Are the old Primestar dishes any good for FTA?

[samalex]

I'm just curious, my dad still has his old Primestar dish in the back of his house, so would this work for FTA? Granted a new LNB would probably be needed, but what about the Dish itself? Also the dish looks like it's been through hell and back, so I'd assume a good cleaning would be needed, but are there any suggested paints or other finishes that might help it out, given it is usable?

Thanks --

 

[Anole]

short list:

Prime hardware.
Use a stiff brush and some soap.
Take a picture and measure the height & width.
Most likely, the LNBF on it is fine.
If the dish is oval, you'd best retain the feedhorn.

 

[Mr Tony]

so would this work for FTA?

does a bear take a playboy in the woods?

Yes they work GREAT for FTA. The LNB should be fine too. Check on the LNB itself where the coax is if there are separate V & H outputs. Alot of the dual output ones are like that. One output is vertical only one is horizontal. So you will need a 3x4 multiswitch to combine them

I use to have 2 of them set up

 

[FaT Air]

All the big little ones and the odd shaped 84e are ex-Pstar. There should be some numbers on the backside of the dish that will tell us what it is.

 

[toucan-man]

One output is vertical only one is horizontal. So you will need a 3x4 multiswitch to combine them

Oh, so that's how you're supposed to do that. I just give each their own DiSEqC port, tell the receiver the one polarity is a different satellite.

 

[xtgold]

Oh, so that's how you're supposed to do that. I just give each their own DiSEqC port, tell the receiver the one polarity is a different satellite.

that never worked with my primestar lnb,the H needs standby power all the time(9v) which a diseqc solution wouldn't do.
In a pinch I can put a 9v battery to H and get the V output to work for the V transponders.

 

[Pepper]

Yep, I got one of those, with the original single-output LNBF, on a motor. Been working great for years.

 

[KE4EST]

I've used Primestar Dishes several times.

 

[Blindowl1234]

Got two of them here. Switched out the original lnb's long ago but the dishes are in great shape and work good too!

 

[toucan-man]

that never worked with my primestar lnb,the H needs standby power all the time(9v) which a diseqc solution wouldn't do.
In a pinch I can put a 9v battery to H and get the V output to work for the V transponders.

The soap bar lnb?

 

[turbosat]

A good clean up, and a can or two of Krylon spray paint for outdoor furniture works great on 'em. In fact, I have two that need a bath this week.

 

[chapelrun]

I've got one and it is a .75 Channel Master. One of the very best dishes I have.

Makes a great dish to motorize with a DG380 motor.

 

[markbone100]

Ive got a 75e thats a little funky. On 97W it will only pull a 39 quality, on a round 30" it will do 70. Might be a crap lnb

 

[turbosat]

Those elliptical dishes probably do better with the original feedhorn, I have one but never really compared it against a replacement lnbf.

 

[FaT Air]

Those elliptical dishes probably do better with the original feedhorn, I have one but never really compared it against a replacement lnbf.

I have, and they do. {do better with the original feed horn/lnb}

 

[Tron]

I'm just curious, my dad still has his old Primestar dish in the back of his house, so would this work for FTA?

Not at all. You need to send that useless dish to me, and I'll take care of it.

 

[toucan-man]

Has someone posted their results with the original lnb vs. a replacement? Both seem to do fine, now am wondering if the PLL units won't trump the original.

 

[Anole]

Not that the OP would care, but the hot ticket might be to find a way to mate the original Primestar feedhorn to one of those PLL LNB(F)s.

 

[WTguy]

I have 3 84e's, one has the original lnb, one has a stock purchased lnb, and one has the two lnb's. Based on my experience the original lnb's are the most efficient if they are still operating. You can try to do some precision work with the feedhorn and a new lnb to make a hybrid unit, just putting a new lnb in the holder will not work as well. My two lnb unit is my favorite, used a 4x4 multi-switch to feed into a couple of 4x1, one each going to a receiver, works great. I can pull in g17 and amc16 easily.

 

[rv1pop]

Tron, I thought I was the one designated to dispose of those dishes! He had best send it to me! With all the old parts included of course! ........