What can I do with this.

[mucketbucket]

I recently bought a home and a satellite dish about 8 ft across is sitting in the yard with the cable still ran to the house. I don't have a receiver for it or know how to use it. Can I still use it and what do I need if so.

 

[Anole]

yes:

I recently bought a home and a satellite dish about 8 ft across is sitting in the yard with the cable still ran to the house. I don't have a receiver for it or know how to use it. Can I still use it and what do I need if so.

You may be too new to post some pictures of it, so give us a good description.
- any names on the dish, mount, or LNB cover?
- is it a solid dish, a perforated dish, or a mesh dish?
- is there a motor that moves the dish, and how does that look?
- if you look under the LNB cover.... would you know what you're looking at? (no offense, we have you covered) -
Here's a web site with pictures and names of the common components; it may help you if you don't have the satellite hardware vocabulary.

Yes, you can likely use it.
Some of our members may recommend a 4DTV receiver, and some inexpensive subscription packages.
Others will recommend DVB receivers, for totally free-to-air operation.
Consider both camps - you might even choose to go both ways.

How far you are away from good off-the-air reception may influence your decisions.
Also, what sorts of TV shows/programming/games would you like to be able to see?

 

[mucketbucket]

It is a 10 foot unimesh dish. I has very small holes in the mesh. It has a ribbin type cable coming from it to the house with 3 wires in it from what I can tell. it does have a motor on it and a arm for movement or adjustment I guess.

 

[DpSyChO]

You may be too new to post some pictures of it, so give us a good description.
- any names on the dish, mount, or LNB cover?
- is it a solid dish, a perforated dish, or a mesh dish?
- is there a motor that moves the dish, and how does that look?
- if you look under the LNB cover.... would you know what you're looking at? (no offense, we have you covered) -
Here's a web site with pictures and names of the common components; it may help you if you don't have the satellite hardware vocabulary.

Yes, you can likely use it.
Some of our members may recommend a 4DTV receiver, and some inexpensive subscription packages.
Others will recommend DVB receivers, for totally free-to-air operation.
Consider both camps - you might even choose to go both ways.

How far you are away from good off-the-air reception may influence your decisions.
Also, what sorts of TV shows/programming/games would you like to be able to see?

I'm almost in the same boat as the original poster but I have been using a DVB for free to air. I in the process of moving and one of my new neighbors has a 7 (or 71/2'?) mesh dish that I can get for free to $25 at the most (thats what the owner seems to think she'll get for it if selling it for scrap), it physically looks in good shape.
I'll get no receiver with it and know nothing about C-band. Just to straighten me out before I start looking, I'll need a 4DTV receiver in order to get programing from NPS?