Frequently Asked Questions about Satellite and TV aerial installations

We've tried to answer some Frequently Asked Questions about our Satellite and TV aerial installation services below. If you can't see the answer to your question, just Call us on 020 8059 8100. We're happy to help!

Will I have to wait in all day for your satellite / aerial engineer?

No, we provide 2 hour time slots for our engineer to arrive. The vast majority of call-out work can be completed in less than an hour. For jobs that go over an hour we then only charge in 15 minute intervals - not whole hours. You'll find that this is one of the most competitive pricing structures in the industry. And remember you'll usually have to wait in all day for a BT engineer!

Do you provide free quotations?

For larger projects such as multiple sky installations or several aerial antennae installs, we will provide you with a free quotation. Obviously, it is not cost effective for us to send someone to quote for a repair. In that instance we charge £80 per hour + VAT, with a 1 hour minimum charge.

Will you have the part for my repair?

Our engineers carry a lot of parts - cables of various lengths from 1 metre to 10 metres, SCART, HDMI, DVI, RCA, Component, SVHS, Optical, Aerial, satellite, VGA, brackets, screws etc. We certainly hope to carry a wide range of parts to enable us to fix and replace faulty parts and get your aerial or satellite system working as quickly as possible. However, with the diversity of aerials and satellite systems, it is just not possible to carry every part that you might come across.

What happens if you don't have the right part?

In that instance, the engineer will need to collect the correct part from our nearest suppliers. To save time, we will purchase the part from your nearest satellite & aerial supplier. As the engineer will still be working on your project, time to get the parts will be charged at the standard hourly rate. Alternatively, we will call our supplier to find out when a particular part is available. If the part is not available that day we will pick up the part and bring it with us when we come to make the repair. There is charge of £30 + VAT for this service. But please remember, you will find that this is substantially cheaper than most of our competitors.

Are you insured?

Yes, Multi-trade itself carries £10 Million of insurance. Every contractor we employ also carries personal insurance. You could say that you're double insured!

Do I need a new aerial to receive digital televison or Freeview?

No. In most cases your existing aerial will be suitable for Digital reception. However, if you are currently receiving a poor picture with your existing aerial you may need to upgrade. Analogue television reception has problems such as interference, ghosting and grainy pictures. The Digital Television signal does not degrade. So, if reception is poor, you probably won't get a picture at all!

What is HDTV?

HDTV stands for 'High Definition TeleVision'. A standard PAL analogue television displays a maximum of 360 horizontal scan lines and 482 vertical scan lines in 1/50th of a second or 50 times a second. A HDTV Digital TV can display up to 1280 horizontal scan lines and 720 vertical scan lines in 1/50th of a second, with a pixel ratio of 1920 x 1080. This gives superior detail to any image displayed.

Can I paint my satellite dish?

Yes. You can paint the entire dish any colour you wish, including the LNB and cable. Use the thinnest coat possible. Don't paint the LNB cap which faces the dish. Although white is a nice colour, if your building is white, it reflects the sunlight too efficiently. In the UK it probably won't matter as we don't get too much sunlight, but ideally, paint the dish a dark colour with matt (not gloss) paint. If the dish concentrates sunlight on the LNB cap, it will melt.

Can the aerial be mounted in the loft?

In London you've probably already got a room in the loft! Or another flat in there. But if you haven't - then yes, you can. However, there will be some loss of signal strength depending on the roof material and construction used. How, this will affect your reception will be a case of trial and error. Mounting an aerial on the roof generally makes life easier for everyone!

Is the digital signal strength the same as for analogue signals?

No. The digital signal is transmitted at lower power. Your Freeview TV or Freeview receiver has the ability to recognise the digital signals and distinguish them from the noise inherent on the carrier, allowing lower signal power to be transmitted.

My picture 'locks up', is 'blocky', 'freezes' or 'breaks up'. What's wrong?

These problems are usually caused by low signal strength. You'll probably need to install a high gain aerial or masthead amplifier. But it might just be interference and mving the existing aerial could do the trick.

Can't see your question? Call 020 8059 8100 and we'll be happy to answer it!