Bud Dish Availability in Canada

[jwwbrennan]

I can find C satellite dish lnbs and actuators for sale in Canada but can't find a dish anywhere. As parts are available I must be missing the point on sourcing the dish. I am concerned about shipping costs so have tried to keep my search within the country, preferably close to the east coast. Can anyone point me in the best direction?

Regards
Jim

 

[dotbatman]

Not sure what province you are in, but if you're in Ontario, couldn't you take a trip across the bridge and pick up one from Michigan? There are a lot of people up there who have BUDs (that's where I got mine from) who have switch to dish or directv. Especially up on the upper peninsula.

 

[mikekohl]

There are no mesh type antennas being made at this time, but contact me at Global Communications in a month or so, and I may have news concerning a Canadian distributor for this type of product, which we will be making with one of our partners in a few weeks, after purchasing the tooling from SAMI---which was the last company that made mesh dishes in North America. We don't think the market is dying, and believe that a renaissance of C-band reception is just around the corner via MPEG-4 and MPEG-2 digital reception, once a supply of newly-made antennas becomes available again. There are just too many digital channels up there to think otherwise.

 

[Cham]

There should be unused C-band dishes on the east coast, just have to spend time looking around. Check hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping mall roofs etc. Also check out your local cable company or broadcaster, sometimes they have surplus equipment to get rid of. I got one of mine from a hotel that didn't want it any more. Find a few then put them on a list with the best one first and work your way down. Can take a while finding the right person on a property that can make decisions. The legwork can pay off.

Also remote areas that had no cable system, check the back yards. People often have gone to DBS services and still have the c-band dish in place. There are still quite a few around here but the shipping would be an issue!

Not sure how the mesh dishes would stand up to the salt air... maybe they have really good paint for that.

Good luck!
-C.

 

[navychop]

I'll bet Canadian Customs would enjoy seeing a truck with a dish that big crossing the border. I wonder what they'd want in duties?

 

[Conky]

I've seen used dishes on Kijiji but it seems everyone wants $500. good to check anyway(if only for laughs)
it sucks seeing people in the US with 10 free dishes hoarded and I can't manage 1. maybe the scrap vultures have taken them all?

 

[jwwbrennan]

We have been looking around for dishes but they have disappeared over the last few years. I have no idea what happened to them but it seems iffy and probably not cost effective to drive to another province or state (overnight in most cases) in hopes of locating one. I will keep an eye on Global Communications, Mike. It seems there is still a lot up there and some of it appears to be new since the last time I checked (admittedly a couple of years ago). Canadians may be due a serious belt tightening tomorrow in the federal budget (as well as provincial cut backs) so that may spark more interest in FTA as alternatives are very expensive.

navychop: free trade has really changed duties and Canadian pricing in the process. Cameras (as an example) once so much cheaper in New York are now the same price in Canada. Many U.S. websites state the costs delivered to the door in Canada so it just isn't the lottery it used to be.

Thanks for the quick replies folks.

Jim

 

[stecle]

We have been looking around for dishes but they have disappeared over the last few years. I have no idea what happened to them but it seems iffy and probably not cost effective to drive to another province or state (overnight in most cases) in hopes of locating one. I will keep an eye on Global Communications, Mike. It seems there is still a lot up there and some of it appears to be new since the last time I checked (admittedly a couple of years ago). Canadians may be due a serious belt tightening tomorrow in the federal budget (as well as provincial cut backs) so that may spark more interest in FTA as alternatives are very expensive.

navychop: free trade has really changed duties and Canadian pricing in the process. Cameras (as an example) once so much cheaper in New York are now the same price in Canada. Many U.S. websites state the costs delivered to the door in Canada so it just isn't the lottery it used to be.

Thanks for the quick replies folks.

Jim

We have all seen that "guy" driving around the neighborhood usually in a rusted out truck with a loud muffler, with an assortment of stoves and all types of junk in the back. Well that same guy has probably taken hundreds of perfectly good dishes to the scrapyard.

Cham gave some very good advice. Go for a nice Sunday drive out in the country and you will be surprised at how many dishes are still out there. I don't know what province you are in but also check cottage country.

 

[toucan-man]

If you take a drive and spot any dishes, let us know. I'm shocked at how they have mostly disappeared in the past 3 years around here. Excepting the stainless steel models.

 

[tdti1]

Try Roger at RPS Satellite

 

[jwwbrennan]

I'm with you toucan-man, when we moved here (city to rural beach area) we were surprised at the proliferation of dishes; now it's Bell Satellite on the roof and gardens maintained by lawn tractors. I don't even see them used as flower pot holders or vine trellises.

tdti1: thanks for the tip on Roger. He certainly has the gear. I will get an email out to him shortly as he is almost in the neighbourhood.

