TV aerial engineers in Harlow
Harlow is one of those places where the TV aerial on your roof decides which news you watch. The town falls within the BBC London and ITV London region, served from Crystal Palace, yet BBC East and ITV Anglia can also be picked up from Sandy Heath in Bedfordshire. Look along almost any street in Tye Green or Potter Street and you’ll see aerials pointing in two different directions.
Essex Aerial Solutions installs TV aerials right across the CM17, CM18, CM19 and CM20 postcodes, from a 1950s terrace in Mark Hall to a new house at Newhall. We take readings from both transmitters at your address, talk you through the choice, and agree the cost before we start. Every channel is tuned and every socket checked before we pack up.
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TV aerial installation services in Harlow
New and replacement TV aerials
Most Harlow aerials face south towards Crystal Palace for BBC London and ITV London. If you’d rather have East of England news, we can point a suitable aerial north-west to Sandy Heath instead, where the signal at your house allows. Either way the old aerial comes down and goes with us.
Loft aerials
The low-rise housing in many Harlow neighbourhoods often gets enough signal for an aerial in the roof space. We test there first. If the reading is short, we’ll say so rather than leave you with a loft aerial that drops channels.
Extra TV points and Freeview Play
Extra sockets for bedrooms, a lounge-diner extension or a garden room, run from one aerial with a distribution amplifier. We set up Freeview Play on each smart TV so on-demand apps are on the guide.
TV wall mounting
TVs mounted on the brick and block walls of the post-war houses or the plasterboard in newer homes at Church Langley and Newhall, with the right fixings for each. We hide the cables in the wall where possible, otherwise in neat trunking.
Communal TV aerials for flats
Harlow has blocks of flats in almost every neighbourhood, from The Lawn in Mark Hall, the UK’s first residential tower block, to newer apartments near the town centre. We install and upgrade MATV and IRS systems so each flat has a full set of channels.
TV reception in Harlow
Crystal Palace, the 219-metre tower in south London, is the main transmitter for Harlow and carries the London versions of BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1 and Channel 4. Sandy Heath, to the north-west, gives the same national channels with BBC East and ITV Anglia regional programmes. Which one works better depends on the street, so we measure both with a meter before recommending a TV aerial.
Harlow sits on the south bank of the River Stort, and the land is far from uniform. Homes low down near the river, or tucked behind the town’s many belts of mature trees and green wedges, can need a taller pole or a higher-gain aerial. Tower blocks and taller buildings in the town centre can also cast a shadow over the houses immediately behind them.
An aerial put up years ago for a narrow group of channels may now miss part of Freeview, after the frequency changes since switchover. Phone masts along the M11 and across the town can also overload an amplifier with 4G and 5G. A wideband aerial and a small filter fix both.
London or Anglia: choosing your regional TV
Some Harlow households want London news because they work in the capital or follow London sport, while others prefer East of England coverage that includes Essex and Hertfordshire stories. You can have either, and in some homes both: a second TV aerial on the same mast, aimed at the other transmitter, can feed a separate TV or be combined so you can switch between regions. We check both signals first, explain what each set-up would involve, and only fit a second aerial where your readings show it will work reliably.
Areas we cover in and around Harlow
Every Harlow neighbourhood and the villages around the town. If yours isn’t listed, call us: it’s very likely we cover it.
Harlow neighbourhoods
- Old Harlow
- Mark Hall
- The Stow
- Netteswell
- Little Parndon
- Great Parndon
- Tye Green
- Bush Fair
- Staple Tye
- Potter Street
- Harlow Common
- Church Langley
- Newhall
- Katherines
Estates and nearby villages
- Sumners
- Latton Bush
- Bishopsfield
- Templefields
- Pinnacles
- London Road
- Roydon
- Sheering
- Hastingwood
- Matching
- Nazeing
- Hatfield Heath
Nearby towns we also cover
Harlow questions
Which transmitter should my TV aerial point at in Harlow?
For most homes, Crystal Palace in south London, which carries BBC London and ITV London. Sandy Heath in Bedfordshire is the alternative for BBC East and ITV Anglia. We take readings from both and recommend the one that gives a steady picture at your address.
Is a loft aerial an option in Harlow?
Often, yes, particularly where the house has a tiled roof and a clear view towards the transmitter. Trees, neighbouring blocks or foil-lined insulation can weaken the signal, so we measure in the loft before suggesting one.
Can I get both London and Anglia regional news?
In many parts of the town, yes. A second aerial aimed at the other transmitter can be added and combined with the first, or wired to a separate TV. We’ll test both signals first so you know it will work.
Do you cover the villages around Harlow?
Yes. As well as every neighbourhood in the town, we cover Roydon, Sheering, Hastingwood, Matching, Nazeing and Hatfield Heath.
Can you install a communal TV aerial for a block of flats?
Yes. We design and install communal aerial systems for landlords, housing providers and managing agents, and upgrade older systems so every flat gets the full channel list.