Aerial and satellite questions, answered properly

Digital TV drops out when signal quality falls below a threshold, even if strength still looks acceptable. The cause is usually an indoor one — a tired wall plate, an unpowered splitter or a poor lead — or interference rather than the aerial itself. We measure strength, quality and error rate to find out which.

Freeview arrives as several separate multiplexes on different frequencies. Losing one while keeping the others usually points to aerial alignment, an overdriven amplifier or a frequency-specific interference source.

It's very common in leafy parts of North London. Foliage absorbs UHF signal, so a path that's fine in winter can be marginal in July. We plan installations around the summer condition.

Yes. Mobile services sit close to the frequencies used for TV, and older cabling and amplifiers can pick them up. The cure is proper filtering and better screened cable, not more gain.

A well-made aerial on sound fixings should give you fifteen to twenty years in London conditions. What usually fails first is the cheap cable or an unsealed connector, which is why we weatherproof every outdoor joint.

Rarely, but sometimes good enough. Tiles, foil-backed insulation, lead and solar panels all absorb signal. We measure in the loft before recommending one rather than assuming it will work.

In many cases no, provided it isn't visible from the street and sits below the ridge. Listed buildings and some conservation areas are stricter, and leases on flats often prohibit external fixings. We'll tell you where you stand before fitting anything.

Often, yes. If the bracket and hardware are sound we may only need to replace an LNB, a connector or a length of cable, which keeps the cost down considerably.

The freeholder or managing agent. We're happy to test the system, report the findings in writing with readings, and deal with the agent directly once you've put us in touch.

It can be either. Testing at your outlet and at the floor distribution point normally settles it within minutes, and we'll tell you honestly which side of the boundary the fault falls on.

That's what an IRS system does — one head end distributing Freeview, satellite, DAB and FM to every flat. Freeholders usually much prefer it to individual dishes on the elevation.

Same-week is normal across our patch, and same-day happens often — particularly for storm damage, when we keep slots free.

Send photos on WhatsApp and we'll give you a realistic figure before we travel. The engineer confirms it on arrival after taking readings, and it doesn't change on the day unless you ask for extra work.

Every installation carries our 12-month workmanship guarantee. If something isn't right afterwards, tell us and we'll come back.

Yes — card or bank transfer on completion, once you're satisfied the work is done and tested.

We're fully insured and we work to safe methods at height, with ladder anchoring and edge protection. We can supply documentation for managing agents before works begin.