February 2004 - page 3
 We now thought we were ready to install the rest of the enclosure for the box and seal up the projector. However, more problems were present after the contractor left for the day and AudioRevolution.com Director of Content Bryan Dailey came over. With the lights dimmed and darkness outside, Dailey and I started adjusting the height of the projector to make the center of the lens on the D-ILA line up with the top of the screen. This initially required figuring out how to adjust the default roll-down height of the screen. Thank God for Stewart Filmscreen’s website. With a few twists of a screw hidden on the bottom of the screen (soon to be hidden forever), we were able to make the screen clear the height of my new Wilson WATCH center-channel speaker and also elevate it enough to clear the screen soffet. Things were looking good.
However, after further inspection, my contractor and I decided to take the hush box to the next level. He suggested we could line the walls of the hush box with foam insulation. It might help with the heat and would definitely keep fan noise from escaping the projector box. We had to remove the projector, but the cost for 3M spray adhesive and the (not-so-combustible) foam was a mere few dollars and the project only took about 30 to 45 minutes, which was mostly spent taking the projector out and reinstalling it.
 Because of the thickness of the 3M foam near the top of the box, I encountered even more of a choking effect in terms of airflow. While the foam was a good idea in terms of sound and heat, Conte and I ended up taking the projector out yet again and removing all of the foam, as well as the drywall above the projector in order to allow vast amounts of air to enter the projector. The exhaust was still able to exit through the roof, and my projector has thankfully yet to shut off from heat.
The last trick we added to my hush box came from a suggestion by my electrician, Bruce, who found a heat-sensitive switch for the fans, which can be set to turn on when the box reaches a predetermined temperature. We simply plugged in this big switch and set it to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It doesn’t take long for the projector to be active in order to make the fans click on. However, I now don’t need to worry about having to manually activate the fan.
Conclusion
If you want to go all the way with your music and home theater system, chances are you are going to need some sort of concealment for your projector. Hopefully, some of the elements of my installation will be inspirational for your individual situation. I strongly encourage you to work with top-level installers to make sure your video system is set up and tuned to the highest level. Always remember, there is no reason you can’t have the best-looking picture while enjoying music or movie soundtracks in a noise-free environment.
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