Satellite installers in Harlow
A satellite dish only works when it stares at exactly the right patch of sky. Astra 2, which carries Sky and Freesat, sits far above the equator, and a dish nudged by a ladder or a gale can lose lock on it. In Harlow, with its tree-lined footpaths and green wedges between neighbourhoods, a dish that worked for years can also lose signal as nearby trees fill out.
We fit new Sky and Freesat dishes, realign dishes that have moved, replace worn-out LNBs, relocate dishes for extensions and new cladding, and install multi-room and communal systems across the CM17 to CM20 postcodes. If you’re changing TV service and aren’t sure you still need a dish, ask us.
Satellite services in Harlow
Sky dish installation
Dishes and LNBs for Sky Q, set up for the number of boxes in your home. Sky Glass and Sky Stream run over broadband with no dish, so if you’ve moved to one, we can remove the old dish or reuse it for Freesat.
Freesat installation
Live TV with no monthly subscription. Freesat is also a handy back-up where the aerial signal from Crystal Palace or Sandy Heath is weak because of trees or nearby blocks.
Dish realignment and LNB replacement
Signal lost in every heavy shower, or one box failing while another is fine? The dish has usually shifted or the LNB at the front has failed. We put it back on target with a meter and fit a new LNB when needed.
Moving a dish
Extensions, porches, external wall insulation and solar arrays often mean the dish has to be moved. We find a new spot facing south-east, run the cable back neatly and seal the wall.
Multi-room and communal satellite
A multiswitch lets many boxes, or every flat in a block, share one dish. It suits Harlow’s many low- and high-rise blocks and replaces a row of individual dishes on the walls.
Foreign-language satellite
Dishes aimed at Hotbird and other satellites for channels from across Europe and further afield, fitted beside your Sky or Freesat dish where there’s room.
Fixing ‘no satellite signal’
Most ‘no satellite signal’ faults start outside: a dish turned by wind or by someone working on the roof, a tree grown across its view, birds on the arm, or an LNB that has reached the end of its life. Indoors, a loose plug behind the receiver or a failed multiswitch in a block can cause the same message.
Try switching the box off at the mains for a minute, and check there’s no snow on the dish or cloudburst overhead, since both pass on their own. If the fault stays, we can usually trace and fix it in one visit.
Where your dish can go
In Harlow a dish needs an unobstructed view south-east, which can be tricky on north-facing walls or under the mature trees along many footpaths. Most homes don’t need planning permission for a dish, but the rules are tighter in conservation areas and for listed buildings. Harlow’s conservation areas include Old Harlow, Churchgate Street and Mark Hall, the first neighbourhood of the new town. In those areas a dish facing the road may need consent, so we look for a position at the side or rear and tell you if it’s worth checking with Harlow Council first.
Areas we cover in and around Harlow
Dishes fitted and repaired in all Harlow neighbourhoods and the villages nearby.
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
Local advice
Harlow questions
My satellite TV cuts out in heavy showers. Is that normal?
Heavy rain takes a little strength out of the signal. A properly aligned dish has enough in reserve, so regular drop-outs mean the dish has probably moved or the LNB is ageing. Realignment usually cures it.
Does Sky still need a dish?
Sky Q does. Sky Glass and Sky Stream use broadband instead. If you change over, you can keep the dish and use it for Freesat, which has no subscription.
Is planning permission needed for a dish in Harlow?
Usually not, but rules are tighter in conservation areas such as Old Harlow and Mark Hall, and for listed buildings, especially for dishes facing a road. We’ll suggest a position that keeps you within the rules.
Can our block of flats share one dish?
Yes. A communal multiswitch system gives every flat its own satellite feed from a single dish.
Can you fit a dish for channels in another language?
Yes. We align dishes to Hotbird and other European satellites, often alongside the dish you already have.