BUD in my yard

[delawareneck]

I have this BUD in my yard that came with the house. I have a VS9000HD FTA reciever.
The dish is an 8' tight mesh, the size of a #2 pencil lead. 1 panel is missing.

It has a Von Weise actuator. I took the cover off the electronics and it looks new inside. I've been shooting it with WD-40 down the shaft.

I hooked it to my VS and have S of about 50 on some birds but not all. I have no Q.
I want to know if it's worth playing with.
I would like to use it for free t.v. and feeds to start, just to play and learn, but I see programming with these is cheaper than the pizza pans.

 

[phlatwound]

Can't really tell from your picture but it looks like the edge of the dish took a hit?

If so, and the parabola is really out of whack/feed not centered, you probably will have trouble gathering much signal with that reflector.

 

[delawareneck]

Where the panel is missing, the frame weld came apart. I was going to put some small L brackets on there to get it back together.

 

[phlatwound]

Where the panel is missing, the frame weld came apart. I was going to put some small L brackets on there to get it back together.

If the brackets will return it to it's original parabolic shape that's good, but I'm going to guess if a weld was broken the dish took a hit and could need to be realigned to the arc. If everything else is proper and functional you can get by without that one mesh panel, just for experimentation, but it won't be optimal.

As far as showing S on some sats that just means your LNB is connected, as you know you need Quality before you will see anything on your tv.

You need to know where your dish is pointing and have the proper settings/hot transponder entered into your receiver to show any Quality. Best is to have your receiver and a television out at the dish to see what is happening up close.

 

[Long Hair]

Q.
I want to know if it's worth playing with.
I would like to use it for free t.v. and feeds to start, just to play and learn, but I see programming with these is cheaper than the pizza pans.

To answer your ? is it worth playing with. Answer: yes, if you have the time why not. If I was you I would park the dish at your true south and than check the elevation and the declination. And use a compass to verify your dish is still pointing south. Hope that helps.:up

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

I have this BUD in my yard that came with the house. I have a VS9000HD FTA reciever.
The dish is an 8' tight mesh, the size of a #2 pencil lead. 1 panel is missing.

It has a Von Weise actuator. I took the cover off the electronics and it looks new inside. I've been shooting it with WD-40 down the shaft.

I hooked it to my VS and have S of about 50 on some birds but not all. I have no Q.
I want to know if it's worth playing with.
I would like to use it for free t.v. and feeds to start, just to play and learn, but I see programming with these is cheaper than the pizza pans.

The dish looks a little damaged to me. You can get replacement mesh from places like Skyvision but you should check the parabolic shape first. Plus it should be relocated.