Adventures in Dish Hunting 2009

[Anole]

Nate, you are one lucky SOB, and definitely qualify for this thread:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/fta-shack/165780-when-you-least-expect-there.html
Because, you certainly tripped over a treasure trove, and I don't think you were expecting 'em.
ALSO, in that thread, you can read some good/bad features of the Birdview.

Now, to learn more about Birdview dishes, please search this C-band section of the forum.
Look particularly at threads started by Linuxman.
He pioneered and popularized 'em, here.

A lot of us have been following in his footsteps, so there many other threads.
There are numerous stories about them, finding 'em, installing 'em, how to refurbish them, etc.
They all have many pictures, so the knowledge is well documented.

If you decide to pass on the dish, please make it available to someone who is willing to put in the work to restore it.

I've been studying the dish now for a couple of years, learning its idiosyncrasies, and only got mine last weekend.

 

[linuxman]

Yea... the metal sectional has the button-arm... the composite has the spider-arms.

There is a large metal gear under the Birdview. I think the discoloration is jus bird droppings... the station is near alot of open fields... that and acid rain from years I would guess... Can you wet-sand these alum Birdviews to get them smoothe again?

Nate

Fantastic find!!!

The Birdview is a lot of work, but it is well worth the trouble. Read the thread posted by Anole in his post above and you will find my summation of why Birdview's are worth the trouble.

You have the gear mechanism to make it movable, all you need is a motor to make it work.

You won't want to sand the reflector side of the dish. I took one by a hand operated car wash, and it came out like it was almost new using the power washer.

I cleaned another one by hand with a brush and a combo of cleaners and it took 3 days.

The Channel Master would make a nice dish too, but ACRadio can comment on that one.

Good Luck, and I hope you can take them all!

 

[Natedawg63]

Anole...

This dish looks exactly like a Channel Master perf disk that our local TV station has in use... The one I saw today had the Channel Master logo on a center solid plate tho. I googled Channel Master perforated disk, didn't get much info tho. I think DH sats are all solid spun... makes me wonder if they purchased Birdviews mold/machinery?

Nate

Well, this Lucky Lizard is just having a field day!

Not only have I gotten the go-ahead on the Birdview I found last month, but now I'm onto something nearly as nice.

Some friend who visits occasionally with my every-Saturday lunch bunch, mentioned that her brother in law wanted to get rid of his BUD.
That was several weeks ago.
I got sidetracked with computer problems at my lawyers, and some of that rare California rain.
Today, I dropped by with my camera, thinking I could interest one of you if I didn't want it.

Well, HANDS OFF !
This may be a DH Satellite spun aluminum dish (my guess)!
And it appears to be on an AJAK 180 mount.
Does life get any better?

It comes with a Toshiba ? analog receiver, too.
Saw the manual, but don't have the info in front of me now.

Below are pix of my first view, the whole dish, and close up of the motor/mount.
I don't see this being too big a job for one or two guys to haul off.
Actually, it'll be a lot less hassle than the Birdview.

Anyone who can identify the dish or offer any comments, please jump in.
edit: link to DH Satellite site. Those three LNB supports look suspiciously similar!

 

[Anole]

Nate -
The more I looked, the more I doubted the perforated dish I found was a DH.
The dish itself is certainly very close in design to the Birdviews, but notably different.
I'd hoped some of the old timers, installers, or folks with better research capability might know.
I've seen a very few like it posted on the forum, and nobody ever was sure of the maker.
I'm having trouble reaching the owner, but as soon as I do, I'll shoot close up pictures of the label, and maybe we'll discover this secret.

As for your solid Birdview, I was thinking the motor should be hidden on the far side of the worm screw.
That was wrong. It should be in the foreground of the picture, and it's missing.
I think by studying the layout of Birdview pictures posted, you can probably restore that to motorized service.
It'll be a labor of love, though.
Possibly more effort than you're up for.
As I said earlier, if you choose to pass it up, let others know.
It might be useful for parts... or of course for fixed-service.

 

[Natedawg63]

Found out why some of us can't find any solid Birdviews... the solar recyclers are grabbin' 'em up!!!

the Otherpower.com Discussion Board || Sun Tracker

Dang Hippies!

 

[Cham]

Some C band dishes likely for the taking..

Some old C-band dishes for parts etc... Ran across these two 6-footers last week when driving through Murfreesboro TN. Just off I24 at Old Fort Parkway in the Best Western lot. I am sure they would be glad to get rid of them. See picks. Not enough room on my roof rack for them
C.

