FREE 10 Foot Find! Possible BirdVeiw Find?

[FTABman0]

Found another dish today up for grabs FREE! The guy said it was a 10 footer and has all the stuff to go with it. He said it was a Drake system used in the day of old 2D analog days. Don’t know if it is a great find or not but for free, I told him I would take it off his hands. The pole has 6 bags of concrete on it! Looks like that will be the heaviest part of the take!

Is it possible to use these with another motor? I think I read someplace here that the old Drakes had to be moved by the original receiver. Could that part be changed to modern day parts? Went BUD looking aftwards and found these other potential plucks!

Picture 1-7 The Drake Freebee
Picture 8-9 This dish has been like this for years on this guy’s house! Looks like he went smaller dish and provider. Looks like this one would be a bear to get!
Picture 10-12 Could this be a BirdVeiw? Will have to ask this guy about this one! :up

 

[turbosat]

If that last one's a birdview it would be the biggest I've seen, that thing looks huge. Or else thats a tiny building its leaning on. THAAT would be a super find. and prob a bear to erect too lol. Think I'd ask about it anyway, you could get tv from other planets with that one.

 

[jnastasi]

I'll be real curious to see what you find out about that first dish. It's the spitting image of my 12 foot, right down to the rusted bolts on the back, except that it's white instead of blue.

If you figure out who made it do share

 

[FTABman0]

I'll be real curious to see what you find out about that first dish. It's the spitting image of my 12 foot, right down to the rusted bolts on the back, except that it's white instead of blue.

I forgot to take a tape with me to see but he said it was a 10 footer but it does look bigger than that! My first look at it I too thought 12 ft!

If you figure out who made it do share

Hey we sure will jnastasi! Looks to be in A-1 shape, think it will be a good find!

Kevin

 

[FTABman0]

If that last one's a birdview it would be the biggest I've seen, that thing looks huge. Or else thats a tiny building its leaning on. THAAT would be a super find. and prob a bear to erect too lol. Think I'd ask about it anyway, you could get tv from other planets with that one.

I really don't know turbo, just the back of it looks like a Birdview but I am far from an expert to them. I got a PM to linuxman to check out the pictures. I figure if it is he would know. Anyone know what was the biggest size that Birdview sold back in the day!

I figure a stop by this place to talk to the owner is in my short future! He only lives about 2 miles from me! Could not hurt.

 

[linuxman]

Got your PM.

I looked earlier, but hadn't commented yet.

I don't think pictures 10-12 are a Birdview.

I base my answer on the fact that it has 4 what appears to be support arm attachment through the back side.

Secondly the back plate is not white to match the dish. It looks to be galvanized metal.

Thirdly, there is no hole for the cables to come through just outside the back plate which is prominent on all the Birdviews I have seen.

I would still make inquiries about it. I think it is a solid metal dish at any rate, and may be a great find.

You will need the mount that goes with it too.

In pictures 8-9, there is a Primestar there waiting to be plucked as well.

 

[osu1991]

Dang, A True Dish Hunter!! He sees everything!

 

[voomvoom]

Looks like an LNA on the first dish?

 

[FTABman0]

Thanks Fred!

I knew if anyone would know if it was it would have been you! Thanks for the fast reply. I will stop this week to see what the guy wants to do with it or what he wants for it. Been finding out that most people are willing to give these away just to get the unsightly things out of their yards!

I hope the dish I scored today will work just fine of the C-Band end of the hobby. Will be the first BUD here and I am excited to get it up and running. On the Birdview dishes I can say I have not seen any around here in this area as of yet. Seen a couple SAMI dishes here and I a lot of the old “dark star” wire mesh Channel Masters and Uniden dishes but no Birdviews!

Would be nice to come across one though, that would be the ultimate find! I just hope the one I found today will get me started just fine in the BUD area!

Thanks to all for the replies and upon reading this thread got me driving around looking on the weekends and on my spare time! This time of year and in the fall are defiantly the best times to look for abandoned Bud’s since you can see them around with no foliage covering them or hiding them!


Thanks again Fred for your input!

