Found free 10' dishes but can't get them.

[Greysquirrel]

Been trying to get into FTA for a few months now but small financial setbacks keeps using up my toy money, wife lost job, medical bills, car accident and traffic ticket ate up a lot of play money, not crying the blues you all know s**t happens.
Tried to find some Primestar dishes to save some money on a dish but no luck around here so I thought get C band dish as they are always in the local shopper and I went to look at two yesterday, first one was on a hillside with a 60 degree slope on a twelve foot pole and for me being a geezer I think it's too much for me to handle, 20 years ago I would not thought twice about hanging off a ladder on such a slope even ten years ago I would have tackled it and I still may if I can't find one on a level surface, the second one was also on a steep slope but in the middle of an overgrown field and as in that area there are lots of snakes I am told just waiting for some satellite scrounger to come tramping through the weeds so I will pass on that one also. There are two more 10' dishes listed and one 16' one that I know I can't handle so will pass on that also.
Sometimes there are six footers listed, are they good for both C and KU band use?
Finances are getting better so I may just buy a six foot dish. Can anyone recommend one at a reasonable price?

 

[lumpkin666]

My thoughts are that if finances are getting good enough to afford a 6' dish, but you have some 10' and 16', go pick out the best looking (undamaged/good mount/etc) and hire a kid or two to help you haul it out. If I had the choice between a new 6' dish (barely useable for c-band) and a 16' with a decent actuator (do they actually put 16' dishes on movable mounts?!), it'd be a no-brainer.. my poor dog would have to give up more backyard space for that 16' beast!

 

[turbosat]

I would take a weedeater with me and cut a path through the weeds to look at that dish, snakes hate those things. Snakes usually avoid humans so I wouldn't let that keep me from a free dish. (I'd prob just drive my little truck out to it, haha)

 

[gabshere]

I agree , usually bigger is better but there are exceptions
there are some older solid fiberglass dishes i wouldn't touch
if you can find a solid metal one get it and or if its a birdview get it.

yeah get a couple of teens to help you move the dish

i actually drive my truck under my dish, have a pole mounted to the side of the truch with a rope & hook so i can hook thew dish and lover it with ease. for me real easy.

 

[Corrado]

This time of the year, I have found bees to be more of a problem. They love to build nests is C Band dishes. Trying to transport a 10' dish assembled is awkward even with a full size pickup and likely to be damaged. I have split them into pieces. Take lots of digital pics, carry bee spray and penetrating oil and tools and a step ladder. The last dish I took down and disassembled took 3 hours. I'm glad it was built with stainless steel nuts and bolts. The owner gave it to me, he said his dad used it for years before he passed away and paid thousands for the setup. Before I drove away he came out of the basement with about 50' of ribbon cable.

 

[Greysquirrel]

OK, you guys have got me convinced to get one of the 10 footers, am going out tomorrow to look at two others that may be easier for me to take apart without falling down a hill, one has a receiver and he wants a best offer I will find out what kind today after 4PM.
One I looked at is mesh and has four sections so I could get it in my van and make a couple of trips or maybe just rent a u- haul for 20 bucks and make one trip.

 

[swampman]

A 16 footer! Wow! Nasa may rent that thing from you!

 

[PopcornNMore]

Last Summer a friend and I went to get some dishes that were in a field behind a barn that had over grown grass and snakes. I sent my friend in to get the dishes as I supervised.

We also picked up a 16' dish that Time Warner once used for their CATV service. Pictures are attached.

 

[Corrado]

I could only wish I could find a 16' dish. I know where there are 2 dishes locally where the owner passed away.One is a 12' Paraclipse that has some vines growing on it and a smaller mesh dish on a pedestal behind the barn. The house has a Dish 500 and a DirecTv dish. Out front is a real estate sign. The neighbor across the highway would like them,but he said his wife wouldn't allow them.

 

[Tron]

We also picked up a 16' dish that Time Warner once used for their CATV service. Pictures are attached.

I had forgotten about that salvage operation How did that end up? Did you put the dish(es) into service?