Big Weird Dish

[mr_rye89]

There’s this big weird dish on the roof at one of the commercial properties I work on. Feed horn is missing and it seems to have a heating system on it. Also is 6+ ft in diameter and pointed to 70ish west. Any Idea what it’s for?

 

[ReggieA]

Well... It looks like a straight parabolic dish. It should be easy to find the focal point on that, where the lnb, etc. goes. At that size, it's probably intended for C-band; but would be sweet for K-band. Is it steerable? What kind of mount? I'd find out who it belongs to; and try to acquire it. They may have more info, possibly a useful receiver.

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

Maybe one of those Starlink dishes? From what I know about Starlink, their dishes don't have your typical feedhorns. And they have a motorized system that tracks the satellites automatically.

 

[KE4EST]

Maybe one of those Starlink dishes?

Not Starlink.

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

Not Starlink.

Oops, I should've looked closer.

 

[907TECH]

Well... It looks like a straight parabolic dish. It should be easy to find the focal point on that, where the lnb, etc. goes. At that size, it's probably intended for C-band; but would be sweet for K-band. Is it steerable? What kind of mount? I'd find out who it belongs to; and try to acquire it. They may have more info, possibly a useful receiver.

No that is offset...

 

[a33]

No that is offset...

But still paraboloid, I guess.
So still not too difficult to measure/calculate the focal point position.

Greetz,
A33

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

But still paraboloid, I guess.
So still not too difficult to measure/calculate the focal point position.

Greetz,
A33

Wasn't that a feed arm I saw? That should be a clue. If it's in the ballpark you should be able to fine tune it. It's always good to have a specifications chart and/or manual.

 

[ReggieA]

Wasn't that a feed arm I saw? That should be a clue. If it's in the ballpark you should be able to fine tune it. It's always good to have a specifications chart and/or manual.

Well, a feed arm. But the waveguide, if there was one, would mount to that; and we don't know where the end of that was relative to the dish: axial, offset, ??? . Maybe Mr. Wry will clarify the shape.

 

[Cham]

Nice heavy duty Ku dish, the LNB arm was made to support a BUC or transceiver, which would include an uplink transmitter which can be quite heavy. Maybe there was once a bank or business that used a satellite link for connecting to "head office"? Often gas stations will have these, but the tech is somewhat outdated now with broadband fiber widely available.
This would be a nice dish for FTA if you have the space, would get those weak TP's really well!

 

[arlo]

Well I asked the data guys at a convenience store what the multiple dishes were on top of the store were for.
One dish was rather large. Well over a meter in diameter. For the POS system and inventory tracking. He told me that over years as the store chose different companies and that they put their own satellite systems in and the old ones are left to keep the roof from getting leaks. Oh, and piped in music and store specific live ad's on the monitors.

 

[mr_rye89]

Yep might be something like that, the building it’s on is a laundromat now, not sure what it was before. Oh and the dish is approx 6’ 8” and not steerable

 

[Cham]

@mr_rye89 You can likely remove the dish from the mounting pole without affecting the roof, just loosten the mount bolts that fasten the mount to the mast. Interesting they put flashing around the cement blocks on the NPRM.

 

[mr_rye89]

Yeah I think its on a non penetrating mount. And by the look of the arm/dish in person it is an offset dish. I could just take it if I want it (and I might!). its just getting it down. If they change one of those A/C units on that roof I might have access to a crane. Its probably big enough to do some C band on, as my search for a "normal" BUD has been unsucessful.......

 

[Need2learn]

I also has a heater on it Nice.. you could modify that dish and have a SWEETT C BAND WITH A HEATER ON IT..