What is This Dish?

[gpflepsen]

I've seen this dish for the past several years, just sitting atop the pole. And what a pole it is. It looks like the mount is on a 6" or so section, and that is atop a 12"-14" section of pipe with the mount about 20' off the ground. It looks like the highest point is about 25' up.

I'm guessing the dish is 12' from visual comparison to my 8' at home. Can anyone I.D. this thing? The mount ring and LNBF supports are unlike anything I've seen here on the forum. The actuator is enormous compared to my 8'er's mover.

I'd offer to take it off their hands, but the thing is so big I'd have to rent a boom truck to get it down.

 

[Anole]

It's a very professional install, and looks like a commercial dish.

I might be wrong, but take a look at DH Satellite.
http://dhsatellite.com/
Could be one of theirs.
Spun aluminum?
Send 'em those pictures and ask. :up
.

 

[gpflepsen]

Those DH look exactly like it. I wonder if the village utilities would help me get 'er down? Very interesting...

 

[gpflepsen]

I think it has to be the 12' or the 12'-5". Man, being spun aluminum makes me want it bad...

 

[Anole]

Problem with a lot of commercial dishes salvaged from TV stations, is that they are on fixed (Az/El) mounts.
I find it uncommon to stumble across a dish with all these attributes:
- commercial quality
- large
- solid (or perf)
- spun aluminum (I assume)
- polar mount
- great condition
- big ol' motor to swing it

I'm one cheap bastard, and I might consider $300 for something like that!
Not really much more you could ask for.
H-H motor maybe?
An ortho feed with commercial LNBs?

 

[gpflepsen]

I need to consider heavily how bad I want it and the difficulty it would present to get it on the ground undamaged. Spend $100 on materials to make a jib pole to hoist it down? Get a man-lift there? It'd be $200 to rent the equipment to get it done. I don't think I could do it off a ladder either.

If the ring backing the dish is bolted on, I could use four of the bolts as lifting points and a sling to hoist it down in a horizontal position.
Or, put the dish vertical and lift from the top of the mounting ring?

I'll have to develop an obsession to give me the motivation to do it...

 

[Anole]

It's only a stupid idea 'till someone shows how well it works!

I'll have to develop an obsession to give me the motivation to do it...

This is a site of motivated obsessives! :up
Maybe one of 'em will come up with a must-do plan.





Many years ago my military base in south east Asia set up a MARS station so the guys could call home.
We installed a 90' telephone pole for height.
Then we used a helicopter to lift the 20-some foot long LPV antenna to the top.
Wish I had pictures.

 

[GI_Joe]

If it were me I would take every means possible to get that dish into your back yard. Just one more point to consider with a dish this size - Transporting it to your house. You will probably need a large utility trailer. Tie it down GOOD... They WILL fly off the trailer if you don't.

Good Luck!!

 

[gpflepsen]

I have no problem transporting it, trailer and tractor w/ forks for unloading. The things only 20 miles from my house!

I suppose the first step should be finding who is the right person to ask who the right person is to ask for it!

 

[gpflepsen]

If it were me I would take every means possible to get that dish into your back yard. Just one more point to consider with a dish this size - Transporting it to your house. You will probably need a large utility trailer. Tie it down GOOD... They WILL fly off the trailer if you don't.

Good Luck!!

Do you have a story to share?

 

[SatelliteAV]

For $300 or less a boom truck company could pluck that off the post, transport and drop on your post. Two hours after meeting the operator at the p/u site, you could be fine-tuning this beauty at your at your home.

Why mess around? Pay a professional to do what they do!

 

[primestar31]

I agree with Brian. $300 is CHEAP when it comes to a fantastic dish like this. Sure beats possibly falling 20 feet off a ladder. Ask me how I know that... That sudden stop isn't good on your spine.

Work OT or sell something on Ebay for the money if you have to.

 

[turbosat]

primestar , I know where you're coming from. Wednesday of last week I hit the ground too, but I was only on the 1st step of a short step ladder, lol. Luckily , other than big bruises, the only thing I smashed was a big flower planter with about 8" of good soil in it! I guess it must've cushioned my crash somehow.

 

[Anole]

how big is your pole?

Most home BUDs fit into a 3" pipe. Actually 3.5", outside diameter.
This being a commercial dish, find out if it uses a 4" (4.5" OD) pipe.
Nothing more embarrassing than bringing it home only to discover you put in the wrong pole for it.

 

[Magic Static]

I hate it when I bring home a dish and my pole is too small

 

[Anole]

See pictures and comments by wbarrett in this thread:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/313103-Does-anyone-sell-8-or-larger-dishes-anymore
He bought a similar looking DH.
Hell of a dish - but we knew it would be.

 

[gpflepsen]

See pictures and comments by wbarrett in this thread:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/313103-Does-anyone-sell-8-or-larger-dishes-anymore
He bought a similar looking DH.
Hell of a dish - but we knew it would be.

Yup, I'd seen that. A response to this thread is where I learned of DH. I've got my hooks on a 12' mesh for just my effort. The DH on the pole will have to wait for Plan B if I need it.

 

[Anole]

Yup, I'd seen that. A response to this thread is where I learned of DH. I've got my hooks on a 12' mesh for just my effort. The DH on the pole will have to wait for Plan B if I need it.

A free 12'er is hard to argue with.
I think you're done.

Always figured we're just blue skying it over that DH , anyway.
But if you had been serious, I wanted to make sure you had minimum problems. :up

 

[gpflepsen]

If a guy doesn't dream a little, it's tough to make a plan!

 

[GI_Joe]

Do you have a story to share?

Well yes, as a matter of fact. Paid $100 for a solid 10 footer that was on a fixed mount. The dish was HEAVY - easy 350 pounds. Me and another guy went to pick it up using his flatbed truck. We did not tie it down good enough and once we hit about 30 MPH heading down the highway. the dish became an airplane wing and started to fly.. Crashed onto the road and looked like a potato chip. I later sold it for scrap.