Post your Dish Farm pix

[Davenlr]

Got a request to post some pix of my dish farm, so here they are.

#1 6' prime focus C/KU with motor drive
#2 10' on AMC1 for NBC HD
#3 10' Winegard to replace the 6'
#4 DirecTv slimine, 1M KU on G19 for Al Jazeera English, and 1M motorized behind it for the SD receiver in the bedroom
#5 4' Offset with dual feed LNB for PBS HD feeding HTPC tuner, and AZBox in the living room.

[Kevin F]

I've always been interested in setting up a dish to get some FTA channels... How hard is it and what other equipment do you need? Also what channels can you receive? Sorry if this isn't the right thread. It just caught my eye so I thought I'd ask.

Thanks,
Kevin

[Davenlr]

I've always been interested in setting up a dish to get some FTA channels... How hard is it and what other equipment do you need? Also what channels can you receive? Sorry if this isn't the right thread. It just caught my eye so I thought I'd ask.

Thanks,
Kevin

Well, depends what you want to watch. If you like foreign language channels, there are 100's of them on one satellite. Just need a small KU dish, lnb, coax, and an SD receiver.

Now if you want the good stuff (Major networks, minor networks, live news feeds, live sports feeds, etc, you need at least a 6' (preferably 10') dish, dual band LNB, and an HD receiver.

10' dishes are close to $1000 IF you can find one anymore. You can get one free or next to free though, by driving in the country and looking for them in peoples yards. 90% of them are no longer in use, and the people will give them to you for the trouble of removing them. Stay away from fiberglass dishes, they are probably warped. Steel or aluminum work best, if they are not to badly warped.

For ideas on pricing, and a list of all the available full time channels (not including temporary feeds), check out Rick's satellites site at http://gofastmotorsports.com and click on the Ricks satellite link. For real time lists of feeds available, he also runs a forum.

You can use a PC card in a computer too, if you want to start out cheap. Just remember you will ALWAYS want a bigger dish, so start out with a big one if you can.

Its very easy to set up if you have an inclinometer, and some help lifting the dish on the mast. Tracking them is a little difficult the first time, but if you understand the basics its pretty simple.

Current list of whats available: http://www.gofastmotorsports.com/channellist.html
Hope that helps.

[Kevin F]

Thanks for the info Dave. I'm not quite sure yet if I can talk to the family into a 10' dish quite yet lol. But I would really enjoy it to view sports feeds and other major networks. I just browsed around the FTA threads of the site and it is very interesting to read. Maybe one day I'll buy a small Ku FTA dish to have a little fun with.

Thanks
Kevin

[Nick]

Is No.3 (the inverted two-meter dish) that new ground-penetrating antenna designed to pick up secret Chinese broadcasts? :sure:

[prestone683]

You get LOS with everything? I don't see where you have them all in one central area, and I see lots of foliage, trees in the background like in #3, etc. You get LOS with everything you have hooked up? How many receivers do you have? How do you combine the multiple signals? I'd love to see your groundblock/point of entry. I have a 'Directv/OTA wall in my basement. Next is my network rack. :p

My father at one point started with a C-band (I don't remember the size, 7ft, maybe. Then we did white fiberglass (think it designates its age) Primestar, then found a Directv at a garage sale. (Turns out they racked up PPV, and we had to fight kicking and screaming about getting a new access card, and not have to pay for it, back then you could argue enough and get 'er dun). Then he progressively added more and more dishes. We were up to five for a while. (He, nor know about multiswitches until I worked for Directv last year, but all the same, he was proud of it.)

Then he collected two more C-bands, and a Primestar or two. The local company didn't like to have to drag the old Primestars back with them after the change-out, so if they could sneak it, they'd leave the dish behind. They were efficient from what I've seen and heard. Unscrew the dish from the AZEL, tilt it nearly 90. Flat mount the Directv with TWO self tappers, align accordingly, lines or line to the LNB, new receiver and done.

One of the C-Band's he paid the guy a case of beer, and we took it down. Had a crank to change the pointing. That's old. He just wanted it for nostalgia/crazy old man status... He never did re-erect it.

No pictures though. Just seemed normal in my house. :lol:

[chevyguy559]

While not being used for FTA, I thought I'd post a couple :D

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r303/mdibuduo/utf-8BSU1HLTIwMTEwNTA5LTAwMDY2LmpwZw.jpg

The big dish hasn't been used for over 10 years, along with a recently retired WildBlue dish, the unWired Broadband fixed wireless broadband dish/antenna is up on the roof and you can barely see off to the left an ancient OTA antenna...

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r303/mdibuduo/utf-8BSU1HLTIwMTEwNTA5LTAwMDY1LmpwZw.jpg

Another shot of a Dish Network setup and the rear of the unWired Broadband setup :D

[P Smith]

What UL/DL speed off your new 'channel' to Internet ?

[Davenlr]

Is No.3 (the inverted two-meter dish) that new ground-penetrating antenna designed to pick up secret Chinese broadcasts? :sure:

Yea, how do you think we found Bin Laden?

[chevyguy559]

What UL/DL speed off your new 'channel' to Internet ?

1.5Mbps up/down but WAY better latency than WildBlue makes it seem like its 6Mbps :lol: Not to mention NO usage restrictions :D

[Davenlr]

You get LOS with everything? I don't see where you have them all in one central area, and I see lots of foliage, trees in the background like in #3, etc. You get LOS with everything you have hooked up? How many receivers do you have? How do you combine the multiple signals?

