The Scroungers Guide to Satellite TV By Gary Bourgois Copyright 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, The Birdwatcher's Report One of the most common misconceptions is that satellite TV is a rich person's hobby. Nothing is further from the truth. While it IS possible to spend upwards of $4, 000 for an installed system with all the carillons and calliopes, it is also possible to set up and install a very nice near state of the art system for UNDER $500 that will provide perfect reception of all domestic satellites. Such a low cost setup will give countless hours of enjoyment, exploration and entertainment. Just how cheaply can it be done? Well, my first system cost a total of $40. Some of my friends say I was just lucky, but LUCK is what you MAKE it. I know several other people who have put together their systems for under $100. Granted for this low cost, you don't get a fully automated system, but we scroungers don't mind turning a few extra knobs and tweaking an extra button or two to peak up the reception on our favorite audio or video service. This scroungers guide will give you some pointers and get you off in the right direction towards setting up your own low cost satellite installation. If you are successful, and I think you will be, I'd like you to write me and let me know what components you got and how they work. One thing for sure. Once you start pulling stuff from the sky, you will never be able to go back to the limited offerings of over the air and cable TV and radio. I highly recommend reading the FAQ list (Send me EMAIL if you can't find it) for a full discussion of terms and components of a home satellite system. There are two approaches we will discuss. 1) Obtaining a complete system and 2) Building your system from Mix and Match components. There are advantages to both approaches, and the method you go with will be determined in part by your own fortunes and creativity. We are obviously talking about USED equipment here. That is the secret to doing it on the cheap. With the constant improvement in all areas of electronic technology, older satellite equipment is readily available, and much of it at giveaway prices. Indeed, it is very easy to obtain first-generation equipment for free, as "nobody" wants this old stuff. Of course, "nobodies" like you and me will gladly snarf up this old stuff, in much the same way a new shortwave listener will grab and enjoy reception from an old vacuum tube communications receiver. No, don't worry, since the home satellite industry is only about 10 years old, you aren't going to have something with 6AQ5's glowing on your shelf. Let's look at the individual components, with the idea of the Mix 'n Match system. While you might luck out and be able to walk home with a complete system, understanding all the individual components will come in handy when you begin to upgrade your system. Compatibility of components is important, and depending on the age of what you find, you will want to make sure it will all play together. THE DISH The dish itself is perhaps the single hardest component to acquire cheaply. However, they ARE out there. Here are some pointers: You will want at least a 10 foot dish. You will probably find a few 6 footers in the cheap/freebie market. Grab them for experimentation, but your FIRST system should be a 10 footer or better. Now where to look? I got my 10 footer from a satellite dealer who had it laying out behind his shop. It was a mess. He had taken it in as salvage when he replaced it with a new system. His customer's dish was destroyed by a windstorm, and insurance covered the replacement. The old one was so mangled the insurance company did not want it. But *I* did, and I managed to walk off with it at no charge. After a lot of bending and using wire to sew the torn panels back together, and using a home made cardboard guide to maintain the parabolic curve, I had a reasonable facsimile of a satellite dish, complete with a rusty but serviceable polar mount. So the first places you want to hit are the satellite dealers. Not the ones with big showrooms that only want to sell the high dollar systems, but the one man shops. Make friends with a technician who installs systems if you can. A person like this will have access to TONS of old satellite equipment, most of which is just taking up space, and can be had for a song. You would be amazed at the amount of older technology stuff laying about. Other places to look for used dishes include abandoned commercial property. Many businesses made use of satellite equipment for corporate communications and training. While the receiving equipment may be gone, quite often the old dishes remain, often in disrepair, but serviceable. If you find one, find out who owns the building, and offer to remove the dish at no charge. You might have to pay something, but you should be able to bargain here. In no case should you pay more than $100 for a used dish unless it is in MARVELOUS and PRISTINE shape, or is a 16 footer or larger... You can get a brand new dish in the $300 to $400 price range, so knowing this, you should be able to haggle. The dish is the one component you will want to obtain locally. Or at least within driving distance. You will want to inspect a used dish yourself for condition, and you also don't want to pay to have a used dish dismantled and shipped to you...