TV aerial repairs: the calls we get most
The aerial is the most exposed part of any television installation. Sun, wind and sea air work on it every day, so most of our call-outs are repairs rather than new installations. Before you ring, have a look at exactly what is happening; it helps us turn up with the right parts:
- “No signal” on every channel: a cable loose behind the TV, a failed power supply for the amplifier, or a broken coaxial run.
- Some channels missing: the multiplexes travel on different frequencies within the UHF band. If only a few disappear, it is usually alignment, an aerial that does not cover the band properly, or a badly set amplifier.
- Pixelation or a frozen picture: marginal signal, corroded connectors or interference. On the coast, salt air corrodes F connectors quickly.
- Problems that started after rain or wind: the aerial has turned, the mast has worked loose, or water has got into the cable.
- Some sockets fine, others not: a problem with splitters, tap-offs or the sockets themselves.
If you have changed the TV and retuning did not help, the fault is far more likely to be in the installation than in the set.
Fitting and aligning aerials in homes
In a house or a flat with its own aerial, we mount the aerial on a mast with proper clamps and outdoor-grade cable, and point it at the transmitter that gives the best service at your address. We do not stop at “there is a picture”: we measure the level and the quality (MER) of every multiplex with a field meter.
On sloping estates the aerial can end up shielded by the ground or by trees. Sometimes raising the mast is enough; sometimes it is better to point at a different transmitter. We also fit extra aerial points for a bedroom, terrace or study, running the coaxial by the cleanest route and rebalancing levels so the new point does not spoil the others.
If you live in a block with a communal system and several neighbours have the same problem, the fault is usually in the head-end. That is covered under communal TV aerials.
Amplifiers and 5G filters
In 2020 the second digital dividend handed the 700 MHz band to mobile operators, and Spanish digital television moved down the UHF band. Many installations still run amplifiers that boost that band, where the networks now transmit. The result is random drop-outs, or channels that vanish at certain times of day.
The fix is an LTE/5G filter and, often, a new masthead amplifier or a reprogrammed head-end unit. It is quick work that clears up problems people have lived with for months.
Satellite dishes and international channels
Salou, Cambrils, La Pineda and L’Ametlla de Mar are home to a lot of British, German, French and Dutch residents, and to many flats let to European visitors. For them a satellite dish is the most direct way to watch television from home without depending on the internet.
The first decision is the satellite, which depends on the channels:
- Astra 19.2° E: free-to-air German channels, many French ones and others from around Europe.
- Astra 28.2° E: British channels. The beam is concentrated on the UK, so the signal here is weak and needs a large dish and very precise alignment.
- Hotbird 13° E: Italian channels, plus Middle Eastern and North African ones, among others.
- Hispasat 30° W: Spanish and Portuguese platforms.
A geostationary satellite sits some 36,000 km away, so a few millimetres off on the dish is enough to lose it. That is why we align with a satellite field meter, setting azimuth, elevation and LNB polarisation. A dish can carry two LNBs for two satellites, though it is not always worth it. If you want the background, read what a satellite dish is and why you would use one.
Satellite dish and receiver faults
- “No signal” on the receiver: the dish has moved, the LNB has failed, or the cable is broken.
- Some channels work and others do not: an LNB that no longer switches properly between polarities or bands.
- It drops out when it rains: marginal signal. Sometimes fine alignment is enough; sometimes the dish is simply too small.
- The receiver asks you to update the list: channels change frequency over time. We retune and leave the list tidy.
On receivers, the blog covers what to look for when choosing a satellite receiver and the most common satellite dish faults.
When the channel you want is not broadcast by satellite, the alternative is legal IPTV over the internet. For that you need a solid connection in the living room; if it does not reach, have a look at our wifi solutions.
What affects the quote
We do not give fixed prices without seeing the installation, but we can tell you what moves the figure:
- The job itself: a connector or a realignment is nothing like a new mast and aerial.
- Access: a flat walkable roof, a pitched tile roof, or work that needs a platform.
- Materials: aerial, dish, LNB, amplifier, filters, metres of cable and number of points.
- Choice of satellite: the ones that arrive weak here need bigger dishes.
You always get the quote before we touch anything. If all it needs is an adjustment, we will say so.
How we work
- You tell us the problem: which channels fail, since when, and what you want to watch. A photo of the aerial or the dish helps a lot.
- Visit and diagnosis with a field meter, on the roof and at the sockets.
- A free quote, explained in plain language.
- Repair or installation using outdoor-grade materials.
- Final check: we measure again, retune the TV or receiver and test it with you there.
Where we work
We are based in Salou and cover the whole province. We work regularly in Tarragona, Reus, Salou, Cambrils, La Pineda, Mont-roig del Camp, L’Ametlla de Mar and El Vendrell, as well as the private estates of the Baix Camp and the Tarragonès. Every town we cover is listed on the areas we cover map.