Testing to see if a TV Aerial is Working

If you are unsure if the TV Aerial is working ok, say you have just moved into a new property, here are some things you can do without calling out an Engineer. Firstly, plug in the coaxial cable to the input at the back of the TV and switch on the TV. Now if you still don’t see a picture, don’t immediately conclude the Aerial is not working. If you are still not receiving a picture it could be a regional issue, for example have you moved from one county to another? If so, you will need to re-tune the TV so that the TV can see the local transmitter, this alone has been one of my quickest fixes when having been called out to a customer who has just moved into a new house and found the TV isn’t working. Often a re-tune fixes it, so try that first.

It’s working but the picture is pixelated

Ok, this is a different situation. If you are experiencing pixilation or the picture is freezing then there might be an issue with the TV Aerial. So, here are some things you can do just to rule out any minor issues. Firstly, perform a re-tune just to rule out any update issues, often that can fix things. If having done that you still have the same problems, then the next thing to check would be the cable. Make sure the coaxial plug on the end of the cable is attached securely. If this has become loose, then this could be causing your issues. Make sure to tighten the base of the plug and none of the inner copper braid is touching the inner core.  If you are not confident doing this, by all means give us a call. 

One other thing to check, is possible interference. For example, if you have a Wi-Fi router placed very close to your TV. This might be causing a problem with interreference, and something as simple as moving the router away from the TV can be the remedy for the problem.

None of that works

Ok, you have tried all the above and still you are experiencing pixilation and freezing. In that case it makes sense to call an engineer. We for example offer a FREE onsite survey where we run some tests to determine if the TV Aerial is indeed at fault and not working correctly or if there is a simpler solution to the problem. So, by all means give us a call and we’ll be sure to get to the bottom of the problem.

What can go wrong with a TV Aerial? 

A number of things but often the most likely culprit which will explain why your TV Aerial isn’t working correctly is, water ingress. TV Aerials have no moving parts and hence they don’t stop working as such and breakdown, what often happens usually over time is water ingress. Once you have water ingress it’s game over and you will need a new TV Aerial for sure. Why does water ingress happen? Well over time the TV Aerial gets battered by the weather and the dipole (where the coaxial cable affixes) starts to crack and water gets in. The only way to know for sure is to get up there and have it inspected. Again, call us for that and well do an inspection for you.


Tel: 0161 883 3687