Need to dismantle large satellite dish.

[thestrangebrew1]

When we bought our house a few years ago, it came with one of those huge dishes for satellite tv that people used in 80s or 90s. It's pole mounted and attached to a patio cover. I'm finally getting around to taking it down. I'm curious if anyone knows what kind of metal/material these things are made of. I was thinking of just unbolting it from the patio cover and cutting the pole and dropping it like a tree.

Edit: Should add the dish is mounted on a pole about 10-15' high.

 

[snoopy7548]

Throw rocks at it until it falls.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Throw rocks at it until it falls.

I might just have a tweeker come by and take it down and let him keep it for scrap metal.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I never miss an opportunity to use a logging chain and my pickup truck. You should have yourself your own personal tractor pull. It's fun.

 

[gill77]

When we bought our house a few years ago, it came with one of those huge dishes for satellite tv that people used in 80s or 90s. It's pole mounted and attached to a patio cover. I'm finally getting around to taking it down. I'm curious if anyone knows what kind of metal/material these things are made of. I was thinking of just unbolting it from the patio cover and cutting the pole and dropping it like a tree.

Edit: Should add the dish is mounted on a pole about 10-15' high.

My guess is it is aluminum. Do you have a magnet?

 

[Red Squirrel]

Is it motorized and can you point it anywhere? Could have some fun with that and a SDR. See what kind of weird stuff you can pickup in space. Like point it at the sun and stuff.

It's funny though now that you mention those I remember seeing those everywhere on top of houses and stuff and now that I think of it, it's rare I ever see one anywhere.

 

[Midwayman]

Are you talking something like an 18" digital dish, or are you talking the old school 2-3M dishes? The dishes for directtv and dish are stamped steel I think. Its been awhile since I handled mine, but they aren't super heavy. If its the larger couple meter dish I'd probably find a way to lower it gently.

 

[IronWing]

Solar Cooker

Don't waste that dish.

 

[highland145]

10'+ that's a 2 hooker pole. Maybe 3 if they're short.

 

[nakedfrog]

Got any leftover fireworks from the holiday?

 

[thestrangebrew1]

It's the larger diameter dish. Here's a streetview of it from my neighbor's driveway. I don't recall seeing any wiring hooked up to it, and there's a smaller Dish Network dish right behind it

 

[Midwayman]

I might post it up on facebook marketplace and say first come first served. Bring tools. Lots of ex-pats would love something like that to pick up c-band and ku-band channels from their old country.

 

[IronWing]

Flip it over and make a gazebo. Tile the inside with mirrors, put light bulb at the focus point, and have the most amazing illumination in your new gazebo.

 

[BudAshes]

Sawzall with a decent metal cutting blade on it should make short work of it. Just tie a rope to it and have someone pull it in the direction you want it to go down.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Flip it over and make a gazebo. Tile the inside with mirrors, put light bulb at the focus point, and have the most amazing illumination in your new gazebo.

I like this idea actually. Just make sure a stray 5G deathbeam does not make it's way in there, it's going to fry your brain man!

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Sawzall with a decent metal cutting blade on it should make short work of it. Just tie a rope to it and have someone pull it in the direction you want it to go down.

Why not an angle grinder?

 

[Red Squirrel]

Don't those big dishes come apart in pie sections? Probably don't need any cutting tools. Unless the bolts are all rusted, which is quite possible. If you do get it apart you could probably get something on ebay or local classifieds for it. There are probably ham radio guys who would love one of those. Heck they might even take it down for you.

I remember when we lost the fibre to Magdalen Islands and they actually flew one in so they can setup a temporary satellite feed. I think the dishes for that are around the same size. Similar to the ones you see up in towers. I presume they come apart in small pieces if they could fit it on a plane.

 

[BudAshes]

Why not an angle grinder?

Even better if you have got one of those.

 

[snoopy7548]

I would leave it. Fits in well with the landscape.

 

[gill77]

If it is aluminum, it can be recycled, if that is your thing. That's what I did with mine.

 

[ultimatebob]

Can you still get stations from that thing? I'd be curious what it can pick up that isn't scrambled.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

It's not wire to anything and I'm not really interested in trying to get it working again lol. I'm going to dig the post out to see how much cement I'm working with this weekend. Depending on how that goes, I'll either cut the pole if there's a ton of cement, or get a couple of guys with some rope to bring it down. Then I'll figure out how to dispose of it. I might post it and see if anyone's interested first to see if they want to take it down, depends on if the wife wants it down sooner or if she can wait a week or two first.

 

[snoopy7548]

It's not wire to anything and I'm not really interested in trying to get it working again lol. I'm going to dig the post out to see how much cement I'm working with this weekend. Depending on how that goes, I'll either cut the pole if there's a ton of cement, or get a couple of guys with some rope to bring it down. Then I'll figure out how to dispose of it. I might post it and see if anyone's interested first to see if they want to take it down, depends on if the wife wants it down sooner or if she can wait a week or two first.

Maybe @cheez can find a use for it.

 

[NoTine42]

Can you still get stations from that thing? I'd be curious what it can pick up that isn't scrambled.

It appears C band is still a thing... and they pick up some dishes posted on Facebook and Craigslist.
but I’m not seeing a quick list of unscrambled channels

C-BAND Satellite Discussion

Before there were mini dishes there was the BUD (Big Ugly Dish) many people out there still use C-BAND satellite systems today, in fact C Band is starting to see a rebirth here in the United States!

www.satelliteguys.us

 

[gill77]

Pickup plus a chain. Wet ground first.