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View Full Version : What can I do with a spare satellite dish?



Vostrocity
June 7th, 2009, 11:21 PM
A long, long time ago, I had DirecTV service. But when I cancelled it, they never bothered to come over and take their dish thing. I was wondering if there's anything I can do with it. It's a Sony dish with two coaxial-type outputs (and surprisingly it's made in the US with Japanese parts :o). I checked on eBay and they go for about $50 new, but I'm gonna bother shipping a big metal thing). The only thing I could think of was to use the metal dish itself to boost my WiFi signal. But right now I don't have an external receiver or a good software tool for WiFi surveying (any recoms?).

gn2
June 7th, 2009, 11:33 PM
Would a DVB-S tuner card and Myth TV work with it?

gletob
June 7th, 2009, 11:33 PM
Free to Air...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-to-air

http://www.ftalist.com/English.htm

http://freetoair.com

Vostrocity
June 7th, 2009, 11:44 PM
I've actually never heard of this FTA thing, but I don't watch much TV and I already use an OTA antenna and get about 10 HD channels. According to Wikipedia this is what I would get in North America, which doesn't seem particularly exciting. I'm really jealous of Germans, which also according to Wikipedia, gets over 100 FTA channels. And I also don't want to pay over $100 for a receiver.
The most common North American sources for free-to-air DVB satellite television are:

* Ethnic-language broadcasters such as GlobeCast World TV on Galaxy 25 (97°W)
* Christian broadcasters promoted by Glorystar & Spiritcast Satellite Systems TV on Galaxy 25 (97°W)
* Individual affiliates of various US terrestrial TV networks, including Equity Broadcasting stations on Galaxy 18 (123°W, Ku-band) and Galaxy 3C (95°W, C-band). These are primarily English language or Spanish language stations serving various local markets.
* Public educational broadcasters including PBS on AMC 3 (87°W) - PBS was moved to a new satellite AMC 21 (125°W) in October 2008
* NASA TV Multi-channel Broadcast on AMC 6 (72°W)

mips
June 8th, 2009, 12:13 AM
I'm really jealous of Germans, which also according to Wikipedia, gets over 100 FTA channels.

Remember you live in the USA, no such thing as a free ride ;)

rookcifer
June 8th, 2009, 12:16 AM
Use it as a waveguide antenna for wifi access.

jbruced
June 8th, 2009, 12:19 AM
Line it with tinfoil and cook a hotdog at the focal point?

lindsay7
June 8th, 2009, 01:00 AM
I was thinking it would make a good wok.

Vostrocity
June 8th, 2009, 01:07 AM
Use it as a waveguide antenna for wifi access.

Elaborate? I think this is what I was touching on in the first post.

H2SO_four
June 8th, 2009, 01:09 AM
Remember you live in the USA, no such thing as a free ride ;)

sad but true

MikeTheC
June 8th, 2009, 01:18 AM
An entertaining game of frisbee?

eolson
June 8th, 2009, 02:39 AM
Sounds like a good target to me! Wouldn't last long, but would be fun/useful while it lasted.

Vostrocity
June 8th, 2009, 02:56 AM
An entertaining game of frisbee?
Ouch.


Sounds like a good target to me! Wouldn't last long, but would be fun/useful while it lasted.
Would make a good magnetic dart board, but I already have one and I don't own a gun nor a bow and arrow.

Paqman
June 8th, 2009, 03:00 AM
Line it with tinfoil and cook a hotdog at the focal point?

I was thinking the same, but with a ton of wee mirrors. Solar death ray! :D

Sealbhach
June 8th, 2009, 03:10 AM
You could make a bird bath:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4436245_convert-satellite-dish-bird-bath.html

Also saw this nice idea:

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/07/fun-with-satellite-dishes.html


.

H2SO_four
June 8th, 2009, 03:18 AM
My favorite :)

tgalati4
June 8th, 2009, 03:29 AM
Snowboard in the winter.

Beach barbeque in the summer. Need to find a grill for it; check the alleys for an abandoned grill.

Flower planter in the spring.

Birdfeeder or birdbath.

Halloween candy dispenser.

Church luncheon bread holder.

Church collection plate--for a big church.

Street musician piggy bank.

Nightstand wallet, watch, pda, phone, key holder.

Coffee table dried fruit decorative plate--need to paint it wild colors.

Fireplace artwork--paint it as a tribal shield.

Bum fight shield.

Emergency meteorite roof repair--must be small meteorite. Paint red with white emergency instructions and hang in the garage.

Fraternity house beer bottle catcher. Attach to large trash can.

Pie-eating contest accident tray.

Backyard, dead-pet memorial marker.

Emergency golf-ball hail shield--carry in the back seat.

Golf drive markers--place upright every 100 feet.

Halloween apple-bobbing tank.

Hanging fruit basket--add a chain.

Commode cover. Leave loose so it can also act as a hail shield when running back to the house.

That's all I can think of.

H2SO_four
June 8th, 2009, 03:31 AM
Snowboard in the winter.

Beach barbeque in the summer. Need to find a grill for it; check the alleys for an abandoned grill.

Flower planter in the spring.

Birdfeeder or birdbath.

Halloween candy dispenser.

Church luncheon bread holder.

Church collection plate--for a big church.

Street musician piggy bank.

Nightstand wallet, watch, pda, phone, key holder.

Coffee table dried fruit decorative plate--need to paint it wild colors.

Fireplace artwork--paint it as a tribal shield.

Bum fight shield.

Emergency meteorite roof repair--must be small meteorite. Paint red with white emergency instructions and hang in the garage.

Fraternity house beer bottle catcher. Attach to large trash can.

Pie-eating contest accident tray.

Backyard, dead-pet memorial marker.

Emergency golf-ball hail shield--carry in the back seat.

Golf drive markers--place upright every 100 feet.

Halloween apple-bobbing tank.

Hanging fruit basket--add a chain.

Commode cover. Leave loose so it can also act as a hail shield when running back to the house.

That's all I can think of.

Thats all? I don't think you gave enough effort! ;)

eolson
June 8th, 2009, 03:52 AM
Ouch.


Would make a good magnetic dart board, but I already have one and I don't own a gun nor a bow and arrow.

Being the redneck that I am, I suggest buying a minimum of one of each. When you've killed the satellite dish there will probably be a deer around someplace that needs to be disposed of. Venison cheese burgers are hard to beat. A whole lot better than the McDonalds fare.

lethalfang
June 8th, 2009, 04:47 AM
Make a Spartan shield out of it.

Vostrocity
June 9th, 2009, 05:34 AM
Thanks for all the "interesting" ideas guys, especially tgalati4. :D And painting it is a good idea too, since it doesn't ruin the thing's actual purpose. I guess most people don't do it because the sat TV company owns it (I hope they don't suddenly remember to come over and pick it up one day). Anyway I was thinking something along the lines of a WiFi antenna, as I said in the first post since I could do with a good signal boost right now.

rookcifer
June 9th, 2009, 07:42 AM
Elaborate? I think this is what I was touching on in the first post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJwOpJjYKqA

sim-value
June 9th, 2009, 09:01 AM
USe it as Wifi Antenna and never Pay for internet again :D