Wish Me Luck-Morning Salvage Ops Ahead!

[stogie5150]

The best way to combine the H/V outputs is to use a 2 x 4 (or 3 x 4) DirecTV multiswitch. You hook H up to 18V and V up to 13V and you're good to go with four outputs

Dual shield should work well, as long as its RG-6. Quad might be needed if you're particularly close to a major airport or military facility.

I don't think Slidell airport or the National Guard base over here is going to bother me, although they must be doing explosives training because there have been big BOOMS the past couple days.....

I asked about the coax because I think I can put my hands of a roll of rg-6 dual shield for free....the multiswitch, well next time I see a D* truck I'll tell them mine died and I need a new multiswitch....

Will the Multiswitch interfere with the diseq (sp) switch were I to install it? My intentions are to add a Dish 500 ( if I can find one) JUST for the music choice channels, I miss those since D* got XM.

 

[WyrTwister]

Thanks for the info...I feel better now...because...

I called back and ordered a Coolsat 5000. Ships tomorrow.

Now if it will stop raining long enough I can get a temporary platform cobbled together and get one of those Primestar dishes assembled, get some aiming info...I think I'll go get an inclinometer tomorrow, some cable and get ready for when it DOES stop raining...:up

I read on another forum that D* is going up AGAIN....and with all the problems with the new HDDVR that I am having....I can see a motor being bought pretty quickly, watching a LOT of wildfeeds and music channels fed into my house FREE.

Check out Harbor Freight for an inclinometer .

Wyr

 

[WyrTwister]

I noticed that that P* LNB has seperate inputs on the LNB for H/V. Does the Diseq switch combine that or do I need some other kind of combiner? I hope the danged things still work after being in the weather all that time, if they don't there's a whole stack of them over there I'll call my buddy back and ask to swap them out...

Is dual shield coax okay or do I need to spring for quad? Run will be under 100 feet. I use dual for everything else I have ( D*, ATSC OTA) and it works fine.

Set up duplicate sats in your sat menu / list . Such as ;

T5 V Diesque 1

T5 H Diesque 2

Or use a 22 khz switch if the Coolsat supports it , with duplicate sats .

Or SW 21 if it supports it .

Wyr

 

[stogie5150]

I picked up another two P* dishes this morning...a 1 Meter round and the other I think is a smaller oval 76cm I think. The 1 meter round is in pretty good shape other than the mounting bosses for the lnb arms are dry-rotted...when I took the bolts out one of them broke. I think I can mix up some Jb Weld or epoxy and fix that up fine...

 

[Stargazer]

Did they have any Dish Network dishes over there or were they all Primestar dishes?

 

[stogie5150]

They were all P* but I have a friend that has a mobile home park, he tells me that there are all kinds of orphaned dishes there, and that they are mine for the taking. I need a Dish network dish myself for the music...were ya looking for something?

He told me one is on a tripod....I am excited about that....

 

[Tron]

The tripods work well for 18 inch dishes, just make sure you fasten them down because the wind will knock the whole thing over.

The multiswitch won't interfere with your DiSEqC switch. They're available at Home Depot or Lowes (and even Rat Shack, Best Buy, and Circuit City), but they're severely overpriced at those places.

The dual shield cable should serve you well

 

[stogie5150]

OKAY, I am getting another shot at the pile of dishes for some parts that I am missing, mostly the struts for the roof mounts...if I have a shot at the plastic control boxes should I pick up a couple? Didn't P* have a multiswitch to go inside the plastic boxes? How well does the switch hold up if it has been in the weather? ( in other words do I need to get a few of them in case one doesn't work?) I have a total of five dishes between him and my own efforts...my Coolsat 5k came in today, all I need is some coax and the tools to make up the cables, which should be coming this weekend...


Well, scratch that...the guy just called me and told me they THREW THEM AWAY. ALL OF THEM! I think I'm gonna sit down and cry now.

 

[digiblur]

Goodness gracious I couldn't have been more lucky. When I got there he brought me to a 50X50 area that was ALL Primestar dishes...ALL OF THEM. The must have been over 1000 of them there. Told me to have my pick, so I got three 84e dishes and all the goodies to go with them. I only got two lnb sets though, I wan't sure I could use the P* LNB's. They were all taken apart though, so I am sure I'll be missing some bolts and such, But I was going to change the hardware out to stainless anyway. I think I am going to build a little platform out of wood and mount it just to learn what this FTA stuff is all about. :

Now to pick a reciever and order that..I have 175.00....any suggestions? I like the looks of the Viewsats and the Sonicviews...I defintely want blindscan and component outs for my plasma TV.....