Kevin

 

[turbosat]

He only lives about 2 miles from me!

Take your ruler and see how big that thing really is, maybe there's some info stamped into it someplace too about who made it. If it has a good shape and you can get the mount for it, it could be a keeper.

 

[FTABman0]

He only lives about 2 miles from me!

Take your ruler and see how big that thing really is, maybe there's some info stamped into it someplace too about who made it. If it has a good shape and you can get the mount for it, it could be a keeper.

I will do that this week turbo! I will keep ya posted!!

 

[Anole]

another guess:

Personally, I like the second dish.
Someone recently posted pictures of one very much like it.
Around 10 feet, I think. They got it home, refurbished, up 'n working.
edit: this is the dish I was thinking about.
However, since this dish is located above the roof, that would make it difficult to remove.
So, thumbs-down, I'm afraid.


The first dish is a no-brainer. It's already on the ground.
Yes, it can be outfitted with a modern jack to move it.
Can't tell by your pictures how rusty the mount is, but I'm sure a wire wheel would do it wonders.
Thumb's up for sure.


Lastly, that Birdview-looking dish...
According to the brochure scans posted here on the forum, the company made only a "9 foot" white solid.
In truth, that was the 8½ foot dish many of us have.

I'm going to take a guess yours is 10 actual feet in diameter, and not 12.
So, in spite looking a lot like a Birdview, I don't know how it could be.

Another company called DH Satellite made spun aluminum dishes, and every time I see one like this, I wonder if it's theirs?
Apparently, they used four LNB support arms tied into the dish about mid way between the center and the edge.
Yours seems to have four similar attachment points.
If the rest of the mount is there, and the LNB supports, I'd want this commercial dish.
So, conditional thumb's up.

 

[FTABman0]

Personally, I like the second dish.
Someone recently posted pictures of one very much like it.
Around 10 feet, I think. They got it home, refurbished, up 'n working.
edit: this is the dish I was thinking about.
However, since this dish is located above the roof, that would make it difficult to remove.
So, thumbs-down, I'm afraid.


The first dish is a no-brainer. It's already on the ground.
Yes, it can be outfitted with a modern jack to move it.
Can't tell by your pictures how rusty the mount is, but I'm sure a wire wheel would do it wonders.
Thumb's up for sure.


Lastly, that Birdview-looking dish...
According to the brochure scans posted here on the forum, the company made only a "9 foot" white solid.
In truth, that was the 8½ foot dish many of us have.

I'm going to take a guess yours is 10 actual feet in diameter, and not 12.
So, in spite looking a lot like a Birdview, I don't know how it could be.

Another company called DH Satellite made spun aluminum dishes, and every time I see one like this, I wonder if it's theirs?
Apparently, they used four LNB support arms tied into the dish about mid way between the center and the edge.
Yours seems to have four similar attachment points.
If the rest of the mount is there, and the LNB supports, I'd want this commercial dish.
So, conditional thumb's up.

Thanks Anole for your advice as well, value your input on the forums as well. I will get with that dude that has the spun aluminum dish this week and see if he has the mount and things to make her complete! My father n law called today and told me that he found a taken down 8 foot SAMI that is going to the junk yard if someone does not come and get it! We recued that one too tonight! 2 BUD’s in one day! Not bad for FREE and a little gas money and time outta the day! There are C-Band dishes out there, just need to look and most importantly, ASK because someone eventually will!

I also found out on bud rescues where you see a D* or E* Pizza antennas out on a property and has a BUD on it, ten to one the BUD is a Freebie just to get it off the property for most people! Happy Hunting all!

Anole & turbosat I will get back with you on what I find out about the Spun Aluminum one I found……

 

[FTABman0]

I will be heading back to the bud we found over the Last weekend "The Giveaway BUD" today to plaster some rusted bolts with WD-40 and other penetrating oil on the polar mount bolts, LNB arm and other things that we need to get this thing half apart for coming home!

The bolts are pretty much rusted to the point of new ones will be needed, let’s face it you would be rusted too if you were up in the elements since 1985!

