Saying Hello

[classicsat]

As the saying goes Long time lurker, first time poster (almost I went feet first in a couple discussions here already.

I am not big on hellos, but I will introduce myself a bit:

I am a satellite TV hobbyist since the late 90s, and a tinkerer and scrounger (a lot of my C-band stuff was scrounged and cobbled).
I have available to me, a "farmer's" work shop to make things, and yes, have a backhoe available also. I am also a subscriber to Shaw Direct (since 2001), and an avid TiVo user and supporter.
I basically abandoned C-band in 2004 or so (dish blew over), but kept Shaw Direct, and have been receiving NASA TV and a few other things form Echo-7with a DBS LNBF strapped to my Shaw dish and an ex-sub Dish receiver. I got into full FTA a few weeks ago, when I traded the Dish receiver for a Sonicveiw 4000, and set up a 75CM Ku dish I had scrounged, and "borrowed" one of the tone switches from my Shaw Direct satellite system, to switch between Echo-7 and Ku, Ku the dish pointed to G19 for now, and get most of what it has to offer (in FTA anyways).

I intend to get a motor, maybe be a better receiver, maybe a better LNBF, a proper Diseq switch, and a coax compression kit.

 

[Apprentice]

Welcome and hope you enjoy your stay. Sounds like you have everything to start having some fun.

 

[DirectDishNet]

I have available to me, a "farmer's" work shop to make things, and yes, have a backhoe available also.

I'll trade you a small beet up rusty toolbox (with tools) for that farmers work shop!.....

Welcome!...... Nice to meet you!.....

 

[Anole]

- welcome:

Welcome aboard, and Happy Holidays to ya.
If you've been lurking a long time, you probably know many of the regular posters.
Chief among them our illustrious leader and forum moderator: Iceberg!

Shoot us a few pictures of your dishes before they get snow covered - we've got a thread for showing such things.

I for one always appreciate interesting home-brew projects.
So, some of the things cobbled together may prove more amusing than the regular store-bought.
As for your Coolsat 4000, I think you're off to a good start.
Glad to have another active member hangin' around! - :up

 

[whatchel1]

welcome

to this insanity know as satellite FTA & OMG what did I just do to get that.:clap

 

[AcWxRadar]

Classicsat,

Welcome to SatelliteGuysUS! You'll have a good time here, I just know it, and it is great to see you join the membership here.

We have so much going on here for everyone that you could pop up a batch of corn and simply read along and not need a TV!
Well, almost...

LOL!

RADAR

 

[SatelliteAV]

Welcome! Watch out...... The addiction starts as "I'll just have one......."

Hello, I'm Brian and I'm a sataholic.

 

[Lak7]

.....and I'm a sataholic.

It's only a problem if you admit it.

Welcome Classicsat

 

[classicsat]

Chief among them our illustrious leader and forum moderator: Iceberg!

I am familiar with him. He belongs to at least one Canadian TV board I am on.

Shoot us a few pictures of your dishes before they get snow covered - we've got a thread for showing such things.

Soon, maybe the end of the day.

I for one always appreciate interesting home-brew projects.
So, some of the things cobbled together may prove more amusing than the regular store-bought.

Analog C-band was a hoot and a breeze to cobble.
Some thing I did was:
Used a 18/10 cable (I think used to remote control a crane) for the jack motor/pulse, and a3 wire thermostat cable for polarotor.
Made limit switches for my one arm (the controller had no limits), and a high/low sensor with a mercury switch strategically placed on the dish, running an indicator on the controller (the controller was 3 digits, and the whole arc was almost 2000 counts)
I had a knob tuned tuner almost work with a downconverter not made for it.
I had one I didn't have the remote for, and had the lid off tuning the trimmers to tune audio.
One the PLL didn't work, and I cobbled knobs to the amain and one of the audio tuners.
Another the motor transformer burnt out, so I used the external one form an older system, and used its 70Mhz IF tuner as an audio tuner (it had narrow), wid, MPX ,and all those modes, by splitting the IF loop on the main receiver. On that receiver, and my next, I
hard wired a trailer light plug to the actuator terminals, it weas more robust. On my last receiver, I made my own C/Ku relay from an apparent RF relay I pulled from a set of expensive looking boards with gold connectors and everything.
and I made my own UHF remote extender system, for an old satellite UHF kit, IR receivers, and hard wiring the UHF receiver in to the TiVo. I maywant to add my FTA receiver into that.

As for your Coolsat 4000, I think you're off to a good start.
Glad to have another active member hangin' around! - :up

It is a Sonicview., not Coolsat.

 

[DirectDishNet]

It is a Sonicview., not Coolsat.

Love the Sonicview 4000, I have several myself.

 

[Tron]

Welcome! Watch out...... The addiction starts as "I'll just have one......."

Hello, I'm Brian and I'm a sataholic.

They tried to make me go to rehab and I said No, No, No ...