how to take down a bud
- Thread starter manuelpaz
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I would start with lowering the dish down as far as it will go to the ground and place something under the edge of the rim to support it, like some wood. Then dismantle the feed poles and LNB and all the small stuff. Strip it down to just the reflector (dish).
Then you can loosen the mounting hardware but don't remove anything yet. You can then remove the lower swivel bolt where it rotates on the polar mount but be sure to secure the dish by having somebody hold it steady while you remove the top swivel bolt. Once the dish is detached from the mount then you can role it like a wheel and do whatever you plan to do with it. If it's a mesh dish then you may not be able to strip it apart unless it's the only way to move it. If it's in sections then take the panels apart. You'll know what to do. I moved my 10.5 ft mesh dish by rolling it to my truck and leaning it against the closed tailgate with the center mount plate just above the edge of the tailgate, be sure to place some padding so you don't scratch the truck then you can raise up the bottom of the dish from the ground and slide it up onto the top rails of the bed. You might plan on using a trailer if you are going to move it for any distance. My suggestions may not even apply to your dish, you didn't mention what kind or size it is so I'm shooting in the dark. Good luck.
BTW, I moved my BUD by myself, it's a matter of ingenuity.
Then you can loosen the mounting hardware but don't remove anything yet. You can then remove the lower swivel bolt where it rotates on the polar mount but be sure to secure the dish by having somebody hold it steady while you remove the top swivel bolt. Once the dish is detached from the mount then you can role it like a wheel and do whatever you plan to do with it. If it's a mesh dish then you may not be able to strip it apart unless it's the only way to move it. If it's in sections then take the panels apart. You'll know what to do. I moved my 10.5 ft mesh dish by rolling it to my truck and leaning it against the closed tailgate with the center mount plate just above the edge of the tailgate, be sure to place some padding so you don't scratch the truck then you can raise up the bottom of the dish from the ground and slide it up onto the top rails of the bed. You might plan on using a trailer if you are going to move it for any distance. My suggestions may not even apply to your dish, you didn't mention what kind or size it is so I'm shooting in the dark. Good luck.
BTW, I moved my BUD by myself, it's a matter of ingenuity.
Just to add to Mcguyver's good info, be careful when it comes to dismantling the Actuator (Dish Mover) if so equiped, as the Dish can quickly swing around as we found out when we took apart a 7 ft Unimesh Dish 2 years ago. And as always - safety first!!
Good point jsattv, I forgot to mention that I also swung the dish to the far west before removing the dish, it helps to bring it lower to the ground, a safer approach.
Hi, how high up is the BUD? If it is near the ground you might be able to take it apart by running the actuator almost all the way in one direction using a pair of car batteries in series for 24 volts and hooked up to the two heavy wires that go to the motor. The direction can be switched by flipping the wires from Pos to Neg on the batteries. When the BUD is almost all the way in one direction one half of it will be lower and easier to reach. Take the lower half apart then move the BUD almost all the way in the other direction for the second half. You can also loosen the set bolts that clamp to the poll/pipe so the BUD can be rotated. This can be handy if it is on a slope or something is in the way. Scaffolding can be rented for little cost and can make for a much safer removal if the BUD is up higher. When I went to fetch my BUD it was up 25 feet! I rented scaffolding and was able to take it apart at altitude. It took three of us to remove the BUD - two up on the scaffolding and one on the ground to untie the parts and sections as they were lowered to the ground using a rope and bucket. Hope this helps, DC
I was surprised to see specific replies to this question, since it would be done significantly differently on different types of BUDs. I've owned 4 of them, and they were all different.
On some of them, the easiest way would be to take apart the various sections, but other dishes don't have separate sections.
On some dishes the actual dish can be taken off separate from the mount. The one I'm using now just has 2 bolts, and the dish comes off the mount.
On other dishes, you'd pretty much have to take the whole mount off the pole with the dish attached.
But every dish has it's own quirks.
One thing though, particularly if you have to remove the dish and mount as one unit, unless you have multiple people to help, and can get all these people up high enough to be useful (once we backed up 2 trucks and a trailer to the dish, and had people standing on each, all helping to lift the thing), one thing that can help to make it a one person job is to set up some form of a gin pole. On one very heavy H-H dish that I took down by myself, I clamped a secondary pipe or 4x4 or something (I can't remember what exactly) to the side of the pipe, so that it extended about a foot above the top of the dish's mount and had a pulley at the top of this secondary mast. I ran a metal cable through the pully, and attached the short end to the mount, and the long end to the tow hook on my car. I then took up the slack by moving the car. I then went up on a ladder, and lifted the whole dish/mount off the pole, lowering it a few inches until the metal cable supported it. Of course, the dish flopped down a bit so one side was touching the ground, but at least the heavy mount was supported. Then, I just slowly moved the car towards the dish, and the dish slowly sort of rolled around the pole a bit as it lowered toward the ground. If I could have found even one person to help, it would have been a very smooth operation, but even so, it worked pretty well. On the other hand, on another dish, I wasn't so careful, and the whole thing came crashing down (actually this was while putting it up). So it does seem worthwhile to have some sort of support there in case you lose control of the thing.
On some of them, the easiest way would be to take apart the various sections, but other dishes don't have separate sections.
On some dishes the actual dish can be taken off separate from the mount. The one I'm using now just has 2 bolts, and the dish comes off the mount.
On other dishes, you'd pretty much have to take the whole mount off the pole with the dish attached.
But every dish has it's own quirks.
One thing though, particularly if you have to remove the dish and mount as one unit, unless you have multiple people to help, and can get all these people up high enough to be useful (once we backed up 2 trucks and a trailer to the dish, and had people standing on each, all helping to lift the thing), one thing that can help to make it a one person job is to set up some form of a gin pole. On one very heavy H-H dish that I took down by myself, I clamped a secondary pipe or 4x4 or something (I can't remember what exactly) to the side of the pipe, so that it extended about a foot above the top of the dish's mount and had a pulley at the top of this secondary mast. I ran a metal cable through the pully, and attached the short end to the mount, and the long end to the tow hook on my car. I then took up the slack by moving the car. I then went up on a ladder, and lifted the whole dish/mount off the pole, lowering it a few inches until the metal cable supported it. Of course, the dish flopped down a bit so one side was touching the ground, but at least the heavy mount was supported. Then, I just slowly moved the car towards the dish, and the dish slowly sort of rolled around the pole a bit as it lowered toward the ground. If I could have found even one person to help, it would have been a very smooth operation, but even so, it worked pretty well. On the other hand, on another dish, I wasn't so careful, and the whole thing came crashing down (actually this was while putting it up). So it does seem worthwhile to have some sort of support there in case you lose control of the thing.
some pictures please
some pictures please
B.J.'s is right
have 10 cband dishes and they are different. wineguards don't come off the mount like a KTI etc
how far is it going ?
how are they being moved pick up ? trailer ?
2 well bodies work well 3 should make it easy.
good luck
some pictures please
B.J.'s is right
have 10 cband dishes and they are different. wineguards don't come off the mount like a KTI etc
how far is it going ?
how are they being moved pick up ? trailer ?
2 well bodies work well 3 should make it easy.
good luck
With my 8.5 footer I just took the LNB off and the motor. Unbolted the connections to the pole. Lifted up and threw the dish on the ground.
But I gave mine away for scrap metal. 
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