Found BUD, need help...,

[egnard]

So I found this dish nearby, seems to be in fair shape. The owner says it is 20 years old and was there and working when he moved in.
I'm interested in reviving it. I would be willing to invest but I know little about this stuff (I currently have a 39" Ku I got last fall). I am wondering if any one would know whether it's possible by looking at these photos. What I mean is would the modern equipment hook up to this and work?

Thanks.

 

[MikeI]

You need a vbox or an old analog receiver to control the motor. Your receiver will
work fine

Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!

 

[Cham]

One of those dishes is pointing the wrong way!

If the (big) dish has a separate feedhorn/LNB setup an ASC1 might be a good option to control the positioning & skew. You will need to remove the feed horn cover to show what's inside. If you go with a c-band LNBF, a v-box would be ok too. Dish looks nice, if it is not bent or anything that would affect the parabola it will work just fine. Lots of fun setting up etc, it's all good!

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

One of those dishes is pointing the wrong way!

Nah, The big dish is aimed at those Canadian satellites!

 

[(((Garyd)))]

I CAN'T TELL WHO MADE IT so it's got to be poorly made one, or it would have sold a lot

 

[. Raine]

It looks in good shape. With a V-Box or ASC1 and a C-Band LNBF, you'd probably be good to go. A V-Box and C-Band LNBF would cost under $100. What size is it?

 

[FaT Air]

My dish looked like that, while aimed at a Russian satellite. (a long time ago)
A Vbox and a Titanium PLL LNBF gets my vote. (just for simplicity)
An ASC 1 would be my second choice. To use the existing LNB/feedhorn assembly.
looks like an 8ft, and also looks like the actuator is mounted incorrectly. Should be mounted to the arm 'out the back' of the mount, not to the pole itself. (you'll get more of the arc)
Give it the 'string test' before 'committing', but looks like it's in good condition.

 

[egnard]

I was returning from a bike ride when I stopped in to ask about this and snapped the photos. And I was pretty tired when I posted this so maybe it didn't make perfect sense. The surface of the dish (6' or 8'?) looks really good (smooth and no dents) everything else has a coat of rust but not falling apart. It is pointing in the wrong direction because the wind has been blowing it around. (I was also wondering if Canada had a satellite I didn't know about.) It's at an elderly couple's place and apparently hasn't been used for many years. They still have all the electronic equipment, and the man knew the motor wasn't installed right. He said they quit using it when signals started getting scrambled.

I was a bit confused about the large LNB enclosure and was wondering if perhaps the design of these devices had changed since this was built (the man said 20 years since they moved in and it was already there). I guess that was the main thing I wanted to know. It sounds like I can get it to work with some investment.

I was thinking of offering the guy $40. for the whole thing (dish, electronics, pole). It's probably worth taking a chance on. Heck, the post is steel and probably worth $10.

Thanks.

 

[primestar31]

Instead of offering the $40 straight off, ask HIM what he wants for it. That will show you which way the wind blows, and you can respond from there. If he wants a crazy price, explain to him what shape it's in, how old it is, that this way he won't have to PAY to have it removed, that you'll have to take time to tear it down and reassemble it, etc, etc.

If it's anything less than 8ft, I wouldn't even bother with it. You really need a 10 footer in the U.P. as it's out of the main footprints on most sats.

 

[egnard]

You really need a 10 footer in the U.P. as it's out of the main footprints on most sats.

Interesting. I'll check into it. Like I say, I'm new to this. But I have do a 39" dish with a motor to drive it and a Geosatpro receiver and get quite a few satellite signals (all the way from 72W to 125W, 125 W does drop out in cloudy weather a lot, though.) It's KU band of course. It seems that should indicate that I am in the footprint. I'm on north shore of Lake Michigan, 46.03 N, though, so not all that far north.

 

[FaT Air]

I'd offer to remove the eyesore, no charge. (he he he) Might even get coffee cake and a lemonade.
I'd outfit it with the Titanium PLL LNBF. Let them know that the electronics in the house are basically worthless. Although, you could move the dish with it. The actuator? who knows until you put power to it.
Going to have to take it apart. Clean up the mount and check/replace the bearings/bushings, and maybe even paint it.
Not to mention, you'll probably have some nuts and bolts to replace. All in all, it might take a couple of months before you're ready to tune it up on the satellites.
Oh, those big LNB/Feed covers, they made 'em extra large BITD so bees had a place to hang out.

 

[egnard]

It's an 8' dish. I offered the man $40. He said he thought it was worth more than that (never mind it was there when he moved in 20 years ago and has probably been pointed at Polaris for the past 10). Geeezzz..., But he didn't know how much it is worth and wouldn't make a counter offer until he check into it on CSPAN (???). Something tells me this isn't going to work out. So, I wait.

ps Oh, yeah about the "eyesore," he said if he didn't have the dish he wouldn't know how to tell people how to find his house. I asked him if he wanted me to paint a sign for him. Life in da' UP, eh?

 

[primestar31]

There you go, that's why you get HIM to mention the first price. Leave your phone number if you want, and tell him the price stands and he should call YOU.

Then forget about it. Never call him back, but if he does call you, you can decide if you still want it or not.

Now, go find a good 10 footer.

 

[egnard]

Leave your phone number if you want, and tell him the price stands and he should call YOU.

Then forget about it. Never call him back, but if he does call you, you can decide if you still want it or not.

Yup, that's about where it stands. Anyone got a 10-footer for sale?

 

[egnard]

If anyone is interested in this dish I can pass along your information to the owner. It's about 1/2 hour drive from the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan's UP.

The guy counter-offered $50. but I was considering another prospect and told him I'd have to get back to him. I haven't talked to him since then (end of June, 2014). Then I decided I was too busy to mess with this stuff until after summer is over (which is not long in the UP).

 

[Kraven]

Nah, The big dish is aimed at those Canadian satellites!

I drive by the Canadian Space Agency daily... they have a huge dish on a mountain (no smaller than 50ft) and I have no clue where its pointing to...