# External mechanical shutter for projector



## zestie (Mar 11, 2014)

Where can i buy an external mechanical shutter for a projector? I have seen such gadgets but haven't been able to find any for sale on the web.


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## sk8rsdad (Mar 11, 2014)

Let me Google that for you. 

projector dowser


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## zestie (Mar 11, 2014)

sk8rsdad said:


> Let me Google that for you.
> 
> projector dowser



Thank you, good Sir. 
Not being a native English speaker I was not familiar with the word "dowser", hence my failure on Google.


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## TheaterEd (Mar 11, 2014)

To be fair, many English speakers are not familiar with the word "dowser"  A couple years ago I had a similar issue trying to find what I had always referred to as 'stage brakes'.


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## StradivariusBone (Mar 11, 2014)

sk8rsdad said:


> Let me Google that for you.



Let me google that for you


TheaterEd said:


> A couple years ago I had a similar issue trying to find what I had always referred to as 'stage brakes'.



I'll bite, what are "stage brakes"?


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## josh88 (Mar 11, 2014)

Wagon Brakes - rosco.com

That's what I call a stage brake.


Via tapatalk


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## StradivariusBone (Mar 11, 2014)

I'd never heard them called that before. I've always heard/used wagon/scenery brakes.


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## TheaterEd (Mar 11, 2014)

That was just what they referred to them in shop I first used them in and that's the name that stuck with me. The funny part is, the local hardware store kept them in stock since we bought so many of them and had them on the shelves as "Stage Brakes".


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## Calc (Mar 11, 2014)

I'll vouch for the #1 google result, the City Theatrical unit. We have 2 in different spaces, and they both work great. My only nitpick is that we have nothing else that needs powered DMX in the booth, so it ends up eating a whole universe.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Mar 11, 2014)

Stage brakes are what I'v always called over center levelers. Used them for orchestra shell towers - one each corner and they lift it up and can be preset to level it even if the floor is not. Over center clamps is a good google term.


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## Oldman (Mar 20, 2014)

Back to the original question, you might want to check out Engineering Solutions Inc at: Engineering Solutions Inc They make a bunch of different products including dowsers.


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## JChenault (Mar 21, 2014)

I have use the ProDowser ProDowser

I had to enlarge the flag with some black wrap, but the price is good and it has worked well for me


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## TheSwami (Mar 29, 2014)

If you're looking to go a little DIY (or budgets are tight), you can build a dowser yourself with just a few parts, including:

A DMX Servo-Driver
An RC Servo (from Pololu, or Adafruit, or eBay, or...)
A couple of XLR5 connectors, male and female (can't live without that passthrough)
A cheap wall-wart style power supply (7-12V) to drive the supply board. It simplifies things if your servo runs on the same voltage as the wall wart.
A project box or other enclosure
A bit of hookup wire.
Something stiff to make the flag.
The DXM servo driver really simplifies the building of this. If memory serves, the Northlight DMX boards are what ProDowser uses inside their dowsers.


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