Satellite dishes fitted and fixed across the region
A satellite dish looks simple, but it only works when it points at one spot in the sky, about 36,000 kilometres up over the equator, to within a fraction of a degree. Get that right, with a sound LNB and good cable, and it will give a solid picture for years. Get it slightly wrong and the picture freezes in every heavy shower. Most of the calls we get about satellite come down to that one point.
We’re an independent satellite installer covering Essex, East London, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, from terraces in Ilford and Romford to farmhouses outside Bury St Edmunds and new estates around Cambridge. We fit new dishes for Sky and Freesat, align dishes to European satellites for channels in other languages, repair and move existing dishes, and build multi-room and communal systems. Whatever the job, we check the signal on a meter and show you the reading before we leave.
What we do with satellite dishes
Sky dishes
Dishes and LNBs for Sky Q and older Sky boxes, plus extra boxes, repairs and moves. We’re independent, not part of Sky, so we look after the hardware on your wall while Sky looks after your account.
Freesat
Live TV from satellite with no monthly bill. A good fit where the TV aerial signal is weak or blocked by trees and hills, and often possible using a dish that’s already on the house.
International satellite
Dishes pointed at Hotbird, Astra 19.2°E, Türksat and other positions for channels from across Europe and beyond. These usually need a larger dish than Sky, and sometimes a second one.
Dish realignment and LNB replacement
When a picture drops out in rain or one tuner stops working, the dish has usually drifted or the LNB on the arm has failed. We peak the dish on a meter, swap the LNB if needed and seal every connector.
Moving a dish
Building work, rendering, solar panels or a new window often leave a dish in the way. We take it down, find a new spot with a clear view of the satellite and re-run the cable tidily into the house.
Multi-room and communal satellite
One dish feeding several boxes in a house, or a whole block of flats through a multiswitch. We design the system around the receivers you have, so every room gets its own clean feed.
Repairs when the box says ‘no satellite signal’
That message means the box can’t lock on to the satellite. Very heavy rain, snow sitting in the dish, or a loose plug behind the box can all cause it and clear on their own, so restart the box at the wall first. If it keeps coming back, the fault is usually one of four things: a dish knocked out of line by wind or a ladder, a tree that has grown across the view, an LNB that has failed with age, or water inside a cable or connector.
We test at the box, at the wall plate and at the dish to see where the signal stops, then fix that part. It’s often a realignment and a new LNB rather than a whole new dish. Drag the signal on the TV below to see how each level of fault tends to show up on screen.
Where a dish can go, and planning permission
For Sky and Freesat the dish needs a clear line of sight roughly south-east, a little higher than the horizon. Trees, a neighbour’s extension or a tall block opposite can all get in the way, and they matter more in winter rain than on a dry day. We’ll look at the walls, the chimney and the garden, and put the dish where the signal is strongest and the cable run makes sense.
On most houses in England a dish counts as permitted development, so you don’t need to apply. There are limits: no more than two dishes on the property, a single dish no more than 100cm across, and nothing over 60cm on a chimney. In a conservation area, such as parts of Saffron Walden, Coggeshall or Lavenham, a dish can’t go on a chimney, wall or roof slope that faces and can be seen from a road. Listed buildings need consent. Flats and blocks have their own rules and often a lease clause, so check with the freeholder before a dish goes up.
If you’re unsure, we’ll suggest a rear wall, a low bracket in the garden or a roof slope out of view, and tell you when it’s worth a word with your local council first.
Satellite dish questions
Can one dish serve Sky and Freesat?
Both come from the same Astra satellites at 28.2°E, so the same type of dish works for either. If you leave Sky, the dish can usually stay and feed a Freesat box instead. Running both at once in one home just needs enough LNB outputs, or a multiswitch.
How long does a new satellite dish installation take?
A straightforward dish on a wall with a short cable run is usually done in a couple of hours, including alignment and testing. Long cable runs, chimney fixings or multi-room work take longer, and we’ll tell you roughly how long when you book.
Will you repair a dish someone else fitted?
Yes. We realign, repair and move dishes whoever put them up, and we can reuse a sound dish rather than replacing it.
Why has my picture got worse since the summer?
Very often it’s trees. Leaves and new growth can creep into the dish’s view over a season, and the signal drops most when they’re wet. Moving the dish, or raising it on a longer bracket, usually solves it.
Do I need planning permission for a satellite dish?
Usually not on a house, provided you stay within the size and number limits. Conservation areas, listed buildings and flats are the main exceptions. We’ll suggest a position that keeps you within the rules.
Do I still need a dish for Sky?
Only for Sky Q and older satellite boxes. Sky Stream and Sky Glass come over broadband with no dish. If you’ve switched, we can take the old dish down or leave it in place for Freesat.
Can you take an old dish down?
Yes. We remove unwanted dishes and brackets, fill the fixing holes and take the old parts away, or leave the dish and cable in place if you might want Freesat later.