I was planning on taking half the panels off to fit into a truck. Maybe there is a better way! Would like to hear how you would do it! Extra work is for the birds no pun intended!

I will post pictures of the mount and the progress as we go! The plan is to get it home this weekend, wish me luck! Any advice on how to haul this thing about 13 miles is welcome. Some roads taken are narrow 2 lane roads travel! Thanks guys! Have a great evening!

Picture attached for reference, to see the main ones see post 1.

 

[FTABman0]

I just got back from the guy’s house that has the first solid 10 ft bud find last Saturday. I got the nose cone for the LNB (big fiberglass one) and the receiver. The STB for this old gal is a dinosaur and looks like it should be in a museum of old C-Band history!

It is a Regency SR 500 Satellite Receiver. I guess there is NO use for this thing other than it is a satellite Gooroo’s talk about item. Boy this equipment takes you back to the 80’s when these were really popular besides terrestrial antenna and the OTA days when cable was a thing not talked about yet!

Anyway's, just thought I would post the take with some pictures of the old gear and see what you all thought.




B~Man

 

[FTABman0]

Went over Saturday and Sunday to start taking apart the first 10 footer freebee.
Saturday was a removal of the button hook LNB arm and LNB itself. Ol ya bolt spraying again with some good stuff that is commercial lubrication stuff that Walker Caterpillar uses on their heavy equipment! My Father N Law is a parts / repair big wheel at the Parkersburg location.

Turns out we had to take every bolt out of that dish to “pedal” size the halves for transit out of there. Rusted and well weatherized the bolts did not come off easy! The last 4 we had to take a grinder to them to cut them off!

Whew, what a job! We halved it and it was too big to haul still. Stuck way too far out of the pickup truck! I never got any recommendations here on how you would haul (Post 14) so we just did it my way. I go back after the polar mount this coming weekend and that should be a hoot with all the concrete that is on the pole! Keep you all posted, just thought I would update the 10 ft story and the dish itself is home!


B~Man

 

[Sasquatch04]

That is a sweet looking dish !!!!

 

[FTABman0]

That is a sweet looking dish !!!!

Thankx Sasquatch,


I really believe that it would have been junk if not for the guy having a backhoe to lift it out and have taken it where it is laying now. He said it never touched the ground from point A to B! The total from plucked to final resting place is over 100 ft! Not to mention that the guy put 6 bags of concrete on the pole when he planted the thing back in 85! I would say without the backhoe, it would have been drug that distance and would have had to been scrapped.

Guy was defiantly thinking! It does need cleaned up and now that it is totally apart in pedals that will be very easy now. I go back after the polar mount and ground pole this weekend. Looks like the hardest part is hauling the ground pole with the concrete. The concrete alone is over 600 lbs!

Planned BIS (Back In Service) is mid spring!


B~Man

 

[FTABman0]

Went this weekend and got the polar mount and pole for the 10 footer. It has an old hand crank Actuator jack on it so that tells the age of this big boy! Working next weekend on getting the pole replanted and set, new bolts in the dish for re-assembly and getting a new Actuator for it and a Gbox.

We were thinking of getting a Moteck HARL-2424 (TD-24) REGULAR LINEAR ACTUATOR for this big boy. Don’t know much about what one to get so any suggestions would be great there. Going to clean up the panels with some Billy Orange Cleaner and with one of those new GEOSATpro CK1 LNB’S from satelliteAV, going to be a great BUD find!

I am not keeping this dish, gave it to my father n law so he is getting set up first in C-Band part of FTA first instead of KU FTA First Timer! He ordered a KU system today from one of our Gold Sponsors and that is a later project!


Pictures of this BUD updates on BIS will be posted according as we go!

B~Man

 

[gabshere]

We were thinking of getting a Moteck HARL-2424 (TD-24)

the g-box puts out 36 volts so it would need to be a 36 volt actuator

personally with a 10 ft dish i would pay the bit extra and get the HD version especially if this is a heavy dish or fiberglass.

sometimes you can find a cheaper price on ebay look for sadouns on there maybe so deals .....