Source for surplus Sanyo projectors like the PLC-XP46 and PLC-XP55?

[telmnstr]

Hello!

I help out with a number of events mostly centered around video gaming and sci-fi cons. I normally setup DMX universes, video distribution and switching and power distribution (lots of arcade machines!)

I'm trying to find sources for surplus projectors that have the (hopeful) future of zoom lenses, so we can project on walls but do so at a distance. Plus with the standard lens, rear projection with them should rock.

I'm mainly hunting for the Sanyo PLC-XP46 and PLC-XP55. I've got a lead on a few from Craigslist but it's sketchy at best (the person is real unreliable.) They must of come out of an auction or something as the person had 6 of the 46's.

I believe with all these older projectors as they're past their first lamp the blue panel starts to break down, and the other filters might start to fail. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to get a parts machine and if it uses dichros for the colors then I could move the green/red panel from parts machine to blue on working machine. My understanding is alignment is tough.

East coast USA. Any leads would be appreciated!

 

[ruinexplorer]

I assume that you have tried usedav.com, solaris, gear source and the rest. My next suggestion would be Projector Doctors, especially for the parts. My guess is that those projectors came out of a permanent install, they may or may not have been properly maintained.

You are correct that the blue gives out first, then the red, as they absorb more light which destroys the filters. Alignment is possible, but difficult. Are you married to these particular models, or will comparable models suffice?

 

[telmnstr]

Not married to that model, it's just one that came up on my radar and it seemed to be common enough to find parts often. Also it's old enough and out of production so hoping they're heading to scrap. Also, interchangable lenses are possible which isn't always the case.

Budget is limited. Most of our other AV hardware (flat panel TVs and such) I've repaired myself.

 

[DrPinto]

Keep an eye on eBay and Public Surplus. Something might show up.

Public Surplus: Government Surplus Auctions

 

[ruinexplorer]

You can also check KP Surplus. They seem to get quite a bit of older projectors that were removed from permanent installs. Granted, most that show up on there will not have interchangeable lenses.

 

[telmnstr]

Thanks for the leads! I did end up picking up a 55 and 47 (I think those are the models) of the Sanyo PLC-XP line.

One of them works great and is beautiful. I don't think it was used much in it's prior life. The second one, the blue panel is pretty shot *I think*. There is kind of a hump in the middle/lower part of the screen where blue "works" and the rest is pretty blue-dead. Eventually I'll try to bring a red or green panel from another projector and get it running in place of the bad blue, or maybe it's a filter/dichro/whatever they use that has issues.

I've also noticed the hour counters on these models is pretty bad. One can count hours, the other seems to just trigger the light and not give the end user hour numbers. Perhaps it will offer it via rs232.

Still dig the machines and hope to land a few more. Hitachi and others seem to also have 4000+ lumen machines that seem pretty nice so I'll look at expanding my horizons.