Hello All,

does anyone have any experience with a backyard projector and screen? I have a request from a customer. We were thinking of an electric drop down screen mounted on an outside wall, which would be covered from rain and snow with some kind of wood box. The equipment and projector can be mounted in a locking cabinet, again covered from rain and snow. I am assuming this system would not be used in cold weather.

Are there issues with humidity for the screen? or equipment? Any other issues?

Bugs - A screen housing would make a nice bee hotel or wasp resort. Maybe consider a flush ceiling mount model that you can build into a soffet. If the gaps are still to big, you could suppliment it with that brush like stuff they put on the bottom of doors.
Otherwise you could use a manual pull down screen, and consider it disposable.

Humidity in the equipment is bad if it condenses. However don't be temped to completely seal off the equipment cabinet. Moisture will get in, and it needs a way to get out. The heat also needs a way to get.
You could put a small 20W light bulb hidden inside the bottom of the cabinet that will act as a tiny heater, and help keep the cabinet dry.
I would build it like a miniature house, in that you have vents at the top and bottom that will keep the bugs and falling/spraying water out, but allow air to flow.

I have a client who uses a 'disposable' pull down screen which has a couple hooks on a fence to mount on. It is easy to pop back into the housing and take inside when not in use. The projector turns around to shoot out a window from the inside and he refocuses the lens, whole process takes about three minutes. Inside he has a 95 inch firehawk, outside a 140inch studiotech 130, works great. I made a contact closure that closes when the projector is turned to the outside, this is hooked up to a switcher that switches the audio to surround outdoor, some rock speakers as fronts (by the fence) and some soffit speakers as rears. Tsu6000 and rfx6000 to control it all. It's cool.