Ceiling Mounting a Home Theater Front Projector – Metalcraft Mounting System
After faking the price of the official Sanyo PLV-Z3 projector ceiling mount ($200), I found a much cheaper solution. For $36.95 you could buy a metal adjustable ceiling mount from Metalcraft on ebay.
Mounting a projector on my ceiling was easier than I thought. This is how I did it.
Tools you will need:
*Philips hand screwdriver
* Round Level
* EZ Anchor Bolt Solvers
* Measuring tape
* Stepladder
Measure mounting hardware: The Metalcraft mount ceiling plate is large, measuring five by five inches square with six pre-drilled holes for ceiling screws. A post goes down to the projector mounting plate.
How I measured my room for optimal mounting location: Dividing the width of the room, considering the air duct, and measuring eleven and a half feet from the surface of the front projector screen plus half the length of the mounting plate, I placed the plate on the ceiling and marked each hole for screw.
Anchored to ceiling: Wear safety glasses to prevent dust from roof boards from getting in your eyes. I removed the plate and drove the EZ Anchor Stud Solver metal anchors in until they were flush with the ceiling. EZ anchors are great because you never have to drill a pilot hole for self-tapping anchors. I replaced the plate over the anchors and put each #8 screw into its anchor. You may need an extra hand to hold the plate in place while you tighten the first two or four screws.
Attach the projector plate before attaching it to the ceiling plate: Since the bracket assembly is divided into two parts, one that is attached to the ceiling with a post that screws into the projector’s trim plate, you can screw and tighten the hex screws and plastic bushings to the projector body.
Attach the projector plate to the ceiling mount: The Metalcraft ceiling mount post accepts an adjustable knob screw. You will need someone to help you set the screw as you lift the projector. With the screw tightened, you can rotate the projector from left to right on the ceiling pole.
Fine tuning: The Metalcraft mount allows yaw, pitch and rotation. With manual adjustment of the knobs on the projector mounting plate, you can position the projector perfectly on the projection screen. With the help of a circular spirit level, you can level the projector from front to back and left to right using the corresponding knobs. With the projector level, you can adjust the lens up, down, and sideways for perfect screen fill without keystone correction.
warning: The Metalcraft mount wobbles due to the thinness of the metal used in the metal band that holds the projector mount to the ceiling mounting post. When you need to change interconnects or adjust manual focus and zoom, the projector wobbles slightly when the metal gives way. However, this does not cause the projector to lose registration. Hey, $36.95, what are you waiting for?
The Metalcraft mounting system for the Sanyo PLV-Z3 LCD projector (and many other makes and models of projectors) is a great bargain and very reliable. Highly recommended.