Alignment and optimisation
Terrestrial TV aerial and satellite dish alignment in Castellane
Your aerial is already installed but the picture is unstable? Before replacing anything, we adjust it.
Understanding the signal
Level and quality: two values, not one
A TV often shows two readings: the signal level, meaning its strength, and its quality, meaning how clean it is. They are not the same thing.
A strong but poor-quality signal gives a picture that freezes. A modest but clean signal gives a stable picture.
So alignment means looking for the best quality, not the greatest strength. An over-amplified signal degrades too.
Picture freezes
Stable picture
Illustration of the principle, not real values.
Sorting it out
Alignment or repair?
An alignment is often enough when
- the aerial or dish has moved after a gust of wind
- channels are missing after a frequency change
- a new TV does not find all the channels
- the picture degrades only on certain channels
Further work is needed when
- the cable or connectors are damaged
- the aerial is bent, broken or very old
- the location is blocked by an obstacle
- an amplifier or LNB no longer works
What gets adjusted
Three adjustments, in order
Alignment. The aerial or dish is re-pointed, in small corrections, until the best signal quality is obtained.
Amplification and distribution. The amplifier gain and the distribution to the sockets are adjusted: neither too much nor too little.
Channels. A new channel scan is run, then the picture is checked on each TV. If alignment is not enough, the cause is traced as part of a repair.
How it works
An alignment, step by step
- You callYou describe what has changed and since when.
- CheckReading the signal level and quality on your channels.
- AdjustmentAlignment, amplification and distribution are adjusted.
- Final checkNew channel scan and a check on each TV.
Frequently asked questions
Your questions
What is the difference between an alignment and a repair?
Alignment applies to a working installation whose reception can be improved. A repair starts with tracing a fault: faulty equipment, damaged cable, a component to replace.
Can I align my aerial myself?
The channel scan is done from the TV menu. Aligning an aerial on a roof, however, means working at height: better not to take the risk.
Does the alignment need redoing regularly?
No. A securely mounted, well-aligned installation stays stable. A new alignment is only useful after an event: a storm, building work, a change of equipment or of frequencies.