A primestar antenna question.

[123tim]

I could shoot myself.
I called a local Satellite dealer looking for a used circular lnb. While I was on the line, I asked him if he had any old large KU band dishes. He said that he just "Buried" a load of Primestar dishes that he had in laying in his garage. He said that they were three feet in diameter.
He said to look around...that I might see one that I could pick up for free. I'm certainly going to do this - I'm looking all of the time, but all I ever see are BUDS (which, by the way, I will have someday. )

My question is this: How would one of these compare in gain and performance to the 36' Fortec dish that I have now?
Thanks.

 

[Mr Tony]

There are 3 models of Primestar Dishes
39x23 and 40x30 are two of them.

I like the 40x30 one. Seems to work a little better than a 36". MikeI is the king of Primestar dishes. He'll chime in with his results

 

[CbandLover]

The third size Primestar was a 1 meter round Channel Master, while the first two models, the 75e and 84e, are the respective sizes Ice mentioned. The 84E, which is the 40x30 dish, is the Money Dish. : )

 

[dishMIKE]

CbandLover would there truly be that much difference/improvement between the 84E and the round 1 meter. I would appreciate anyone's knowledge experience with those two dishes gain,etc. Thanks,Mike

 

[sikma]

A bit off topic, but last week I saw the 1m round P* dish. Some ding-a-ling took the arm and lnb off it and mounted a basketball rim to it $*@(^#@$^#^*#@%!!!

 

[CbandLover]

Mike,
I am sorry, I cannot answer that one for sure, because I have neither one. In my region, the only ones Primestar ever used were the 75Es. I am sure someone else has a bigger one, and of course, the 1 meter is quite common. I prefer the elliptical look myself. And I am always looking for a larger 84E.

 

[123tim]

Now I'm really bummed out.
I don't know why, but I've only seen one elliptical dish around here. I don't really know of anyone who had primestar. Someone must have had it, because it sounds like the guy I talked had several that he junked. I guess that he threw them in a hole and covered them up.
I guess that Pennsylvania longitudes had an intermediate size dish?
Thanks for the replies!

 

[MikeI]

I threw away the smaller .75 E Primestar dish I got from EBAY a few months ago. A guy was selling it as a 40X30 when I bought it. It was cracked all around the arm...I had it working for IA 8 and AMC 4 for the most part. It stunk on IA 8 on the common used frequencies. It only got one signal good on AMC 4 (FOX). I tested it on AMC 9 and AMC 3 back when AMC 9 had sports feeds and it was lousy.

All the others I use are the 84 E 40X30. If you have no interference at all (No trees or buildings) then you get 99% of the signals for sports. I have no problems with IA 8, G4, AMC 1 and G10. I have a tree branch in the way for G11 and IA 6 which is starting to effect the signals on these birds.

I would look for a 84E with the 2 cable lnb if you get a Primestar dish. One cable is horizontal and the other is vertical.

The meter dishes I have are from Sadoun and not Primestar. Those are on SBS 6 and AMC 2. I have some problems with SBS 6 vertical feeds which I understand is common here in So Cal and there are euclyptus tree branches in the way when the wind blows.

Meter size dish and 84E dishes are the ones I would get. I would stay away from the smaller 75E one. I think that was 36X27.

EBAY prices have skyrocketed in the last few years with primestar dishes. I bought my 1st one used in 2000 for $25 and that included shipping.

 

[MikeI]

Now I'm really bummed out.
I don't know why, but I've only seen one elliptical dish around here. I don't really know of anyone who had primestar. Someone must have had it, because it sounds like the guy I talked had several that he junked. I guess that he threw them in a hole and covered them up.
I guess that Pennsylvania longitudes had an intermediate size dish?
Thanks for the replies!

I don't see them around at all here in So Cal in backyards anymore. 2002 was the last year I saw one..

If you buy one on EBAY, chances are they might have more than one...you might be able to combine shipping. I bought 4 from a guy in November 2002 that way...

 

[Tron]

He said that he just "Buried" a load of Primestar dishes that he had in laying in his garage.

I am getting a mental picture of a guy digging a deep hole late at night behind his satellite shop with a full moon out and secretly throwing the P* dishes in, kicking and screaming

I know where many P* dishes are around New Orleans, but haven't worked up the nerve to go ask for them yet...

 

[BrettTRay]

Come to my back yard!!! I bet I've got a hundred of the damn things. I've even got some of the 84E elliptical ones. I even found some that have the two holder and eagle aspen lnbs that they used for the HITS to home cable service. I have a friend who used to work at charter that let me have them cheap. I bet there are 200 hundred more to get to.

 

[MikeI]

Come to my back yard!!! I bet I've got a hundred of the damn things. I've even got some of the 84E elliptical ones. I even found some that have the two holder and eagle aspen lnbs that they used for the HITS to home cable service. I have a friend who used to work at charter that let me have them cheap. I bet there are 200 hundred more to get to.

Where's your backyard?

 

[123tim]

Where's your backyard?

I'm standing in it right now.

Thanks to everyone for their help. I won't be looking for anything under the size of 84E and certainly will be looking for a one meter!


Thanks!

 

[john green]

Where in Bama ? I am leaving NE Georgia shortly

 

[MikeI]

Pick 3 up for me..I'll be glad to pay for shipping...

 

[BrettTRay]

If you all have Charter cable in an area where you all live then go around the neighborhood and look for a big tall tower with lots of uhf and vhf antennas on it. There should be about a hundred laying around by the fence. Every charter catv headend that i've ever been to I have seen them there. I like getting the 84E ones with two lnbs on them that have the channel master 4x2 switches mounted on the back and have a skew setting on them.

 

[john green]

I am in Charter territory but have not seen that.I can be in your backyard in 2-3 hours.

 

[CbandLover]

If you all have Charter cable in an area where you all live then go around the neighborhood and look for a big tall tower with lots of uhf and vhf antennas on it. There should be about a hundred laying around by the fence. Every charter catv headend that i've ever been to I have seen them there. I like getting the 84E ones with two lnbs on them that have the channel master 4x2 switches mounted on the back and have a skew setting on them.

Hey Brett,
I like reading history on Primestar, and have seen those with two lnbs. What exactly were they using them for? Something about picking up HITS, but was it a capacity issue where Charter used them in combination with cable? Could not find info anywhere on this.

 

[john green]

Here is some interesting reading for you Primestar dish heads.
http://www.winnfreenet.com/primestar.html

 

[KE4EST]

Here is some interesting reading for you Primestar dish heads.
http://www.winnfreenet.com/primestar.html

Very interesting reading. tnx