lifting, hoisting, and stacking
for any new installation, you will likely have to safely lift or hoist the projector into place. keep in mind the following guidelines for safety.
lifting
all models include handles for convenient hand transport only, such as when a projector is lifted from a shipping container to a table. note the following:
1 the handles are intended to support the weight of one projector only.
2 the handles are intended to support a projector for a brief time only.
3 the handles are not safety points, nor points from which to hoist or suspend the projector.
1 the handles can't support more than 1 projector.
2 do not use handles for extended time periods.
3 do not use the handles as safety points, or as points from which to suspend or hoist the projector.
hoisting
four integral rigging points on the top of the projector (figure 2.5) and eight on the bottom (figure 2.6) enable either upright or inverted hoisting. for either orientation, hoist an individual projector, or up to 3 projectors in a stack.
rules for all hoisting:
1 use at least 4 rigging points for hoisting up to 3 projectors.
2 connect safety cables, and rigging equipment to the designated locations on the projector.
3 use hoisting and rigging equipment suitable to your application such as clamps, cables, eyebolts, or straps, and which accommodate the load rating. all integral, metric hardware on the projector accepts an m12 thread only.
4 never hoist a projector by its feet, handles, or any other component (figure 2.7).
use metric hardware only. never force incompatible threads.
remove the lens before hoisting a projector.
never hoist a projector by its feet, handles, or any other component.
figure 2.7. never use handles for hoisting or as safety points
hoisting procedure
this procedure applies to one or more projectors. to hoist a stack, first stack 2 or 3 projectors according to the stacking procedure included in this manual. never stack or hoist more than 3 projectors together.
step 1
remove lens (recommended)
to prevent possible lens damage during hoisting, remove the lens. see 4.4, replacing the lamp and filter.
step 2
retract feet
retract the adjustable feet if the projector is inverted to prevent the hoisting hardware from becoming snagged.
step 3
attach safety cables
attach a safety cable to each of the (2) eyebolts mounted on the bottom of the projector (figure 2.8).
always use at least 2 safety cables for any hoisting.
attach safety cables to the 2 eyebolts.
when hoisting a non-inverted projector or stack, add 2 safety eyebolts in the front and rear threaded holes provided on the top of the projector. make sure the eyebolts are rated adequately for the load. secure safety cabling to both eyebolts.
figure 2.8. attach safety cables
add eyebolts (2) if non-inverted
step 4
attach rigging hardware
secure your rigging components to the appropriate rigging points—8 sliding points are provided on the bottom. tighten the nut at each required location (figure 2.9) to prevent sliding.
1) use at least 4 rigging points for all hoisting. 2) use straps, clamps or cabling with load capacity adequate for the total projector weight. see section 6. 3) do not join the rigging straps or cables to a common point—keep separated as shown.
1 maximum stack=3 projectors.
2 stack first, then hoist.
stacking
1) requires stacking hardware provided standard with roadster s+ only.
must be purchased separately for mirage s+. 2) requires at least 2 people.
roadster s+ and mirage s+ projectors can be stacked in either the upright or inverted position. do not mix orientations—i.e., inverted with upright—in a stack. secure a maximum of 3 projectors with the stacking mounts as described below.
do not stack more than 3 projectors.
christie stacking hardware required. the top projector could slide off and cause injury or death.
never carry a stack.
stacking procedure
1) requires stacking hardware provided standard with roadster s+ only. available separately for mirage s+. 2) requires at least 2 people.
step 1
position the projectors place the projectors to be stacked on a secure table or cart.
place one projector on its side to access its adjustable feet and stacking legs (figure 2.10).
orient the other projector in either upright or inverted position as required (remember, each projector in a stack must be in the same orientation).
step 2
fully retract the (4) adjustable feet
retract each foot as far as possible by turning it clockwise.
1 if upright–retract the feet on top projector.
2 if inverted–retract the feet on bottom projector.
step 3
extend the (3) stacking legs extend the stacking legs by turning them so that at least 1 inch of thread is visible on each. this clearance accommodates the up-or-down movement for aligning the images from stacked projectors. extend all 3 legs equally (figure 2.11).
1 if upright–extend legs on top projector (shown).
2 if inverted–extend legs on bottom projector.
extend the stacking legs equally by at least 1 inch.
step 4
loosen the rear stacking leg nuts
on the rear stacking legs, loosen the nuts so the legs have some lateral movement for easier alignment with the stacking mounts on the other projector.
