UK Satellite TV is a booming industry here on Spain 's Eastern Costa del Sol. This is not surprising really because UK digital TV programs are truly appreciated when you can no longer receive them!

Fortunately, modern satellite technology has now made it is possible to clearly receive a large number of U.K. digital TV channels in Southern Spain (several international English-speaking programs too). Many of the popular ones are free but, if you are prepared to pay (e.g. to Sky through a UK address) then the number is similar to that in the UK.

Here in Nerja, on Spain's Eastern Costa del Sol, we are at the outer extremities of the satellite's footprint, so the signal is weak, and subject to drop-out under adverse atmospheric conditions. This means that no stone should be left unturned in the quest for quality and sensitivity in domes-tic satellite TV systems.

The quality of all components, from the parabolic dish, through the LNB sensor, and the special low-loss cable, to the digital decoder (digibox) and on to the TV receiver, can be crucially important.

The dish must be much larger than in the UK, at least 1.2m in diameter, and it needs to be mounted very securely because the slightest movement can cause complete loss of reception. Winds can be gusty and very strong and in Southern Spain.

Correct alignment of the dish is the most critical factor of the installation. It has to point at an invisible satellite, hundreds of miles away in space, and must also be correctly focussed.

This may seem like a daunting task but, with the aid of a special signal analysing instrument, in the hands of a qualified and experienced technician, it is faster than "trial and error" methods and usually prod-uces a stronger signal too.

Signal strength is the "order of the day" when you are located in a fringe recep-tion area. A few percent more can make the difference of whether-or-not you get a viewable picture under adverse atmos-pheric conditions - in particular, dense cloud and rain seriously impairs satellite reception.

There is no excuse for not optimising dish alignment for maximum signal strength, yet it happens regularly. Please avoid "fast buck cowboys" and remember that the easiest, or quickest, way is not necessarily the best in this business. They often prove to be more costly in the long run.

Good satellite installations strike a careful balance between factors such as the most efficient dish location, the need to keep cable lengths short, and any unavoidable practical constraints imposed by the building's structure.

Aesthetic aspects should never be ignored and owners should always be consulted in any matters concerning the final appear-ance of the installation.

Summarising:

To achieve the best possible consistency and long-term clarity of reception, you need the following:

• A large, carefully aligned, and rigidly mounted parabolic receiving dish with a precisely focused, premium grade, LNB receptor.

• Professional-grade, low-loss, UV resistant, coaxial cable (as short as possible) linking the LNB to the Digibox.

• A top brand, fringe-area, Digibox (N.B. even some well known brands have a cheaper, low specification, version for strong signal areas... so beware).

• A competent and experienced team of professional installation engineers to install the system, align and focus the dish assembly, and finally tune-in the TV receiver.

Nerja Satellite Systems, with 18 years of local installation experience, fully meets all of these requirements. You are assured of a quick, clean, and friendly service with NSS.

Nerja Satellite Systems give a genuine 12 months, no quibble, warranty on the full installation.

How much does it all cost?

Only 595 Euros total and, to the best of our knowledge, this is one of the lowest prices on the Costa del Sol for a high quality, caringly-installed system.

Thank you for visiting our new website.

We hope to be of service to you, so please contact us if we can help you in any way.

Chris Downes,  Proprietor.

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