I was offered this DISH for free

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chapelrun

SatelliteGuys Pro
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Pub Member / Supporter
Feb 12, 2008
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Berryville, VA
This DISH is only half a mile from my house and the guy said please take it away.

I have never harvested a BUD before and have many questions.

1. Is this worth moving? (remember only half mile away)
2. Should I take apart or move whole
3. Large wire underground (should I recover this - if he lets me)
4. Should I take my Fortec Merc II down and hookup before I move it?
5. Anybody know what kind this is??

Any help here would be greatly appreciated!
 

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My thoughts:

1.) If you want it and think it's worth moving go for it!

2.) I'd leave it as much together as possible, you'll need at least 2 other people to handle it I would think.

3.) If the cable was in a conduit and could be easily removed I'd take it but I sure wouldn't dig for it.

4.) I wouldn't mess with hooking a receiver up and trying to see if it "worked". If the dish is not warped and the mount is good everything else can be replaced.

5.) Not a clue here what kind it is, I see a lot around here that look very similar though..

Good luck, let us know! :)
 
makes ME jealous

From the rear view, it looks like a commercial molded dish.
Not one destined for the home BUD market.
Did anyone ever sell such a thing, or is this a commercial conversion?

Also, how many feet across is this dish?
Appears to be molded in eight petals.
From what little I've seen, you wouldn't make an 8' dish with 8 wedges, you'd use four or maybe six.
... so , maybe this is a much bigger dish...?

Unless it shows signs of damage, or someone can identify it as a particular bad catch, I'd make getting it home, high priority! ;)
 
There's one with a back like that down the road from me. Don't know what kind it is, but my memory wants to say (trying to remember old advertisements) it's maybe a M/A-COM. The one the lady down the road has, is a 10'er.
 
1. Is this worth moving? (remember only half mile away)
YES.

2. Should I take apart or move whole
Take it apart. You gonna have to do that to clean it up anyway. Take the base also.
3. Large wire underground (should I recover this - if he lets me)
Forget it. Use all new cable

4. Should I take my Merc II down and hookup before I move it?
Don't bother. You can try it at home when you erect the dish again.

5. Anybody know what kind this is??
It looks like a nice molded dish. I would say it looks like 12' in diameter.

You could replace the buttonhook with three side struts like the Fortec dish here:
180cmp.jpg
 
Some answers maybe...

I did not measure it but it is at least 10' across.

The dish is really rusty but I was thinking one possible way to get it home is use my tractor and put rope or chain up high on the back and drive it home very slowly. I thought this might warp this dish though.

He also said it has not been operational for many, many years.

I was offered a different mesh BUD that is much newer but it is about 10 miles from the house. (That guys said I could have everything, BUD, cable, receiver, everything)

So maybe I should harvest the newer mesh one that has everything.

My wife really thinks I'm crazy!!! :D
 
That looks like a molded 12'. I would go for it but figure out the focal length and get rid of the button hook or just run guy wires to four corners to center it (easy way).

It may be hard to tell if it will do KU. A lot of those dishes have embeded mesh that may be c-band only. I have heard of reflective paint that you can paint fiberglass dishes with that will make it reflect KU. One member told me once what it was but I can't remember. You will probably be painting it anyway.

You may need a new actuator and lnbs, servo motor if you don't run an lnbf.
 
OK -- I'm going for the solid one first

First, may be impossible to take apart and get back together correctly. Because of all the rust; seems easier and quicker to leave together.

I will take measurements before moving (lots of measurements!)

May still use the tractor idea but may lift it into the back of a truck and have several folks hold it while moving it home.

Should I prepare a concrete pad with bolts ready to receive stand?
 
That looks like a molded 12'. I would go for it but figure out the focal length and get rid of the button hook or just run guy wires to four corners to center it (easy way).

It may be hard to tell if it will do KU. A lot of those dishes have embeded mesh that may be c-band only. I have heard of reflective paint that you can paint fiberglass dishes with that will make it reflect KU. One member told me once what it was but I can't remember. You will probably be painting it anyway.

You may need a new actuator and lnbs, servo motor if you don't run an lnbf.



Maybe it was the reflective silver paint thats used on roofs?
 
i would setup a pole to mount it on , that way you keep it off the ground and off its sides

you could also build a non pen mount for it , if thats what you would prefer to mount it on.

even though its a fiberglass dish ... age and the sun might have weakened it. so you would have to use caution in moving it. lay it on the mount as much as possible to help keep the stress & load off the sides.

i'm not much on painting a dish , some paints your not supposed to use ( i think they are the reflective ones or metalic or containing metal ) as they will tend to burn you lnb's. most likely it will do KU just fine as it is and will clean up with a bit of bleach, soap & water. :)
 
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