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QualGear Pro-AV
How far below the ceiling should a projector hang? What drop means, what decides it, how to measure it, and how QualGear pipe lengths fit.
The projector's manual decides the drop, not the mount. Lens height comes from the projector's vertical offset or lens shift range and from where the upper edge of the screen sits; the mount's job is to put the lens at that height and hold it there. This guide explains what drop means, the five things that set it, how to measure before you buy, and how the fixed-length 1.5 in NPT pipes in the QualGear Pro-AV system turn that measurement into a part you can order.
The short answer
Work out the lens height first. The projector manual gives the figure; the pipe follows it.
A projector hangs as far below the ceiling as it takes to put its lens at the height the manual calls for. That height is set by the projector's vertical lens offset or lens shift range and by where the upper edge of the screen sits. Find the lens height first, subtract it from the ceiling height, and the remainder is the drop. Then choose the Pro-AV pipe length that gets closest, and let the bracket's tilt take up the last few degrees.
What drop means
Ceiling to lens, or ceiling to the projector's underside. Two measurements people call drop; know which one you are using.
Drop is used for two different distances. Installers usually mean the distance from the finished ceiling to the center of the lens, because that is the figure the projector manual works with. Buyers often mean the distance from the ceiling to the underside of the projector, because that is what they see and what has to clear a door, a light or a head. The two differ by the projector's own height above its lens line, which is in its manual. Decide which one you need before you measure, and use the same one throughout.
Ceiling to lens center
The figure the projector manual's offset and throw tables use. Use it for image geometry.
Ceiling to projector underside
The figure that matters for clearance under lights, doors, ducts and heads. Add the projector's height below its lens line to get it.
What the mount adds
The adapter, the pipe and the bracket each add height between the ceiling and the projector. QualGear has measured the assembled height with one 12 in / 30.5 cm pipe, from the ceiling-contact face to the underside of the bracket plate: 19.33 in / 49.1 cm with the flat adapter, 21.25 in / 54 cm with the sloped adapter at 0 degrees, and 22.5 in / 57.2 cm from the beam underside with the truss adapter.
What decides the drop
Five things set the drop. Screen position, lens offset, throw distance, sightlines and the ceiling itself.
The drop is the result of five decisions, in roughly this order. Where the upper edge of the screen sits. Where the projector's lens has to be relative to that edge, which its manual states as a vertical offset or a lens shift range. How far from the screen the lens must sit, which the throw ratio sets. Whether anyone's head or sightline crosses the light path at that position. And what the ceiling puts in the way: lights, beams, ducts, trim, a fan or a slope. The mount cannot change the first three; it can only put the lens where they agree.
Screen upper edge
Set the screen height for the seating first. The projector follows the screen, not the other way round.
Lens offset from the projector manual
Most projectors throw the image above or below the lens line by a stated vertical offset, often as a percentage of image height. Lens shift, where fitted, gives a range instead of one figure. Take the number from your projector's manual; it differs by model.
Throw distance
Throw ratio multiplied by image width gives the lens-to-screen distance. That fixes where along the ceiling the mount goes, and on a sloped ceiling it changes the ceiling height at that point.
Sightlines and heads
At the mounting point, check that standing and seated heads clear the projector and that nobody crosses the light path. A short-throw projector sits closer to the screen and reduces the problem.
Ceiling obstructions
Lights, beams, ducts, trim, fans, sprinklers and a slope all push the lens lower than the geometry alone would. Measure at the actual mounting point, not at the room's nominal ceiling height.
How to measure
Measure in this order. Six steps with a tape, the projector manual and the screen position.
Measure before you order the pipe. The sequence below gives you the lens height and the mounting point; the pipe length then follows from the ceiling height at that point. Keep the projector manual open, because its offset, lens shift and throw figures are the inputs.
Fix the screen
Decide and mark the height of the screen's upper edge and its width. Everything else follows from these two figures.
Find the throw distance
Multiply the image width by the projector's throw ratio from its manual. Mark that distance from the screen on the ceiling. That is the mounting point.
Find the lens height
Apply the projector's vertical offset or lens shift range to the screen's upper edge, as the manual describes. The result is where the lens center has to be.
Measure the ceiling at the mounting point
Measure floor to ceiling at the mark, not elsewhere in the room. On a sloped ceiling this is where the height changes.
Subtract
Ceiling height minus lens height is the drop to the lens center. For clearance, add the projector's height below its lens line to get the distance to its underside.
Check clearances
At that drop, confirm the projector clears lights, beams, ducts, doors and heads, and that the light path is clear. If it does not, move the screen or the mounting point and repeat.
How QualGear pipe lengths fit
Six fixed pipe lengths, stacked up to six. The drop is the measured adapter-and-bracket height plus the pipe.
