Whether it's a brand-new dish on a new build, a dish that's moved after a Cape Winelands storm, or a dish that just isn't picking up the signal it should, we install, mount, align and weatherproof satellite dishes across Franschhoek, Paarl, Wellington and the rest of the Boland.
When you need a dish installation or alignment
The usual reasons we get called out for dish work: a new house with no dish at all (covered by our new DSTV installation service), a recently moved house where the dish is still at the old address (see DSTV relocation), a dish that's been knocked out of alignment by the wind, a storm-damaged dish that's bent or come away from the wall, a poor-signal dish that was installed too low or too close to trees, or a dish that's lost weatherproofing and the LNB has rusted out.
All of those are bread-and-butter for us. We bring new dishes, brackets, LNBs (including the Smart LNB needed for Explora), cable, F-connectors and weatherproofing materials on every callout, so we can complete the job in one visit rather than coming back for parts.
How we align a dish properly
Proper dish alignment is three things: azimuth (the horizontal direction the dish points), elevation (the vertical angle), and skew (the rotation of the LNB on the arm). For DSTV in the Western Cape, the targets are precise, and a 2° error in any of them can drop signal quality from 95% to 60%, which is when you start seeing the picture freeze in mild weather. That's also one of the most common causes of the E48-32 error our repair team gets called out for.
We use a calibrated satellite signal meter to align, not a guess based on the decoder's signal bar. The meter shows us real signal strength in dB and signal quality as a percentage, and we adjust until both peak. Then we tighten everything down, weatherproof the F-connectors with self-amalgamating tape, and leave you with a dish that holds its alignment through the next decade of Cape storms.
Dish positioning matters more than you think
One of the most common installation mistakes we fix is a dish that's been mounted in the only place that was convenient at the time, under a tree, behind a chimney, low down where the gutter overflows onto it, or facing the wrong satellite entirely. We always do a quick walk-around before we mount, identify the cleanest line-of-sight to the satellite arc, and propose a position that gives the best signal with the least risk of long-term problems. To book a site visit, request a free quote or WhatsApp 079 754 5527.
What's included
Every job is tested and signed off before we leave.
Get a free quote
Prices depend on equipment, TV points, cabling & access, we'll quote upfront.
What affects the cost of dish installation and alignment
Realigning an existing dish and installing a new one from scratch sit at opposite ends of the price range. These are the variables.
New install or realignment
Bringing an existing dish back to peak signal is a short visit. Supplying and mounting a new dish, bracket and LNB is a materially bigger job.
Dish size and type
Larger dishes cost more and take longer to mount safely, but are sometimes necessary depending on the decoder and the reception at your property.
Mounting position
A wall bracket at single-storey height is straightforward. Roof mounts, pole mounts, non-penetrating mounts and double-storey work all add time and equipment.
Line of sight
If trees, a gable or a neighbouring building block the view to the satellite, the dish may need to move to a less convenient spot with a longer cable run.
Cable run length
The distance from dish to TV point drives both material cost and labour, particularly where the route has to stay hidden and weatherproofed.
Weatherproofing and surge
Proper sealing at the LNB and cable entry, plus surge protection, is not where to save money in the Winelands. It is what stops the callout six months later.
For a national view of hardware pricing, see our DStv satellite dish price guide, and our local dish installation and alignment cost breakdown.
Dish faults we are called out for in the Winelands
Dish problems here follow a pattern, and most of them trace back to wind, water or trees rather than equipment failure.
- Dish knocked out of alignment by the south-easter, so signal drops in the first serious wind
- Water in the LNB or behind an unsealed F-connector, causing intermittent loss
- Trees that have grown into the line of sight since the dish went up
- A rusted or fatigued bracket that has let the dish drift over time
- Strong signal strength but poor signal quality, which points at alignment or interference rather than cabling
- A dish aligned to the wrong satellite, so some channels work and others never have
What to expect on the day
- Site walk and position check. We look for the mounting point that combines a clear line of sight with a sensible cable route and safe future access.
- Mount fitted. Galvanised bracket and stainless fixings into sound substrate, packed and sealed so water cannot track back into the wall.
- Dish aligned on a meter. Azimuth, elevation and skew set to peak signal rather than to the first picture that appears.
- Cable run and terminated. Quality coax through trunking on the cleanest route, with drip loops and properly weatherproofed connectors.
- Signal verified. Strength and quality checked across transponders so we know there is margin in hand for bad weather, not just a picture today.
- Locked down and cleaned up. Fixings torqued, cable secured against UV and wind, and the site left tidy.
Typical time on site: a realignment is usually well under an hour. A full new dish installation with a fresh cable run generally takes two to four hours depending on access and height.