8ft BUD from neighbor for free

[olliec420]

A guy that lives in the neighborhood has a BUD in his front yard I've been looking at it for a while and was driving by and he was getting out of his car, I introduced myself and asked him if I could have it and he said yes and he would help me take it down! So score, I finally have a BUD after wanting one for 25 years.

He said he hast used it since 2004 and it went through Hurricane Ivan ok but it did get dinged up in a big hail storm we had one year. Here are some pics... If I set it up as is, are these dings going to be a problem? If so can I get new panels? I been doing satellite stuff for many years but ku band, never c band. So I know what I'm doing and the language but was always a little fuzzy on c-band.

So my plan is to get an ASC1 and a HDVR3500. I used to have a microHD and liked it and I understand the HDVR3500 is better. Im thinking about a pc card too but I don't know yet, I think Id rather start with the STB.

I know if the positioner is bad I'll need a new one of those and the LNB I'm expecting to need to replace. Is there a PLL LNB for c band too? Im thinking the CK1S Combo C / KU-band LNBF. Im really just hoping those dings won't be a problem. Looking forward to it!

 

[KE4EST]

Nice find! I wouldn't worry too much about the dings.
Should be an easy set-up.
Yes there are PLL LNB's. If you decide to go to an LNBF, Titanium makes one of those also that is PLL. The C1-PLL, I have sold hundreds and many happy customers with that LNBF.

 

[olliec420]

Nice find! I wouldn't worry too much about the dings.
Should be an easy set-up.
Yes there are PLL LNB's. If you decide to go to an LNBF, Titanium makes one of those also that is PLL. The C1-PLL, I have sold hundreds and many happy customers with that LNBF.

Any reason to avoid the dual c/ku pll? I don't have any other dishes up at the moment so it would be nice to get both.

 

[Shicks4]

Any reason to avoid the dual c/ku pll? I don't have any other dishes up at the moment so it would be nice to get both.

I installed a c/ku feedhorn on my 10' bud and i noticed that the ku band polarity is a little bit different (or c-band dont care so much) so id assume the reason i see people saying the dual c/ku band lnbf is kinda a trade off. the only sat i cant seem to pull in is 125 west no matter how much tweeking i do to the dish or the skew. Im willing to let it slide though because i do get the lpbs channels. I would say give it a shot, but you will find there is way more to enjoy on c-band, to me the ku is just a nice bonus. I find there is only about maybe a dozen channels im watching on ku and everything else is on c-band. Just a thought from someone who just got a dual band dish set up.

 

[Jason S]

On the receiver front, the Linkbox 9000i has had favorable reviews.

I've been very happy with the Titanium ASC-1 positioner and the Titanium C-1PLL LNBF's. Shicks4 covered a lot about the combo C/Ku LNBF. Here, Ku and C-band are on separate dishes with C-1PLL LNBF's on C-band dishes and Titanium PLL-1KS (i.e., Maverick Satellite MK1-PLL) LNBF's for Ku band dishes.

 

[spongella]

Nice looking dish and nice neighbor too! Congratulations on this great find and hope you enjoy C band.

 

[olliec420]

I installed a c/ku feedhorn on my 10' bud and i noticed that the ku band polarity is a little bit different (or c-band dont care so much) so id assume the reason i see people saying the dual c/ku band lnbf is kinda a trade off. the only sat i cant seem to pull in is 125 west no matter how much tweeking i do to the dish or the skew. Im willing to let it slide though because i do get the lpbs channels. I would say give it a shot, but you will find there is way more to enjoy on c-band, to me the ku is just a nice bonus. I find there is only about maybe a dozen channels im watching on ku and everything else is on c-band. Just a thought from someone who just got a dual band dish set up.

Gotcha, thanks! The only thing I'm looking for on ku is feeds anyway so I could just get out the 39" if I need it. I'm excited about cband. I feel like I missed the glory days in the late 80s and early 90s but as long as there is something up there I'll be happy. Not to mention having a big antenna to mess with

 

[olliec420]

On the receiver front, the Linkbox 9000i has had favorable reviews.

About the receiver... I was under the assumption that the linkbox was aimed more at the eye patch group. I may be wrong. The reason I wanted to stay with geosat pro was when I had a microhd for my ku band dish years ago, that thing worked so good. I mean it tuned in everything it could and that was way more than anything else I had used before. Not to mention the support here on the forum and we knew the people that made it. I was under the assumption that the HDVR3500 was a microhd with more features... would that be correct? (Sorry I been outa the loop for a couple years. Feel free to tell me to go read if you want )

 

[olliec420]

Also, could someone recommend which actuator would be a good replacement should the one it comes with be no good. Never shopped those before. Thanks.

 

[KE4EST]

Also, could someone recommend which actuator would be a good replacement should the one it comes with be no good. Never shopped those before. Thanks.

http://www.venturemfgco.com/satellite-actuators/

 

[Jason S]

About the receiver... Feel free to tell me to go read if you want

Here are a few Satellite Guys threads that may be useful:
LINKBOX 9000i HD Review
about the Manhattan DJ 1997
manhatten dj-1997 hd versus Linkbox 9000i
GEOSATpro HDVR3500 - New DVBS2 STB - Photos and Initial Testing

A few posts over the last several months on Satguys hint that newer, better, faster, stronger receivers will be coming.
BTW, nice score on the dish ! Take photos as you go along

 

[KJ6EO]

Nice Score ... Maybe replace that Servo Horn with an Orthomode Feed and a couple Norsat LNBF's.

 

[beavs2112]

I would avoid the geo 3500 if i were you. It is nowhere near better than the micro. It has issues. The linkbox might be a better choice.

 

[olliec420]

Ok so satellite weekend came and I finally got my first BUD! Turns out its a 7.5" Odom that was originally installed in 1996 said the owner. He even gave the receiver and remote, its a Uniden UST4600. Check it out.

 

[KE4EST]

Loved the video!

 

[olliec420]

Loved the video!

Thanks, it's a lot of fun. Gotta document it for scientific research.

 

[FTA4PA]

Great video!

 

[Jason S]

Really like the timelapse video! Sure was a close call on the way to it's new home.

 

[olliec420]

Really like the timelapse video! Sure was a close call on the way to it's new home.

No kidding right! I don't know what the hell happened there. I only had to drive within the neighborhood. I went slow but there is a big dip where our street meet the other, happened after they repaved it. I think that threw it up and the wind must have caught it but I wasn't hitting the gas hard at all. I saw it in the rear view and thought, "OH sh*t!" and hit the brake gently and was hoping it wouldn't come down and break the back window of the truck but luckily it didn't and went right back down. Jeez, close call on messing up the dish and the truck. Things were going too smoothly, had to be something! LOL

 

[olliec420]

I have a question... Im tentatively going to set this thing up this weekend, so since I moved this dish from right down the street, would it be safe to say that if i mounted the pole level, put the dish on it and then spun it to point at the arc, i should be receiving signal. Now I know there are a lot of variables and that things could have moved in all these years but even if I put my birddog on it could the LNB be too old/analog?