spot for a cheap, new dish?

[Corrado]

One of the issues that I have run into is..."my Dad paid $2000 for that thing"
They think it's still worth that, forgetting the receiver cost $1200 of that 25 years ago.

My takedowns have all been for free. Most of which appeared unused for a decade with full grown trees in front. Even better if you see parts falling off or visibly broken and a Dish or Directv setup on the property. I always ask very humbly and inquire about who owns the dish and if it's still needed. Many times it was someones parents or better still prior landowners.

I would rather stop in my old truck than my car. Perhaps appearing better suited to safely remove it. Preferably if I see folks out in the yard rather than knocking on the door. That way I can better approach who I think the owner might be and what I might say.

I've said things like...
"I've been looking at that dish for 15 years and wondered if you still needed it"
"I'm a satellite hobbyist and was looking for a dish for my project"
"I'm interested in your dish, is it for sale?"

 

[stogie5150]

You just have to stay at it. I have only asked for a couple, but like the others say, dress nice, (not suit nice, but cutoffs and flip-flops ain't gonna get it.). I always say who I am, offer my hand, ask if the dish is in use. If not I then ask if they would like it removed, that I am a hobbiest and am not looking to make any money on it or anything, they usually ask what we use it for, I give them a short (but not too detailed) idea of what we do with them.
I also tell the homeowner HOW I am going to accomplish it, whether or not I can remove the pole ( hint, DON'T offer to remove it, offer to cut it off at the ground's surface IF you have the tools, but its okay NOT to remove the pole).
You will have better luck IMO if you find the older folks, young people think that everything they own is worth MILLIONS....LOL

Keep at it. :up

 

[tvropro]

if i was to buy one it would probaly cost me around $800 for an 8 footer i dont have that kind of dough

Yes dishes have gone up in price from what I paid many years ago:

How about these:

FC08 8' (240CM) Fortec Star Prime focus Satellite C-Band Dish

Satellite AV - Free to Air Satellite Equipment Distributors - Fortec Star, GEOSATpro, Glorystar - SatelliteAV, LLC.


New is nice, otherwise your going to have to wait till you can scrounge one for next to nothing. Here's an idea When you inquire about one why don't you ask if they would be willing to sell it instead of asking for it for free. While free is nice you would come across in a better position to the person if you offered them some money especially in these tough economic times. You may pick one up for less that you think.

 

[Lone Cloud]

I know I must be lucky. I was driving past this 8 foot solid aluminum dish for about six months until I finally saw a little dish mounted near it on the roof. I went in and asked and they said "yes take it please"

When I was installing it on my roof I saw a Birdview solid about a block away. A couple of months after that I just stopped in, with no thought of grabbing the Birdview, just to make contact with maybe a hobbyist in my neighborhood. Neighbor said "take it away please"

Now I have a spare 8 foot dish . I can't think of a good reason to put it up, so it's just sitting on my awning giving some shade to my barbecue.

 

[Techfizzle]

the 8 footer from sadoun does not have a polar mount option
and i called him yesterday and he said its 3 months on backorder from china, well i dont want a chinise dish

WHO makes the geosat pro dish? I add one to cart and it said shipping $0, so im guessing that includes shipping?

 

[tvropro]

the 8 footer from sadoun does not have a polar mount option
and i called him yesterday and he said its 3 months on backorder from china, well i dont want a chinise dish

WHO makes the geosat pro dish? I add one to cart and it said shipping $0, so im guessing that includes shipping?

Call Satellite Av 888 983 4573 and ask them. Geosat makes killer LNBF's


EDITED
Hey T fiz I gave you the wrong number try this one. (fixed above) I have too many papers on my desk

 

[Techfizzle]

no one was on the line

im going out to do a little more snoopin today around town to see if i can find that 6 footer, If i dont i will break down and buy that $150 7.5 perfect 10

i dont have $400 to spare for a new 8 footer

 

[Inno]

Karma?

Hehehehehehe!!

 

[Techfizzle]

I FOUND A DISH!!!!

I was drving by and saw it, i HAVE not gotten ahold of yet, but please tell me if it is any good

it is a CONFIER dish. Mesh, about 8 to 10 fotot in dia. Butthook feed but what really makes it sweet is an h-h motor! not sure if its an ajak but i think the mesh is too big for ku, it has holes in it like an old channel master mesh

please help

 

[Pismire]

By now you should know the routine. See if you can get it for free. Regardless if it's any good or not add it to your stockpile. Sure is nice to dig into the stockpile if need be and put up another one when your current one got damaged by the weather or something else. This happened to me this past winter....There is a reason your Dad has all those lawnmowers out there you know.

