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Fun To Be Had With a 10-Foot Satellite Dish?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the build-a-death-star dept.

An anonymous reader writes "I'm moving to a rural community in the central United States. On the property is a satellite dish in excess of 3 meters in diameter that seems to still be in excellent condition. I already enjoy shortwave radio and was wondering what interesting TV feeds I might be able to catch with the dish. What kind of equipment would I need and how much should I expect to spend? If it's not useful for that purpose, what other fun projects might I use it for?"

22 of 386 comments (clear)

  1. UVB-76? by WormholeFiend · · Score: 5, Funny

    UVB-76 has been broadcasting new stuff the past few days...

    1. Re:UVB-76? by localman57 · · Score: 4, Funny

      I am almost absolutely positive ... I could be wrong though.

      Hey! Stop plagarizing my project status reports!

  2. If you're looking for fun, you're doing it wrong by tomhudson · · Score: 5, Funny
    1. Remove dish from roof or back yard or whatever for this winter
    2. Find ski hill
    3. Group Downhill Saucer

    You might even get airborne, in which case you have a real flying saucer. At the very least, it would scare the crap out of the snow-boarders.

  3. Re:How I use my parabolic dish... by elewton · · Score: 3, Funny

    Then, when you locate your enemies' networks, get a magnetron and build yourself a long range HERF gun.

  4. Broadcast a cryptic signal for years by Parlett316 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Then change it one day and watch the internet implode.

    1. Re:Broadcast a cryptic signal for years by robot256 · · Score: 3, Funny

      They won't acknowledge their own, but if yours violates an FCC-like rule then you can be sure they will acknowledge its existence...

    2. Re:Broadcast a cryptic signal for years by Abstrackt · · Score: 2, Funny

      Since governments don't actually acknowledge number stations, what would be the harm of starting your own?

      To give it an even geekier twist it could start with "three... one... four... one... five...".

      --
      They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett
  5. get some bean dip by hamburger+lady · · Score: 4, Funny

    and some giant fritos...

    --

    ---
    Is this the MPAA? Is this the RIAA? Is this the DMCA? I thought it was the USA!
  6. Re:Astronomy? by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe a TV broadcast from Omicron Persei 8?

  7. Have Fun with the neighbors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Point the dish at your nearest neighbors house to make them paranoid.

    1. Re:Have Fun with the neighbors by type40 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Also add a throbbing red light to the horn so it lights up the collector area of the dish at night.
      Then periodically go into you back yard and laugh maniacally and/ or clentch your fists in their general direction and say "soon".

      --
      "You can see I know very little about pimp policy." George McGovern.
    2. Re:Have Fun with the neighbors by Provocateur · · Score: 3, Funny

      And then, while they're out in the yard, you come out in some sort of hazard suit and, within earshot, speak into your cellphone, "Alright honey, switch it on...Ok, there, Perfect! It's fully operational!"

      --
      WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
  8. Re:Astronomy? by TheCRAIGGERS · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't get it. How would a 10' dish help him achieve first posts? And why bother?

  9. Re:Moon bounce by trelf · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just don't say anything rude in case you miss the moon. That could come back to haunt you in a few hundred years.

  10. Re:Sound Mirror by grub · · Score: 2, Funny


    So may I suggest using the dish for a bit of covert surveillance of neighbours.

    I don't think having a 3M dish pointed directly at your neighbours could be classified as "covert" :)

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  11. Re:Alien signals from space by jbeach · · Score: 2, Funny

    I love the meta joke of this message being modded as "interesting".

    --
    The Invisible Hand of the Free Market is what punches workers in the nuts.
  12. Improper Use of the 3 Step Process by WED+Fan · · Score: 5, Funny

    You are hereby served notice regarding your improper use of the UGI patented "3 Step Process". The UGI (Underpants Gnomes International) have established that all "3 Step Processes" must take the form of

    1. Action
    2. ???
    3. Profit.

    If you continue to use your errant "3 Step Process" legal action may follow.

    IAAUGL

    The Underpants Gnomes International do wish to make a constructive suggestion. The use of A B C instead of 1 2 3 would not be in violation of the UGI's patent.

    Screw you guys. I'm going home.

    --
    Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong fix.
    1. Re:Improper Use of the 3 Step Process by Abstrackt · · Score: 3, Funny

      IAAUGL

      I Am An Underpants Gnome Lawyer?

      Probably. Or he choked on an orange while dictating.

      --
      They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett
  13. Re:If you're looking for fun, you're doing it wron by Lumpy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Up here in Michigan we throw rocks or poke at cornered wolverines.

    No, the animal.. not the panzy college students... they just whine in the alleyway when you do that to them... No fun at all.

    GO SPARTIANS!

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  14. Re:Sound Mirror by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Funny

    then paint...

    " I'M NOT LISTENING TO YOU!"

    on the dish.

    That will throw them off.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  15. Re:If you're looking for fun, you're doing it wron by Arthur+Grumbine · · Score: 4, Funny

    GO SPARTIANS!

    Your alma mater must be so proud. :-P

    --
    Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
  16. Use it for assertiveness by SpaghettiPattern · · Score: 2, Funny

    Use it for assertiveness. Carry it around and when some idiot starts nagging you, throw it onto him/her, cause a mini-eclipse and speak the utterly cool words "Talk to the dish 'cause the universe ain't listenin'." Wiggle your head and impress your buddies.

    --

    I hadn't the slightest objection to his spending his time planning massacres for the bourgeoisie... (P.G. Wodehouse)