Relative Newbie here

[skyspyer]

Hi All, I was involved in the satellite industry back in the 90's with one of the largest distributors in the country. I know nothing about the current state of the big ugly dishes and now if if you can use them for any reception. Is anything available on the old dishes anymore? I've had numerous IRD's during this tenure including Chaparall , most notably the Monterey 90 as well as some lower in units like the cheyenne also some HTS ird's. Back to my questions, are these unis of any value maybe for conversion to small dish operation?

Thanks

 

[sergei]

About the only thing is either a door stop or if you have a big dish as a mover for use with a FTA receiver, which is what I use a General Instrument 350I and 450I for.

 

[kcoriginal]

When I was in school (heck, I still am), there was an astronomy professor that wanted a dish for a radio telescope project.

Not the receiver, but the dish... if I came across one available in San Antonio, I'd definitely be willing to haul it off for someone to try something like this...

Lots of busy-ness on Google about messing with that sort of thing...

 

[delta_charlie]

Hi All, I was involved in the satellite industry back in the 90's with one of the largest distributors in the country. I know nothing about the current state of the big ugly dishes and now if if you can use them for any reception. Is anything available on the old dishes anymore? I've had numerous IRD's during this tenure including Chaparall , most notably the Monterey 90 as well as some lower in units like the cheyenne also some HTS ird's. Back to my questions, are these unis of any value maybe for conversion to small dish operation? Thanks

Hi, there is tons of stuff up on C-band - only thing it is almost all digital now so the old analog receivers will not work for anything more then moving the big dish. You will need a new digital FTA receiver, one that can receive HD will add lot's more to what you can receive. The old big dishes work great even with the original LNB - can even receive HD, 4:22 SD, and S2 HD. Later, DC

 

[singkwan2004]

I still have a six footer, seven and half and a ten footer at storage, definetly will put one of those dish up once have the permit ready from the city.

 

[turbosat]

Welcome to the forum skyspyer. There is still uses for the analog IRDS, I still have several. And glad I didn't haul them off to the salvation army store. There is still a little analog tv on some satellites, but most everything is digital nowadays, saves the uplinkers money. But mostly the IRDS are useful to move a big dish with positioner. I still use mine for that, and controlling polarity. Most everybody else has gotten modern though, and installed c-band lnbfs, which change polarity electronically, so there's no need for a feedhorn with polarotor, though i still enjoy the option to 'tweak' the skew sometimes. Plenty of free tv on c-band with a digital free to air receiver. And ku-band too!!

 

[perazzimx15l]

Wellcome to Satellite Guys. Try looking throught the country side and look and/or put ads in your local newspaper get a First Strike Meter and they work great for the price.