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Discussion starter · #21 ·
Re: Richard's Cave - Need some ideas

I know what you guys are saying, I get it on the size difference, but I'm just not feeling a projector here. There's a big air duct right in the way where the projector would go, and the ceiling isn't very high so I'm not sure the screen size would be that fantastic. But I will think about it.

Hate to say it but besides me watching sports 90% of the tv use will probably be my kids playing mine craft on the xbox.

I need to figure how out much it will cost to rip out the closet walls, pull the ceiling down and redo all the lights, run wiring for speakers and some other stuff, and put a new ceiling in its place.
 
Discussion starter · #22 ·
Re: Richard's Cave - Need some ideas

OK I broke down and got an Epson 8350 and a 106" screen, used. Someone I know listed one for a crazy good deal so I went ahead and did it. I'm not sure it will really work with the dimensions of the room but I'll give it a shot and do the best I can with it. I don't have speakers or a AV receiver to push to the projector so I'm going to have to work on that.

I'm going to want something I can multiple zones for output, so I can have different stuff on the TV I'm going to hang above the poker table, like a different game or a poker clock. I don't know anything about that kind of AV stuff so I need to do some research.

Here's my current thinking of floorplan. Need to put my jukebox somewhere too.

 
Re: Richard's Cave - Need some ideas

Interested to hear your reasons for going with a projector (other than the great deal), and what you think of it... I'm having the same debate in my head at the moment... I REALLY like the sharpness/clarity an LED TV offers, so am considering a 70/80" monster... Can only go to about the same size 100-106" on a projector screen, so am I getting THAT much more, when you consider the bulb costs, etc. down the line? In Canada good projectors don't seem to come on the cheap, so both are an investment. Let me know your thoughts... :)
 
Discussion starter · #24 ·
Re: Richard's Cave - Need some ideas

Well I had picked out a 60" LED tv and was ready to pull trigger on it but I saw the listing for the projector, ceiling mount, and screen for far less than the tv was going to cost. So I went with it. I'm still not sure it was the right decision especially since my kids are down on that basement playing minecraft on the tv constantly. So the bulb life worries me. But maybe I set up the xbox to the 32" tv instead of the projector to save on the bulb life.

So yeah, pretty much the deal alone swayed me.

After speaker install and AV reciever, it's going to be a wash.
 
Discussion starter · #25 ·
Re: Richard's Cave - Need some ideas

Just bought the monoprice 5.1 speakers, the ones that were basically a rip off of the Klipsch / Energy set. Monoprice is running a free shipping deal right now, which knocked $40 off the transaction.

I need to find an AV receiver now that will do multiple zones for output.

And all the cabling... that's going to suck.
 
Discussion starter · #26 ·
Re: Richard's Cave - Need some ideas

Just picked this 39" Vizio tv up on Woot to put on wall next to poker table.
VIZIO 39 or 48” 1080p FullArray LED TV

Not bad for only $245, shipped.

Found out last night while at the Cub Scout Pack Committee mtg that one of the fellow dads is an electrician, so he's going to help me get the outlet installed for the projector in the ceiling.

I hope to get the speaker cords and HDMI run through the walls soon. I'm going to place an order at monoprice for the cables today.
 
Re: Richard's Cave - Need some ideas

SRS, tho, if you are a wooter, get yourself a solid chair for the cave... This one will probably work. Cannot tell if its full leather, but it looks comfy, and that's a great price ($50) for something of this quality/design.

Spoiler:
 
Re: Richard's Cave - Need some ideas

Back in November I got a contract accepted on a new place. It was a short sale so lots of waiting involved. On Friday we got final approval from banks and the investor/insurance folks so we are moving into the normal closing part of the sale. Right now it looks like probably will be doing the inspection on Wednesday.

I've hesitated to post this up until now because I wasn't sure if we'd get the place. Now, unless inspection goes like shit, I'm pretty sure we'll be moving in soon.

I'll post some pics of the future cave below. Ideas appreciated from you guys.

Budget is not going to be very high unfortunately. So while I'd love to throw in a projector and 100 bajillion inch screen, it's probably out of the picture.

What I would like is create a "game room" which will have my prior projects I've posted on the forum, and then slowly add some more stuff to it and maybe redo the bar. I'd also like to redo the floor with something nicer than the worn out zero cushion carpet that's in there now. The current stuff looks like the cheapest office carpet you could buy. For current game room stuff I've got my round table, which I'd like to build a topper for, the arcade cabinet, jukebox, and I'm starting work on a driving rig which will be made out of PVC with a real car seat. See this for an example of what I mean. I've got the computer already, steering wheel, pedals, and shifter. I've got a foosball table too, which never, and I mean never gets used. Biggest waste of space. I'd also like to add a dart board if possible somewhere, not sure if there's a place for it.

I will most likely be buying a new TV for the family room, and moving my old 40" samsung downstairs to the cave. The current 32" LCD I have in my basement now I might re-use somewhere in basement on wall for a poker clock / second tv for watching sports during poker games. What I'd LOVE is to go buy 3x 32" TVs since they're so cheap now, and wire it up so I had them on the walls around the room for poker clock / watching sports. It would be great to have multiple tv's available for tournaments. I'd like to be able to also bring in an oval table with folding legs on occasion for two table tourneys. That might not be in the immediate budget but it's on my mind so I'd like to factor that into the plans.

MSpaint style floorplan


The hallway where the bathroom is continues into the storage/utilities area.

Some pics from my second walk through of the place:







Utility area - these double doors are right next to the stairs. I think the foosball table will go in front of these doors next to the stairs.



Looking back towards the utility closet area from where the wood stove is


No frills Bar - I'd like to eventually remove this. Not sure to replace or what.



Anyone have any idea what the hell this is? Looks like some kind of audio patch panel or something? You can also see this in pic 1 for an idea of where it is in the room.


Is this a doorbell speaker?


Thoughts and ideas appreciated guys.
I'd be happy to give you a free quote to redesign this space making sure everything fits well too (but I am just a spammer)
 
Discussion starter · #40 ·
Re: Richard's Cave - Need some ideas

Driving rig in place.



Pinball got set up last Friday.



It turned right on, but when you started a game there was a LOUD buzzing noise from the top right of the back box. As soon as the game was over, noise stopped. I opened up the back and figured out where the noise was coming from but I didn't know what to do next. The noise didn't stop my kids, they kept playing it anyway. I should have known better and turned it off and not let them play until I got it figured out but I'm an idiot and didn't stop them. About an hour or two of play and kablam, it's dead and won't even light up when turned on anymore.

So I got lucky when I opened the pinball up and found the original manual inside, and the full schematic. After some looking around we found a fuse that was blown, and replaced it. BOOM it blew right away when we turned it back on.

So I started doing some reading on fixing electro mechanical pinballs and came across the pinside forums, and the guys there were really helpful getting the thing back up and running. Turns out the knocker solenoid in the top marked with the arrow here (where I thought the noise was coming from) was stuck on because there's a switch that should be open but is stuck on.



See the difference in color here? It's completely burned.



So as a temporary fix, I removed one wire to it, replaced the fuse that was blowing here


And she's lit up again and playing!



Side note, I saw the counter on the inside too, kind of like the odometer on a car. This thing has 39,000+ games played. It was built 2 weeks after my birthday in 1975.

Quick video - its hard to play when you're holding an iphone and filming...

Hi-Deal Pinball - YouTube
 
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