 

[jgabriels]

Went back to ask the lady about the primestar dish
on the boarded up property. She just said no, wouldn't
give a reason. Tempted to send a postcard offering to
buy it for $10.

Found out that the Cband dish is a sami. Are these any
good? The lady said she would ask her sister if she
still had the motor or the receiver. Seems like she is
going to be much easier to work with although I still
want a primestar.

I have a friend who claims to have a friend who has
30 primestars in a shed from when he used to sell primestars.
If I manage to get any, I'll let everyone know.

 

[phlatwound]

....Found out that the Cband dish is a sami. Are these any good?

I have a friend who claims to have a friend who has
30 primestars in a shed from when he used to sell primestars.
If I manage to get any, I'll let everyone know.

Sami is a good dish, if it is complete and in decent shape, go for it. A few hail dings, or even a tear or 2 in the mesh is not a huge deal.

Definitely let us know if you find a trove of P* dishes...*

*especially the guys in Missouri*

 

[jgabriels]

Definitely let us know if you find a trove of P* dishes...*

*especially the guys in Missouri*

Where in SW missouri are you located?
The P* dishes are suppose to be in SE missouri (near poplar bluff)
while I'm located about 4 hours away from them in
north central missouri (columbia) which is why I haven't
been able to completely verify their existence yet.
My father in law lives near poplar bluff, so I'm going to try to check them
out the next time we visit him and if I get some I can stash them there.

 

[phlatwound]

Where in SW missouri are you located?
The P* dishes are suppose to be in SE missouri (near poplar bluff)
while I'm located about 4 hours away from them in
north central missouri (columbia) which is why I haven't
been able to completely verify their existence yet.
My father in law lives near poplar bluff, so I'm going to try to check them
out the next time we visit him and if I get some I can stash them there.

I'm about 30 minutes west of Springfield....about 3 1/2 hours from Poplar Bluff.

Let us know what you find out, every P* I have ever seen from this area has been an 84 (oval) model, some of the guys commonly find the 1 meter (round) dishes in their areas. I think we were in the sweet spot of their signal and didn't need the larger 1m dishes around here.

Grab all you can!

 

[GreatFTA]

I put a ad in a weekly trade magazine seeking PrimeStar/CM dishes that folks wanted to get off their property. I mentioned 30 miles radius so I wouldn't have to go far. I also mentioned that I am searching for a Motorola DSR-922 receiver.
Hope I get some good bites here.
Yesterday I came across a 7.5 or 8 foot mesh dish. The dish was shot as far as the panels are concerned but I'm getting a 30 degree Norsat LNB and a heavy duty actuator arm that appears to be intact.
I remember Iceberg mentioning that he used 30 degrees LNBs that do better than the 17 degrees LNBs. So I hope this one is a good one!

 

[Techfizzle]

Let us know what you find out, every P* I have ever seen from this area has been an 84 (oval) model, some of the guys commonly find the 1 meter (round) dishes in their areas. I think we were in the sweet spot of their signal and didn't need the larger 1m dishes around here.

Most Sat Footprints have high signals in the midwest. I've never seen a 1 meter round here. I have had a 36" and a 39" primestar. I think the 36"'ers were newer because the luanched another sat to make their signal more powerful, thus a smaller dish could be use. Most of the ones I have ever seen round here were sunbaked and the primestar logo was missing,

 

[SatPhreak]

A 39"dish =1 meter dish.

 

[equant]

Got this one a few days ago. It's less than 10'.

 

[turbosat]

That one looks like my 7.5 winegard, but bigger. Same general construction, 4lnb support struts, and the way the dish-petals fit together.

 

[14karat]

Looks exactly like my dad's 7.5, right down to the messed up mesh panel.
Only difference is the way the lnb supports attach around the outer rim of the dish rather than on the dish face...

 

[Smith P.]

Well, my hunting couldn't be for real with those dishes, but the SIZE was right !!!
Perhaps I should rent a studio there ?

 

[dfergie]

I spotted one yesterday at my Aunt and Step Uncle's junk yard (they live on deeded land part of my Uncles old ranch) looks to be a 8' fiberglass, I was going to pick up the actuator (it's sitting by their Directv dish) but forgot...

 

[equant]

Well, my hunting couldn't be for real with those dishes, but the SIZE was right !!!

Awesome pics.

 

[Smith P.]

[I thought someone could recognize his hometown, but ... not yet ]