Johan Simbade
Three Factors You Need To Know Before Buying Big Ticket Projectors
Even though you may remember falling asleep to star and planet shaped glow in the dark stickers on your ceiling, you no longer have an easy way to see those bright constellations without straining your eyes. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that any science project is monitored. You don’t want to end up being crushed by homework or squandered money. No matter what size your science project is, it’s best to involve several people in order to test and review all facts before proceeding. Star and galaxy projectors are a great way to make sure that the facts that you’ve collected are accurate, so get started today!
For a science project that’s going to involve the stars, a decent sky chart is necessary. There are several different types of charts, including the National Astronomy Society’s ‘sky map’, the Sky and Telescope projectors, and the Purple Planet projectors from Carnegie Mellon University. Unless you’re working from an airplane, it’s best to go with an easy-to-use sky map that shows the positions of the brightest stars. If your project involves more than just the Big Bang theory, you’ll want to have enough space for a detailed map of our galaxy.
The next factor to consider is how you plan to use the projector. If your project involves a television set, the two most common options include one that has a built in star projector or one that utilizes an IP video camera. Both of these projectors will utilize a simple timing mechanism to illuminate the target area, which in turn produces a bright light for reading. A word of warning: some star projectors require you to use a timer in order to manually trigger the light.
For smaller projects such as books, art, and computer projects, it is typically easier to use a portable model that either automatically illuminates the target area, or that uses a pointing device, such as a mouse, or a stylus. Many of these devices have built in nightlights, which can be programmed to illuminate specific constellations, for dramatic and mood lighting effects. In general, using any one of these projectors with a general theme in mind is easiest.
Some people argue that there are fewer advantages with digital sky and planetarium projectors over traditional analog models, but this is largely a matter of preference. Digital sky and planetarium projectors offer several advantages over old-school, white noise-based models. These pros include the ability to eliminate chromatic aberration caused by diffraction, improved color accuracy, and the ability to introduce subtle satellite images into your sky (a process called parallax).
The final factor to consider is whether you should buy one projector or rent one. Renting works well if you have an annual budget, because at a discounted price you are effectively getting two projectors for the price of one. Budget renters also work well for those who are short on cash, as most rental companies give discounts on purchases, rentals, and the like. Buy one, get one free is another popular adage that are often brought up when it comes to buying electronic equipment, and this is also true of the case with big ticket projectors. Ultimately, the pros and cons of renting are more the decision of individual buyers than any universal truths about these devices.
