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Alpha's Theater construction thread.
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Analog_Alpha




Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 89
Location: London, Ontario


PostLink    Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:55 pm    Post subject: Alpha's Theater construction thread. Reply with quote


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So, finally it’s about time for me to start working on finishing my manhole. My basement is about 1300 square feet. It has been a pretty crazy (in a busy way) year for me. After finishing my garage to the point where I’m actually proud of it and setting up my studio it’s time to organize the rest of the toys in the basement before I make any kids. I want to keep the basement as one room that will have a brick bar, my music studio and theater. I have to start somewhere, so sometime this week, I’m about to hang 1292 where it's finally supposed to be. I have the sound transparent material on order and I’ll be setting up a 120” wide screen in 16:9. I already have the Unistruts and I have brought a “lifter” from work to help me with lifting that puppy. By calculating the distance in PJ Calc I’ll have to be 152.52” from the screen to the lens. This is also 7% closer to what the PJ Calc says, because of the raster usage correction that I read about. I was going to mount the Unistruts last night, but came to a stop because of the joists being perpendicular to the Unistruts, which creates a bit of a headache, but I’m pretty sure I’ll come up with something in the next few days. Anyways, I’ll post pictures later on of my unfinished basement and any thoughts, opinions and suggestions from you guys would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
Chris.


Last edited by Analog_Alpha on Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:03 pm; edited 1 time in total
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17850
Location: Ottawa, Canada

TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 4:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looking forward to the pics!

BTW, I'd call it your "mancave" instead. I don't think anyone wants to hear about or see pictures of your "manhole". Wink

Kal

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My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
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Analog_Alpha




Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 89
Location: London, Ontario


PostLink    Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 7:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for pointing that out. I never thought about it from that point. Embarassed

Chris.
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JustGreg




Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 3098
Location: Kenosha, WI


PostLink    Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kal wrote:
Looking forward to the pics!

BTW, I'd call it your "mancave" instead. I don't think anyone wants to hear about or see pictures of your "manhole". Wink

Kal

Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing

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Greg

"Is it ignorance or apathy? Hey, I don't know and I don't care!" --Jimmy Buffett
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fuzzybee




Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 187



PostLink    Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are you running 2 pairs of unistrut, or 1 pair?

Here's another vote for changing the name, btw Wink
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Analog_Alpha




Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 89
Location: London, Ontario


PostLink    Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 9:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll be running three unistrats perpendicular to the joists. I could be running 4 of them as I have plenty left. Anyways, tonight is the night I'll take picures and I'll post them.
Chris.
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Analog_Alpha




Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 89
Location: London, Ontario


PostLink    Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 3:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So here is my problem with the joists.
I'm going to Mickey Mouse some "L" shape brackets and weld them onto the Unistrats on the wheekend. I have an access to a brake press, so I might as well do it right. That way I'll run some bolts through the brackets and through the side of the joists and that should do it. So I'm back to the drawing board, but thank god I don't have to return that lifter back to work for a while or I'd cry.

Chris.



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Last edited by Analog_Alpha on Fri Nov 09, 2007 4:38 pm; edited 1 time in total
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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 10273



PostLink    Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are those 2x8 joists?
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Zebu Fellenz




Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 2567



PostLink    Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

look like 2x10
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Analog_Alpha




Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 89
Location: London, Ontario


PostLink    Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 4:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

2"x10"

Chris.
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dbaisey




Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 821
Location: Southern Cal LA / Seattle WA


PostLink    Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would pull all the wires now for the next 10 years Very Happy unless you can install raceway off to the side wall location. Doug
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zaphod




Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 2002
Location: Cloverdale


PostLink    Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 7:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

listen to doug.

the ONLY regret i have when i did the room last year was not putting conduit to the projector. i can fake it by running future cable in the crown molding, but i really should have done conduit. someone named Curt recommended it too Smile

i ran interconnect and speaker wire to 7.1 locations so i'm good there, and i ran RGBHV extron cable to the PJ, but i suspect that with the vid standards/cables changing like they do, i'll be snookered one day with only the 5 wires in the ceiling.

and to be honest, after i ran some conduit for a later job it would have been SO much easier than pulling the wire.
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dbaisey




Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 821
Location: Southern Cal LA / Seattle WA


PostLink    Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 7:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Other suggestions: Drywall dust contamination and CRT. Any opening on the ceiling needs to be sealed the best you can do. Any dust will find its way to the back of the lenses or crt face. Its just going to happen even with LC. Nothing worse then the first time you turn on the fans suck it in.

Pull the power for the projector as a designated circuit without sharing neutrals. Keep power cut in box's separate or partitioned from the low voltage / signal cables.

