Rigging a Projector

[HobitLight]

Hi!

 

I'm not sure if this should be in rigging or not...

 

Anyway, at school we would like to be able to project images onto the cyc for backdrops for our drama exam which is coming up in the next couple of weeks. :o

 

Is there some sort of universal bracket that we could attach to a projector so that we can rig it from a lighting bar? I've done a search but I couldn't find anything.

 

I would say project from behind the cyc but there isn't enough space...

 

Any thoughts or other ideas greatly appriciated!

 

Hallam

[ChrisD]

There's looooads of projector brackets around. I think Unicol make some (give them a google) and they basically do some kinda basket contraption, with a scaff pole attachment. Then you can use standard scaff clamps (or more Unicol kit) to attach it to your LX bar.

 

HTH!

 

Chris

[live]

I use k2 projector mounts, universal spider fittings (fit onto the base of the projector) or for larger (xf 30 size) I got some custom made baskets with a central mounting pole

hope this helps

g

[Matt-onstage]

We had SSE make us up 4 cages for our Sanyo XF46 projectors. The whole unit stays attached to the projector and is then flightcased.

 

On the top of the cage is an adjustable arm assembly which gives you tilt adjustment. and then that all clamps onto the lx bar via a doughty half coupler.

 

I'll post some pics tomorrow when I'm back in the warehouse.

[Johnno]

Unicol make a hook that attaches to a projector pole and fits over a lighting bar. We got one for our school. No problems with it.

 

Go to Unicol. Look under "Video Projector Mounts" and then "View Accessories for this range"

[nick_blick]

Unicol probably is, and always has been, the market leader in visual media equipment brackets, mounts, shelves and trolleys etc.

 

They can be quite expensive, and personally I don't think they make very attractive bracketry; but they do have a wide range of stock, especially mounting plates for data projectors.

http://www.unicol.co.uk/pdf/psulist.pdf

And if you can't find your projector listed they'll make one up for you (though this means delivery of goods can take quite a lot longer)

 

When you do select a mount, don't forget to sling a safety bond round your projector! (It's amazing how many people forget about that, even when they know to do so with lights).

 

Hope that helps.

 

Nick.

[Pete McCrea]

I'm another fan of Unicol- They may be referred to as 'Boat Anchors' due to their weight and durability, but they work well. Your probably best off going for the PSU mount made specifically for your unit, and adding the Hook Mount and a bit of pole. Probably going to cost you the best part of £300 to do.

 

Alternatively try your local hire co's. If you have a Sanyo, chances are there will be some one close by who can hire them to you for around £25/day ex VAT.

 

Special orders can be just as quick as the usual stock parts. I've no idea how they do it, but I've had a PSU mount made up in several hours once they released it was the wrong one for the projector. Expect about 5 working days from placing the order, and a good paper trail to follow.

 

And now for a can of worms....

 

When you do select a mount, don't forget to sling a safety bond round your projector! (It's amazing how many people forget about that, even when they know to do so with lights).

 

I don't safety projectors when used with a Unicol Mount.

 

They are designed to take loads in excess of the working load. I would be happy that they are manufactured to a good safety factor. Then the PSU is mounted onto the chassis of the projector, generally by several M6 bolts in the case of Sanyo/Christie Machines. This is all connected by well engineered bolts and connectors, which it is damned hard to damage in normal and competent use.

 

Then there is the point of where to apply the secondary safety to- it is a secondary, so would bypass the whole suspension system to safeguard against it's failure. Ok- you can wrap the LX bar, but how do you attach to the projector? The handle isn't designated as a secondary suspension point (unless clearly marked as so- something I've never seen), the Kensington lock point isn't either, so on every projector I've come across there isn't any other suitable point able to take the impulse loading of a unit dropping and going tight on the safety.

 

So I effectively risk assess the safety out on the grounds of over engineering, safe use by competent people, and lack of suitable safety points.

 

I think if the projector is dislodged from the bracket, your also likely to be bringing other fixtures down with the projector....

 

Event the likes of the Barco CLM R10 don't have rigging points on the projector body for safeties- they rely on the 'Bumper Bar' mounting into the body tp provide the rigging and secondary points.

[nick_blick]

LittleDJ -

 

It's not so much the connection of the mounting plate to the projector that I have concern with, more how the plate fixes to the pole.

