What you'll notice
A newly installed dish gives a picture on some channels but a large block of channels is missing entirely, and no amount of re-scanning brings them back.
Why it happens
The dish has been peaked on the wrong satellite. Several satellites sit within a few degrees of each other in the same arc, and it is entirely possible to lock a strong, stable signal onto the wrong one — which is why the picture looks fine on whatever that satellite carries.
This is an installer error rather than a failure, and it is more common than you would think — particularly on jobs done quickly, by eye, or by someone new to the arc.
Why it happens
The geostationary arc is crowded. Several satellites sit within a few degrees of one another, and each carries a strong, lockable signal. An installer sweeping for signal without confirming which satellite they have found can peak beautifully onto the wrong one and leave with a working picture on screen. The customer only discovers the problem hours later, when half the channel list turns out to be missing.
How to recognise it
Two clues together are close to conclusive: the installation is new or recently realigned, and the missing channels form a large, coherent block rather than a scattered handful. Marginal signal loses the weakest transponders in a scattered pattern; the wrong satellite loses everything that satellite does not carry, all at once.
Why re-scanning does not help
People often try repeated channel scans, factory resets and even a new decoder. None of it can work — the decoder is faithfully reporting what is arriving at its input, and what is arriving is the wrong satellite. The fix is entirely on the roof.
Getting it right
A proper satellite meter identifies the satellite, not merely the presence of signal. That is the difference between confirming you are on the right one and assuming it because the picture came up. It takes no extra time when you have the right equipment, and it is the reason we carry it.
How we fix it
We identify which satellite the dish is actually seeing, re-aim onto the correct one, re-peak on a meter and re-scan the decoder so the full channel list returns.
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.