1 if upright–release on top projector.
2 if inverted–release on bottom projector.
step 5
release and remove (3) safety pins the safety pins must be removed from the stacking mounts so that the stacking legs can fit into the mounts (figure 2.13).
if upright–remove the pins from the mounts on the bottom projector.
if inverted–remove the pins from the mounts on the top projector.
step 6
place top projector on bottom projector
minimum of 2 people required.
with one person on each side, lift the top projector on to bottom projector, aligning all three stacking points between projectors. legs should fit inside stacking mounts.
step 7
align holes in (3) stacking mounts and (3) stacking legs.
on each stacking mount, turn the adjusting wheel slightly until the hole in the top portion of the mount lines up with the hole in the stacking leg (figure 2.14).
you can increase leverage by using a screwdriver in the holes.
step 8
insert (3) safety pins and lock all
critical safety procedure.
at each of the (3) stacking points, insert the safety pin fully through the holes in the stacking mounts and stacking legs (figure 2.14). ensure that each pin is fully inserted to engage the safety lock and secure the projectors together. failure to engage the safety lock could cause the projectors to separate and result in injury or death.
failure to engage the safety lock could cause the projectors to separate and result in injury or death.
step 9
leg nuts
before hoisting, firmly tighten the nuts on the (2) rear stacking legs (figure 2.14). or,if you are ready to align the projectors to one another, leave these nuts slightly loose until after the alignment.
step 10
repeat steps 1–9 for a third projector.
never stack more than 3 projectors.
alignment procedure
stacked projectors must be correctly aligned to one another so that the resulting display is optimized and as sharp as possible. if you are also hoisting the stack, hoist the stack into place first, then align. lock all stacking hardware into place to maintain your alignment.
make sure the stacking legs have been extended by at least 1 inch, and are slightly loosened. refer back to figure 2.11.
before you begin
always align to the fixed projector. in floor-mount or table-mount (i.e., nonhoisted)
1 stacks, you will align to the bottom projector as shown in drawings below. in hoisted stacks, align to the top projector.
2 leg nuts must be loosened before alignment, otherwise the stacking mounts will not turn and allow movement of the projector.
step 1
position the first image (fixed projector)
position the fixed projector’s image as desired and align the other image(s) to it as described below.
step 2
display the grid test pattern
to distinguish each image, enable “red” for one display and “green” for the other. see 3.3, using the keypads if you need help enabling colors.
step 3
adjust zoom and focus
minimize each projector’s zoom and images are in focus.
step 4
try aligning the two grid patterns
adjust zoom and offset on the top projector to precisely move its test pattern display on to the bottom test pattern. when properly aligned, all red/green grid lines in the combined image will turn yellow.
if all lines are well-aligned, skip to step 7 to lock all stacking mounts.
if alignment needs improvement, proceed with the next step.
step 5
align the center lines of the grid turn the (2) rear stacking mount wheels to move the top projector as necessary for well-aligned center lines. use a screwdriver in the holes around the rim of each adjusting wheel for better leverage and control.
how to move the image:
turned independently, each stacking mount acts as a pivot point for the opposite edge of the display (see right). for example, turn the right mount to tilt the left portion of the image up or down, and turn the left mount to tilt the right portion of the image up or down. turn together to raise orlower the top image like an offset adjustment, or turn the front stacker.
if the center lines form an “x”: this indicates that the projectors (and images) are slightly tilted in relation to one another. turn one mount to raise one side, and/or turn the other mount to lower other side. see figure 2.15.
if the center lines are parallel but misaligned:
if centerlines are out by the same amount from top and bottom – use offsets (on top projector) to bring the centerlines into alignment.
if centerlines are parallel but others are not, turn the front stacking mount wheel to bring the centerlines into alignment.
step 6
align the edges of the grid
with center lines aligned, adjust zoom (top projector) to align the edges of its image with the other image. then adjust focus. when aligned, all lines from the combined red/green grids will be yellow.
step 7
secure all stacking wheels and leg nuts
critical safety procedure.
1 turn all (3) stacking wheels until they are firmly secure against the rest of the stacking mount.
