12ft Channelmaster Find!

[bidaw]

I had made arrangements to pick up a 10ft dish up from an old lady a couple of miles from me. She said I could have the dish as long as I took the pole with me. Well, well...to my suprise...the dish was in excellent shape...mesh in tact, and bonus...it was a 12ft not 10ft as I originally thought. I called a buddy of mine...a pickup, reciprocating saw, tie straps and a wrench later...we were hauling it out of there! Funny thing, when we had it on the truck, I could swear if I had it hooked up to a recvr, I would have been tuned to 99w!! Anyway, the old lady wasn't happy to see me bringing that dish into the backyard. I told her I was replacing the 7.5ft dish...she still wasn't jumping for joy. Anyway...I told her when she pays on the mortgage...she could have an opinion! (I didn't say that...but it's nice to think it!) Pics are here for those interested!

 

[Anole]

That's a beauty.
Congrats on fitting a 12'er to the truck without even any disassembly.

And I guess my favorite line was:
"She said I could have the dish as long as I took the pole with me." -

Quite a nice dish farm you got going there, too! - :up

 

[bidaw]

Thanks! Yeah, driving down the road seeing all of the jaw dropping was fun!

The dish farm I think is complete now...maybe?

 

[starman345]

That is one big honking dish! Looks like its almost new. You shouldn't have any trouble locking dvb-s2 signals.:up

 

[bidaw]

DVB-S2 - That was the reason for getting this thing! My friends laugh at days like this, but they never laugh when they pile in front of my tube watching feeds that their local cable can't get! Looking for a Bullseye II Ortho Feedhorn for this baby. If anyone has one collecting dust, I am interested!!!

 

[goaliebob99]

Nice find, If you find another, I'm claiming it! Back off its mine

 

[Blindowl1234]

Nice find! Another dish has a new life...Blind

 

[DK_Sat]

That's the way to take a Big dish down o yea.

 

[sideswiper]

nice find, i got 2 10 footers to pick up still lots of them around

 

[crackt]

are you sure its a 12 footer ? i dont mean to be negative... but i just hauled one home here last weekend and there was no way i woulda got it on a short box half ton. it was 10 panels and i had to split it into 5 pieces. the dish you have there, looks alot more like the 10 footers i hauled into my yard last year. either way... congrats on the score and a beautiful dish. you will have tons of signal.

crackt out,.

 

[tvropro]

12 footers are the best. Had one for 21 years now

 

[bidaw]

WoW! Ask and ye shall receive! In just 2 days of looking, I found the grail of feedhorns...two of them actually. 2 Chaparral Bullseye II's! One for this dish and one for the Fortec 180. One will be fitted with CalAmp 20K's and the 2nd with Norsat 17K's and both with Norsat 6600's for KU. They should be in my grubby hands next week. I can't wait!

I have been reading the forums as to cabling these babies. Can anyone recommend good multiswitches (powered) to hook these up with troublefree operation?

 

[Beano_face]

are you sure its a 12 footer ? i dont mean to be negative... but i just hauled one home here last weekend and there was no way i woulda got it on a short box half ton. it was 10 panels and i had to split it into 5 pieces. the dish you have there, looks alot more like the 10 footers i hauled into my yard last year. either way... congrats on the score and a beautiful dish. you will have tons of signal.

crackt out,.

I was thinkin the same... in the first pic... it doesnt look like a 12...

2nd and 3rd pic it looks big...

 

[Anole]

Can anyone recommend good multiswitches (powered) to hook these up with troublefree operation?

I was highly impressed with the WNC SWA-48 4x8 switch Pendragon used in this thread:
Naughty Mods II: 4x8 Switch with All 18V outputs

I am less excited about the Zinwell WB68, but it may be more to your liking:
Naughty Mods III: 6x8 Switch with Power Insertion

 

[jsattv]

Nice big Dish. Looks to be in excellent condition. Did you get an Actuator as well?

 

[bidaw]

Thanks Anole. I somehow knew you would have an answer for me! Thanks again so much...now I can review to make a decision to get before my order comes in.

jsattv...yes, the dish is in immaculate shape! A little rust here an there, but nothing I can't handle. Yes, there was an actuator as well. 24" that I will be using once I refurbish it.

As to the posts that believe that it is less than what it is...all I can say is that it is...I'm happy, and I hope that this will satisfy my hunger for this hobby for at least this year! Or at least until the next big thing comes around....Maybe a blindscanning AZBox or refined software for the DVB-s2 cards.

 

[bidaw]

Geesh! It took a year and forever to get my Bullseye II's and LNB's in, but they came in this afternoon. Canadian Post is ridiculously long! I guess it got hung up at the border. Anyway...I am so anxious to install these babies, but with me going to the Dayton Hamvention this weekend, I am going to have to wait another week! I got the switch that Anole recommended and made the modification for power. Would anyone else have any other suggestions for installing an orthomode feed? I am soooo pumped!

 

[toucan-man]

12 footers are the best. Had one for 21 years now

Were you ever a wee bit tempted by a 16 footer?

 

[tvropro]

Were you ever a wee bit tempted by a 16 footer?

Years ago I wanted to have a 16 or 20 foot dish. Now the 12 suffices.

The whole reasoning behind my 12 was... back in the day 1988 Satcom F3 and F4 were very weak birds. 5 watts on most transponders. I didn't like being at threshold with my 10 foot I got in 87. So in 89 I made the jump to the 12. Back then a 16 would have been better but with the more powerful birds these days 16 is really overkill for the normal Tvro viewer. The 12 tough is nice since it gives you that extra gain on the weak feeds and works great with two degree spacing.

 

[pro96]

Damn nice dish, I miss my 10ft Winegard Cband I had in the 90's thanks to moving/buying and of course HOA