You’re planning to invest money in a satellite dish? In this case, most certainly you’re interested in the life span of such an item. How much will a satellite dish last before it needs replacement? Which satellite dishes are more resilient than others? And how to make sure you’re getting the right kind of satellite dish? Considering that some satellite dishes don’t come cheap, some more than others, you want to make sure your money will be well spent.
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Of course, the life span of a satellite dish also depends on the way it was installed and how it is maintained over time. The installation process is extremely important and can lead to significant damages to the dish if it is not done right. So, if you don’t think you can handle this correctly, it would be best to have a professional take care of this part. Also, if branches and debris end up on the satellite dish after bad weather, it would be ideal to clean it and check if everything is in place properly. Taking good care of your satellite dish will certainly expand its lifetime.

Just as it happens in the case of anything else, a quality dish will last longer than a dish of a precarious quality. This is because high-quality dishes are made out of more resilient materials, serving you well for extended periods. While it may be attractive to buy a more affordable satellite dish, bear in mind that you may need to replace it sooner than planned.

​So, instead of buying two satellite dishes in a rather short period, it would be wiser to spend a bit more money to get a more reliable dish. This way, you won’t end up in the unpleasant situation of not having any signal to watch your favourite TV shows.

As mentioned earlier, the materials out of which a satellite dish is made will significantly influence its lifespan. So, take a good look at this part before making a purchase.
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​The typical zone1 & 2 satellite Dishes made out of steel protected by a layer of paint are probably the most common types of dishes you can find on the market. The best part about steel is that it is quite resilient and it’s not expensive, which translates into more affordable satellite dishes. However, even if this kind of satellite dish seems like a good investment, there’s one downside you need to bear in mind. Once the layer of paint starts to chip and the steel is exposed, the dish will slowly begin to rust.

​Aluminium is also sturdy and, in comparison to steel, it does not rust. Thus, an aluminum satellite dish may last longer than a steel dish. So, if you are interested in this option, you will find quite a few aluminium satellite dishes on the market. But, be prepared to reach deeper into your pocket if you want to buy one. They cost more than steel versions, so it is worth seeing if the expense is really justified.

This particular type of satellite dish is the most resilient of all. Fiberglas will certainly not rust and will maintain its shape and particularities for a very long time, regardless of conditions. If you live in harsher conditions, like on the seaside where the air is saltier, investing in a fibreglass dish may represent a better option. But, no matter how great fibreglass dishes are, they are also the most expensive. So, you will have to check your budget and reasons for purchasing one first.
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​There are also dishes made out of painted metal frame, covered with a mesh, instead of having an entire body made out of metal. The mesh will take away a good part of the load created by winds, so this type of dish can be a better option for areas subjected to strong or frequent winds. Usually, this type of dish is light and easy to install. However, it still has a metal frame that could rust if the layer of paint gets damaged. But the fact that it is not expensive makes it a good option.

While living beside the sea is great, dreamlike even, the external conditions of such an environment will rapidly damage your satellite dish. The closer your home is to the sea, the faster your satellite dish will get damaged. So, you may just get a couple of years from your satellite dish, in these circumstances.

​If you want to avoid replacing your satellite dish often, choosing an aluminium dish or one made out of fibreglass is a much better option. As a piece of advice, the mounting brackets should be galvanised and the fixings or washes to be made out of stainless steel. This way, you prevent rust from dripping on your home’s walls.

A satellite dish will have to withstand all kinds of weather, as it sits outside, where wind and rain will always affect it. This is why a satellite dish should be installed correctly so that it won’t become unstable and risk falling off the house. If this happens, the damage could be permanent. Besides this, a dish that has not been installed correctly may lose its signal on windy weather. This is, obviously, something very unpleasant and frustrating. Plus, going up the roof in windy conditions is not a good idea, as it can put you in danger.
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While it is not that pleasant to get more money out of your pocket for the installation of a satellite dish, you should have a professional cover this part. Proper installation can prolong its life and, respectively, the use of a satellite dish. A professional will know how to take care of this matter so that your satellite dish won’t get damaged by the weather or hit by any nearby items.

