There are folks out there who change TV services every couple of years. I don’t blame them. There’s such a difference between the “teaser” rates from some companies and their long-term prices. Are you one of those people? If so, you’re probably thinking of ways to keep your home’s walls and roof from looking like swiss cheese. Every service wants to install their own equipment, and drill new holes to do it.
So can you recycle equipment from service to service? For example, can you use the mast from DISH hardware and the LNB and reflector from DIRECTV hardware? At least, that would save a few holes being drilled.
The answer you’re not looking for
Sadly, no. Even though they look very much the same, DIRECTV’s dishes are completely different from DISH’s. If you look closely you’ll realize that they’re not even really the same shape.
The news gets worse from there. You can’t even put a DIRECTV dish on DISH’s mast, they’re different thicknesses. At least you can reuse the cable, at least most of the time, but it’s still a good idea to use new cable if you’re doing a new installation.
Another thing you might not have thought ot
This is at the heart of all those “DISH and DIRECTV are merging” stories that come up now and again. The companies may someday merge, but their equipment, both in the home and in their broadcast centers, is so different that it would take a decade and millions (maybe billions) of dollars spent before you ever see any real benefit to the customer, and while you’re doing that, the competition isn’t standing still.
I feel your pain
It’s frustrating if you’re the sort of person who goes back and forth between the satellite services and maybe even gets into the cable TV world too. There are a lot of people who do that, bouncing from one “triple-play” offer to another and the result is a lot of wiring and hardware left on the home. It used to be that DISH would come and take the LNB (the front part of the dish) but leave the rest. Now they don’t even bother with that, so you could end up with several generations of dishes on your home after a decade or so. That’s no fun, but the sad but true part of all of this is… it’s not really something you can avoid.
Changing TV services? Email us!
Before you make a change, call us at [email protected]. We handle DIRECTV, DISH, and AT&T TV and can explain all the options to you. We can tell you what discounts can apply and we’ll arrange for professional installation. We provide white-glove service at the same prices that those overseas call centers charge. You’ll always get a real person to talk to and we’re here to support you! Start with a call to [email protected] or, if it’s after East Coast business hours, fill out the form below! We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day! We specialize in working with DIYers and people who want their installations “just so.” Give us a try!
“Actually you can put a DirecTV LNB on a DishNetwork antenna. and vice versa”. These Dishes or Satellite Dishes are really the correct nomenclature or name for them all is: Parabolic Microwave Radio Antenna. I have setup and worked on many many of them in places I’m not allowed to remember, from ones small enough for your pocket to the big ones that are rotated buy a electric locomotive engine on tracks. The front end of the LNB arm needs to be modified physically to hold the DirecTV LNB, and at the correct distance from the reflector. Mounting a DishNetwork LNB on a DirecTV antenna is done in the same manner. Be creative. Either use a a hacksaw and duct tape, or cutting torch and mig welder. Be creative. 10 or 15 Years ago I saw online where some one mounted a Directv LNB on a Prime-Star dish antenna, he gave all the details and measurements, and it eliminated rain fade because of the Prime-star reflector being a lot larger. Here is results of a quick search I just now did:: ( http://wind-works.eu/SatelliteDish/primestar-satellite-dish ). So I got an old 36inch wide Prime-star Antenna at a yard sale for free and I did the same thing. No more rain fade nor snow fade. This was when I was having standard 18 inch DTV antenna. When I was doing my signal check i was getting 99 to 100 on all the transponders. maybe i was lucky I didn’t overload the LNB circuits. Remember everyone, the satellite antenna is just simply a metal reflector that reflects the radio waves toward the LNB window and thus into it’s feed-horn. The larger it is, the greater the strength of radio waves it reflects. It is curved so that it focuses the radio waves at a point where the electronic circuitry inside the LNB is at. The LNB is simply bolted or screwed onto the end of a metal pipe or arm that’s only purpose is to hold the LNB at a certain place. It is not so simply as it may seam because the location and distance from the reflector to the LNB is critical, but you can easily find the sweet spot by just holding the LNB in you hand while watching the signal meter strength on your TV, then figuring out a way to hold it at that critical spot, or get someone else to hold it there. LOL.. Now adding metal trim around the outside edge of your current satellite antenna reflector and extending the LNB arm a couple inches will not work, because every reflector is bent or curved a very certain amount to focus the reflected radio waves to an exact distance from the reflector to it’s target. I tried that already and it didnt work. Old Prime-star antennas are still around in junk piles or abandons back yards. The company quit several years ago I heard. I have 3 of them. One is 36inch and two are 42inch wide. The reflector is all plastic with a metallic coating. The plastic was not a good idea because the reflector changes its curvature very slightly when it is in the hot sun, but at almost 42 inches across they still reflect more than enough radio wave strength.
Almost forgot this, Yes you can paint them. I have had a few friends ask this and truth is they can be painted to match your house or trim. Just don’t get too fancy. Do not put on several coats of thick paint, or re-coat every year. Spray paint is best because it will have a thin coat. I’m referring to the front of the reflector. The rear of reflector and the arm sticking out and the mast you can paint any number of times you want with any type of paint. But the front of the big round or oval shaped reflector keep that paint to minimum. Spray paint for metal is best. I have helped a few neighbors paint their satellite antennas. Every couple years i spray MO-DECK paint all over mine, which contains graphite and make it so slick that snow will not stick to it. You can also get graphite spray paint in other brands, and in cans to paint on with a brush. Graphite paint is all dark gray color.
DO NOT put any paint of any type on the white plastic that is on LNBs, This white plastic is on the LNB that faces toward the reflector. Do not paint that or you may loose signal strength. I know it is just plastic but it is very important. It is the rain protection for the LNB electronics. If you notice it is cracked or coming off you may be able to repair it with some hot-glue or RTV. If it does come off you can replace it with any type of thin plastic that you can make work to keep the rain out. If nothing else handy, just put several layers of saran wrap and a good plastic zip lock bag over it, until you can repair it better. Just do not put any metal of any type over it, or no more signal . If it gets raing inside then plan on ordering a new LNB from this Solid Signal company. They are so easy to swap out that my 3 year old could do it. (That is if I hold her safely)
You can also order satellite antennas already painted with different designs and logos, and get plastic covers to help keep snow off them. One company was selling a large plastic container you put over your satellite antenna to make it look like a large rock. Doing that may impede the signal some though, but not by much. I have even seen one fellow that has his satellite antenna mounted to the floor inside a room and pointed out a large glass window, because his landlord complained. He said it works fine and he likes it that way. Thank you for reading my ramblings.
I admire your commitment to doing it… doesn’t sound nice or easy.