Moving

[lumepo]

TV reception in my property is extremely bad due to very tall trees outside my home. I would like to move the satellite dish from the front to the back of the house.
I will not be able to change the location of the wire's entry into the house because to enter the seating room it would have to go through the kitchen in the ground floor, through 2 bedrooms and a bath room on the first floor or through the loft behind the water tank. For this reason, what I suggested the builders to do was to run it below the eaves.

According to the builders Sky themselves would have to move the dish. Is this correct?

 

[plugwash]

The builders are not correct. With sky you own the dish and can move it yourself if you wish.

 

[ericmark]

No there is nothing to stop you fitting a dish where you want other than planning permission. Clearly in a Grade I listed building likely you would be stopped.

Also in the main no need to be mounted high.

However cable length can be a problem you may need a larger dish to compensate for losses.

The Sky dish is only just big enough and the sky receiver is rather deaf. I have a free to air receiver on the dish sky abandoned as being no good working A1.

Just 1 mm out and they will stop working more likely all that is required is re-aliment and it will work OK. The free to air box has a audio and visual aliment tool but the cheap one are really no good.

Personally £20 or so to get it set correct is well worth the money.

This post is in wrong section may be the sysop can move it.

 

[flameport]

TV reception in my property is extremely bad due to very tall trees outside my home. I would like to move the satellite dish from the front to the back of the house.

How does moving the dish from the front to the back solve anything? The trees will still be there.

 

[JohnW2]

How does moving the dish from the front to the back solve anything? The trees will still be there.

Good question and, perhaps worse, unless the satellite is exactly 'side on' to the house, if the dish can 'see' the satellite from the front wall, it's pretty unlikely that it will be able to 'see' it from the back wall!

Kind Regards, John

 

[lumepo]

Thank you for all the replies. I hope you do not mind if I ask related questions.

Ericmark's reply suggests questions:
1.- Does the location and length of the wire deteriorate reception?
2.- The work of moving the dish from the front of the house to the back and clipping the wire will have to be done by builders. If they are unable to re-aline the dish, who should be contacted and how much would it cost?

 

[JohnW2]

1.- Does the location and length of the wire deteriorate reception?

The length of the cable is certainly a factor, but unikley to be an issue in the average house. The location of the cable is irrelevant, but the location of the dish is cucial. It has to be able to 'see' the Sky satellite, which is roughly SE from most of the UK. Which direction does the front of your house face - N, S, E, W or what? Look at your neighbours' houses and see where their dishes are located, and in which direction they are pointing - yours would need to be able to 'see' the same bit of sky that theirs are pointing at.

2.- The work of moving the dish from the front of the house to the back and clipping the wire will have to be done by builders. If they are unable to re-aline the dish, who should be contacted and how much would it cost?

Yellow pages are full of people who deal with satellite dishes (including re-alignment). I don't know what they charge. It would probably make a lot more sense for them to do the relocating of the dish, because they would be able to make sure that the dish could get an adequate signal at the chosen location!

Kind Regards, John

 

[lumepo]

The house faces South West.

If the dish was fitted at the back of the house close to the gutters, facing South East and upwards, is it likely that the roof will obstruct reception?

The roof is at an angle of around 45 degrees.

 

[JohnW2]

The house faces South West.

If the front of your house faces SW, then I'm a bit surprised that you would get a Sky signal at all from a dish on the front wall.

If the dish was fitted at the back of the house close to the gutters, facing South East and upwards, is it likely that the roof will obstruct reception?

As I said, there needs to be a clear view of the sky to the SE - as I also said, look to see where your neighbours' dishes are pointing. Is your house detached, semi- or terraced?

Kind Regards, John

 

[flameport]

If the dish was fitted at the back of the house close to the gutters, facing South East and upwards, is it likely that the roof will obstruct reception?.

If the roof is in the direction the dish is aimed, then the roof will totally obstruct any signal.

Sky dishes do NOT point 'upwards' - the elevation angle for southern England is about 25 degrees from horizontal (less if further north), so pretty much any pitched roof will be in the way.
As Sky dishes and most others are offset designs, the actual dish when installed properly will appear to be aimed nearly horizontal.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

They are attractive things, aren't they....

lumepo - how strong do you reckon your roof is?

 

[lumepo]

The house is semidetached. Unfortunately the side wall faces North West.

I am most grateful for all your help. You have educated me. I am a Doctor in Mathematics with limited practical knowledge.

 

[JohnW2]

The house is semidetached. Unfortunately the side wall faces North West. I am most grateful for all your help. You have educated me. I am a Doctor in Mathematics with limited practical knowledge.

In that case, you ought to be able to do the relevant 3D geometry/trig I'm sure that if you Google for the Sky satellite serving the UK, you'll be able to find all the co-ordinates (including elevation) you need to be able to work out exactly where the dish needs to point, from your latitude/longitude, to have line-of-sight to the satellite without any intervening nearby obstacles (like trees). As all the best books say 'an exercise for the student'!

However, the dish installers/aligners don't know anything about that maths. They merely connect a bit of test kit, align approximately using a compass and 'eyesight', and then wiggle the dish around until they get a satisfactory signal!

Kind Regards, John

 

[SimonH2]

2.- The work of moving the dish from the front of the house to the back and clipping the wire will have to be done by builders.

No, builders know about things like stacking a few bricks up to make a house. Many (most ?) wouldn't know a satellite dish from a wok, and most haven't got a clue as to what sort of cable should be used for TV.

You want someone who understands ariels and sat dishes. You will almost certainly find several independent "aeriel installers" locally - any of whom should be capable of doing the job properly.

In that case, you ought to be able to do the relevant 3D geometry/trig I'm sure that if you Google for the Sky satellite serving the UK, you'll be able to find all the co-ordinates (including elevation) you need to be able to work out exactly where the dish needs to point, from your latitude/longitude, to have line-of-sight to the satellite without any intervening nearby obstacles (like trees).

Or just use one of the sites that does it all for you - tell it where you are, and which bird you want to pick up, and it'll tell you the angles you need.

 

[JohnW2]

In that case, you ought to be able to do the relevant 3D geometry/trig I'm sure that if you Google for the Sky satellite serving the UK, you'll be able to find all the co-ordinates (including elevation) you need to be able to work out exactly where the dish needs to point, from your latitude/longitude, to have line-of-sight to the satellite without any intervening nearby obstacles (like trees).

Or just use one of the sites that does it all for you - tell it where you are, and which bird you want to pick up, and it'll tell you the angles you need.

Quite so (it wasn't me who mentioned the maths PhD!) ....

Yellow pages are full of people who deal with satellite dishes (including re-alignment). I don't know what they charge. It would probably make a lot more sense for them to do the relocating of the dish, because they would be able to make sure that the dish could get an adequate signal at the chosen location!

However, the dish installers/aligners don't know anything about that maths. They merely connect a bit of test kit, align approximately using a compass and 'eyesight', and then wiggle the dish around until they get a satisfactory signal!

Kind Regards, John