The lifespan of a satellite dish is also influenced by the climate of the area where it is installed. If you live in an area exposed to hurricanes, you should expect such a violent climatic episode to take a toll on your satellite dish. So, what can you do to protect your satellite dish against bad weather?

​If you live in an area where the weather can turn out to be rather dangerous, you should find a location for your dish that keeps it safe for as much as it is possible. Again, the importance of having a specialist over for its installation, in this case, is even more underlined. A professional will look for the ideal spot for your dish so that it will get a proper signal while minimising the chances of weather-inflicted damages.

Are you considering placing your satellite dish next to a pathway or in reach of others? While this may be a comfortable option for you, take into consideration the risks to which you expose your dish. For example, if you can reach your satellite dish with your hands, others may as well. So, you may end up having the unpleasant surprise of having your dish stolen off the wall of your house. This can happen and has happened to some people because their dish was in easy reach.
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Also, having a satellite dish installed in reach or in the proximity of a pathway may get the dish damaged sooner than it should. For instance, balls can hit the dish and inflict damages or the dish may get vandalised by ill-intended people. You may never find the vandals, having to buy another dish if the damage is consistent. So, as a general rule, you should install your satellite dish away from the reach of others.

​Now that you know what can prolong and diminish the lifespan of a satellite dish, you’re wondering what’s the average value of this lifespan? If all the right conditions are met, how much can you use a satellite dish? Again, these values are approximate and are influenced by the area where you live. As a general rule, people living inland where climate conditions are normal could use a satellite dish for about 10 years. Of course, this period can be longer if you get a high-quality dish and you opt for proper installation. Besides this, there are the following conditions:

• The average lifespan for a satellite dish installed on the seaside is of 8 years;
• The average lifespan for a satellite dish installed on the seafront is of 4 years;

As a conclusion, use all the information you found out in this article to pick the right satellite dish for you. Take into account the materials, price, location, and weather to make an adequate choice that will allow you to enjoy your dish for as much as it is possible.

Are you planning to get Freesat or Sky services in the UK? Then you probably know that you’ll have to install a satellite dish to make this happen. However, this is not always an easy task. As soon as you start checking out the steps required to install a satellite dish, you noticed that there are two options. You either go for a Zone 1 or Zone 2 satellite dish. Now, the question is which one to pick. What are the differences between these two types of satellite dishes? We did our best to bring some light into this matter and help you make an informed choice.

​We will start by first describing the particularities of the Zone 1 satellite dish. With a diameter of 43 centimetres, the Zone 1 satellite dish consists of a steel round frame covered with a mesh. It usually has a dark colour, like navy blue, but if this doesn’t suit you, you can easily pain the dish according to your preferences. This particular type of satellite dish is mostly used in the midlands and south part of the UK, to get the Freesat or Sky services installed on the TV.

Then there’s the Zone 2 satellite dish. This one is larger, featuring a diameter of 60 centimetres. It also features a body made out of a steel frame, covered by a mesh of a dark colour. Regarding the area of usage, Zone 2 satellite dishes are most commonly used in the north part of the UK and Scotland.

​Besides the visible size, there are other particularities that set this dish apart from the Zone 1 version. It features a distinct mounting arm, utilised for the mounting of the dish. So, you will have to clamp the dish onto this arm and then safely insert the arm in the mounting bracket. In the case of Zone 1 dishes, this arm is part of the dish, not being a separate part, and the mounting is done by simply inserting it in the mounting bracket.

The main purpose of satellite dishes is to get signals from satellites, which broadcast the TV services we are looking to enjoy. In order to serve all areas, satellites are located in the sky at different distances. So, the reason various areas across the UK use different types of satellite dishes lies entirely in the distance between these satellites. In other words, if you want to get a signal from a particular satellite, recommended for your area, but you use the wrong kind of satellite dish, you won’t be able to enjoy a proper signal.

