I think the cheapest solution is short florescent tubes. I
could probably pack quite a few into a small area.


But how are you going to turn that into a high intensity point source?
Wrap in tin foil and poke a hole? I'm doubtful.


The box containing the tubes would be mirrored on all sides at one end
on the top would be a hole to let the light out (roughly 3cm by 3cm
probably) to which I would fit a glass lense to focus the light to a
point. Inside the projector body would be a flat mirror placed at or
close to the place where the point forms and simply reflects the light
into the machine.

I think this solution would probably scale sufficiently to provide
enough light and the lense makes the light into a point source. I
realize that there would be tremendous losses with the light bouncing
all over the place in the box but it's so cheap...



Another possibility
is just powering up the cheapest projector bulb money can buy.


I'd still try a halogen, of as much power as you can fit in there. Low
v, not 240v, rnu it off a transformer. Likely it will be a below par
sub, but a small low v 3000K filament might be runnable.


It's certainly worth a go. Mounting it might be tricky though.



I haven't
really decided because until I know how to get the projector to come

on

without a bulb in place the whole things a bit moot.


Thats simple, dummy load. If youre lucky and the thing is unfussy
enough it might even run a filament bulb.


What would you use as a dummy load though? I think that I would have to
mimic the real bulb quite accurately since the behaviour upon failure
seems to indicate that it is sensing the current and or voltage as it
cuts out about 10 minutes after it has fired up the bulb - that would
mean having to dissipate 200W! If, as another poster mentioned, it also
uses several KV as a start up voltage I'm not sure I should be playing
with it at all )


NT



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