# Old satellite dishes on houses?



## mini1 (Jan 25, 2004)

Ever take a walk/run/bike around the neighborhood area and see a bunch of old E* or D* dishes on peoples homes or in the their yard? 

I'm always amazed at just how lazy property owners are and/or installers are. I don't understand why you wouldn't take something down that it is not in use.

There are several houses in nearby developments that have old DirecTV single LNB 18" that are blown down looking at the ground or rusted beyond belief or the wiring is all pulled out and hanging down the side of the house. I see lots of houses with Dish 500 and a Dish 300 (right next to each other) with no LNB's and wiring is all stripped out of the house hanging on the side of the house. I've even seen several cases of older dishes that have been left and then a new updated dish has been installed next to it or on the opposite end of the house! Tons of houses with an 18" on one end of the house and a Slimline on the other. No way both are still in use.

Makes me question if there is any scrap value in these old dishes?


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

No, but why would an installer risk an insurance claim to remove an old dish, patch the holes, and risk a leak when he can just leave it alone, and it is the homeowners responsibility? Once installed, the dish belongs to the homeowner.

Now, I dont understand why the HOMEOWNER would not remove it, if it was not in use.

Doubt there is much value in non-stainless steel... Unless you could collect a dump truck full of them.


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

For any of the smaller basic dishes, your looking at 50 to 75 cents for scrap on a good day.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

It is generally a bad idea to remove the foot of a mast from a roof. The rest of the antenna is an entirely different matter.


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

Two words: rent houses.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

mini1 said:


> Ever take a walk/run/bike around the neighborhood area and see a bunch of old E* or D* dishes on peoples homes or in the their yard?
> 
> I'm always amazed at just how lazy property owners are and/or installers are. I don't understand why you wouldn't take something down that it is not in use.
> 
> ...


My pet peeve are the ones who make the effort to hang Christmas wreaths on their homes but are too lazy to take them down when the holiday season is over.


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## David MacLeod (Jan 29, 2008)

my pet peeves are people who care what the hell I do with my house.

installers should NOT deal with removing old dishes unless new one is going in that spot. too many chances of backlash from any leaks near that area even if unrelated.


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## kovach (Feb 22, 2010)

I left mine up for several reasons, 1) because I didn't want to patch holes and risk a leak, 2) wasn't real crazy about risking my life on top of 2 story house with a roof with a steep incline, and 3) and if i ever switch back, my dish is there.


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## joed32 (Jul 27, 2006)

I still have my old Dish from Dish Network on my roof, my wife used Dish last over seven years ago. Why should I take it down? It's not hurting anything and doesn't bother me at all. If it bothers someone else, I don't care.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

I still have an inactive dish tree with two antennae (Dish 300/500) on a pole set in concrete in my back yard. When I moved into my (then) new house in '08 I had Dish for tv and Comcast for internet. I subsequently switched from sat to cable for tv and, by default, left the pole mount in place. My yard guy has learned to mow around it and use the weedeater close up.

My dish tree now functions as a convenient resting station for birds and is the envy of neighbors who, unfortunately, allowed their dishes to be mounted on the roof or side of their houses.


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## joe diamond (Feb 28, 2007)

mini1 said:


> Ever take a walk/run/bike around the neighborhood area and see a bunch of old E* or D* dishes on peoples homes or in the their yard?
> 
> I'm always amazed at just how lazy property owners are and/or installers are. I don't understand why you wouldn't take something down that it is not in use.
> 
> ...


I guess you would not approve of the old Ka band (6'+ diameter) dishes. But I have installed dishes on them...They look bad but work fine.

AND once stuff is attached to a building you have to go to court and sue to get anything removed....like for non payment of home improvements or sat installations....It belongs to the homeowner.

Joe


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

mini1 said:


> . . . .
> 
> Makes me question if there is any scrap value in these old dishes?


If there was, junkies would be stealing working ones.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

mini1 said:


> Makes me question if there is any scrap value in these old dishes?


Aside from the LNB, a dish is just a couple of pounds of mild steel that's been powder-coated. Even if the recycling place is just down the street, you'll spend far more on gas to get it there than what you'll get for it.


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## awblackmon (May 20, 2009)

Installer here. I will take down the old dish and use the mast IF I can. Sometimes the mast is so poorly mounted from the hack install I have to remount a mast. If I am putting up a different mount I will remove the mast, leave the foot. If I can use the dish I will take it with me, clean it up, test it, and put it back into service. No reason to have it go to land fill where most of them will go despite there being a recycle yard closer than the dump. The garbage can will win out with most people.


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## davejacobson (Mar 14, 2005)

If I cant reuse the old mount I will take everything down except the foot. I just think it looks tacky with unused dishes on the roof. Anyway why would I leave a direct dish up there when I can have a nice new dishnet HD up there outshining everything else.


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## photostudent (Nov 8, 2007)

All this talk about not being able to get old dishes removed, leaky roofs, and risk to ones life is starting to sound like an ad for cable. I can understand leaving the old foot in place but refusing to remove the old dish is ridiculous. When Direct came out to upgrade my neighbor to HD they refused to remove old dish. He told them to leave and got hooked up to Uverse.


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## B Newt (Aug 12, 2007)

Still see bud's once in a while.


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## Christopher Gould (Jan 14, 2007)

My old 18" dish is still up for use as a backup just in case.


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