QualGear Pro-AV extension pipes come in six fixed lengths: 1.5 in / 3.8 cm, 3 in / 7.6 cm, 6 in / 15.2 cm, 12 in / 30.5 cm, 24 in / 61 cm and 36 in / 91.4 cm, in black or white, threaded 1.5 in NPT at both ends and rated to 800 lb / 363 kg. Up to six pipes and five connectors in one system, with one connector between each pair of pipes; each connector adds 1 in / 2.5 cm to the drop. Two pipes are joined by a Pro-AV pipe connector, rated to 300 lb / 136 kg, with or without an optional side cable opening (PCO or PC); the lowest-rated part still sets the system rating. On the flat, sloped or truss adapter the drop to the projector's mounting face is the measured adapter-and-bracket height plus the pipe stack. Each connector adds 1 in / 2.5 cm: two 12 in / 30.5 cm pipes and one connector make a 25 in / 63.5 cm pipe stack. On a drop ceiling the suspension height varies, so only the pipe stack is stated. For a hang longer than 36 in / 91.4 cm, add pipes with a connector between each pair, up to six pipes and five connectors in one system. Each connector adds 1 in / 2.5 cm.
1.5 in / 3.8 cm
The shortest pipe. Keeps the projector close to the ceiling.
3 in / 7.6 cm
The length included in every QG-KIT kit.
6 in / 15.2 cm
A little more clearance under lights or trim.
12 in / 30.5 cm
For a lens that needs to sit lower than the kit pipe allows.
24 in / 61 cm
Adds an optional 1 x 2 in side outlet with a cover plate; cables run inside every length.
36 in / 91.4 cm
The longest single pipe. Adds an optional 1 x 2 in side outlet with a cover plate; cables run inside every length.
Pipe connector
Joins two pipes for a longer hang and adds 1 in / 2.5 cm to the stack. One between each pair of pipes. PC has no opening; PCO adds an optional side opening for a cable to leave the column.
Choose your pipe in the builder
Worked example
Adding up a Pro-AV drop. Flat adapter, 24 in pipe and bracket, with the measured figures.
QualGear measured the flat adapter, a 12 in / 30.5 cm pipe and the QG-PRO-PM-50 bracket assembled: 19.33 in / 49.1 cm from the ceiling to the underside of the bracket plate, where the projector mounts. Swapping the 12 in pipe for a 24 in / 61 cm pipe adds 12 in / 30.5 cm: 19.33 + 12 = 31.33 in / 79.6 cm. Add the projector's own lens offset below its mounting face, from its manual, to find the lens height.
Measured assembly
Flat adapter + 12 in / 30.5 cm pipe + bracket: 19.33 in / 49.1 cm from the ceiling to the underside of the bracket plate.
Longer pipe
A 24 in / 61 cm pipe is 12 in / 30.5 cm longer than the measured pipe, so the drop is 19.33 + 12 = 31.33 in / 79.6 cm.
Other adapters
With the same 12 in / 30.5 cm pipe: sloped adapter at 0 degrees 21.25 in / 54 cm; truss adapter 22.5 in / 57.2 cm from the underside of the beam. On a slope the vertical drop differs from the 0-degree figure.
Stacked pipes
Each connector adds 1 in / 2.5 cm. Two 12 in / 30.5 cm pipes and one connector make a 25 in / 63.5 cm pipe stack: 12 + 1 + 12. On the flat adapter that is 7.33 + 25 = 32.33 in / 82.1 cm from the ceiling to the projector's mounting face.
Drop ceilings
The drop ceiling adapters hang on wire from the structure above, so the height varies; only the pipe length is stated.
Lens height
The projector's lens sits below its mounting face by the offset in its manual. Add that to the drop to place the lens.
Cables down the drop
Running cables down the drop. Cables run inside any pipe; side outlets are optional exits.
HDMI and power usually run from the source up the wall, across the ceiling and down to the projector. Cables run inside any pipe length: the inside diameter is 1.5 in / 3.8 cm and an HDMI plug passes through. The side outlet on the 24 in / 61 cm and 36 in / 91.4 cm pipes and the opening on the PCO connector are optional exit points for where a cable needs to leave the pipe, not a requirement. Measure the HDMI run along the path it actually takes, add slack for service loops, and keep the run tidy with hook-and-loop ties or cable clips.
Inside the pipe
Every pipe length carries cables inside. Inside diameter 1.5 in / 3.8 cm; an HDMI plug passes through, so the cable can be run with its plug fitted.
Optional side outlets
The 24 in / 61 cm and 36 in / 91.4 cm pipes add a 1 x 2 in side outlet with a cover plate, and the PCO connector adds an opening at a joint. Use them where a cable needs to leave the column partway down; they are not needed to run cables inside the pipe.
