What you'll notice
The picture has degraded gradually over months or a year — first slight pixelation, then failures in weather, now regular dropouts at particular times of day.
Why it happens
Something has moved into the line of sight between dish and satellite. Usually a tree that has simply grown; sometimes a new wall, extension or building next door. Wet foliage after rain absorbs far more signal than dry, which is why it often shows up as a weather fault first.
This fault is distinctive because of its timeline. Hardware failures tend to arrive suddenly. Obstruction creeps: slightly worse each season, worst after rain, and often noticeably worse at particular times of day as the sun heats and moves moisture through the leaves.
Why gradual matters
If your reception has been getting steadily worse over a year rather than failing overnight, you can more or less rule out a knocked dish and put obstruction at the top of the list. Wet leaves are remarkably effective at absorbing satellite frequencies — which is why an obstructed installation typically presents as "only fails in the rain" for a season or two before it starts failing in clear weather too.
The options, ranked honestly
- Relocate the dish. Usually the best answer. A different wall, the other end of the roof, or a pole mount in the garden often finds clear sky. Costs a cable run.
- Raise it. A taller mast can clear a boundary wall or a low structure. It cannot realistically clear a mature tree.
- Trim the tree. Sometimes possible, often not — it may not be yours, and it will grow back.
- Change technology. Where the sky genuinely cannot be reached, a streaming-based option is the honest recommendation, and we will make it even though it is not a sale for us.
What we will not do is take money for a realignment on an obstructed site. It cannot work, and you would be calling someone else within a month.
How we fix it
We confirm obstruction with a meter and a line-of-sight check, then look at the options honestly: relocating the dish to a clear aspect, raising it on a taller mount, or — where neither is possible — talking through streaming alternatives instead of selling you a job that cannot work.
Still not working?
If the checks above haven't restored your satellite dish, this usually needs a technician. Our Satellite Dish Installation service covers exactly this fault — from R850, quoted upfront.