With Unicol it's usually two short horizontal bolts. Sure these will be tightened once focused, but whilst installing and focusing is taking place it can be easy to accidentally undo them all the way (especially if you're not used to mounting projectors).

 

I would also advise putting a safety on the hook clamp at the top of the bracket, bonding it to the bar you're slinging it from (if indeed you are bar mounting it).

The Unicol clamp is appalling: It's locking off mechanism does not keep the unit steady, and they manufacture it out of fairly soft steel.

 

Again: the main reason I safety is for when I'm installing and uninstalling - The centre of balance of the whole lot once the projector is connected to the bracket can appear really odd if you're not expecting it, most notably if you're using a long pole. I'd rather just know it ain't gonna fall if I fumble!

 

Anyway, I think we digress from the original subject post, for which I apologise.

 

Nick.

[David Lee]

"more how the plate fixes to the pole."

 

Surely the big safety bolt going through the bar and mount should be adequate?

 

Must admit, I do safety projectors - usually to the cage so that if I am moving them along I have some form of protection against a fall.

[Pete McCrea]

I can see the benefit of using a safety to secure the mounting plate to the hook clamp if you have the separated during installation, but we seldom work that way, taking the projector and whole assembly to the mounting position. The small grub screws are simply to help with the horizontal and vertical alignment not the actual retention of the pole and projector.

 

I've no issues of using safeties to prevent a fall during the rigging (whether to the bracket or the cage), but my issue is with where to put the secondary if using it to bypass the actual Unicol bracket. There should be no embarrassment in using safeties, they just need to be thought through to the effectiveness and design of the equipment.

[GRisdale]

I don't know if they're all the same, but the Unicol PSUs for Sanyo XP56/57s have two sets of threaded holes to attach the yolk to the projector plate (one set is dead centre, the other - which we use - is off set to allow for the centre of gravity being a bit further forward). This leaves two spare M8 threaded holes, into one of which I've inserted an M8 eyebolt as a secondary suspension point. Though the pull is 90degrees off centre on the eyebolt it's more than rated for it (plus a bit of that pesky dynamic loading) and with a taught safety bond it looks like a fairly decent solution to me. If your bracket doesn't have a second set of holes you could always drill an 8mm hole in a sensible place and introduce a nyloc into the equation.

 

I don't have any concerns really about the braket falling to bits, but the Unicol hook clamps are just very sturdy hook clamps. If the bolt isn't tightened, and a ladder clouts the projector from below, tightening the jacks on your VGA lead won't do you any good. The cost of an eyebolt and a long 50kg bond is fairly insignificant next to a new projector and a lawsuit - not to mention the cost of the Unicol in the first place.

 

I have to say though, if buying a projector mount today I would be taking a very long look at the alternatives. Though the Unicol stuff is bulletproof, one crucial lacking feature is the ability to adjust the roll. If your LX bar isn't perfectly level the tightened clamp pulls the projector slightly off level, which is very annoying, particularly if you're throwing any great distance. A local venue has an alternative product that has a rated lockable ball joint just above the projector that joins the main pole. This allows free movement to adjust pan, tilt and roll, I think there may even be a tallescope style bubble on it, though this may have been retro fitted. Probably a bit cheaper than the old Unicol stuff too... Just a shame I can't remember who made it or where it came from really!

 

Gareth.

[spove]

don't forget if you have moving heads on the sames LX bar you may well get image shake when they are moving due to vibrtions down the bar.

[yishai]

You can also make a mount out of plywood and 2x2's or 2x3's or 2x4's, whatever is lying around. The basic design is to build a box out of the 2x's on the plywood, with a space for the projection of course, and then drill a hole into the 2x and plywood on the back side and mount a c clamp. you can tilt by the position of the c clamp on the pipe, and of course pan is the same as always. You will definetly have to strap the projector down using sash line, I use you basic package type wrap. I will post pics of the ones I built. They are ghetto for sure, but virtually free asumming you have scrap lumber around, and when painted black well... I wouldn't use the on a corporate gig or anything, but up on the grid for theatre, they work great.

[Nick S]

I've actually just come off a production where we used Unicol spider hardware in combination with pipe-mounted C-stands to put spigots onto a number of projectors, which then went into standard TV hardware (for this particular production, a lot of gear was coming from film department). Worked quite well.