk of being shot down in flames, there are quite a few projectors installed in my work place that are supported from the suspended ceiling grid. We're talking classroom type projectors though, which weigh little more than the light fittings that surround them. They were installed by reputable companies and nobody here, including those in charge of H&S has had a problem with them.

Are you sure that these have been installed in the manner that the OP is suggesting? I somehow doubt that.

He is suggesting (as I see it) that he simply replaces a ceiling tile with on made of MDF and bolts the projector to that.

 

I would suspect that any installed in schools are likely to have suspension fittings bolted to the real ceiling rather than just relying on the 'where it touches' gravity option...