Future hush box venting? Doug
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zaphod




Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 2002
Location: Cloverdale


PostLink    Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i have one 15amp circuit for the ceiling - that's 3 surround amps, 4 surround speakers, the screen and the projector and the hushbox exhaust. a second 15amp circuit handles the video sources (hd-dvd, ld, vcr, scalers) and a 3rd 15amp circuit handles the front amps (3) and speakers (3 more) and the pre/processor and audio source for music nights (tuner/TT/cd/reels).

no lights are on the 3 HT circuits. the 2 "gear" circuits will be getting an plintron balanced power transformer inserted into the mix.

when you run the AC and the signal wire in the ceiling be sure to cross one type from the other at 90 degrees and a couple of inches. if you run long interconnects i'd recommend canare star quad with a braid sheath terminated at one end. i also inserted line level 1:1 audio transformers to isolate the signal.

before i rebuilt the room and had long ratshack interconnects "pinned" to the walls and everything on circuits shared with the house i had low lever buzz in the surrounds. after the rebuild - nothing but signal, the noise floor dropped quite a bit.

the last couple of weeks i've been replacing the cheezy interconnects with homebuilts using canare starquad and rca ends. again a nice perception of improved sound. YMMV, but for the money ($7 and 30 minutes for a 3' IC) it can't be beat. and it keeps me off the streets Smile

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AnalogRocks
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Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26690
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G


PostLink    Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 2:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Analog_Alpha wrote:
So here is my problem with the joists.
I'm going to Mickey Mouse some "L" shape brackets and weld them onto the Unistrats on the wheeken. I have an access to a brake press, so I might as well do it right. That way I'll run some bolts through the brackets and through the side of the joists and that should do it. So I'm back to the drawing board, but thank god I don't have to return that lifter back to work for a while or I'd cry.

Chris.


Nail some 2x10's up there to attach the unistrut to.

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Analog_Alpha




Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 89
Location: London, Ontario


PostLink    Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 4:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the reply. I know what you mean, but by doing that I’ll be bringing the PJ even lower and closer to the floor. This attached picture is what I have in mind and I’m planning on using 6 brackets per Unistrat, or 18 brackets in total. If everything goes well I’ll have them up by Sunday. I'll be sure to test the welds by hanging a lot of weight on them before they'll go up.
Also going back to the cables….. Once I have the PJ up on the ceiling I’ll be sure to run as much wire as I’ll need until I retire. I just want this PJ on the ceiling so I can clean up the floor and start bringing all the needed material in. I actually just finished putting surround system (combination of JBL 800s + Harman receiver + turntable Evil or Very Mad ) in the garage and I run all the speaker wire, internet cable and phone line right inside the walls after I soundproofed it. So I’m going to try to do as clean set up in the basement as I did in the garage.



Chris.



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cbe317




Joined: 14 Apr 2006
Posts: 214
Location: Thunderbolt, GA


PostLink    Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 11:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey alpha,

Lookin good there. That's a nice sized space you have.

The only problem I see with your design is the bolts for your brackets need to be in the upper half of the joists. Just make the brackets that you are welding to the strut longer.

If you put them that low in the joists you will essentially render the 2x10's useless for live loads with the span you have. With the holes in the bottom half and that behemoth of a PJ pulling down you would be using the least amount of "meat" on the joists, compromising the parallel to grain shear strength.

It would probably never give you a problem, considering how many brackets you plan to use. But, if it were mine I would most definitely try to get those bolts as high in the joists as possible.

hope this helps,







C.
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Analog_Alpha




Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 89
Location: London, Ontario


PostLink    Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I haven't had a chance to post pictures of the progress. So busy, so little time.
Well, brackets have been welded.
First ones came back to me welded on the wrong side.
The decision had to be made as to either make new ones or rotate the house 90 degrees around the brackets (no WAF there).



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Last edited by Analog_Alpha on Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:09 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Analog_Alpha




Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 89
Location: London, Ontario


PostLink    Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So a new batch of brackets was made. Finally the puppy went on the ceiling.
When I tipped the PJ on it's belly, the error board decided to split itself up in three pieces. PJ was working fine, except I could not get into the Serviceman menu. I actually thought I screwed something up. Anyways, replacement board came in very quick from Curt and after installing it, PJ is back to normal.
The case will be sprayed with Mystique type of paint (think limited edition Fords)
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1070756618046105792XslGqt
at least that's the plan. I have to talk to one of my buddies to trick the case out for me. From doing some research on this type of paint, the clear coat is the hardest thing to do.
This should make the case look one of a kind.

Thank you
Chris.



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Last edited by Analog_Alpha on Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:40 am; edited 2 times in total
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Analog_Alpha




Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 89
Location: London, Ontario


PostLink    Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I still have to level the PJ 100% and make it square to the screen, but the adjustments are there, so there shouldn't be any problems.
My awesome boss at work offered to curve aluminium for me, so I can have my sound transparent screen curved now.
I should be getting 1.75" square by .125" thick aluminium in sometime this week.
Does anyone know how much of a bend I should do?
I'm thinking to do a 245" radius which will push the middle of the screen 8". Is that too much? Too little for a 120" wide screen?

Thank you
Chris.


Last edited by Analog_Alpha on Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:12 pm; edited 2 times in total
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