when you least expect it, there it is !

[Anole]

Instead of making this an off-topic post in another thread, I thought maybe it could stand alone:

I'd give almost anything to have a dish like this to play with, but, I have not seen any of this around in years.

(Glen was talking about a DirecWay dish)

I was convinced no Birdviews existed on the west coast.
Then I found a guy with two about 200 miles from me.
Then, I heard about a guy finding one in San Diego (100 miles).
Then, another guy bought a house in San Diego, and wanted his removed!
THEN, I drove by one not 20 miles from my home, peeking 4' over a 6' fence.!. -

While talking about lusting for the above Birdview at lunch one day, a friend of a friend who was there, offered me her brother-in-laws perforated BUD on an AJAK H-H mount!
Well, she didn't know -what- it was. I had to go over and take a look.
Took an hour to scrape my chin up off the ground!

AND, a friendly member here on the forum, spent four months trying to figure out how to send me a DirecWay dish, last year!
We finally made that happen. I still owe him big-time for the dish!

So, don't give up. Just drive home a different way every day!
Pay your kids if they spot a suitable dish.
If you don't have kids, borrow or rent some! -


. . . there's this really big (12..15 foot) fiberglass BUD on the Post Office building, that I've been keeping my eye on . . .

 

[voomvoom]

If you don't have kids, borrow or rent some! -

now that's a Classic summation....

 

[Cadsulfide]

Now that we have an official west coast Birdview restoration and reclaimation center, we have 2/3 of the US covered. Could not have been a better canidate.

Now all we need is an east coast represenative to complete the coverage.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with on the Directway.

 

[boomer_106]

I know I've been around here long enough I shouldn't have to ask a rookie question but, what is all the rage with a birdview? My 10 ft KTI mesh seems to collect enough signal for every feed I see posted.

 

[Anole]

what is all the rage with a birdview?
My 10 ft KTI mesh seems to collect enough signal for every feed I see posted.

Oh, I don't know. But I got one to find out!

They do take some work to get 'em restored and going again.
Maybe it's like rebuilding a Model T ?

Perhaps it's just the Tom Sawyer effect?

I was attracted to the rock solid mount.
And the H-H motor has characteristics I want to explore someday.
Can you imagine a USALS BUD ? -

But, ask a guy who's got one, and something bigger.
Those are the fellows who have the best answer.

 

[stogie5150]

I know I've been around here long enough I shouldn't have to ask a rookie question but, what is all the rage with a birdview? My 10 ft KTI mesh seems to collect enough signal for every feed I see posted.

But, ask a guy who's got one, and something bigger.

There are a few things that make them DIFFERENT. I am NOT convinced that they are BETTER than any other dish, AS LONG AS your other dish is in perfect shape, with no dings, dents, etc. What I like about the Birdview is its relative simplicity, and (I think), good looks. Now, what I DON"T like is the maddening tuning process, there are NO elevation/declination turnbuckles at ALL, so everything is by the seat of your pants. A digital angle gauge is a MUST with a Birdview.
The H-to-H mount is nice, but only if you can actually SEE horizon to horizon, and heaven knows there are NO replacement parts for them, so if one craps out, you are on your own. REALLY on your own.

What I can say is this. I own a 12' Paraclipse with a H-to-H mount too, and, for its size, the 8.5' Birdview holds its own against the Paraclipse, all things considered. The Paraclipse does beat the Birdview, by about a 10% average, on C and Ku bands. Some TP's they are very close, some, not so close. Pretty impressive for a dish thats 3.5 feet SMALLER than the Paraclipse.

BOTH of them were a PAIN to setup for Ku band, mainly because of the adjustment (or lack of) on BOTH of them. It takes time to get them right.

Plus, if you get a stock Birdview, you will have to adapt the scalar ring for a modern feedhorn, and add some kind of magnet wheel to do the counting. I was lucky to have gotten a Birdview that both of those were already done for me. That alone would be enough for some people not to mess with the Birdview, because it WILL take some time to get right.

So, pound for pound, the Birdview is a great performer, IF you can overcome all its idiosyncrasies. I have exactly ZERO patience, and I came close to filling it full of .44 holes a few times. But the performance is there, for its size. if you can put up with everything else....LOL

 

[linuxman]

I have two of them, one solid and one perforated. Yes, they are a lot of work to retrofit to function with modern receivers and positioners, but in my opinion the work is well worth.

