C-Band VSAT System

[tester239]

I recently found what appears to be a C-Band VSAT dish with the BUC, OMT, LNB and reject filter available for me to pluck off a roof for free. Owner says it has been unused for 17 years, and was previously used by a Farmers Insurance agent/agency. It is a large not-quite-fully parabolic fibreglass dish with the original Feedhorn assembly et al. Would this be worth my time to obtain - meaning, could I replace the current LNA/B (not sure what it is) and use it for FTA? It has the standard WR229 waveguide orthomode ports on the feedhorn assembly.

The dish itself is rather small, I originally thought it was a simple Ku VSAT dish, but when I got onto the roof I saw it was MASSIVE, and has an insanely large scalar ring/conical ring (much like the ones used to fit a C-Band LNB on a 1m offset dish meant for Ku) that was incredible (read: beautiful). The LNA/B (?) on it was this massive 8"x8"x2" stepping stone sized thing. The BUC was easily 3x the size - all connectors were covered in goop and appear to be undamaged. I have a hunch this stuff still works, not that I'll be using it.

Thoughts? I can get pictures tomorrow if anybody would like to identify it.

 

[Anole]

With pictures, size, and other identifying marks, I'm sure some of our professionals will recognize it.
Is it useful for regular C-band? Yea, likely.
You can always remove the useless parts.
But . . . there may be some down side to it, so get those pictures posted. - :up

 

[knowmiddlename]

Many older VSAT systems have no value except for parts. The satellite operators won't even recommission them on their birds. You might discover a receiving application with the dish.

 

[Corrado]

I look forward to the photos. It sounds like my Prodelin setups I removed. Does it look like this? The connectors on mine had black tar like sealer on them too. Apparently before the invention of compression fittings.

 

[tester239]

Images attached. A removal crew has been assembled and may actually be down tomorrow, if not the next few days. Ideas as to what this is?

 

[Anole]

good news; bad news:

Let's see now . . .
- it's an offset fed dish...
- it's not round
- reusing the feedhorn that matches the dish is about the only option
- it's not on a proper mount, so fixed-aimed is the only option unless you go to great lengths

edit: oh, and we have no reference as to size but the feedhorn, and that could easily be Ku-band . . .

I'm not feelin' the love.
'Course, we still don't know how big it is, but I'm guessing 150 lbs or more...
I'd certainly recycle the pole it's on, though! - :up

 

[tester239]

Let's see now . . .
- it's an offset fed dish...
- it's not round
- reusing the feedhorn that matches the dish is about the only option
- it's not on a proper mount, so fixed-aimed is the only option unless you go to great lengths

edit: oh, and we have no reference as to size but the feedhorn, and that could easily be Ku-band . . .

I'm not feelin' the love.
'Course, we still don't know how big it is, but I'm guessing 150 lbs or more...
I'd certainly recycle the pole it's on, though! - :up

Is offset an issue/concern? What about being round? I'm guessing this causes signal loss of some sort? The custom feedhorn is concerning though, but I'm not worried about being fixed - I knew that from the beginning and that is what I'd be using it for.

 

[Corrado]

To me it appears to be mounted upside down. Perhaps at a lower satellite orbital position than it's mount would allow? The setups on gas stations around here are similar but, with the feed mounted the other way.

 

[tester239]

To me it appears to be mounted upside down. Perhaps at a lower satellite orbital position than it's mount would allow? The setups on gas stations around here are similar but, with the feed mounted the other way.

I believe it's pointed that way because of roof work done in years past. Also, I know of about 4 Prodelin set-ups that I could get for free today, but they all lack the feedhorn/mounting tray making them rather useless to me. *cough* Wait until Edward Jones offices get converted to fibre and there will be a mass dumping of Prodelin and Hughes PES systems onto the market. *hint*

 

[Auric]

I believe it's pointed that way because of roof work done in years past. Also, I know of about 4 Prodelin set-ups that I could get for free today, but they all lack the feedhorn/mounting tray making them rather useless to me. *cough* Wait until Edward Jones offices get converted to fibre and there will be a mass dumping of Prodelin and Hughes PES systems onto the market. *hint*

It would still make a nice toy to play with