Well, yes and no on LOS. The 4' dish is stationary on AMC21. It is purposely hidden behind a honeysuckle covered fence. The 6' has LOS from 60W to 119W, then it hits trees. The little dishes are all able to go from about 72W to 130W. THe 10' *IS* in the woods. I had to climb an oak tree with a chainsaw, and cut a hole through the side of the tree. It can pick up 99W to 105W only. That is why I have the new aluminum one to replace the 6'.

I have two receivers. One PC card in my HTPC connected to the 4' dish for PBS HD only. All the rest are connected to a 4 port Desq switch outside on a pole behind the 6' dish, and that switch is fed to a AZBox Ultra in the Living room. The receiver selects which satellite dish depending on which satellite is selected. If no stationary satellite is selected (desq 2 thru 4), then it defaults to the 6' dish with the motor drive, and turns it to the proper location, and selects 22KHz tone off for C band or 22KHZ tone on for KU band. Only reason for the stationary dishes is because I got them cheap, and dont have to wait for the motor to turn the larger dish.

THere is another 36" dish on a motor drive hooked to a SD receiver in the bedroom for watching AL Jazeera, JCTV, and Russia TOday. Its screwy and never turns far enough, or doesnt turn at all. I can manually turn it with the EAST/WEST commands tho. I dont use it much.

DirecTv told me I had no LOS, and left. I had to install my slimline myself. I knew where I had LOS, they just saw trees and left :)
Remember the Sidecar AT9 dish? I had two of them, on in the side yard for 99/101/103 and then had two 50' coax lines to another one in the front yard with only the "sidecar" mounted on it for 110/119. When the blocking tree dropped a branch through my neighbors shed and destroyed it, he cut that one down, opening me up to the full 72W to 130W. I removed the second sidecar, and mounted it back on the main dish, then upgraded to a slimline with SWM when they came out.

[Davenlr]

While not being used for FTA, I thought I'd post a couple :D


That is a NICE C band dish. You really should hook er back up, and get a cheap receiver. Lots of good sports you could get with that sucker. Or New York networks ;)

[P Smith]

That is a NICE C band dish. You really should hook er back up, and get a cheap receiver. Lots of good sports you could get with that sucker. Or New York networks ;)

Looks as 10' and could be expanded to support Ku.

[chevyguy559]

That is a NICE C band dish. You really should hook er back up, and get a cheap receiver. Lots of good sports you could get with that sucker. Or New York networks ;)

I've tossed the idea around, haven't messed with it yet :) I may PM you in the future for some tips and tricks if I ever get around to it :)

[P Smith]

I've tossed the idea around, haven't messed with it yet :) I may PM you in the future for some tips and tricks if I ever get around to it :)

So, what size is it ?

[chevyguy559]

So, what size is it ?

No idea exactly, but it appears to be around 10' :D

[P Smith]

Same as mine. :)

[kenglish]

Set that big C-Bander (BUD) for circular polarization, and see what you get from the Pacific Ocean Region birds. From Fresno, you ought to get a few.
I love checking out the local news from Polynesia on NSS-9, when it's snowing in Utah...in the SPRING, no less! :)

[kenglish]

A few shots of my "work" Dish Farm.

[kenglish]

Missed the simulsat dish on the last post. This one does most of the downlink work for day-to-day use.

[sadoun]

100cm motorized dish (http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Dishes/Motorized-combo-satellite-dish.htm)

[P Smith]

nice ads, hehe ; using public street space ...

[kenglish]

nice ads, hehe ; using public street space ...

I think Sadoun is located in one of those private "Industrial Parks". The dishes appear to be in the parking lot.

[kenglish]

Hey....do I have to come shoot pictures FOR you?

Let's see some more photos, people. I love to see what other sat enthusiasts are using. :D

[sadoun]

Yep, what Kenglish said. :)

[eurosport84]

Here's a pic from last year...

[P Smith]

So many dishes, so little of BBQs. :) Should be more then one !

[Nick]

than

[eurosport84]

So many dishes, so little of BBQs. :) Should be more then one !

That BBQ is about wore out & gonna be replaced by a BIGGER one soon! LOL :lol:

[satman85]

nice little head end what are using the c band for? Clean up your wiring...

[kenglish]

As soon as I saw that photo, I thought, "South Georgia or Northern Florida".
My uncle, in Lake Park (Georgia), used to build those "55-Gallon Oil Drum, Split down the Middle" BBQ grills. You could cook a whole deer on one of those. :D

[kenglish]

Here's mine from home...gotta put the dish back on it.
It's all made from a DISH mount, and parts from Lowe's...unistrut and a 12x12 steel plate. The pipe flanges are threaded through, so they can be used to vertically plumb the mount (no pun intended).
It can be used to get the dish low enough to see under the eaves, to the south-southeast, for Galaxy 19.

[kenglish]

Here's the mount, with a 0.85 m dish. I may add a motor, but will use a bit stiffer mount, and add something inside the pipe to keep it round when clamping the motor bracket.

[kenglish]

Made a PVC insert for the top of the larger 2" pipe (I think it was from a SuperDISH) yesterday. It fits tightly inside the pipe, so a Stab 90 H-to-H Motor can mount on there without deforming the pipe.
Lots of work to mill down a piece of PVC rod from 3-1/2" diameter, to 1.9" or so. :D
I'll try to install the motor later this week, and take pictures.