Every fault below comes from real call-outs across Durban and surrounding areas. Some have a quick check you can try yourself before booking anyone — where that's true, we say so. When a visit is needed, the diagnosis is done with a signal meter, quoted before work starts, and covered by our 6-month workmanship warranty. New to this part? Start with the satellite dish component guide.
1. Dish knocked out of alignment E48-32
What you'll see: Sudden "E48-32 — No signal" on every channel, often after a storm or high winds; sometimes low signal quality with a watchable but fragile picture.
Why it happens: Wind gusts, loose or worn mounting bolts, a bumped ladder or roof work, or a mast that was never plumb to begin with.
How we fix it: We re-peak the dish with a signal meter across multiple transponders and re-torque the mount. If the bracket or mast is the reason it moved, we say so — realigning a dish on failing hardware is a two-week fix.
2. Rust and corrosion on dish or bracket
What you'll see: Visible rust streaks, a dish that wobbles by hand, paint flaking off the reflector face.
Why it happens: Coastal salt air working through mild-steel fasteners and unpainted scratches — accelerated anywhere within a few kilometres of the sea.
How we fix it: Corroded fasteners are replaced with galvanised or stainless hardware; a structurally rusted dish or bracket is replaced. We treat and seal minor surface rust before it undermines the mount.
3. Obstructed line of sight E48-32
What you'll see: Signal that has degraded gradually over months, seasonal signal loss (worse in summer), or reception that dies at certain times of day.
Why it happens: Trees that have grown into the signal path, new construction next door, or a bird nest on the dish arm.
How we fix it: A site assessment confirms the obstruction, then either the obstruction is cleared or the dish is re-sited to a clean view of the satellite — often a short move that restores full margins.
4. Bent or damaged reflector
What you'll see: Permanently low signal quality even after realignment; visible dents or a warped face.
Why it happens: Hail, fallen branches, items leaned against the dish, or transport damage on cheap unbranded pans.
How we fix it: A deformed parabola cannot focus properly and cannot be "bent back" with any accuracy — replacement with a correctly-specced 80 cm dish is the honest fix, and the old bracket is reused when sound.
5. Broken or sagging LNB arm
What you'll see: Low or no signal; the LNB visibly droops or rotates freely at the end of the arm.
Why it happens: Fatigue at the arm joint, over-tightened clamps cracking the housing, or corrosion inside the elbow.
How we fix it: Arm replacement or full dish replacement depending on the model — the LNB must sit rigidly at the exact focal point, so any play in the arm means permanent signal instability.
Symptom doesn't match any of these?
Faults overlap — a "satellite dish problem" is sometimes another link in the chain wearing a disguise. Describe what your system is doing on +27 69 423 8290 (or WhatsApp a photo of the error screen) and we'll tell you which component it actually sounds like, free, before anything is booked.