I think Stogie hit on the main point. Where else can you find a dish that is 8.5 foot diameter and perform like a 12 foot dish, and retain that performance on both C-Band and Ku Band?

Stogie, Anole, and I have had many phone converstions while Stogie was tuning his Birdview in and there were times when he was ready to give up. I kept telling him to be patient, and he finally got it where it needed to be, but it was a journey.

Did I mention it was a lot of work before?

But, when the work is finished, and it is lubed up, tuned in, and you sit back and enjoy the fruit of your labor, that is where the Birdview really pays off.

The machinery is like a Swiss watch. If all the gears work now, and it is lubed up good, it will all still be working in another 10 years. The motor may die, but it can be rebuilt and go on from there.

Other than that, when the work is over, you will have the finest performer for it's size than any other dish ever manufactured.

I remember telling Stogie once when he was tuning in his 1M Primestar dish and he was so happy with his signal and I mentioned that it was almost as good as my Birdview. For those of you who haven't read, it has often been written that a good off-set dish will out perform a prime-focus dish any time on Ku signals. That simply is not true with the Birdview.

So, as you are out on your Sunday drive with your family, or even going back and forth to work, as Anole says, when you least expect, you will find the best, and then you can bring it home.

 

[toucan-man]

I have two of them, one solid and one perforated.

Can you post some bigger photos of your perforated one?

The machinery is like a Swiss watch. If all the gears work now, and it is lubed up good, it will all still be working in another 10 years. The motor may die, but it can be rebuilt and go on from there.

Would be nice for someone to interview the builders of these dishes, if anyone from the company is still around. I wonder where most of their product was sold.

 

[linuxman]

Can you post some bigger photos of your perforated one?

Would be nice for someone to interview the builders of these dishes, if anyone from the company is still around. I wonder where most of their product was sold.

There are many posts in the C-Band section talking about the Birdview company, where they were sold, the owner of the company etc. Just do a search on the titles in the C-Band section and put in Birdview.

Here are a couple of pics of my perforated Birdview, the ones with the green grass are where I got it from. The rest are on my roof:

 

[glen4cindy]

Any C-Band dish would make me happy, but, as long as I live where I do, I will have to wait until we invent transparent aluminium, and even then, I probably would not be able to afford one!

I don't see us moving anytime soon, and even if and when we do, I don't want to give up high speed internet!

I'll keep looking for Primestar or DirectWay/HughesNet dishes that are no longer in use.

 

[Cadsulfide]

I will have to wait until we invent transparent aluminium, and even then, I probably would not be able to afford one!


Your wish could come true;

Military: New Aluminum Windows Stop .50-Caliber Bullet | LiveScience

A little spendy to make dishes from.

 

[glen4cindy]

Well, I found some clear dishes, but, they aren't C-Band and they aren't in this country so shipping would be a nightmare!

Clear transparent satellite dishes. 60cm, 80cm and 85cm from the Satellite Superstore UK. Quality satellite dishes

 

[Anole]

I'd been actively thinking I'd like to have my own Birdview for maybe a year or two.
Before that, it never crossed my mind to want one, much less that I'd ever find one.
Well, last Saturday, I took down my first BUD, and it was a Birdview.
Birdview harvesting, California style.

As I said above, I'd lusted many months for a DirecWay, and now it's here.

In an "I want it, and I want it NOW!" generation, savoring the victory of these acquisitions is all the sweeter.

 

[Corrado]

Here in upstate NY, there are very few Birdview dishes. In my travels I know of only one that still exists. Mounted up above a diner on Rt 145 in East Durham, NY. when I last passed through, last summer it was still there.

I'll get some photos next time.

 

[Anole]

careful with BUDs on tall poles:

Here in upstate NY, there are very few Birdview dishes.
In my travels I know of only one that still exists.
Mounted up above a diner ... when I last passed through, last summer it was still there.

If you want it, go get it.
But be forewarned: that 100lb dish needs TLC to get, if it's more than 8' in the air.
Perhaps even heavier with LNB & scalar, I guess.
Not sure the weight of the motor assembly. 80+ ?
Figure out ahead of time how to rig lines on both pieces to lower them.

I'm going after a lighter BUD at 9', but it's a perforated dish.
And the AJAK motor is a documented 63 lbs.
I figure two guys on ladders can handle this one.

 

[linuxman]

Read this post as living proof of what can happen when you least expect it.