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THE SCREENSummer #1 (June '09) began with an experiment.
Encouraged by all the BYT Forum testimonials insisting how easily one could get started, I covered the patio double doors with two sheets of white butcher paper.
A borrowed projector pumped out a Little Rascals video.
I stood back to watch the results.
Holy smokes! It worked.
I was hooked.
And all that malarkey about not noticing the seam down the middle of the screen once the movie starts - turns out it's not malarkey. You really don't notice it.
The right side of the screen is anchored using The Claw. The Claw is left in the ground year-round, ready for the line. The left side of the screen is tied to a metal gazebo that’s located directly behind it. Having never mastered the Art of Knot Making, I also bought two Figure 9 Rope Tighteners. Recently (Aug. 2013), these straps were recommended by a BYT forum poster. If my rope tighteners ever get misplaced, I'll probably give these a try. The poster (aka: 11visions) noted that he purchased 20 foot straps for his 16 foot screen and 40 foot straps for his 24 foot screen.
with a 7’ X 12’ ready-made BOC screen from Carl's Place.
It’s a sharper look too, don’t you think?
A welder made the spreader bar (a design shared by matt314159 in his backyardtheater.com post, More about our Screen Frame. (The picture above shows the screen WITH the spreader bar. Lower on this page, the first picture located under the heading " Video Projector " shows the screen WITHOUT the spreader bar.)
but before the bungee balls on the bottom and lower sides of the screen are attached.
My present screen is typical of so many you’ve seen on the Backyard Theater's forums – almost.
Increasing the screen’s width produced a small design dilemma. Not wanting to dig up the flowerbed a second time or struggle with trying to remove two 20-inch deep concrete footings, I was determined to use the original supports.
My first thought was to do this:
But the plan had to be abandoned. The frame was twisty and wobbly. It might have worked with PVC, but an EMT frame such as this (with no rear diagonal poles supporting the top horizontal pole) needs support directly under both vertical sides.
A second plan produced this design.
With the addition of four more fittings (purchased from Creative Shelters,) and two more
10-ft. lengths of EMT, I had a structurally sound frame for the new screen.
The design incorporates two types of supporting feet:
one for driveway/cement locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and one for dirt/grass locations.
The left supporting foot runs the length of the existing brick bench on which it rests.
The foot has two T-fittings at either end and a 5-Way fitting in the center
which enables it to stand upright on its own, ready to accept the long vertical side pole.
A personal observation for any 90-pound weaklings who might be out there: I was surprised how much more unwieldy the maneuvering of a 12-foot section
of EMT is, compared to a 10-foot section. It's not that there is a lot of added weight, but rather the added length that makes all the difference. Of course, I'm a female senior citizen, and not as strong as I used to be, but there IS a decided difference. My daughter helps me lift the screen into place. Even without a breeze, the hoisting up of a 12-foot screen in order to insert the sides into one-inch holes, is more a feat of strength than you might imagine. Originally, I was going to enlarge the screen’s width to 14 feet, but decided my viewing area was too small for a screen that size. As it turns out, a fourteen foot screen would have been WONDERFUL, but I think the assembly and take-down would have been too much. The 12-footer is perfect for my needs.
← Couldn’t resist. Who's old enough to remember?
| For the first two years, frame pieces (painted Rust-oleum black to reduce rust) were stored on the ground, back of a tree in the flowerbed. | .......... | The frame parts, including nylon rope, rope tighteners, and speaker brackets, are now stored on L-brackets against the fence in the side yard. They’re easier to retrieve and put away. (No more muddy tennies, either.) |
 | .......... |  |
After three years of practice, it takes me 25 minutes, from start to finish, to set up the screen. That includes going to get the BOC screen out of the closet, carting the poles from the side yard to the place of assembly, right through to tying down the guy wires. It also assumes that the person helping me lift it up and into position is within shouting distance when I call for help. (This does not include attaching the two speakers, plugging in the speaker wire and extension cord, firing up the projector and computer, and adjusting the focus.)
I've never timed the tear down.
For a glimpse at a smaller (5'X9'), more portable screen I made for travel and winter patio viewing, take a look at this page.
One more thought: What's to be done with the old tarp? For a time, I used it to protect my BOC screen from attracting bits of dirt and grass while I attached it to the frame. On occassion, it has acted as a moisture barrier between the kiddies' blankets and the grass.
