Radio reception
DAB and FM radio aerial installation
If your DAB bubbles and your FM hisses, the telescopic wire on the back of the radio is usually the reason. A proper external aerial, cabled to the set, turns marginal radio into something you can leave on all day.
- Hi-fi tuners and studios
- Loft or roof mounting
- Combined with your TV feed
North & North West London
Radio deserves the same treatment as television
DAB is digital, so it behaves like Freeview: it holds up nicely until it doesn't, and then it burbles. Thick masonry, basement flats, steel-framed buildings and the hills around Hampstead and Highgate all cut into the indoor signal that a built-in aerial relies on.
The fix is an aerial designed for the band, mounted where the signal is, and connected with decent coax. For FM that usually means a directional aerial aimed at the transmitter — a genuine step up for anyone with a proper hi-fi tuner. For DAB, a vertical rod or dipole in the loft or on the roof is often enough.
We can combine radio with your existing TV feed through a diplexer so one cable run serves both, and terminate at a wall plate near the hi-fi rather than trailing wire across the room.
What the job includes
What we install for radio
DAB aerials
Vertically polarised rods and dipoles in the loft or on the roof, positioned by measurement.
FM aerials
Directional multi-element aerials aimed for clean stereo on a quality tuner.
Combined feeds
Diplexers so a single existing cable run carries both TV and radio.
Studio and office work
Reliable off-air reception for broadcast monitoring, studios and offices.
Neat termination
A proper wall plate and lead to the tuner instead of a length of wire behind the shelf.
Signal report
Before and after readings so the improvement is measurable, not just claimed.
How it works
DAB & FM radio aerials: from your first message to a finished job
- 01
Tell us the symptoms
Which stations, which rooms, and what equipment you're feeding.
- 02
Test positions
We take readings in the loft and at roof level to find where the signal actually is.
- 03
Install
Aerial mounted, cable run, wall plate fitted near the tuner.
- 04
Tune and verify
Stations retuned and readings taken so you can see the difference.
Questions we get asked
DAB & FM radio aerials — the details
Will an external aerial really improve DAB?
In most poor-reception homes, markedly. Getting the aerial out of the building and onto a measured position is far more effective than moving the radio around the room.
Can one aerial feed several rooms?
Yes, with distribution — the same principle as TV outlets, sized so each point receives a full-strength feed.
Do I need a separate cable for radio?
Not usually. A diplexer lets your existing TV cable carry radio as well, which avoids new runs through finished rooms.
Can you fit a radio aerial in the loft?
Often, and it keeps the roofline clear. We measure in the loft first, because slate, foil insulation and solar panels all reduce what gets through.
Do you work on hi-fi FM systems?
Yes. A directional FM aerial aimed properly is the single biggest upgrade most vintage and modern tuners can get.
Related work
TV aerial installation
New wideband or high-gain aerials sited for a clean Crystal Palace signal.
Extra TV points
New aerial or satellite outlets in bedrooms, kitchens, lofts and garden rooms.
Communal TV systems
IRS and communal aerial systems designed, repaired and maintained for blocks.
Local pages
- Hampstead
- Belsize Park
- Highgate
- Camden Town
- Primrose Hill
- Kentish Town
- Swiss Cottage
- St John's Wood
- Golders Green
- West Hampstead
- Kilburn
- Finchley
- Muswell Hill
- Crouch End
- Archway
- Islington
- Hendon
- Mill Hill
- Willesden
- Queen's Park
Free advice, no obligation
Tell us about the dab & fm radio aerials you need.
Speak to an engineer on WhatsApp — Mon–Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 9am–5pm. We cover North & North West London and most jobs are finished in a single visit.