Can you guys identify this stuff?

[teoteodore]

I inherited this satellite system when I bought this house. I bet you guys can just look at it and immediately know everything about it. I come from Time-Warner and would very much like to go to satellite --- but all I know about this stuff is that the big thing on the roof is the dish and the wires in the house are where you hook the TV. In between, I am completely lost. That's where I could use some explanation.

The seller told me I'd really love this setup! If that's true, it would be the first honest thing he said about this house. I think this system, like he, was stuck in the mid 80s. There is equipment and TVs in closets, old antenna on the roof, a veritable spaghetti of wires in the attic.

But nonetheless, before I abandon this, I'd really like to know if it's worth learning about it and getting it to work.

 

[dfergie]

Welcome to SatelliteGuys! You have a C-Band Dish with a Antenna Rotor to change Polarity's so it is from early 80's,(have one) I see early DSS (Directv and Star?) receivers and a VHS recorder that you could hook to a Camera and separate from the Tuner (had one) plus a remote for a 4DTV receiver...

 

[Mr Tony]

welcome

I moved this post to the C-Band area. From looking at the pics
pic 1 is a C-Band dish
pic 2 is an antenna rotor used with OTA antenna to get stations from multiple directions
pic 6 is a DirecTV receiver (probably useless)
pic 8 & 9 is an (old) portable vcr and battery for it
best pic is 10...that is a 4DTV and can be used with the C-Band dish to get some programming

 

[dfergie]

I saw the rotator and thought of my first system which still has the motor on the dish to rotate the LNA... but that was before mesh dishes really became popular

 

[Inno]

Holy crap! Some of that (most of that) belongs in a museum. The Panasonic VCR, wasn't that known as "Reggievision" and had Reggie Jackson in their ads?
I love old gear!

Some of it you can definitely use, other pieces not so much.

Either way, to Satellite Guys. We can help you find uses for some of that gear.

 

[dfergie]

I had a Curtis Mathes VCR much like that one with about an 8' cord to the portable unit, Battery life about 2 hours, took it hunting, to the Rio Grande and the Laguna Madre Fishing as well as catching "Big Daddy" Don Garlits making exhibition passes at our local Drag Strip... The dish could be put to use very quick...

 

[Anole]

more info:

In the first picture, I can't tell you the dish model, but I bet we have members who could!
What I see on it of note are:
- both C-band and Ku band LNBs, with a servo to adjust polarity (typical and encouraging)
- what appears to be an AJAK 180 horizon-to-horizon (H-H) motor (very desirable)
edit:
re-shoot that dish from various angles, at times of day when the sun is NOT behind it.

To get more feedback, you might want to post the actual model numbers of your receivers.
If one is a DSR 920 or DSR 922, that'll set the tongues a-waggin'.


edit:
Get us a clear close-up of picture three.
The guy's got some serious stuff set up and it'd be nice to learn what he had on mind.
I see OTA TV amplifier, and suspect he modulated his satellite signal and injected it into the house TV antenna wiring.
Nothing urgent about this, but don't touch nor disconnect that mess, 'till we fully understand it.

 

[radio]

In pictures 9 and 11 you have what's commonly called the "X-10" remote control system for turning lamps and/or appliances on and off from a remote location in your home. match the numbers on the dial to the numbers on the control consoles and you can turn things on and off from completely different locations in your home. Looks to be older, but the system hasn't changed in years, and is QUITE expandable and fun to work-with! Great stuff overall!

 

[teoteodore]

OP here! I think I already love you guys! I'll be moving into this house December 1st after finally selling the house I'm in now after a year of trying, so I may be a few days in between responses to posts about the exact model numbers, detail photos, etc. But keep filling in the blanks for me. The only thing I am getting rid of is the projection TV --- it's about 60x60x24 and has a picture that makes everything look like it's covered in marmalade.

I wouldn't be surprised about anything you can say about this stuff. This guy and this house are like a time-capsule from the 80s. There's cables running everywhere, an intercom system I've yet to figure out, 3 air conditioning/furnace/hot water systems (not 3 zones, 3 systems), water filtration that looks like a de-salinization system, some underground pump near the outside shed, 2 dishwashers/refrigerators/ovens (kosher, I think) --- everything is about as vintage as this satellite equipment. He did take the lift for his Corvette and his pool table. It looks like the wife never cooked or cleaned, but you can eat off the plastic floor of the garage, and there's about 20 cans of floor wax for the dance floor in the basement.

 

[truckracer]

I thought i saw some some bandpass filters mounted on that metal box in the attic. maybe for cable tv or filter junk out of the tv antenna. an RF amplifier.

The dish appeared to have both c and ku lnbs...this is good assuming they work.
The dish connected to your 4DTV receiver will get you subscription tv programming, slave a free to air box and you can get the unscrambled various feeds from the sky.. Welcome to satellite guys !!!

 

[truckracer]

sounds like an awesome house..congrats on getting it. He may have a reverse osmosis water filter system that using three tanks and a membrane. That house sounds like mine... LOL

 

[dfergie]

Maybe a water well also...

 

[Inno]

Definitely sounds like a time capsule from the early/mid eighties! Sounds like this guy had some $$ back then and got the best of everything.........for the time. Certainly sounds like an interesting house I'm sure we're all curious to see some more pictures.

I have a bit of experience with my own water well and it's iron filter, softener and reverse osmosis..........among other things. So if there is anything you need to know about that...

 

[singkwan2004]

I love the dish and 4DTV, rest are junks.

 

[radio]

Well, I'd take polite issue with that....X-10 stuff is very cool technology, and priced
well for people to automate their houses including lights, garage doors, almost anything! The stuff that's X-10 in that picture may be old, but its survived the test of time...and is fun to work (or play) with!

 

[JAS]

I'm still using x-10 stuff. Works great after all these years.

 

[teoteodore]

OP here ... While we're on the subject of X-10: when I looked at the X-10 website I noticed that their new light switches look like my old ones. Some of mine have a pushbutton maybe 1/2" x 1", and then a small maybe 1/8" x 1/2" toggle below it which seems to lock something. I wonder if some of these switches are activated by that remote. I'll try it out when I'm next in the house ... photo to follow. I tell ya, this house is from a different era.

 

[14karat]

X-10 is great stuff. I still do lighting installs using it - especially cabinet lighting.
Once I introduce folks to it, they just want more.

 

[radio]

I agree with the recent posts on X-10! My wish is that X-10 would introduce a line of products for those of us "permanent RV'ers." A line that would work on 12-volt lights and other things. My classic 1986 Avion (with 4DTV installed) would love it!

Apologies to our forum hosts if my identifying the X-10 stuff got us off-topic of satellite, but thank you for letting us share some other technology stories, too!

 

[truckracer]

x10 sends commands over power lines right? I have heard of it.