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One segment of the satellite dish. One sixth.

It probably looks really easy to reassemble, but it was not. The screens slid into small channels on both sides of the ribs. The screens were very flexible, so they had to be coaxed into the channels.

Now I know what those Death Star building contractors had to put up with.

I used white tape to hold the ribs together temporarily.

There were a lot of questions in my mind about how to proceed after the dish was re-assembled. Maybe that is why it took so long to complete it. 

I needed to figure out how to erect this thing. The previous owner had used a metal pole, sunk into cement in his backyard. I didn't want to do that.

I also needed to figure out how to get 113 square feet of mirrors, and I had to decide on what size mirror to use. Big mirrors would be easier to cut and would not have to be aligned as perfectly. Small mirrors would create a smaller focal point... a sharper point.

Each re-screened segment was an accomplishment. At least I didn't have to handcraft these things myself.

Big dishes like this are no longer necessary for home use because the satellite broadcasters changed their transmission signals. They used to transmit in the C-band, and now they mostly transmit in the K-band, so you can get away with a smaller satellite dish.

I was eager to show off the dish (and my plans) at Stacy's birthday party. Many people were excited by the prospect of a powerful solar dish at our disposal.