If you’re looking for things to do with an old satellite dish, you have come to the right place. There are many, many applications to an old satellite dish, and in this post, we will share with you the most successful ones.
In other words, here you will find the best and most useful things you can make of an old satellite dish.
You can transform your old satellite dish into almost anything! We will focus mainly on technical stuff such as the receiver and TV antenna. Depending on whether you succeed or not in the end you can always transform it into a clock or garden art.
Even if you’re not into something technical, we have the best and most creative ideas for you further in the post.
It does not really matter what type or size satellite dish you have, here you will find the most creative things.
We shall start with what the majority of you will be interested in.
How to Turn Old Satellite Dish Into TV Antenna?
We assume that most of you are here because DirecTV does not uninstall their old dishes and cutting the cord might feel tempting.
We’ve all seen TV antennas that look just like a satellite dish, but they are designed to work in a completely different way and detect another set of signals.
The truth is that it is highly unlikely for you to turn an old satellite dish into a working TV antenna but at least we can tell you what to expect.
You won’t detect much if you connect the dish to your TV antenna port, except if you’re living right next to the broadcast tower. In other words, the receiver area is very small, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you don’t “catch” anything.
It is highly unlikely but If there is a signal you might enjoy some free sports and news, but you shouldn’t expect good quality.
Best Use for Old DIRECTV Antenna?
We have good news for the ones of you with leftover DirecTV antenna. No, you can turn it into a fully functional TV antenna, but you can use it in combination with an outdoor antenna to produce impressive results.
What you’re going to need is an HD antenna with a coaxial connection. This is the old-school type of connection for cable TV.
It is the only type of antenna that receives free air signal (OTA) broadcasts in high quality. The number of channels you will receive depends on the area you’re living in and whether there is a broadcast tower nearby or not.
Now when you know the type of antenna, choose a design that will easily mount on your DirecTV dish feed horn. In ideal conditions, you will have an antenna that uses a U-bolt in order to be installed.
Back in the days, these dishes went for $50 or less, so we expect the price in 2021 to be even lower.
This is one of the most efficient uses for old dish receiver and under our next heading, you will learn how to do it in the right way.
How To Connect DIRECTV Dish To HD Antenna?
Use the antenna’s U-bolt that is included in the box and secure the antenna to the feed horn of the DirecTV dish.
In case the antenna is too big you can always use a long object to extend the feed horn. The most important thing is to ensure that the antenna is facing inward, toward the dish, as well as that it is secured to the feed horn.
Back when your DirecTV was installed, the supplier should have carried out a coaxial cable from the dish, inside the house, all the way to your TV. Use this cable to connect to your new antenna and connect the other end to your TV.
Surf the channels to check the peak performance of an HD antenna.
The Most Creative Things to do with an Old Satellite Dish
If turning your old satellite dish into a TV antenna did not work, don’t worry because there are many creative uses.
We have gathered and extracted only the most accessible and easy to perform at-home projects to revive old satellite dishes in one way or another.
Garden Art
With a few colorful sprays and an old satellite dish, you have all the room for creativity that you need to turn into something beautiful.
Simply paint some flowers in different colors and place the dish in an easily visible place to capture attention.
Another creative approach would be to use the old dish receiver as a flowerpot. Simply make some holes on the bottom for the water to drain out, put some dirt and embed some flowers.
You can paint the dish beforehand, for an even more mesmerizing look.
Miscellaneous
If you brainstorm for a while, you will find out that there are many little things you can do out of your old satellite dish.
One of the best uses for an old dish receiver is to create a clock. You can paint the body in whatever color you wish and design it as per your desires.
Another creative idea we’ve found is to transform your old satellite dish into a wall decoration.
It can be everything from painting to art and design, whatever fits your in-house environment. You can even use it as a sign somewhere in your backyard.
Practical
There are many practical uses for an old dish receiver and some of them include a coffee table, chairs, backyard decorations, and even a birth bath.
The opportunities are endless and the only thing that is limiting you would be the size of the dish.
For larger satellite receivers there is the opportunity to use it as a treehouse roof for example, or birth bath as we mentioned.
In contrast, the smaller satellite dishes are suitable for any kind of yard or garden art.
A really practical and creative idea we stumbled upon while browsing Pinterest was this guy that used his old satellite dish as a frame for his diploma.
It might sound silly, but the end design was really great and the diploma in the center made it look like a custom-made frame.
How to Get Rid of An Old Satellite Dish?
If any of the methods above did not align with your interest, we recommend searching the web the same way we did.
You will find even more creative ideas but most of them are really complicated to achieve and require a lot of tools and additional purchases.
If you however want to get rid of the satellite dish you can drop it off at a local e-waste recycler.
It is arguable because a satellite dish consistency emits mixed signals when it comes if it is recyclable or not.
So, if your local e-waste recycler denies your satellite dish you can throw it in the garbage.
Bottom Line
We hope that our post had enough things to do with an old satellite dish, so you were able to use something.
If you didn’t find anything, keep thinking and soon enough you will find something to use it for. You can find more similar content in our blog and if you still haven’t checked it, you’re missing out!
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Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.