About Our Projector

Using DRTM's Projector

Important...remember to contact the Dobson Ranch Toastmasters Club president or VPE (currently Mike  Randall and Audrey Johnson) well in advance of the meeting day if you need to use the equipment.  The projector and screen are not "kept in storage" at St. Matthew Church and must be brought in as needed.

You must follow 2 simple rules, or the projector will not work.

Two Misconceptions have caused every DRTM projector mishap

1.  I can plug my laptop's USB cable into the projector and it will immediately work first time every time.  Wrong!  All USB devices need "drivers" to run them, and the projector is no different.  The first time you plug your laptop into the projector, it will automatically transfer needed drivers to your computer...but this process takes up to 5 minutes!  Subsequent uses by that computer will work right away...but be sure to leave 5 minutes the first time.

2.  I can save my PowerPoint presentation to a memory stick, and the projector will read it.  Wrong! It takes a computer to read PowerPoint presentations, and the projector is not a computer.  The projector can read pictures such as .jpg, so the "trick" is to "save" PowerPoint slides as pictures in .jpg format, and put those on the memory stick.  (note:  to save Power Point presentations to .jpg, click on “save as” and then on the bottom scroll down to the “jpeg” option.)

The DRTM screen works well, but has one serious flaw.  The handle at the top snaps to the base for transporting. (see arrows).  The snap is a cheap plastic clip that sometimes slips.  When it does, the screen unfurls and slams to the ground while you hold the handle and wonder what just happened.  As a safety measure, always tie the nylon strap we keep with the screen thru the handle and around the base of the screen.