We install and realign Sky, Sky Q and Freesat dishes across N12, and we correct installations that never worked properly. Before work starts you get a fixed written quote showing the dish position, cable route and anything we need you to approve.
Start with the sky, not the nearest bracket
A dish has to look towards the satellites at roughly 28.2 degrees east, which means a low south-easterly line from this part of London. We stand at the proposed position and check what sits in that line: the house next door, a side extension, a conifer or the corner of an apartment block.
Many failed dishes in N12 were fixed where it was easy to reach rather than where the view was clear. We would rather propose a slightly less convenient wall that works than a neat bracket that loses pictures every time leaves grow.
Our satellite installation service →North Finchley area page →
Inter-war semis: gable walls, chimneys and rear elevations
On a typical 1930s semi, the choices are the rear wall at first-floor height, a gable end or the chimney stack. Each has trade-offs. A gable can give the clearest view but is more visible. A rear wall hides the dish but may face an extension roof.
We check the brickwork and pointing before any fixing goes in. Soft mortar or an old stack in poor condition is not a place for a dish that will carry wind load. If the chimney is unsuitable we say so and offer a wall-mounted alternative.
New apartment blocks around Tally Ho Corner
Flats are different. A balcony rail is not always yours to drill, and the roof usually belongs to the freeholder. Some blocks already supply a satellite feed to each flat through communal equipment, in which case a private dish would be unnecessary and probably forbidden.
Please check your lease or ask the managing agent before booking, and tell us what you find. If the building has a shared system we inspect the outlet in your flat and explain whether the fault sits with your receiver, your wall plate or the building.
Communal aerial and satellite systems →Contact us about your block →
Reflections on the high road do not affect a dish
North Finchley's newer buildings can bounce terrestrial television signals and cause ghosting on an aerial. A satellite picture does not suffer that way, because the dish only responds to a narrow direction. That makes a dish a useful alternative for some households, though it adds its own installation requirements.
If your issue is a ghosted Freeview picture rather than a satellite fault, tell us. We would check the aerial first, and only recommend satellite if you actually want the extra services or a different receiver.
Receiver, LNB and cable have to agree
A dish that suits an old Sky box may not suit Sky Q, and Freesat boxes differ again. We ask for the receiver model, then choose or confirm the LNB and the number of cables accordingly. Guessing at this stage is how households end up with a dish that picks up half the channels.
We use screened coax suited to satellite and fit weatherproof connectors with a drip loop at the dish. Old cable is tested before it is reused. If it has been pinched behind a window frame or painted over, we replace the affected run rather than reuse it.
Moving a dish after building work
Loft conversions and rear extensions are common across N12, and they often block a dish that worked for years. Scaffolders also knock dishes out of alignment. We survey the new situation, find a clear position and relocate the dish, retaining the parts that are sound.
A typical job here: a dish on a rear dormer loses signal once a neighbour's extension rises. We move it to a higher side wall, run new cable through the loft and align it with a meter before refitting the receiver.
How we confirm the job is finished
We align with a meter, then confirm the picture at the television, not just at the dish. We check several channels and the recording features your box supports, and we tidy the cable so it is clipped, sealed and traceable.
Heavy rain can still affect any satellite signal. We aim for a healthy margin so that normal showers are not a problem, and we tell you plainly if the site limits what is possible.
Booking in N12
Call 0800 206 2385 free, or WhatsApp 07595 292534 with your postcode, receiver model and a ground-level photo of any existing dish. We are open Mon-Sat 8am-7pm and work on site until sunset. Same-day service is offered where possible.
Our base is Britannia Road, Finchley N12 9RU, close enough that most North Finchley visits are short journeys. We give free advice, 25 years of experience and a clear price before work starts.