TheRailwire

General Discussion => N and Z Scales => Topic started by: 71jeep on September 11, 2008, 05:43:45 AM

Title: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: 71jeep on September 11, 2008, 05:43:45 AM
Hi There....

I remember back in the mid 90,s an advertisement in n scale magizine for a fully functional drivein theater.

I tought that was the neatest thing since sliced bread but could never aford one and could not convince the folks to buy me one either ;D.And now that I am older I would like to have one just for the hek of it  ::)

So my question is does anyone remember these? Any one have any info on them or something similar??

Thanks all

Allen....
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: FloridaBoy on September 11, 2008, 07:00:53 AM
I think I remember seeing one, and from the best of my memory, it was HO and not N. It used a small TV hidden behind the 'screen'.

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: davefoxx on September 11, 2008, 07:07:41 AM
The drive-in theater in HO is the one I remember:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/272-130340

Dave Foxx
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: 71jeep on September 11, 2008, 07:23:20 AM
Nope Thats not the one, the one if I am remembering correctly was produced in Z,N and HO I think.

I am sure it was a LCD screen or something similar that you hooked to your VCR back then.

But I am guessing that it is no longer produced or there is nothing in N scale that is like it.


Allen.....
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: DKS on September 11, 2008, 07:36:03 AM
Miller Engineering. Limited production run, currently OOP. I'll see if I can come up with a link and/or image.

EDIT: Found this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/NIB-Working-N-Scale-Starlite-Drive-in-movie-kit-w-LCD_W0QQitemZ220278607577QQihZ012QQcategoryZ19127QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: 71jeep on September 11, 2008, 08:33:18 AM
HA HA thats the one thanks I dont remember it being that much though :o.

Hmmm have to keep an eye on that one and see if I can work some overtime get some extra cash  ;D

Thanks again

Allen.....
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: FrankCampagna on September 11, 2008, 09:25:27 AM
I remember it being quite pricey. If  you can get a small LCD TV screen, Blair Line makes an inexpensive drive-in. You could just substitute the screen, and use a DVD player.

Frank
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: Ed Kapuscinski on September 11, 2008, 09:41:10 AM
Also keep in mind the way LCD prices have fallen since it was produced.
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: railspike55 on September 11, 2008, 11:28:32 AM
This costs less and the screen is smaller
Dont need no vcr  an runs for hours on a charge
I have one and it does movies just great.

This could be framed to look like a outdoor drive in.


http://go.shopsansa.com/content/view

Product Dimensions:
Product Weight:
Screen Size:
 (L x W x D)
4.29" x 1.95" x .41"
2.9 oz
2.4" 320x240 color TFT
 
Ron
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: wm3798 on September 11, 2008, 11:32:57 AM
You could replicate that great old O Winston Link shot!
Lee
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: up1950s on September 11, 2008, 11:44:31 AM
Only 99 smackers for this .

(http://www.gadgettastic.com/wp-content/2008/03/mini_pmp.jpg)

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/mini_video_player.jpg&imgrefurl=http://technabob.com/blog/2007/11/29/tiny-video-players-make-me-squint/&h=379&w=400&sz=28&hl=en&start=5&um=1&usg=__ev6Ym7qG5vy_8CBLYNeDd1yuUx4=&tbnid=EX2c9SoJ50lByM:&tbnh=117&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMini%2BVideo%2BPlayer%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

The screen can be framed smaller if you want , but I think the image size is about right .
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: sirenwerks on September 11, 2008, 12:52:55 PM
Only $69 smackers, at ThinkGeek - http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/video/9e19/ (http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/video/9e19/)
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: DKS on September 11, 2008, 01:06:43 PM
I've got my eye, instead, on a new line of video projectors currently in development; they're extremely small (about the size of a sugar cube), relatively cheap (<$100), and may be incorporated into cell phones in the near future. They'd be small enough to hide in a model projection booth. Then the screen can be thin, curved, and mounted on scaffolding, they way they are in real life, instead of having to build some sort of funky-looking enclosure to hide a small TV.

Here are some articles:

http://www.gizmag.com/go/6175/

http://www.impactlab.com/2006/02/10/micro-mini-video-projector/

http://collegemogul.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/mezmeriz-developing-matchbox-size-hd-video-projector/
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: up1950s on September 11, 2008, 01:19:09 PM
I've got my eye, instead, on a new line of video projectors currently in development; they're extremely small (about the size of a sugar cube), relatively cheap (<$100), and may be incorporated into cell phones in the near future. They'd be small enough to hide in a model projection booth. Then the screen can be thin, curved, and mounted on scaffolding, they way they are in real life, instead of having to build some sort of funky-looking enclosure to hide a small TV.

Here are some articles:

http://www.gizmag.com/go/6175/

http://www.impactlab.com/2006/02/10/micro-mini-video-projector/

http://collegemogul.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/mezmeriz-developing-matchbox-size-hd-video-projector/

I wonder what the focal length is for that . I can't think this is designed for an N scale outdoor movie . If it is set at a fixed focused distance it could be a big fat problem to adapt . Most projection rooms at the outdoor movies I went to were incorporated with a snack / hot dog , beverage room , as well as rest rooms . So hiding the projector in such a structure is easy as pie , whatever that really means .
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: DKS on September 11, 2008, 01:55:28 PM
I've got my eye, instead, on a new line of video projectors currently in development; they're extremely small (about the size of a sugar cube), relatively cheap (<$100), and may be incorporated into cell phones in the near future. They'd be small enough to hide in a model projection booth. Then the screen can be thin, curved, and mounted on scaffolding, they way they are in real life, instead of having to build some sort of funky-looking enclosure to hide a small TV.

Here are some articles:

http://www.gizmag.com/go/6175/

http://www.impactlab.com/2006/02/10/micro-mini-video-projector/

http://collegemogul.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/mezmeriz-developing-matchbox-size-hd-video-projector/

I wonder what the focal length is for that . I can't think this is designed for an N scale outdoor movie . If it is set at a fixed focused distance it could be a big fat problem to adapt . Most projection rooms at the outdoor movies I went to were incorporated with a snack / hot dog , beverage room , as well as rest rooms . So hiding the projector in such a structure is easy as pie , whatever that really means .

Not too hard to adapt. A cheap lens can be used to change the focal length. Or, the projector can be placed below the layout, aimed at a pair of surface mirrors, one of which is in the projection booth.

One of the projectors I was reading about uses a laser light source; this can be designed in such a way that no lenses are needed, and the focal length could be virtually infinite.
Title: Re: Off the wall question for ya all to test your memory
Post by: TiVoPrince on September 11, 2008, 03:05:04 PM
I used
something similar to this (one or two versions earlier) for an HO module mid-nineties to early 2K:

(http://home.comcast.net/~edoscuro/cd-i_370.jpg)
PHOTO: Shamelessly lifted from someone elses site

After year five or so it was getting a bit rough around the edges and finally quit during an important show.  I really don't miss it a bit.  Cheap screens with much higher resolution and brightness can be had for a song today and the possibilites seem so much better as useless (according to the government advertisment) analogue devices will be flooding the auction market by next February...