DiSH 500 I-brackets

[aegrotatio]

Does anyone know if there are certain kinds of I-brackets that I can use on my spare DiSH 500 antennas that will:

1) Use DirecTV-style LNBFs. I have a pile of these closed-out from Sadoun a while back.

2) Allow mounting of Ku-band FSS LNBFs?

Thanks much!

 

[Anole]

I hadn't actually considered using Dish 500's for FTA, but we did talk about the DirecTV Phase III dishes a while back.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/94189-retrofitting-phase-iii-ku-maybe.html

1) I have seen I-brackets described as taking rectangular based DirecTV-style LNBs.
Most vendors want too much for a quarter's worth of plastic, and then -way- too much more to ship it, so I have looked elsewhere.

2) Ya know, you can mount both DirecTV circular and your linear FTA LNBs by their neck.
If you'll skip down to about page three in that thread above, we start a linear discussion.
Might be applicable to the Dish 500, with a bit of ingenuity.

3) don't forget that the Dish 500 can be skewed, so if that is of any help, use it.

Post your better ideas and some pictures - you might start a whole movement!

 

[SatPhreak]

I put an old DTV lnb on a friends 20" EVU dish (same as a Dish 500) a couple of years ago. It only required a slight modification with a file to make it fit, and took less than 5 minutes.

 

[aegrotatio]

Excellent, thanks!
I noticed too that aftermarket legacy DiSH Network LNBFs are the same as the DirecTV ones except the metal collar is different.
I wonder if I can find those collars?
But then nobody wants those anymore.

 

[Tron]

The legacy Dish LNBFs use what is called a "D-tube" mount. Even the newer Dish 500s use this mount (via the same Y yoke), but the LNBF assembly is all one piece. The way things seem to be going, with encryption of much of the free stuff on DBS over the past couple of years, it seems like there are fewer and fewer legitimate uses for recycled subscription dishes

 

[Mike500]

To use a legacy lnb on any of the plastic Dish Network "D" tube lnb mounts, you need to sand or grind away the 1/4 x3/8 inch lug at the bottom, so that it is flush with the floor.

Here is a photo of my Dish500 with two used DirecTV lnb's. The mounting is very stable.

 

[aegrotatio]

Wow, that will do trick.
No reason for me to waste the DiSH 500 and the skew device just to receive one bird.

Btw, as I've already pointed out all over the place, I use these systems for Muzak and audio services.