My newest project

[Duster014]

Ok here it is, I posted a ad on Freecycle and and got a reply back

When they bought the house. It was taken off the pole, laid on the ground face down and they let the vines grown up all over it. Overall the frame is not damaged or warped. A Unimesh 7.5 dish. Made in the good old USA.

Pole with the mount. Still cant get to the photos to thumbnails arrrg. sorry.

once I cut it loose from the vines and able to get it off the ground.

Ready for the ride home

LNB, It has eagle aspen stickers, and says for C-band. The mesh holes are so small, I cant get a sharpened pencil lead through the mesh.

Now this is what i have to work with. Most probably would have just left it there, but keep looking below the salvage dish.

to this, two panels are finish and two to go, no rust anywhere all aluminum. Cleaned up real good since giving a bath and scrubbing the red georgia clay off the dish.

Here is some of my rework completed, learned on the first making the second panel a little faster to do, but still time consuming either way. Just takes some time and patience. Knowing what is about to come of my efforts to rebuild it.

So far here's where I am at. Halfway done with the mesh rework. Mesh just needs a little more cleaning, not rusted either, just stubborn red georgia clay. I like working on cars an doing body work as another hobby, so to me i think of it as body work on a car and presto its fixed lol. Just kidding, not as easy as presto

Keeps your fingers crossed and the rest goes as good. Turning out better than i thought it would. Only thing missing is the lnb cover and the bolts to mount it to the pole.

 

[Babadem]

Nice find!!

Where did you get the replacement mesh?

 

[beavs2112]

congrats on scoring a bud ! is the actuator in good shape?

 

[Duster014]

Haven't tried the actuator yet. Dont have anything to test it with yet. Or can I use a 12volt battery? Has two big wires red & white. Three small Green, Brown, Orange, then one black for the ground. Which one should i hook up to tryout to see if it works? What size would you say it is?

Using the same mesh that came with the dish. Just smoothing it out then working it back into the grooves. On my last panel one of the mesh has a small tear in it. Thought about patching it with a small piece of aluminum screen wire from behind. Anybody ever try screen wire to patch?

Heck nothing to loose right now and everything to gain. Guess that's why we call it a project Third panel is completed, one more to go!


Used Advance reply don't know where i am going wrong to do thumbnails.

 

[Babadem]

Based on my experience from other forums, your inability to attach Thumbnails maybe due to your low post count. Scot and Iceberg are in good positions to confirm that. BTW, you're doing a great jog refurbishing that rescued Dish!

 

[DK_Sat]

Nice find i have 2, 7.5 Unimash dishes up one with H-H mount .

 

[Skjellyfetti]

I used a 24 volt DC battery charger to test my actuator, it just ran slower that normal.

 

[Cadsulfide]

car battery will work fine, just slower

 

[1ADAM12]

Nice work you've got a great dish. I have one and had to take the motor apart and release the brushes and springs, frozen by dirt. Cleaned the sensor and motor terminals that were bad from the day they were made. But it's been working great for me. Sadoun sells the motor head if you can't get yours working.

Consider a dmx741 LNBF replacement.

 

[Duster014]

Here's a update on the dish rework. All four panels completed and the mesh is back in place. Only one piece of the mesh had a tear in it. But I got a idea how to fix it. Going to get some new bolts this weekend and put it back together.

 

[mr3p]

great job! the before and after pictures are amazing. looking forward to seeing you "patch" the torn panel.

 

[Duster014]

Anybody have a copy or know where online I might be able to find a owners manual for the 7.5 dish? Maybe even a pdf file.

 

[Dishman Dan]

Here's a update on the dish rework. All four panels completed and the mesh is back in place. Only one piece of the mesh had a tear in it. But I got a idea how to fix it. Going to get some new bolts this weekend and put it back together.

One little tear like that is not worth fixing!

It will not affect C band at all and I do not think that Ku band will notice it if you set it up for Ku.
I would smooth the tear to straighten it out and leave it at that.

Speaking of Ku, I have 2 Unimesh BUDs like yours to pick up if I can find the time. They both have C and Ku band setups on them. I posted it somewhere on this site a while back and someone said that all 7.5 Unimesh BUDs are C and Ku band but yours is C band.

Nice find and great job on the rescue!!!

 

[trommy]

Nice work you've got a great dish. I have one and had to take the motor apart and release the brushes and springs, frozen by dirt. Cleaned the sensor and motor terminals that were bad from the day they were made. But it's been working great for me. Sadoun sells the motor head if you can't get yours working.

Consider a dmx741 LNBF replacement.

That's a great restoration job.I scored a 7 1/2'(my first) unimesh about 6 weeks ago,intact and ready to mount(I think).Haven't had time to check it out.I'm thinking of following Adam12's advice for the LNBF for C/KU reception on one coax?
G'luck on your project.

 

[beavs2112]

Haven't tried the actuator yet. Dont have anything to test it with yet. Or can I use a 12volt battery? Has two big wires red & white. Three small Green, Brown, Orange, then one black for the ground. QUOTE]

Hey Duster. Ya hook up the big red and white wires to your battery or charger and that will tell ou if the motor works. don't worry about the polarity of the wires. if you want to reverse the direction of the way the tube is going in or out just reverse the wires. here's an old thread i found useful on cleaning up the actuator
http://www.satelliteguys.us/c-band-satellite-discussion/136225-these-2-actuators-best-12-ft-2.html

Kevin

 

[gabshere]

Actuator -
since it has set up a bit i think i would take it apart and clean it up , I was going to mention that i posted pic on breaking down a von weise actuator (but most are close in breakdown) but the link above is the take apart link thanks beavs2112 ....

super job on the repair of the unimesh I would also like to know if you remeshed or just clipped down the old mesh. thanks and great work

 

[gabshere]

Using the same mesh that came with the dish. Just smoothing it out then working it back into the grooves. On my last panel one of the mesh has a small tear in it. Thought about patching it with a small piece of aluminum screen wire from behind. Anybody ever try screen wire to patch?

I re read and found the answer thanks , the tear in my 12 ft dish's mesh i just took some thin wire and use it to hold the mesh together and keep it from being damage more . if its a small tear it shouldn't hurt the reception.

 

[FaT Air]

Nice find and Great work on a Beautiful Useful Dish. I think the actuator is an 18 inch stroke. I agree with sewing the small tear with small diameter wire. I'd use stainless or aluminum, as steel would rust and stain the panel. I think it'll work fantastic on Ku also.

 

[Duster014]

Here's how I repaired mine.

I cut a piece of aluminum screen, cut the length of screen twice the size of the hole then folded it in half, tear was 7" x 1 1/2"" long, so cut it 16" x 3", stripped the insulated coating off of some stranded copper wire and preceded to stitch a patch on to the mesh. I put the patch on the back side of the mesh.

Front side of mesh, done this today between the rain showers.

Back side of the dish, notice i folded the screen wire over on the side, so over time it couldn't come apart or strands break loose from it.

After i got done with the patch, I picked up some Cold Galvanized Spray from Tractor Supply Company and treated the mesh, bare aluminum screen wire and the copper wire with it.

Completed patch job. Barely can see the patch from a distance, only up close. Surely won't see it from inside the house watching tv lol.

 

[turbosat]

Good fix Bobby, probably wouldn't have hurt a thing, no bigger than that is, but you learned a new trade, lol. You got a week to get it in the ground , football next weekend!