# Creative uses for my old satellite dish **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481 "2003-09-04T06:29:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/1 "2003-09-04T06:29:15Z")
I just switched from Dish Network to Direct TV. Now I’ve got this 2 foot satellite dish screaming to have something cool done with it… but what? ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/2 "2003-09-04T06:31:43Z")
Three words: Flying saucer hoax. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/3 "2003-09-04T07:14:36Z")
Line it with little mirrors and aim it toward the sun. The sun’s rays will be all pointed at the focus point. Put items in there and watch them scorch. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/4 "2003-09-04T07:40:59Z")
One word, my friend. **Guacamole** ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/5 "2003-09-04T08:01:38Z")
I’d be tempted to mount a microphone at the focal point and see if I can pick up distant conversations. I’ve seen a science/math demo using a big parabolic dish: lay it flat and drop rubber balls (preferably those super-bouncy toy balls) from above. No matter which part of the dish the ball hits, it bounces and hits the receiver at the focal point. OK it’s not a very dramatic demo, but it’s a good way to visualize how the thing works. **MaryEFoo** ’s idea is probably the most practical. I’d use pieces of aluminized mylar to line the dish. Aluminized foil should work too, but it’s hard to keep those from wrinkling. You can also use the parabolic reflector in reverse - mount a flashlight on the focal point and you have a searchlight. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/6 "2003-09-04T15:26:36Z")
1920s style “Death Ray” ---
**Author:** ![sycorob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@sycorob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sycorob)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/7 "2003-09-04T15:31:11Z")
1. Oversize Discus competition. 2. Giant Frisbe ™ 3. Put a base on it, have a bunch of people over for the superbowl and serve chips and salsa out of it. 4. Really big bowl of soup. 5. Put a strap on it to turn it into a shield, arm yourself with a light saber, and head out to the nearest Ren Fair armed with futuristic technology. They’re bound to make you king. 6. Build a model of the starship Enterprise, using the dish as the main hull. 7. Sell on Ebay. Somebody will find a use for it. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/8 "2003-09-04T16:37:14Z")
My one serious post for the day: Sell it on ebay, like sycorob says. Heres why it will sell- The small dishes are popular with RV’ers who have Dish Network at home. You take the box with the smart-card with you and you have dish on the road without having to dismount your dish on the wall or roof of your home. Hell, I would buy it if I didn’t already have an extra. The flying saucer hoax is a good one, too. * * * How is Rap like Porn? Both are better with the sound turned off. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/9 "2003-09-04T17:32:39Z")
Snow saucer! ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/10 "2003-09-04T17:34:30Z")
gee, nobody suggested using it as a wok? ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/11 "2003-09-04T17:37:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scr4 \* > **I’d be tempted to mount a microphone at the focal point and see if I can pick up distant conversations.** I’ve actually done this with an old DirecTV 18" dish. It did work, but not as well as I’d hoped. I have an old 3-foot Primestar dish that would probably work like hell, though. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/12 "2003-09-04T18:15:01Z")
Protective cup. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/13 "2003-09-04T18:22:48Z")
Use it to surf on open wireless networks on the other side of town 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/14 "2003-09-04T18:24:21Z")
You could go as the Gladiator to your next Halloween party. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/15 "2003-09-04T18:40:05Z")
I’m surprised nobody suggested making a birdbath out of it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/16 "2003-09-04T19:21:42Z")
Wear it as a large, silly hat. ---
**Author:** ![pipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c2a13f/32.png) [@pipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pipper)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/17 "2003-09-04T20:09:49Z")
Damn. I was hoping you were talking about the old 6 foot mesh type satellite dishes. I was going to suggest turning it into the world’s largest pasta strainer… ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/18 "2003-09-04T21:12:40Z")
Turn it straight up, use a 3/8 tube to pump water in and you have a high tech bird bath/fountain thingy. Laminate the inside of the dish with shiny mylar and replace the receiver with a halogen lamp and you have a large spotlight thingy. Have a gun? take it to the range and use it as a target thingy. Take the receiver arm off, put a 1/4 round sheet of glass on top, put legs underneath and you have an end table thingy. Put water and some fish in it and you can have a goldfish bowl thingy. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/19 "2003-09-04T22:33:41Z")
Mount a magnetron from an old microwave oven at the focus behind a waveguide and impedance matcher. Aim assembly at food and switch on. Note: food can be on other side of town. Voila! A microwave projector, otherwise known as a 2020s-style “Death Ray”! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SanguineSpider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SanguineSpider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanguineSpider)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481/20 "2003-09-05T04:25:30Z")
Giant WOK!!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-uses-for-my-old-satellite-dish/199481.md?page=2)