Activating The Big Dishes … For technically minded do it yourselfers …
Whatever became of the big dish satellite TV technology that was such a status symbol a few years ago? It hasn’t been that long since no one had heard of Directv and the small TV satellite dish. Instead, a few of the wealthiest people in town could be seen installing huge parabolic dishes outside their homes. Can these old large dishes still be used?
If you happen to be an accomplished do it yourselfer with more than a rudimentary understanding of technical things like Directv, you might enjoy exploring the options. An old TV satellite dish can sometimes be found for almost nothing. Yet there are some people out there who prefer them over the small Directv dishes.
People in the know about satellite TV say that the larger the dish, the larger the amount of reception that can be accessed. The small Directv satellite dish is only tuned to one satellite. In reality there are dozens of satellites orbiting the earth now. If you can find a way to tap into more than just one, it will give you access to a wider variety of programming than one small TV satellite dish.
Much like the old tech hobby of ham radios, some satellite TV fans have collected a large number of the old large dishes. They have installed them and aimed them each at different satellites. By using the older technology and innovative do it yourself thinking, these unconventional people have bypassed the Directv monthly bill. They simply access the satellites themselves, and they do it with used satellite television equipment. This really drives the bill down.
Equipment you will need to experiment with the pre-Directv satellite technology include the largest dish you can find with mounting pole and wires, and an old analog type satellite receiver. It is possible to attach a modern LNB, which stands for “low noise box.” This is the box in the center of the TV satellite dish, and it should help you get even better reception.
It is not within the scope of this article to give you all the technological details about how to set up the used satellite TV equipment as an alternative to Directv. It can be done, however. Browse the web a bit for details, or get to know one of those characters around town who has more than one old, vintage looking, over sized TV satellite dish standing in a field outside his home. They would probably love to share their tinkering ideas with you. If you don’t want to have a herd of dishes, though, some of the old ones can be moved electronically to aim at different satellites.
The modern solution: subscribe to DirecTV or Dish
The modern way, however, is the more convenient way for those without the interest or time it would take to set up used satellite equipment. This way is to simply subscribe to Directv or Dish, or possible another TV satellite dish service. Directv and Dish are the most widely known suppliers of satellite television services, but there are some smaller companies. Sky Angel, which controls its programming to be family friendly is one such smaller provider.