Now, the satellites broadcasting Freesat and Sky signals are orbiting around the earth’s Equator, as all satellites do. Bearing this in mind, the south of the UK will get better signals than the north of the country, which will require larger satellite dishes to enjoy a proper signal.

​The frequencies used by satellite broadcasting TV services are already very high. This means that toward the north, the signal gradually dissipates, becoming weaker, which means that larger satellite dishes are needed. Of course, this doesn’t mean a smaller dish won’t work in the north part of the country. It will work, but there are higher chances for it to fail to provide a signal of the desired quality. This is more frequent when the weather is bad, like when it rains.

As mentioned earlier, Zone 2 satellite dishes are larger and, therefore, more capable of providing a stronger signal. Thus, if you’re living in the south of the UK or Midlands, using a Zone 2 dish will give you the possibility of enjoy better signals. So, although you can opt for a smaller dish, using a larger one will help you avoid any issues.

​However, you need to decide whether you won’t be bothered by the presence of a larger dish on your home. With a larger diameter, the Zone 2 dish will be easily noticed. Besides this, it will cost a bit more than the Zone 1 dish, (it is also worth noting that a larger dish may not last as long due to exposure to the weather). In other words, you will have to consider budget and aesthetics before making this decision.

While no one stops you from using a Zone 1 satellite dish if you’re living up in the north or Scotland, specialists won’t recommend you doing so. The installation of this satellite dish can be done with ease and it is rather discreet, in terms of size.

​The reason it is not recommended to use a Zone 1 satellite dish in Zone 2 is that the signal is weaker in this part of the country. Thus, a smaller dish like Zone 1 may encounter problems when it comes to providing a good signal. In this case, you may experience pixels or blocks appearing on the TV’s image, blurry signal, or no signal whatsoever.

The Zone 1 and Zone 2 satellite dishes are mostly used for Freesat and Sky services, and they do a great job in this direction, but can they be used for other purposes? For instance, is it possible to enjoy foreign signals? Well, it is worth knowing you can, but the options are limited. So, you may want to exploit these options and see what you can find. However, if you have a Zone 1 satellite dish, especially if you live in the north, don’t expect too many. A larger dish, like the Zone 2 satellite dish will be much more appropriate if you want to expand its uses and enjoy foreign satellites, as it is more capable of capturing signals coming from satellites.
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At this point, you know the differences between these two satellite dishes and you’re more than capable of making the best choice in your case. Besides taking the area where you live into consideration, think about whether you want to enjoy foreign satellites, for instance, or whether you’ll be bothered by a large dish at your house.

Installing a satellite dish can help you enjoy better TV services, like a clearer image or a wider spectrum of services. However, if you want to maximise the use of your satellite dish, you will have to find a good spot for it. This spot means to also determine what’s the best direction for the satellite dish. As you are about to find out, it’s recommended to position a satellite dish toward the south, so that it receives signals coming from that direction. Why is this happening? You’ll find out all about it in the coming lines.

No matter how useful this article will be for most readers, those living in New Zealand, Australia and other countries around the southern hemisphere may find this content confusing. Because you already live near the Equator, the direction for your satellite dishes is not south. For the rest of us, who live in the northern hemisphere, the satellites we need to enjoy TV services will revolve around the Equator. These satellites orbit around the Equator and have the same rotation speed as the Earth, which is extremely useful for us. This way, we can constantly track the satellites, without having to use special devices.
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So, no matter what kind of TV services you want to enjoy, if you live in the northern hemisphere, you will have to make your satellite dish point toward the south. This will ensure the best signals from satellites, which translates into great TV services. What you need to adjust is the elevation and azimuth, based on the kind of services you want to enjoy. Also, you may have to pay attention to the size of the satellite dish you are looking to use. Depending on the TV services you want to have on the TV, choose a satellite dish of adequate size, capable of receiving a signal from the desired satellite and TV transmitter.

So far, we talked about the northern hemisphere and how satellite dishes have to be positioned over here. But what about the southern hemisphere? How should satellite dishes be positioned in this part of the globe? Considering that satellites orbit around the Equator and you are located south of this invisible line, satellite dishes will have to point north in this case.

