thrift store video projector find

[mr_fixer]

Hello All, yesterday i found a JVC DLA-m15u video projector, it had been sitting for about a month, before i pulled the trigger. I looked up the price of a new bulb and the sticker shock is intimidating, $1090 for a bhl-5001 bulb. They let me test it and sure enough it lights up fine. "for now". The thrift store used a sneaky technique to make me buy it. they priced it at $25 + tax. I got it home and it seems to work fine, nice picture but one little problem, it is missing the remote. the remote sets up which way you wish to set it up. ceiling mount vs desk mount, front/rear projection. right now it is set up for ceiling mount which looks upside down if you set it on a desk. does anyone here have a source for jvc remotes, it uses a rm-m10g remote. and i could use some slightly used bulbs at discounted prices. I think there is a bulb that fits into the cage assembly that might be found for less money.
Mike

[N2IXK]

Unfortunately, that unit uses a ceramic/metal concentrated arc lamp more along the lines of a piece of medical/industrial gear than a consumer projector. But you can do a lot better than the price you found:

http://www.luxtel.com/cl1487

As far as a replacement remote, they are somewhat scarce, but available at a price:

http://www.movesurplus.com/product/j...-dlas15u-d-ila

[Captainclock]

You should be able to access the setup menu from the control panel on that Projector, most of the earlier LCD Projectors had setup and menu access via the onboard control panel.

[mr_fixer]

Nope, there is a basic set up menu using the buttons on the projector, but the advanced settings required the remote. I even found a copy of the owners manual online that confirmed it. A few weeks ago i got a remote on the bay for $20 + shipping.
It was marked Hughes Jvc instead of just Jvc but it works the same. I found some bulbs on the bay but i'm hopeing the seller will reduce the price some more. he has 7 of them in a lot. It is a good price for all of them but $360 is a little much to invest in a 12 y/o video projector, that may croak in a couple of years.
It works well, great picture. Unfortunately the only place i have to project a image is the ceiling, I have a recliner chair i put back and watch "Ceilingvision" lol. It has some small internal speakers and luckily all of the air vents and cable connectors are on the sides.

[drussell]

The solution to all lost or missing remote problems is a dirt cheap URC/UEI universal remote and a programming cable...

http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/

[centralradio]

Great deal. I curb found a Mitsubishi projector years ago as I was moving into my house.The bulb timer inside ran out of time on the bulb .I looked up the bulb online and they wanted about $450 bucks for it.I end up finding the service manual on freeservicemanual.net and found out how to reset the bulb timer.After figuring that out and the unit fired up and project a crisp picture on the wall.That was 6 years ago and its still working.

[mr_fixer]

Originally Posted by centralradio

Great deal. I curb found a Mitsubishi projector years ago as I was moving into my house.The bulb timer inside ran out of time on the bulb .I looked up the bulb online and they wanted about $450 bucks for it.I end up finding the service manual on freeservicemanual.net and found out how to reset the bulb timer.After figuring that out and the unit fired up and project a crisp picture on the wall.That was 6 years ago and its still working.

Ya know i have been wondering that myself. When i got the projector, I pulled out the lamp module and the bulb wasn't dark or discolored. I also found the manual online for mine and the process for resetting the timer is rather convoluted, hold this, this and this button for 5 seconds, then press this and that one at the same time twice. I wonder if the previous owner might have replaced the bulb, not knowing about the bulb timer reset dance. When the bulb warning didn't go out, he might of thought something else was wrong with it. He then drops it off at a thrift store.
The guy on the bay with the lot of bulbs didn't respond to my message. so i might let it run till it croaks.

[Captainclock]

Originally Posted by mr_fixer

Ya know i have been wondering that myself. When i got the projector, I pulled out the lamp module and the bulb wasn't dark or discolored. I also found the manual online for mine and the process for resetting the timer is rather convoluted, hold this, this and this button for 5 seconds, then press this and that one at the same time twice. I wonder if the previous owner might have replaced the bulb, not knowing about the bulb timer reset dance. When the bulb warning didn't go out, he might of thought something else was wrong with it. He then drops it off at a thrift store.
The guy on the bay with the lot of bulbs didn't respond to my message. so i might let it run till it croaks.

I currently am using a 1997 Vintage Hitachi LCD Projector that I had gotten from my old High school when they were upgrading their LCD Projectors to High Def ones and it's still working on the same replacement bulb that they placed in it just shortly before they decided to retire it, and I had bought a new spare bulb for the unit for like $200 at a lightbulb surplus store online and it has its original remote and everything, and interestingly enough to reset the bulb timer on mine all you have to do is go through the menu and select the bulb timer option and then you reset it from there. I doubt that my projector will be going out anytime soon! And Actually If I were you and could get a lot of seven replacement projector bulbs for $350 plus shipping for your projector I would just go ahead and go for it, that is a heck of a steal considering that usually one of those bulbs alone is usually that much brand new, and that projector you have there will more than likely outlast any of your LCD Flatpanel TVs so you kind of give it very little credit for durability (these LCD Projectors are built like tanks and have very little on them that can fail).

[mr_fixer]

Originally Posted by Captainclock

I currently am using a 1997 Vintage Hitachi LCD Projector that I had gotten from my old High school when they were upgrading their LCD Projectors to High Def ones and it's still working on the same replacement bulb that they placed in it just shortly before they decided to retire it, and I had bought a new spare bulb for the unit for like $200 at a lightbulb surplus store online and it has its original remote and everything, and interestingly enough to reset the bulb timer on mine all you have to do is go through the menu and select the bulb timer option and then you reset it from there. I doubt that my projector will be going out anytime soon! And Actually If I were you and could get a lot of seven replacement projector bulbs for $350 plus shipping for your projector I would just go ahead and go for it, that is a heck of a steal considering that usually one of those bulbs alone is usually that much brand new, and that projector you have there will more than likely outlast any of your LCD Flatpanel TVs so you kind of give it very little credit for durability (these LCD Projectors are built like tanks and have very little on them that can fail).

I wish i could afford $360 for projector bulbs but in this economic climate that amount is 2 weeks pay "15 years ago i was making 60k/year" and i don't how long the whole projector will last to recoup that long term investment. PS my regular tv is a 1989 sony trinitron , no flat panels for me in the near future.

[centralradio]

Originally Posted by mr_fixer

Ya know i have been wondering that myself. When i got the projector, I pulled out the lamp module and the bulb wasn't dark or discolored. I also found the manual online for mine and the process for resetting the timer is rather convoluted, hold this, this and this button for 5 seconds, then press this and that one at the same time twice. I wonder if the previous owner might have replaced the bulb, not knowing about the bulb timer reset dance. When the bulb warning didn't go out, he might of thought something else was wrong with it. He then drops it off at a thrift store.
The guy on the bay with the lot of bulbs didn't respond to my message. so i might let it run till it croaks.

Yes .My bulb looked new and no discoloring.I took a chance on resetting the bulb timer and it worked.Thats probably why the previous owner curbed it because of the inflated bulb price or sending it to the repair shop in town.I'm still puzzled why the timer ran out and the bulb looks good.I'm thinking the same as you said about the last owner did not know how to reset the timer if he/she replaced their own bulb.Its a shame for them if they spent $350 bucks on the bulb and did not work and curbed it.

I haven't researched much on regular bulb to LED conversions.Probably expensive. There must be some mods out there for converting these older projectors to use LED bulbs.