Adventures in Dish Hunting 2009

[Mr Tony]

On my way home from the cabin I took the scenic route and saw 3 or 4 C-Band dishes

one on top of a bar (looks to be in use)
3 in folks yards....couldnt tell if they were in use

also saw one of those 7 foot UHF antennas on the same bar..the one like these
http://www.satelliteguys.us/1909748-post35.html

of course my camera was at home (dammit)

 

[cruzin]

I was riding shotgun with my GF today, we were going to buy a Nextel Blackberry for my neighbor. We turned down the wrong street and I was just looking out the window, all the sudden I yelled STOP! Brook nails the brakes, expecting the end of the world. I am out of the Suburban and already knocking on the front door, by the time she has it in park, lol. The lady that answered the door was more than happy to let me take "that old dish", but could not understand why I wanted it. She remembered using it, back in the 80's. 2 hrs later and I am the proud owner of my 2nd PS 1.0! I am going to point this one at 83.0°W.

I came across one just like this one and put it on a dg380 motor. Great dishes.

 

[Beef4Me]

Ice
Do you know who makes that UHF antenna?

 

[Dishman Dan]

Winegard 10'

I found another Winegard 10' BUD today about 11 miles from me! This is not the deep concave type but she is in great shape on the dish area. The actuator is junk and it is set up for C band but the mesh is tight enough for Ku. The man wants it out by spring either by me or he wants to scrap it before next years reunion! He thinks that it is worth a decent amount of money for scrap and wants to know what I will give. "Those things cannot be used for anything now days," he told me, but I told him otherwise! I am thinking of trading him one of my "scratch and dent" 10 footers so he can get his scrap money and maybe give him some fresh potatoes! His BUD is way too nice to scrap!!!...

 

[tds04]

Finally after posting multiple ads and dropping in on a couple big dish owners i have found my first bud. Turns out it was only two streets over.

Amazing how you can hide these things.

I knocked on the door not knowing what to expect and was pleasently suprised to learn they would be happy to give the dish to me and still have the reciever stored away.

Not sure what reciever it is or how long since it was used but the dish is kti
Kaul - tronics

So if the weather holds im hoping i can get this down this weekend or next.

i will post more details and pics as i get them.

 

[Beef4Me]

Hey All
I did find out that Channel Master made that 7' parabolic UHF antenna. They quit making they in 2001. I hope to find one, the gain on them is fantastic.
I got some pictures of that Viewmore I'm looking to get. There is no concrete! The bolts you see in the pictures have augers on them and are 3 ft in the ground. He wants more than I want to pay for it, but if I don't have to pour concrete, that's worth a lot.
Happy Hunting
Beef

 

[Mr Tony]

Ice
Do you know who makes that UHF antenna?

Channelmaster
Channel Master 4251 Tribute Page

 

[Mr Tony]

Saw a bunch of C-Band dishes yesterday going up north (way up north)

I'll preface this with I forgot to take my camera with :rant:

Had to haul a buddy of mine to his mom's to pick up a vehicle (4 1/2 hours north of Minneapolis). As we're driving up there I jokingly said "huh I guess up here satellite is mandatory" and he says yeah. (gee lets see with analog TV you got 2 stations...now with digital you get 1 for sure maybe 2)

On one road leading to her house I saw 3 C-Band dishes...all in decent shape. Get to his mom's house and as we pull down the driveway I see something....a C-Band dish on its side. I said "why didnt you tell me your mom has a C-Band dish?" and he says "It doesnt work after the fire". Get out and other than the dish being uprooted for some reason, here sits a used 8 foot solid dish (no name on it) with what looks like a newer actuator on it. I checked it out and told him I'd come take it away another time if she wants me too. My buddy kept saying "it doesnt work" and I said the dish is in great shape and yes it would work Now to try and find out why this dish was laying on the side with the mast and concrete slab still attached. Dish being solid I think can take a little more strain if its on its side.


Now to convince him to let me take it. Looks like it would come part in 4 pieces but the bolts on the back are really rusted so would need some major WD40 on it. Up in that neck of the woods I saw probably 6 or 7 C-Band dishes. Some majorly beaten (panels missing) and some looked good. Maybe next time I'll stop at those (well one had a no trespassing sign at the end of driveway....think I'll skip that one)

On the way back to the cabin (90 minutes away) I saw 2 houses in a row with C-Band dishes. One is a weird mesh one that looks like its either a 6 sided or 8 sided dish. The other one I've spoken about and I slowed down to look at the dish from the road (a good 125 feet away) and I almost started to cry.

The dish I have spoken about has a very unique logo on it....yes a Birdview
Aimed at the same satellite vicinity as their D1000 is on the TV antenna tower. Saw a car in the driveway so I went up to talk with the owner of it. Guy's wife answered the door and I asked about the dish. She said they havent used it in a couple years. Gave her my number and she said her husband would call. So here's hoping

Also the one that I had posted before with the big Indian guy who was using that for locals on 99W must have been watching something else today as the dish was moved off his usual true south (or near it) spot and was facing SW

Also the guy with the dish farm out front his house is for sale too. No number to call and nobody home when I stopped by

I'm just pissed I forgot my camera

 

[Anole]

tall tales, no camera:

Date: 9-18
On my way home from the cabin I took the scenic route and saw 3 or 4 C-Band dishes
of course my camera was at home (dammit)

Date: 9-23
Saw a bunch of C-Band dishes yesterday going up north (way up north)
I'll preface this with I forgot to take my camera with :rant:
...I'm just pissed I forgot my camera

.... hrmmmm... I don't know... all talk and no pictures... one's gotta wonder... -
You got some good fishing stores to tell, too? -

Get to his mom's house and as we pull down the driveway I see something....a C-Band dish on its side.
...Get out and other than the dish being uprooted for some reason, here sits a used 8 foot solid dish (no name on it) with what looks like a newer actuator on it.
... Looks like it would come part in 4 pieces but the bolts on the back are really rusted so would need some major WD40 on it.

