Thread: As Requested - A brief history of my 24 foot BUD

A brief history of the BUD for those interested.


I had rescued and repaired a 12 ft BUD while I was stationed in Bermuda between 1993 and 1998.I had lots of fun searching for satellites and particularly wild feeds. It was an analgue receiver and dish mover combination.
Many years went by in England and cruising on sailboats where a BUD was out of the question. In 2005 I moved to Panama to build a shack and live in a warmer climate. I was in a bus travelling from Chiriqui Grande to Almirante when I noticed a BUD on a lot which looked unused and decaying. I made some enquiries and was told the name of the owner who had now let the property to local tenants. I made repeated efforts to contact the owner about a possible purchase. After many months an agreement to purchase for $200 was made.
I then had to lower and dismantle the dish about 1 day. Hire labour to cart it down the hill to the shore 1/2 day and then load it into a boat for a trip to my property. It took 3 trips to get everything across about 1/2 day. Then we carted it up the hill to the location where you see it on my property.
It then took me about 2 months, not working every day, to pour the base mount the tower, re-assemble and repair the dish.
What I hadn’t really appreciated was the weight of the dish so I had to errect a very strong timber A frame which surrounded the tower and then used a block and tackle and a comealong to lift the dish into position.
Subsequent problems have been actually accessing the LNB for a change of unit or an adjustment.. I had to build a ladder with side leg supports to get to the LNB.
Anyway after many hours of fun and games we now have a working system which does track the arc and gets me a fair selection of FTA channels.
A big disappointment to me was the poor quality of reception of 99 west where I had hoped to pick up the main us networks.
I plan to buy a better C Band LNB and a KU band LNB to go on the BUD to see what I can get.Of course getting any of this stuff in Panama is nearly impossible so I have to buy in the US and have the stuff shipped here
All in all a lot of work, some disappointments but quite a lot of interesting channels found, lots of fun and a huge amount of learning particularly about digital. The people on Satelliteguys have been great, very generous with help and advice. I have learnt a huge amount from them.
THANK YOU.

I've been wondering how you came by that 24' dish, since you first posted here.
Thanks for the back story.

As I was reading along, at first I was thinking you were going to say you found the dish, and just bought the land it was on! -

I'm sure our vendors will do what they can to ship you any necessary equipment.
And read the C-band department to help make up your mind what might work best.
Some day, you'll have to let us know your favorite channels (the public ones)

Whats your arc coverage? if you have something to control polarity you mite be best off with a wideband feed and commercial lnb's with that dish.

I takes a good motor to move that antenna!

do you have bigger and more pictures?

Originally Posted by neljtorres

I takes a good motor to move that antenna!

yeah like a car engine

now that's a diehard

No Ice, I think more like TWO car engines, one for El, and one of Az.

im definately abit envious. wow. okay alot envious. we need some bigger pics of that beast.

crackt out,.