My first C-Band dish... almost

[LoTech]

A few weeks ago I asked a local school what they were going to do with the satellite dish on their roof. They said it was no longer used, and that I could have it, and that maintenance would help take it down. From the ground it looked like a 1.8 m fiberglass offset dish, so I said I would get it this weekend.

When I got there Saturday, the gate was open, but maintenance was nowhere around. I decided I was skilled enough to get it down, so I set up my ladder and climbed to the roof with my tools.

What looked like a fiberglass dish from the ground was actually a 6 foot stamped steel solid dish that weighed - what I would estimate - about 200 pounds mounted to a five inch steel pole.

Undaunted, I proceeded to take off the LNB and set it aside. Then I tried to loosen the bolts holding the dish together. Every bolt on it was rusted solid. What I thought would be a 30 minute job turned into about two hours. Then came the fun part... getting it to the ground and onto the trailer. With some brute strength and hillbilly engineering (and yes I am allowed to use that term) I finally got the dish and pole to the ground and on to the trailer. Man was I worn out! I think I'll leave the setup for another weekend.

Attached are some pics. Sorry I couldn't get any better pictures of the dish. It was mounted between two heat pump fans.

Does anyone know what type of LNB this is, and whether it is usable for FTA? It has a sticker saying Norsat 7000A series and another one saying Satron LNB 6000.

 

[GreatFTA]

Lucky you!
I saw a 8 foot wire meshed dish with the feedhorn/lnbs and pole lying behind a county school district headquarter. I stopped and asked about it and the supervisor in the office told me that it belongs to the school district and the only way I could get it would be thru the auction the state has once a year. I decided the heck with it.
Look like you have a c/ku feed system. Your best bet is to go to the Norsat site to find out about that lnb and do Google search on the other lnb.
Let us know what you find out, and good luck!!!

 

[Cadsulfide]

Nice find! I'm glad the school board where you are actually likes people!

Looking forward to your progress, and to 1st signal!

 

[LoTech]

It also came with a General Instruments DSR 4200 receiver. Does anyone know anything about these? I looked it up on Google and it said that it could receive Digicipher II.

 

[GreatFTA]

It also came with a General Instruments DSR 4200 receiver. Does anyone know anything about these? I looked it up on Google and it said that it could receive Digicipher II.

Really LUCKY!!!
There are a coupla members on this site who owns a DSR 4200. Go to "Search" of this site and you will find who they are. I remember one of them stating that the 4200 is the commercial grade receiver.
When I am over this back surgry and able to go back to work, I am going to be watching Ebay to get one. IF you want to sell your 4200, please PM me! :

 

[guapoharry]

Lucky you!
I saw a 8 foot wire meshed dish with the feedhorn/lnbs and pole lying behind a county school district headquarter. I stopped and asked about it and the supervisor in the office told me that it belongs to the school district and the only way I could get it would be thru the auction the state has once a year. I decided the heck with it.
Look like you have a c/ku feed system. Your best bet is to go to the Norsat site to find out about that lnb and do Google search on the other lnb.
Let us know what you find out, and good luck!!!

Just be patient. You might find out when the auctions happen and set an appointment on your calendar.

These things often go for little to nothing. I have seen nice C-band dishes at auction on the internet complete with non penetrating roof mounts.... Most of them didn't sell the first time. No one wanted them. Where were they...? Washington state, Pennsylvania and New York.

Too far away...

 

[LoTech]

I just tried the 4200 receiver, and I think it's broken. All the lights come on, but no picture on the television, and none of the buttons on the receiver or remote seem to do anything.

 

[Tron]

Is it a DSR-4200C or DSR-4200V? The V is useful as it can receive a greater range of symbol rates.

 

[GreatFTA]

Thanks Tron!
I didn't know there's a C and V versions of that receiver.

 

[Corrado]

That's a score LoTech

I love those commercial dishes. Built to last. When we took mine down it took 3 of us.

 

[LoTech]

Looks like the Norsat 7000A is a single polarity KU lnb. Can anyone tell me anything about the Satron?

 

[eurosport]

I just tried the 4200 receiver, and I think it's broken. All the lights come on, but no picture on the television, and none of the buttons on the receiver or remote seem to do anything.

Do the lights all come on and then go back off? If so, does an info bar show up on the TV? (Not worried about it getting a signal just yet, we'll cover that later)
After it boots up, the only light lit on the front panel will be the SAT/TV light.

 

[eurosport]

Thanks Tron!
I didn't know there's a C and V versions of that receiver.

There's actually 3 versions that I know about. 4200, 4200C and 4200V. The "V" model does all the DCII symbol rates, the others are more limited.

 

[Indy]

You are darn lucky you were not arrested! If I tried that here where I live even with verbal permission but that person was not there when I was taking the dish. I would be in jail trying to explain the whole thing to my wife! Like I said, you are lucky you are not in jail charged with theft waiting for a court date and bail to be set.

 

[LoTech]

You are darn lucky you were not arrested!

Luckily I know the principal of the school. I used to work there. (Kinda left that part out.)

Do the lights all come on and then go back off?

No, they all stay lit up. No menu or picture of any kind on the TV screen through the component outputs or the coaxial.

 

[eurosport]

No, they all stay lit up. No menu or picture of any kind on the TV screen through the component outputs or the coaxial.

If they didn't go out after about 20 seconds....I think it's toast.