COST
With Season Four about to begin, it occurred to me that a price estimate covering the cost of materials might be helpful. I looked up current pricing (May 2012). Just how much each item has gone up or down in price over the past three years, I don't know. Here is the breakdown.
| No. | ITEM | Unit Cost | Total | ||
| 5 | T fitting | 9.00 | 45.00 | ||
| 2 | elbow fitting | 8.00 | 16.00 | ||
| 1 | 5-way fitting | 11.00 | 11.00 | ||
| 1 | connector fitting | 6.00 | 6.00 | ||
| 6 | 1" EMT conduit | 7.10 | 42.60 | ||
| 1 | The Claw | 20.00 | 20.00 | ||
| 2 | Figure 9 Rope Tightener | 2.50 | 5.00 | ||
| 2 | 60-lb. bag Quikcrete | 2.77 | 5.54 | ||
| 1 | 6.75 X 12 finished BOC screen | 139.99 | 139.99 | ||
| 1 | 1-1/2" pvc pipe | 4.75 | 4.75 | ||
| 1 | can Rust-Oleum black spray | 5.48 | 5.48 | ||
| 1 | spreader bar | 25.00 | 25.00 |
So, the total cost is around $350, including tax.
And right now, as I type this, Walmart and Amazon have 12'-wide inflatable screens for $229!
Using Billboard Tarp for Screen Material
For detailed instruction on making a screen using billboard tarp, visit FrostyFreeze's Hylto-Plex Outdoor Theater site.
Scroll down to the portion that reads,
"Let's talk about the screen first," to begin the explanation.
After that, browse at your leisure. He's keeping a nice record of his design, tweaks, and upgrades.
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VIDEO PROJECTOR
A borrowed NEC VT45 projector (1000 lumens) helped us test the waters for the entire first season. Realizing this hobby was going to be more than a passing fancy, I started scouring Craigslist. By the beginning of Season Two, we owned a next-to-new Epson 705HD (or at least, we were told it was next-to-new).
As the sun sets, it shines directly on my screen. Despite the unfortunate screen orientation, the combination of the BOC screen and the 2500 lumens projector moved the starting time up dramatically. This picture was taken about one minute before sunset, the first time I tested the new projector with the new screen. I was so jazzed!
As you can see, I can start the pre-show entertainment right at sunset. If the movie is particularly long or the children have to be up early the next day, I've started the movie just minutes after sunset. It's not the most ideal time, and I'd avoid doing so with adult guests, but I've never had a single complaint from the younger set. Once again, the members of BYT.com came through with great advice.
If you're in the market to buy and have questions (or if you're like me and have no idea what questions to ask), a good place to start is the Projector Specific Forum on BackyardTeater.com. Just start reading. Bdwalker1's reply in the post Newbie Looking for PJ help makes some very good points.
This is a good place to mention Projector Central's Projection Calulator Pro where, based on the manufacture's specifications, one can calculate throw distance vs. screen size.
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VIDEO SOURCES
• Movies
For three summers, I've been using my Mac laptop to play DVDs. I know I'm not getting the most out of my projector, but the price was right. I can use it to play Neflix streaming videos as well. And programming a full evening's entertainment is a breeze.
• Video Games
Although I'd read many posts concerning Video Games on the Big Screen, I remained solidly entrenched in the Anti-Video Games Camp. . . . . . . . .
UNTIL one evening early into the Second Season, I broke down and hooked up my grandchildren's Wii dancing game during a soccer party. What a kick!
They nearly wiggled their bottoms off.
So, I became a believer. Wii Sports and Mariokart have become part of our outdoor summer entertainment.
• Cable Hook Up
All projectors have hook ups for cable boxes. My Epson projector has several options: HDMI, component video (for computers), S-video, and composite. Until 2012, I only toyed with the idea of projecting television broadcasts outside, but never got serious. The London XXX Olympics changed all that. I had my cable provider add a line for my outside TV projection.
Fortunately, I have a small storage closet under the stairs where I can store the excess cable until needed.
When I'm ready to project the television broadcast, I pull the cable to the outside and attach it to the cable box that resides permanently on the projection cart.
(I can rent the box for $11/month (basic options), and can start and stop the service at any time.)