2 secure both (2) rear leg nuts against the bottom of the projector.
step 8
repeat steps 1 to 7 for a third projector
installation type
choose the installation type which suits your needs: front or rear screen, floor mount or inverted mount.
screen type
front screen installations
while there are two basic screen types, flat and curved, generally flat screens are recommended for this projector (figure 2.17)x. flat screens offer a gain of about 1 with a viewing angle just less than 180°. incident light reflects equally in all directions so the audience can see the display from various angles. because of the low gain, flat screens are most effective when ambient lighting is reduced, although this difference may be negligible given the high brightness output from this projector.
lenses for this projector are designed primarily for use with flat screens, but the projector depth-of-field range allows the lens to be focused on curved screens as well. while focus remains sharp in the corners, there may be significant pincushion distortion, primarily at the top of the screen.
rear screen installations
there are two basic types of rear screens: diffused and optical . a diffused screen has a surface which spreads the light striking it. purely diffused screens have a gain of less than 1. the main advantage of the diffused screen is its wide viewing angle, similar to that of a flat screen for front screen projection. optical screens take light from the projector and redirect it to increase the light intensity at the front of the screen. this increase at the front reduces the intensity in other areas. a viewing cone, similar to that of a curved front screen installation, is created.
to summarize, optical screens are better suited for brightly lit rooms where the audience is situated within the viewing cone. diffused screens may be better suited when a wide viewing angle is required but there is low ambient room lighting.
screen size
screen size may vary from 4 feet (122 cm) to 45 feet (1372cm) diagonal, depending on the lens you are using. for instance, a 0.73:1 lens can produce a 5 foot (150 cm) to a 14 foot (548 cm) image size depending on the location of the projector, whereas a 4.5-7.3:1 zoom lens produces an 8 foot(160 cm) to 40 foot (438 cm) image size.
choose a screen size appropriate for your lens and application. keep in mind that if the projector will be used to display text information, the image size must allow the audience to recognize all text clearly. the eye usually sees a letter clearly if eye-totext distance is less than 150 times the height of the letter. small text located too far from the eye may be illegible at a distance no matter how sharply and clearly it is displayed.
ideally, to fill a screen with an image, the aspect ratio of the screen should be equal to the aspect ratio of the image. the aspect ratio of an image is expressed as the ratio of its width to its height such as a 4:3 aspect. standard video from a vcr has a 4:3 aspect ratio. for example, to display a vcr output with a 4:3 aspect ratio onto a 10 foot (3m) high screen, the width of the screen must be at least 13.3 feet (4m).
screen aspect ratio
aspect ratio (figure 2.18) describes the proportion of the screen and is expressed as the ratio of width to height, such as “4:3” or “5:4”. although image size and image spect ratio can both be adjusted quickly through projector software, it is still a good idea to choose a screen aspect ratio which is most appropriate for your intended applications.
ideally, to exactly fill a screen with an image, the aspect ratio of the screen should correspond to the aspect ratio of the image, which depends on the source in use. for example, standard video from a vcr has a 4:3 ratio (approximately), whereas a high resolution graphics signal typically has a 5:4 aspect ratio. by default, images from your projector will be as large as possible and will maintain their aspect ratio.
the sxga+ (1400 x 1050) aspect ratio for the roadster and mirage models is 4:3.
ambient lighting
the high brightness of this projector is well suited for locations where ambient lighting might be considered less than ideal for projection. even a typical room or large auditorium fully lit with ceiling lights and windows rarely requires special attention. contrast ratio in your images will be noticeably reduced only if light directly strikes the screen, such as when a shaft of light from a window or floodlight falls on the image. images may then appear washed out and less vibrant.
in general, avoid or eliminate light sources directed at the screen.
other considerations
other considerations and tips which can help improve your installation:
keep the ambient temperature constant and below 35°c (95°f). keep the projector away from heating and/or air conditioning vents. changes in temperature may cause drifts in the projector circuitry which may affect performance.
keep the projector away from devices which radiate electromagnetic energy such as motors and transformers. common sources of these include slide projectors, speakers, power amplifiers, elevators, etc.
choose the best screen size for the application. since more magnification reduces brightness, use a screen size appropriate for the venue but not larger than required. installing a large screen in a small room is similar to watching television at a close range; too large a screen can overpower a room and interfere with the overall effect. a good rule of thumb is to be no closer than 1.5 times the width of the screen.