Who remembers those big ol' satellite dishes from the 80s?

Growing up, the cable company didn't serve our area yet, but some of the neighbors had these monsters in their yard. Ahh the good ol' days.

I lined a six footer with aluminum foil and pointed it at the sun.
Don't try this at home. 

I lined a six footer with aluminum foil and pointed it at the sun.
Don't try this at home. 

Is that how your brain got burnt?

Quote from: Bullwinkle on June 24, 2018, 09:22:29 PM

I lined a six footer with aluminum foil and pointed it at the sun.
Don't try this at home. 

Is that how your brain got burnt?

No, but doctors have tried explaining the problem to me.
I just don't get it.

I lined a six footer with aluminum foil and pointed it at the sun.
Don't try this at home. 

Did you really?

I lined a six footer with aluminum foil and pointed it at the sun.
Don't try this at home. 

I have one of the modern ones sitting on my roof doing nothing... was thinking of doing that and cooking hotdogs on it or something.

Quote from: Bullwinkle on June 24, 2018, 09:22:29 PM

I lined a six footer with aluminum foil and pointed it at the sun.
Don't try this at home. 

Did you really?

The 'hot spot' was about 8" in diameter.
It would liquefy a penny in three seconds.
And the 2x4 it was nailed to would flare and growl like a jet engine.

Yeah no.

I remember them. I never had one. Once I lived in a furnished apartment that had a TV (regular cable) but other than that I have not had a TV in my adult life. When I travel, I turn on the TV in the hotel, churn through all 400-or-whatever channels, then shut it off and read a book. I do have a projector for watching movies on DVD. But anyway, yes, I remember those big old dishes. How did those work, anyway, since satellites don't really exist? Or were all those people part of the conspiracy? They really had rabbit-ear antennas on their TV and the big dish was just for show?

I remember them. I never had one. Once I lived in a furnished apartment that had a TV (regular cable) but other than that I have not had a TV in my adult life. When I travel, I turn on the TV in the hotel, churn through all 400-or-whatever channels, then shut it off and read a book. I do have a projector for watching movies on DVD. But anyway, yes, I remember those big old dishes. How did those work, anyway, since satellites don't really exist? Or were all those people part of the conspiracy? They really had rabbit-ear antennas on their TV and the big dish was just for show?

  If you could patch up all the holes these dishes might be good for collecting rainwater :