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SOUND SYSTEM
I should begin by emphasizing what I eluded to on the Home Page. I am no audiophile. The convenience of set-up is as important to me as the quality of the sound. As long as the dialogue is crisp and there's no background buzzing noise, I'm happy.
An old Roland keyboard amplifier/mixer provided sound for three seasons. It was more than satisfactory - nice and loud, with no distorted sound.
But it was heavy - unbelievably heavy!
By the end of Summer One, I'd attached a set of wheels to the bottom, yet it continued to be the single most dreaded part of the set-up. In fact, it was the only part of the set-up that I truly hated. And I really, really, REALLY hated it. Still, the amplifier was free (a concept one can't ignore).
Then, during the Third Season, I ran over my toe with the amplifier. That did it!
I went back to BYTheeater.com and scoured the discussion forums for ideas.
I found a couple of plans that seemed to fit well with my existing design and needs:
Two BYT members, JJ and Forward Look, shared dramatically different outdoor theaters, both in scope and size (Newbie’s New Outdoor Theater Preview and Hoppy Valley Drive-In Premiere - A Complete How-To), yet they both chose to integrate their speakers into their screen frame designs. That appealed to me.
I'm now the happy owner of a pair of Earthquake All Weather Speakers and a new stereo receiver. Although the system can't compete with surround sound, the quality beats my existing amplifier by miles and miles. PLUS, the setup is (oh, heavenly days!) a gazillion times more convenient. Here's a look at the bottom of the screen, from which the speakers hang during a movie.
Although the speakers are "all weather," they are stored inside, on the projector cart when not in use.
An explanation of the installation and connections, along with accompanying pictures, can be seen here on the blog.
The Cracker Jack Theater opened its Fourth Season with a new sound system.
I have great neighbors on either side of me, but a rather touchy one lives directly behind. Lately I've been thinking about a wireless sound system.
I have no experience with transmitters, but there's an excellent explanation on the Backyard Theater site posted here. When I'm ready, I plan to use the post to help me set up an FM transmitting system.
Here is a link one can use to find vacant FM frequencies on which to broadcast.
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SCREEN FRAME STORAGE:
The frame is hung from the fence in the side yard.
It's broken down into the four sides, the two short pipes for the second and third leg, the foot, and the stretcher bar.
I make 5 trips from the side yard to the screen construction site: one trip each for the 12-foot horizontal poles, one trip for both 7-foot vertical poles, one trip for the stretcher bar, and one for the foot and legs combined. The individual pipes aren't so much heavy as they are unwieldy, so carting one at a time is safest for me.
All fittings are left on the pipes, along with the two side tie-down acrylic ropes (yellow and blue because that's what I had on hand), the rope tighteners, the speaker brackets, and the zip-tied speaker wire.
The ends of the banana plugs are covered with plastic wrap during the winter months, but they are left to face the elements while the BY Theater is open for business.
I give the pipes a new coat of black Rust-oleum spray paint
before each new season's Opening Night.
SCREEN and SPEAKER STORAGE - and a whole lot more:
The BOC Screen, folded inside the plastic bag in which it was shipped, is stored on the cart.
The bungee balls are "pre-installed". (For an explanation, go here.)
The speakers are also kept on the cart.
Despite the combined weight of these items, the cart glides quite nicely down the hall and out to the backyard. I back the cart over the threshold of the door and then lift the front wheels over the threshold. It's smooth sailing after that.
Everything comes out in a single trip.
The cart's original wheels WON'T work on the lawn. I replaced them with pneumatic wheels. For an alternative way to attach the wheels, read underdogs66's post, Triple H Theaters.
All electronic equipment and cables are
secured to the cart with zip ties.
A homemade cover keeps dust off the equipment
during the off season.
CONCESSION STORAGE:
The concession storage cart is kept in the workout room (a bedroom before we became empty nesters).
Pre-measure Snappy Popcorn packets rest on the bottom shelf.
The following items are stored inside the machine:
measuring spoon,
Flavacol,
popcorn scoop,
Gold Medal's Heat N' Klean,
popcorn boxes,
napkin dispenser
popcorn salt, and
small scissors.
MARQUEE STORAGE:
| Four 1X2 sticks are suspended with heavy duty wire, just below the garage ceiling.  | Each marquee-half rests on two sticks. |