 

[jsattv]

Jim, as most have said check Kijiji and walk / drive around your area. I found a 12 ft Mesh Dish and Portable Steel Tripod in great condition 5 years ago and was able to deal for it and a Uniden 9900 Receiver for $100.00 - actually he originally wanted $250.00 for this package. Maybe $100.00 was too high a price to pay but I've never regretted paying for it since it was in great shape and I have used it for receiving FTA programming on Ku and C Band for Satellites from 50.0W to 137.0W with great reception. And a 12 ft Mesh Dish is not usually available!! Two years later I picked up a 7.5 Ft Mesh Dish 3 blocks away from my house for free, because the guy hadn't used it for 10 years and wanted to get rid of it. I hauled it in sections to my Garage on a wagon, and the guy was happy to get rid of it! So before paying a high price for a new dish look around your area and knock on doors to see if people who have big Mesh Dishes are using them, or want to get rid of them. Also don't forget many Restaurants and Bars, and Hotels are sometimes upgrading and wanting to dump their big Mesh Dishes. Hope this helps.

 

[jwwbrennan]

jsattv: Kijiji has no listings for BUDs in the province (which has the total population of a town); there are only five associated listings under satellite. My wife's job includes driving to homes up dale and down glen and she has been keeping a watchful eye and listening ear with no success. Five years ago there were a few remaining, now there appears to be none. Going out of province starts with a $50 bridge fee and quickly escalates past the cost of asking very helpful Roger at RPS Satellite Inc. in Quebec (mentioned earlier in this thread) to build a crate for the occasional used one he receives. Presently my plan of action is inaction until the new mesh dish rises from the ashes (also mentioned earlier in the thread) hopefully within a month or so. As there were many and now none I wonder if there was an community beautification initiative (tourism is a major industry) or an offer from one of Canada's two satellite providers to remove the unsightly BUD and replace it with new and improved technology at no cost. There have been government programs to remove rusting cars, farm tools and other such examples of historic technology about the yard so it is not a stretch.

Thanks
Jim

 

[Nosbod]

Where abouts in Canada are you, it is a big country. I have an 8 foot BUD that showed up on my door step. It is an unmesh I think and is good shape, with cone, star trek LNB 15 degree and mount. Unfortunatley the von weis actuator is seized but another (china model) can be purchased for a reasonable price. I don't need another dish since I have 3 others so you can have this one if you want to make the drive. I live in Blind River Ontario about an Hour and a Half from Sault Saint Marie Michigan.

Let me know.

 

[Pixl]

Where abouts in Canada are you, it is a big country.

I'll guess he's on Prince Edward Island, the most expensive bridge fare in N. America!



.

 

[jwwbrennan]

I'll guess he's on Prince Edward Island, the most expensive bridge fare in N. America!

I am and it is!

After reading about success in northern locations with 6' dishes I downsized my search and ordered a new one with an LNB including shipping from a place in Newmarket, Ontario through eBay (items 251011500682 251033685984). If it works well enough with a few satellites I will follow up with an actuator. This hobby is seat-of-the-pants at the best of times so if it turns out to be a large Ku so be it.

Would anyone like to recommend a good, inexpensive positioner for use with an AZBox? Ideally it will be out of sight in the basement ceiling beyond the first DiSEqC switch so a remote is of little value.

Thanks
Jim

Edit: I added PE under location since this reply.

 

[tdti1]

I hope you know that is a stationary dish, no polar mount.

 

[jwwbrennan]

I hope you know that is a stationary dish, no polar mount.

I do now, it arrived a couple of hours ago. Oh well. I was hoping Digiwave would make a polar mount for it as they supply actuators but if they don't there is one satellite of special interest so the others will have to be manually set if at all.

Edit: As the DWD-180CBX looks remarkably similar to the the DWD-180T in the detail drawing I thought if it works a few more parts would bring it up to speed but, as you indicate, that does not appear to be the case.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[jwwbrennan]

The DWD-180T catches lots of signal in the rain this far north...from one satellite. For anyone looking at this dish I should mention that as late as yesterday support at Digiwave in Markham, ON (HomeVision Technology Inc.) sent email recommending actuator DMT-HV-18 and V-Box II work with a DWD-180T. It is very determined to be stationary as it stands so maybe someone is allowing for more talent than I have developed. At any rate it is a great stationary dish and you can take that from someone with a couple of hours of 'C' experience. I frankly have no idea how the DWD-180CBX can be polar mount going by the drawing.

 

[cyberham]

jwwbrennan: I may be one of the few in this thread who lives a bit near you, so I understand what you are talking about. C-band (especially mesh) dishes are NOT common to find in Atlantic Canada backyards anymore. I've been looking for about a year in NB and NS since I travel around both provinces by road for my work and I am constantly looking. In general, when you finally find a C-band dish in somebody's yard, it is usually one of the following: 1) solid white dish with very rusty metal hardware, or 2) mesh dish that is obviously still in use. Having said that, there aren't many of either 1) or 2).

However, there is one area I've found that is an exception to the above. If you drive SW of Miramichi, NB on Highway 8, you will see so many mesh dishes in yards. I must have counted easily 8 or 10 without even stopping to look more carefully. Some look to be out of service. Another interesting route to see many white dishes is along Highway 2 in NS east of Moose River. So there are still some out there.

Today I returned from Wedgeport, NS. A fellow there cuts up mesh dishes to get the struts. He uses these struts to create arcs which he is using to build a greenhouse. He gave me all the remainder of satellite equipment he had besides the dishes. I will make an inventory and start a new posting to ask others if what I have now is any good.