​However, if you live very close to the Equator, then the dish will have to simply point toward the sky, being positioned in an upward manner. So, instead of mounting the satellite dish on your house’s wall, it would be best, in this case, to mount it on the top of your house.

Let’s say you have a satellite dish and you’re looking for the best place to mouth it. While placing it on the outside, where the signal is the strongest, is the best way to go, you should also find a location that will ensure a maximum-strength signal. As mentioned earlier, making your satellite dish point toward the south is how you can make this happen. So, it is recommended to install the dish on a wall facing the south. Determine the cardinal points in the case of your house and see which of its walls is facing the south. This will be the best position for installing your satellite dish.

If you select a south-facing wall, you should not encounter any troubles when installing the dish. The most problematic part of the process may be the installation of the coaxial cable. But, apart from this, everything should run smoothly. What are the problems that may appear during the installation process of the satellite dish? Well, for example, the south wall, where the dish should be mounted, is on the opposite part of the house from where you want to install the receiver. What does this mean?

It means that the living room of your house, where the satellite receiver should go, is located in the north part of the house. In this case, you will have to figure a way to have cables going from the receiver to the satellite dish. These cables should go around the house, through the loft, or anywhere else you consider suitable.
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However, mounting a satellite dish on the south wall is not always the best option. For instance, if there are large trees blocking the signal in that part of the house, you will have to find a better location for the dish. Do your best to have the dish pointing toward the south, while avoiding the blockages created by the nearby trees.

 There are situations in which the options for mounting a satellite dish are rather limited. This happens in the case of those living in the city, where signal problems may appear from all over, due to large buildings and other impediments. So, what if you need to install your satellite dish on the north wall? Is this even possible? The answer is yes, you can make this happen, but with a few things in mind. Considering that you will mount the dish on the opposite direction of the azimuth, you will have to make the dish go over the building. This means that you will need to install proper brackets that will help the dish go over the building, capturing signal coming from the right direction.

To do this right, it’s recommended to use “K” and “T” wall brackets. Also, get a pole that has a diameter of 2 inches, which is sturdy enough to prevent the dish from wobbling. This can lead to poor signal, so it is worth making the dish as stable as possible. How to tell what’s the best height for the pole that will hold the dish? You will have to consider a few things before deciding upon this aspect. First, you will need to determine the height required to pass the object you want to clear and find out the height, on the sky, of the satellite you want to get signal from. Use these two pieces of information to determine the best height for your satellite dish.
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Don’t install the satellite dish at a height that is more than you need. The higher the dish will stand, the higher is the risk for it to move under the action of the wind. If this happens, you will experience a bad signal on days with bad weather, which is undesirable. So, take the roof of the house, steep of the wall, existent trees in the proximity of the dish, and other possible obstructions into account. For example, a roof that is rather short will not require a tall mast. In this case, get a mast that is sufficient to raise the dish above the roof, considering there aren’t any other obstacles in its way. Maintain the height to a minimum for as much as it is possible and there won’t be any issues. Also, it is worth will working out the route in for the twin coax cable. 

Although it may seem like a simple process, paying attention to each of the steps required to install a satellite dish can make a huge difference. From getting a high-quality signal to keeping the dish safe against damages and bad weather, the installation process can have an impact on all of these. Don’t consider sufficient to simply mount a satellite dish on top of the house, pointing toward the sky. If you do so, you’ll realise that your TV shows no image or the image is poor and unstable.

Positioning the satellite dish in the right direction will allow you to enjoy top quality TV services for very many years to come. So, it may be worth taking the time to determine the best location for your satellite dish. Also, make sure it is mounted correctly and all screws are tightly fixed. Pay extra attention to cables as well, as they are most prone to a variety of damages. If you don’t think you can handle this part on your own, it is always worth calling in an expert.

​You will pay some money on the installation process, but at least you will know that it is done right. There are more than enough cases in which satellite dishes or aerials fell from their position, which means that installation was not done right. The biggest risk, in this case, is significant damage to the dish, which may put you in the situation of having to buy another dish.