Stay away from the Viewsat!

 

[stogie5150]

Stay away from the Viewsat!

I ended up with a Coolsat 5k. Sitting right next to me on the desk. Soon as I order the spool of cable and tools I'm gonna get started. Thanks though. I read that The Viewsat isn't much good on a motor...mainly they are used for thieving...which I am not interested in...

 

[Tron]

Pick up a few of those plastic boxes. Most likely, they have multiswitches inside You will want to keep them shielded from the elements.

Need any help picking up all of those dishes???

 

[stogie5150]

They guy called me back and told me they threw them all away. Said that Execs came in and saw the 'eyesore'....told them to get rid of them. So they pitched them in a 40 yard tub and hauled them off.

 

[Tron]

Uh-oh! Well, at least you were able to pick up a few of them. With any luck, your LNBs will all work and you'll be set. The Primestar dishes are always available on E-Bay, but the shipping kills any decent deal on those things

 

[kstuart]

dishes that they got in their "Turn In Your Dish To Get Cable" program

Unfortunately for me, our local Cable company uses Primestar dishes to supplement their meager and antiquated analog-only system with additional digital national cable channels delivered by satellite.
The only reason that the cable company is still in business, is that our area is the poster child from absurd local channel legislation. Our official "DMA" is actually channels from a town in another state (!), but the cable system is allowed to provide those locals and the locals from the nearby town in our own state.

 

[stogie5150]

From what I can gather the company down here ( Charter ) used them for that, too. ALL of the feed arms I have have dual LNB's on them. I was lucky enough to get a 1m and a single feed 84e from some nice folks on the MS Gulf Coast. I just painted the 1m satin black, painted the feed arms flat black, too, it looks pretty good..I just have to figure out how to cover the LNB on that 1m dish, I'd rather not have it out in the weather. I have a sheet metal guy up the street, but I'd rather have something out of plastic.

I'm waiting on my sg-2100 to put on the 1m, if the weather breaks this week and it warms up I am going to build the homebrew mount for the 1m that I saw here somewhere ( the one using the mounting plate from a D* dish)

I think its stopped raining long enough for the concrete I set my pole in to FINALLY dry...

 

[Tron]

The LNB on my Channel Master has been out in the elements for nearly a year, and there's no sign of corrosion or moisture penetration. But still, it would be better if it were covered. Dow Electronics (they have an office in Baton Rouge) is supposed to carry the plastic covers for these.

 

[stogie5150]

Just posting a little update.....got my 84e dish on the pole today...Its amazing how easy it is to hit a satellite when your mast is plumb....

I also put the 1m round dish back together, used anti-seize on all the bolts, I attached pics of the mount that I cobbled together, just waiting on Friday when the motor gets here....

 

[Anole]

Nice pix.
Nice paint job.
Seems a little glossy, though.
I'm jealous.

I see you've been studying the homebrew mount designs.
That was the one that inspired me, too.
Is that a superdish foot you've got , there?

 

[stogie5150]

Nice pix.
Nice paint job.
Seems a little glossy, though.
I'm jealous.

I see you've been studying the homebrew mount designs.
That was the one that inspired me, too.
Is that a superdish foot you've got , there?

The paint was that Krylon Fusion paint for plastic. Said satin finish. I was disappointed, too. I may buy a can of clear flat finish if I can find it and cut some of that gloss.

The foot is off of a D* dish I had laying around. I have 2 P* roof mounts that I could have gotten the bigger foot off, but the sg-2100 will have the standard arm on it and I didn't order the 50mm arm, so I have to go with the D* mount. Only thing I have to work on is the jackscrew, but I have to wait until I get the motor to see really what I need to rig up.

My multiswitch will be here Thursday so I can get the polarities combined on the P* LNB, so I will be good to go soon, I hope.

Tomorrow is bury the conduit day, I have a particular pain in the butt angle to make to go up my house's outside wall so I have to go back to HD and get some different sweeps and some 45 degree plumbing fittings to try and make it work. I don't want to use a 90 because I'll never pull a wire through the plumbing 90.

 

[WyrTwister]

Just posting a little update.....got my 84e dish on the pole today...Its amazing how easy it is to hit a satellite when your mast is plumb....

I also put the 1m round dish back together, used anti-seize on all the bolts, I attached pics of the mount that I cobbled together, just waiting on Friday when the motor gets here....

What material is the flat plate ? If this is the dish you are going to put the motor on , remember weight is an issue .


By the way , the LNBF cover is not necessary . The LNBF will last a long time with out it . You will be replacing the LNBF with a better one way before the LNBF goes bad because of the weather .

Wyr