 

[Techfizzle]

By now you should know the routine. See if you can get it for free. Regardless if it's any good or not add it to your stockpile. Sure is nice to dig into the stockpile if need be and put up another one when your current one got damaged by the weather or something else. This happened to me this past winter....There is a reason your Dad has all those lawnmowers out there you know.

yeah he is retired from gates rubber, he buys them at auctions and resells the parts on ebay

i dont like throwing stuff away im always needing something for a dish a computer ( i build them btw) or cars and then i remembered i pitched it

by the way who made that conifer dish?

 

[ACRadio]

by the way who made that conifer dish?

Conifer....

 

[Techfizzle]

hey thanks for the scan, but mine is newer, black, and alittle smaller

 

[Techfizzle]

i googled the adress, the buidling is empty, but winegard,conifer, and andrew shared the same adress, i think that winegard owned conifer

 

[Inno]

hey thanks for the scan, but mine is newer, black, and alittle smaller

Is it yours? Have you asked about it yet?

 

[Babadem]

DISH HUNTING

Read My Dish Hunting Experience Here.

 

[spacebug42]

I think it might be both the way you were dressed and the way you asked the people with the dishes. I didn't see anything wrong with what you were going to say, but perhaps it might have been your body language that offended then or made them wary of you. Communication is a complex process. The way you present yourself through body language can make a big difference between being told "No" and "Yes". Take a hint from Stogie5150 and spend some time in refining what you're going to say to the person who has a BUD.

I am thinking right now about a goofup I made when I had an opportunity to get a BUD nine years ago. My sister in-law's parents moved into a new home near us and her mother asked me if I would like to have the 8' dish. I was excited at first, but I soon found that I didn't have enough space in the backyard to put it. It was a black mesh dish with an actuator. I told her that I appreciated the offer to have the dish, but I didn't have the room. Back then, the purpose for having that dish was not for FTA TV but for Ham Radio EME (Moon-bouncing) contesting. Nine years later, I'm kicking myself for not getting that dish - but then again - I have to think about space constraints and safety. The only place I can find room to put the BUD is along the back fence and also 25 feet below the secondary power lines. For now, the Ku dish on the roof will have to do until I save up for another home with a bigger yard and away from the power lines.

 

[trinity13]

That Conifer dish was made in Oregon (sold from anyway).
I sold a couple.
That is a good dish, but there is quite a bit of wiggle in the polar mount (moves too much on a windy day). But it does pull in a good signal.
I have a Conifer that was made in Iowa.
Different company (and has different shortcomings).
And I don't remember it coming with a H-H mount.
Not saying it didn't, but don't recall that.

 

[Techfizzle]

Scored A dish!!!

I called the gal back on craigslist, it was about an hour away.

The gal gave it to me and a DRAKE ESR-1724, which looks like new.

There is a channel master feedhorn cover on it, but she said the dish was hit by lightninig in the early 90s and the lnbf was replaced, so I dont know if it is a channel master dish.

The dish is either 10 or 10.5 foot in diameter. :

She said the motor was replaced, and what makes this a winner, is a Thomson Saginaw Performace Pak Acuator on it!!It looks brand new, I think it is 36" it measures 32" from end to end fully inserted, but i dont think they make a 32" acuator.

The dish came apart in 4 sections, the ring mount from my perfect 10 may fit on it, which may allow me to reuse it.

Here is the Q's

1. Who made this dish? The gal said it was installed in 88?
2. Would this pricy saginaw do better then an h-h?
3.Is the holes small enough for KU? (see pics)
4. Is it possible the feedhorn has sagged? it is sturdy looking
5. The ring mount is bent slightly where it goes to the mount, will this hurt?
6. It has a chappral micropak any good?

I think i did well finding this. My dad took me by the car wash, and i washed all the bird poop and mold off it, and shined up well.

I will hopefully get this up Tomorrow and dink around with it.

thanks for all the help

I could not get thumbs to work, kept saying secruity token error, so iceberg can do this in his spare time.

 

[Lak7]

1. Who made this dish? The gal said it was installed in 88?
2. Would this pricy saginaw do better then an h-h?
3.Is the holes small enough for KU? (see pics)
4. Is it possible the feedhorn has sagged? it is sturdy looking
5. The ring mount is bent slightly where it goes to the mount, will this hurt?
6. It has a chappral micropak any good?

1. Who cares.
2. The Arm will get you about 50 West to 139 West, it's not H to H.
3. Looks good.
4. When assembling, check that it's centered.
5. Post a Pic.
6. As long as it works.