Fixing TV aerials in Royston
A TV aerial on a Royston roof leads a hard life. The town sits on a slope of open chalk downland, and westerly gales have little to stop them as they cross the heath. Over a few winters that wind loosens clamps, works brackets free of soft mortar and turns aerials a little at a time until they no longer line up properly with Sandy Heath. Most people notice the result as a picture that drops out on certain channels, or a set upstairs that has stopped working altogether.
We find the weak point by testing in stages: at the television, at the wall plate, at the amplifier and up at the aerial. Once we know where the signal is lost, we repair that part, whether it is one corroded plug or a bracket that has pulled away from a chimney, and we show you the before and after readings.
Fault finder
What’s wrong with your picture?
Pick the closest match to see what usually causes it, what to try first, and how we’d fix it.
Common TV aerial faults in Royston
Storm and wind damage
Houses near the top of town and out on the exposed land around Therfield and Reed catch the worst of the weather. Bent aerials get straightened or swapped, rusted brackets and lashing kits renewed, and a pole that has started to lean is made secure.
Water in the cable or connectors
Rain finds its way into split coax and plugs that were never sealed, and the picture fails in wet weather and then recovers. We trim back to dry cable, fit weatherproof connectors and seal the joint.
TV aerial off its line to Sandy Heath
A few degrees is enough to lose a multiplex. We realign using a signal meter, checking every channel group, and tighten the clamps so it holds in the next gale.
Failed amplifiers and splitters
Every room blank at once? The masthead or loft amplifier is our first port of call. We replace a failed unit or power supply and set the gain so a strong signal isn’t pushed into overload.
Missing channels and 4G/5G interference
Channels missing after a retune often point to an older narrow-band aerial. Pictures that break up at busy times of the day point to mobile interference, and a filter at the amplifier usually stops it.
Sockets, fly leads and single rooms
If only one television is affected, look close to it first. A crushed fly lead, a loose wall plate or a bad joint in the cable to that room are the usual suspects, and they are quick to find.
Should you repair or replace?
A lasting repair always comes first. A new TV aerial earns its place when the rods have gone brittle or green with corrosion, when a narrow-band design from years ago can’t see every Sandy Heath multiplex, or when the mast has to be taken down regardless and the aerial on it is worn out too. We’ll show you the readings and the parts so the decision is yours.
Slide the control on the TV below to see each kind of fault, and what usually lies behind it in Royston.
Old chimneys and soft brickwork
Many of the TV aerials in the older parts of Royston are strapped to Victorian and earlier chimneys. The mortar in these stacks weathers away, and an aerial pulling on a loose stack in a gale can bring bricks down with it. When we repair an aerial on a chimney like this, we check the stack and, if it looks weak, move the aerial to a wall bracket or the loft. If you see an aerial leaning badly, or loose bricks near it, keep people away from that side of the house and call 0800 559 3914.
Areas we cover in and around Royston
Repairs right across Royston and the villages around it, including aerials fitted by someone else.
Royston town
- Town centre
- Market Hill
- Fish Hill
- Melbourn Street
- Kneesworth Street
- Baldock Street
- Old North Road
- Studlands
- Tannery Drift
- Echo Hill
- Burns Road
- Coombelands
Villages around Royston
- Therfield
- Reed
- Barkway
- Barley
- Bassingbourn
- Kneesworth
- Melbourn
- Meldreth
- Litlington
- Steeple Morden
- Guilden Morden
- Whaddon
- Shepreth
- Great Chishill
Nearby towns we also cover
Royston questions
Every TV in the house has lost its signal. What should I check?
Go up to the loft and see whether the amplifier’s power light is lit. A dark light points to the amplifier or its plug; a lit one points to the down-lead or to an aerial shifted by the wind. We can test each stage and tell you which.
Why does my picture get worse in wet weather?
Because water is getting into the cable or a connector. The signal recovers as it dries out, then fails again next time it rains. Sealing or replacing that length of cable fixes it.
Is my old TV aerial worth saving?
Usually. The fault tends to be one plug, one length of coax, the amplifier or the aim at Sandy Heath. We only suggest a new aerial when it is corroded, too narrow for today’s channels or wrecked by the weather.
Will you look at a TV aerial someone else put up?
Yes. We repair aerials, cables, amplifiers and splitters whoever fitted them.
The TV aerial is on an old chimney in the conservation area. Is that a problem?
It can be, if the stack is weak. We check the brickwork when we repair it and, if it isn’t safe, suggest a wall bracket or loft position instead.