Measure the run, not the distance
Source, up the wall, across the ceiling and down the drop, plus slack at both ends. Pick the next cable length up.
Keep it tidy
Hook-and-loop ties and cable clips hold the run along the ceiling and down the pipe.
Golf simulator drops
Golf simulator projectors. The same measurement, with the swing in the way.
In an indoor golf bay the projector hangs above and behind the hitting area so the light passes over the player and a club at full extension cannot reach it. The drop follows the same lens-height method, with the throw ratio setting how far behind the screen plane the lens sits. The golf simulator projector guide covers throw, brightness, aspect ratio and placement for the bay; the Pro-AV system handles the mount on flat, sloped, drop and truss ceilings.
Products and warranty
Parts named in this guide. Every link goes to the product page.
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Running cables down the drop
Warranty
Pro-AV warranty
QualGear Pro-AV pipes, brackets, adapters and kits carry a 5-year limited manufacturer's warranty, parts only.
Drop-length questions
Asked about drop length. Answers from the pipe and bracket listings.
How far below the ceiling should a projector hang?
The projector's manual decides it. Lens height comes from the projector's vertical offset or lens shift range and from where the upper edge of the screen sits. Work out the lens height first, subtract it from the ceiling height at the mounting point, and choose the pipe that places the lens there. With one pipe on the flat adapter, the drop to the projector's mounting face is 7.33 in / 18.6 cm plus the pipe length.
What extension pipe lengths are available?
Six fixed lengths, in black or white: 1.5 in / 3.8 cm, 3 in / 7.6 cm, 6 in / 15.2 cm, 12 in / 30.5 cm, 24 in / 61 cm and 36 in / 91.4 cm. All are threaded 1.5 in NPT at both ends and rated to 800 lb / 363 kg, and cables run inside every length. The 24 in and 36 in pipes add an optional side outlet with a cover plate.
How do I get a hang longer than 36 inches?
Join pipes with a QualGear Pro-AV 1.5 in NPT pipe connector, one between each pair of pipes, up to six pipes and five connectors in one system. The connector is rated to 300 lb / 136 kg, adds 1 in / 2.5 cm to the stack, and comes with an optional side cable opening (PCO) or without one (PC). Each connector adds 1 in / 2.5 cm: two 12 in / 30.5 cm pipes and one connector make a 25 in / 63.5 cm pipe stack. The lowest-rated part sets the system rating.
What is the longest hang the system supports?
Up to six pipes and five connectors in one system. With six 36 in / 91.4 cm pipes and five connectors at 1 in / 2.5 cm each, the pipe stack is 221 in / 561.3 cm; on the flat adapter add 7.33 in / 18.6 cm for the adapter and bracket. The system rating stays the lowest-rated part, 70 lb / 31.8 kg with the bracket on a flat, sloped or truss ceiling.
Are the pipes adjustable or telescoping?
No. Pro-AV pipes are fixed lengths, which keeps the drop repeatable when the same system goes into many rooms. Fine aim comes from the bracket's tilt, swivel and rotation. If you need a telescoping drop for a lighter projector in a home room, see QualGear's standalone telescopic ceiling mounts; they do not accept NPT pipe.
How close to the ceiling can the projector sit?
With the flat adapter and the shortest 1.5 in / 3.8 cm pipe, the projector's mounting face sits about 8.83 in / 22.4 cm below the ceiling: the measured adapter-and-bracket height of 7.33 in / 18.6 cm plus the pipe. For a near-flush look on a lighter projector in a home room, the low-profile PRB-717 mount sits 6 in / 15.2 cm from the ceiling and holds up to 30 lb / 13.6 kg.
Can I run HDMI and power through the pipe?
Yes, through any pipe length. Cables run inside any pipe length: the inside diameter is 1.5 in / 3.8 cm and an HDMI plug passes through. The side outlet on the 24 in / 61 cm and 36 in / 91.4 cm pipes and the opening on the PCO connector are optional exit points for where a cable needs to leave the pipe, not a requirement.
What length of HDMI cable do I need?
Measure the route the cable will actually take: from the source, up the wall, across the ceiling and down the drop, then add slack for service loops at both ends and pick the next length up. QualGear high-speed HDMI cables come in lengths from 3 ft to 100 ft, with in-wall rated jackets on the 25 ft to 100 ft lengths. Keep the run tidy with hook-and-loop ties or cable clips.
Measure once, then choose the pipe. The builder takes your ceiling and pipe length and checks every part against the next.
Build your Pro-AV system
Choose your ceiling, structure, pipe length and projector; the builder assembles a compatible system and adds every part to your cart.
Build your systemWhich adapter fits your ceiling?
Flat, concrete, sloped, drop, truss or I-beam: the ceiling-types guide shows how to identify each one and what its adapter manual documents.
Read the ceiling-types guide