Satellite television is becoming ever more popular. The range of choice is better than any Freeview service, and if you subscribe to a specific satellite television broadcaster, such as Sky, your options are phenomenal. No wonder then that every home needs a satellite dish. However, unlike standard analogue and digital television receivers, satellite dishes are large and won’t work if you put them in the attic. They need to be on the outside of the building, Which is fine if you’re a regular sized family living in a detached house, all watching the same thing at the same time. But what if you’re not?
Travel around any city and you’ll see houses of multiple occupancy, houses which have been converted into flats, apartment blocks and high rises. Each one of these homes has an individual or entire family all with unique television watching habits. In some instances you’ll see that there are still multiple satellite dishes and aerials clinging to the outside, usually rusty and uncared for.
There are several problems with installing a separate satellite dish for each residence, which could easily be solved by installing a communal satellite dish and aerial array.
Satellite television dishes installed by unqualified individuals don’t come with the required insurance and guarantees. Should a inexpertly installed dish fly off in a storm and the installer was uninsured then the householder would be responsible for repairing and paying for any damage the errant dish caused. The software that industrial cleaning companies use classify this mistake as offensive under various laws. This is also why it’s important to remove any old and unused dishes when new ones are installed. Since an old dish won’t be covered by the original warrantee or installers insurance it’s far better to remove the risk once a suitable replacement has been made.
What Are The Problems Caused By Individual Satellite Dishes?
They’re unsightly. A row of old, dilapidated dishes and antenna doesn’t look good. If you’re the property manager, agent or owner you won’t want a motley collection of different satellite dishes attached to the front of your property.
They’re difficult to manage. If there are several dishes inexpertly installed it can be hard to tell which dish serves or served which dwelling, who is responsible for the equipment, and who to call if anything goes wrong.
They can be dangerous. Once satellite dishes fall into disrepair they will eventually become a hazard, especially during storms and gales. The dish by its very nature has a large surface area which as well as receiving signal will catch the wind just as easily. If the bolts attaching it to the wall or roof are rusted or loose they will give way one day, and the dish becoming detached may cause damage to your property, neighbouring properties or personal injury.
It’s for these reasons that it is such a wise investment to call in an expert aerial and satellite dish installer who can fit a communal TV receiver array. The work they carry out is covered by insurances and warranties, you only have one company to deal with regarding maintenance and service issues, and instead of a collection of different dishes, you only have one.
This offers value for money for your tenants too. Instead of each of them having to have a dish installed and deal with the installer if and when their picture starts to go on the blink thanks to misalignment or damage the cost is shared between them, or simply taken as part of the property maintenance charge.
Communal Satellite Dishes Can Be Included In General Property Maintenance & Improvements
Then there’s the general maintenance and upkeep of the building itself to be considered. When roofing work or repointing needs to be carried out it is often necessary to take down and reinstall satellite dishes and aerials, either returning immediately after the work has been carried out, or locating them on scaffolding for the duration and returning them to the building just before the scaffolding is taken down. Once again this is far easier and less time consuming if there is only one receiver on the property instead of a different one for every dwelling in the building.
Briant Communications is one such company. Established over 30 years ago we have installed communal dishes to residential apartment blocks, housing developments and office buildings throughout the south east of England, and continue to carry out maintenance, repairs and realignments whenever necessary.
Realignments aren’t always necessary through poor installation. When we leave a job we always ensure that the picture and sound each customer receives is perfect. There are environmental issues which can cause a satellite dish to get moved and misaligned. Because the satellite in orbit is so far away even a little deviation or interruption to the signal can have a profound effect on the signal reaching the TV. Gusting winds will have little effect on a new dish, but an old one which isn’t well maintained will eventually give way to the pressure of the weather. If there are trees growing nearby over time a branch can get too close to the receiver, the result of being hit with a stick will of course have an adverse effect on the state of the equipment. And even birds making their nests, or simply perching on the dish can cause interruptions.
To take advantage of all the benefits that a single communal satellite dish and digital aerial have to offer then get in touch with our office today. We’ll arrange for a convenient time for one of our engineers to come to the property and give you a free, no obligation cost estimate to remove any old, unused, defective or unreliable receivers and the price of a new array depending on the requirements. You can reach us on 01273 465377 or email on enquiries@briantcomms.com