I tried using a two tools.
Sawzall was okay, but it has a tendency to break blades. (I didn't, but nearly did, and took spares!)
In truth the hand grinder with a cut-off wheel worked far better.
Both on bolts and the pole!
Less vibration, and easier more accurate control. Especially in awkward locations.
So, screw the penetrating oil (well, you'll need it elsewhere), cut those puppies right off!
We'll find you some nice replacement stainless to put it back together! - :up

.... I slowed down to look at the dish from the road (a good 125 feet away) and I almost started to cry.
The dish I have spoken about has a very unique logo on it....yes a Birdview

Man, if all these fish stories are true, you gotta find yourself some property to set 'em up on! -
Maybe do for your neighbors what Linuxman has done for his family - set up a bunch of fixed dishes aimed at everything in sight! -

 

[Lak7]

Where the Pics?

 

[Mr Tony]

smart alecks....next time

it never fails...every time I go up north I forget something and the last two times its been the camera. Usually its something minor like cell phone charger or an article of clothing

next time I'll get some of the pics. The Birdview is about 20 miles out of the way

 

[No Doubt]

I think I may of found one of these, if it is still available. What are the specs on it, is it larger then the Primestar dish?

 

[ZetaMale]

During my travels in western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming, I've seen quite a few BUD's around. My guess is that they're not being used. I haven't stopped in to ask anyone if they're still using it. Some are solid dishes and some are mesh. Most are button hook feeds.

 

[phlatwound]

This dish is sitting on the "main street" of a small town near me, a buddy of mine told me about it months ago and I finally made it by to snap some pics.

It's somewhere in the 16' range, not sure if the cable co. used to be here or what, but this behemoth is free for the hauling.

I told my croney if he would dismantle it for me and fab an LNB support I would haul it home and set it up.

 

[cpenni]

i'm new to c band and in the frist week i have gotten 2 unimesh 10' dishes. my question is do i need the old boxes or can i use the viewsat i have to get a sub.

 

[turbosat]

cpenni,
Viewsats, nor any current free to air receiver will move a big dish with an actuator. There's another device made for that nowadays, called the Gbox (check out sponsors links top of page)
If the actuator (dish motor) is still in working order you can use an older, analog cband rec to move it, most of the later ones made also had motor control. Either way you have two devices to use. If the dishes you have don't have lnbf installed, rather than the older, polarotor device to change polarity of channels-then I'd recommend ordering one of those also, because the free to air boxes won't control that old-style cband lnb. The newer, lnbf style feedhorns switch polarity by electric signal sent thru the cable, FTA rec can handle those easily.
Far as a subscription, with a big dish, 4DTV is the only service that comes to mind. Google 4DTV, search our forum here on it also for more info. FTA is just that, in US : FREE to air, thus no sub is needed. But you won't get 'cable' channels unless you go for the 4DTV receiver.

 

[dunnsept]

he shoots, he

scores!
a house that's not 2 miles away. tucked way back in a corner, hard to see.. big solid dish... wires are just hanging from it I've been meaning to stop and ask if they wanted to get rid of it, but nobody was ever home.. finally on Friday the guy was out front washing his truck so I stopped.
had a great talk with the guy. He said that he drove down to Ohio to get that dish.. sometime around 1981 or so. said that he had great fun with it getting all of the free feeds. said " you want it? take it, it's yours"
gonna go tomorrow and put some pblaster on the mounting bolts.. some are fairly rusted up.
I'll have to get some good pics too. the guy said he was too cheap to buy an actuator for it, so he rigged something using a motor from a hospital bed, odd looking but he said it worked fine.
dish is looks to be a decent size too.. he thought it was 10' but standing in front of it, it looks way bigger than my 9'.. I think it's a 12. and the pole the guy has it on has got to be 6" diameter

 

[cpenni]

thanks turbosat that helps alot.

 

[Beano_face]

I havnt posted on this site alot... but I read it alot...
thought I would share my dish with you guys.

I got it for free in a small town 2.5 hours from home....
I did some modifying to the dish support brackets , and to the polar mount to get it to fit.
I'm 99% sure its a startrak... but I could be wrong.
its heavy as hell
I get crazy good signal, and no problem pulling in dvb-s2 signals
later guys...

 

[Sadoun]

I havnt posted on this site alot... but I read it alot...
thought I would share my dish with you guys.

I got it for free in a small town 2.5 hours from home....
I did some modifying to the dish support brackets , and to the polar mount to get it to fit.
I'm 99% sure its a startrak... but I could be wrong.
its heavy as hell
I get crazy good signal, and no problem pulling in dvb-s2 signals
later guys...

That is one nice dish. Good find. :up