Thread: Just scored a dish - now what?

Just got a dish to use down on the farm where the Govt. mandated digital TV no longer reaches... It's a 10' mesh, grey, with LNB cover that says "Laser". Any idea who the manuf. is? I need to break it down into halves to transport and want to be able to reassemble two hundred miles down the road. Any suggestions? I am assuming I need to keep the feedhorn in the same relative position because of polarization. It looks like the supports are made from 1/2" EMT and would be fragile at the bends, but the bolts holding them to the feedhorn assy are behind the feedhorn ring. How does that come apart? Thanks

Label / Mark everything possible, makes it easier for reassembly.
If you break a few bolts while taking apart, don't sweat it.
Plan on buying all new hardware, makes it easier.

Take a few pictures before you disassemble it and again and as you are disassembling it. It looks like it is almost new condition.
Your new here...welcome to the forum and community!

Thanks for the help. I guess it's like everything else - learn by doing. Frankly, I'm amazed at the amount of linked material available here! Got lots to read. I'm thinking that I will just unbolt the four feedhorn supports from the dish and see if I can transport without bending them.

Scroll through this thread and look at the pictures as you go.
If you see anything similar to your dish, stop and try reading a bit.
It'll keep ya up all night!

Adventures in Dish Hunting 2009

Tons of great stories on finding, obtaining, removing, and transporting dishes.

Originally Posted by harwill

Just got a dish to use down on the farm where the Govt. mandated digital TV no longer reaches... It's a 10' mesh, grey, with LNB cover that says "Laser". Any idea who the manuf. is? I need to break it down into halves to transport and want to be able to reassemble two hundred miles down the road. Any suggestions? I am assuming I need to keep the feedhorn in the same relative position because of polarization. It looks like the supports are made from 1/2" EMT and would be fragile at the bends, but the bolts holding them to the feedhorn assy are behind the feedhorn ring. How does that come apart? Thanks

I would get a helper (or two) and take the arms that hold the LNB loose at the edge of the dish and remove it as a unit. Then take the legs off the lnb. It's always a bugger to get them off without tweaking them a bit. Most of the time they straighten out fine.
When I harvested mine, every bolt was rusted solid and they all broke off. No problem, just buy a box of stainless nuts and bolts and flat washers from McMaster-Carr. I like "Nylocs" myself
The dish should come apart in 1/4s.
Maybe take a felt pin and mark the connections and joints with "A-A" "B-B" etc.

Reassemble the dish first.
I like to loosely fasten two of the petals together with the nuts being loose and the start in the center and tighten them up moving outwards. Have your helper adjust the petals as you tighten, so the joint is even. Then add another petal and repeat.