Old “dish TV” satellite dishes

[Alaskajohn]

I have 2 of these things that were on the homestead when I bought the place and they have been collect dust for 7 plus years. Before I take them to the dump, are there any uses for them that I haven’t thought about?

Apparently the previous owner tried to pick up a satellite for TV, and ended up installing 2 dishes thinking it would help, but he never could pick up a satellite reliablely. The place is tucked too deep in a valley with near vertical 9,000 feet mountains blocking the satellites. The dishes are about 10 years old and simply taking up space.

 

[Haertig]

 

[rice paddy daddy]

I used one to obtain sheet metal to pop rivet on an old lawn mower deck that had big rust holes.
I threw the rest of it on my metal pile. Never know when I'll need to patch something like a rusted out truck floor board.

 

[Rebecca]

How old is old? Are they those super big like 10 foot across ones with the mesh?

 

[Pearl]

I used one to obtain sheet metal to pop rivet on an old lawn mower deck that had big rust holes.
I threw the rest of it on my metal pile. Never know when I'll need to patch something like a rusted out truck floor board.

Gotta have a metal pile!!!

 

[Alaskajohn]

How old is old? Are they those super big like 10 foot across ones with the mesh?

standard dish tv technology from about 10 years ago. So about 2.5 to 3 feet wide. Not the huge dishes from the 80s. Those big ones I could find uses for!

 

[SheepDog]

They can be used to extend the range of your wifi.

 

[backlash]

Repurposed Satellite Dish Antenna Captures Wi-Fi and Cell Phone Signals
You can also use it as an HDTV antenna.

 

[GrannyG]

This is an old pic, but we still use the same old antenna dish for water for the donkey and sheep...we had geese when I took this one...they were messy...

 

[Rebecca]

Random non electrical upcycle uses:

Bird bath
Out door basin
Sign
Give it a base and use as a raised fire pit
A base to mix small batches of tile cement etc
Reflective coating and turn into a solar cooker

 

[GrannyG]

This one is at our present house..it was a water lilly pond until this horrible winter freeze which split the bottom....so it became my lettuce patch.....I have a grape arbor over the top of it...

 

[Alaskajohn]

Okay, you all convinced me to keep them, but keep the ideas coming!

 

[LadyLocust]

Okay, you all convinced me to keep them, but keep the ideas coming!

Considering where you live, I would get an old set of skis and fasten/weld to the underside then pull stuff wherever you want like a garden cart Alaska style. (compost, wood, groceries, rocks, etc.)

 

[Caribou]

A neighbour of mine glued 1" square mirrors on his and used it as a solar collector. Don't use hot melt glue, I didn't laugh, until after I left.The focal point is where the receiver is mounted. I'd use a hydronic system with a baseboard or radiator inside, an aquastat on the outside and a thermostat on the inside and a 12V circulator from Grundfos. A solar tracking system, like they use for solar panels, would make the system functional.

 

[joel]

 

[Camalot]

After listening to all of these ideas I am going to feel like an idiot (Which I often do) but I used mine for a charcoaler. Used a rack from an old oven on it.

 

[Just Cliff]

You can use it for a "Big ear"
Put a microphone at the focal point and hook up a RadioShack preamp to it. you can hear things way off with it.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

Gotta have a metal pile!!!

Yep! And a pipe pile along side it.
Mine’s located right next to the 1988 F-150 that hasn’t run since I parked it in 2006.