Well, the satellite dishes in my area are mostly grey, not white - but to the question - why painted and not mirrored?. The wavelengths that need reflecting by the parabolic mirror of the satellite dish are in the microwave range - a millimetre or so.
So, the dish need only be smooth compared to that length, and a paint finish meets that standard, though of course, most of the reflection is done by the metal of the dish. The paint need not be radio-conductive or radio-reflective.
Were the dish needed to operate in the optical range, then indeed, a mirror finish would be needed.
Umm, to get satellite tv or other signals.
The answer is YES, they look horribly taky (unless they are well mixed with surrounds, which is hard to find).
Most communication satellites orbit at or near the equator. In the northern hemisphere this is obviously to the south. In the southern hemisphere it is to the north, so the dishes would point north.
Because I like unicorns.
no they don't i have heard of them sending up a K9 (a dog ) and a monkey and also satellite dishes but that's about it!
I believe that grey and white reflect radio waves and black absorbs it. That is why large radio telescopes have either white or gray dishes.
Down in the Shacks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow was created in 1992.
Umm, to get satellite tv or other signals.
No.
The average size of a satellite dish is from 1.5 to 2 yards. Residential satellite dishes are usually smaller, while satellite dishes for commercial use tend to be larger.
DISH Network satellite dishes must face a certain direction in order to allow the dish to correctly align with the necessary satellite orbitals.
satellite dishes are not composed of flesh
Yes, there are different shapes and sizes of satellite dishes. You can find the best one for your home at www.montanasatellite.com/satellite_dish_covers.htm
very.....big..:P
If you are referring to the original satellite dish known as the C band satellite, the satellite company that used these was DISH Network.
Yes, there are people that still use the big satellite dishes. You can even buy them at www.ringolake.com/sat_dish/sat_main.html or www.skyvision.com/
TVRO (Television Receive-Only) refers to satellite dishes used for receiving satellite television signals. These dishes are typically larger than DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite) dishes and are commonly used for receiving programming from satellites located in geostationary orbit. TVRO systems were popular before the advent of smaller DBS dishes.