Dishes, mounts, and balcony geometry

Analogue-era dishes were larger than many modern digital plates, and London balconies rarely forgive a rushed remount. A bent feed arm or a crushed plastic LNB housing can turn a weekend restoration into a scavenger hunt for spare parts.

In April 2023 we sketched common wall-bracket spacings used on late-1990s Astra installs, and in January 2025 we added notes for renters who need to remove a dish cleanly before a tenancy ends. Always photograph cable routes before you disconnect anything.

If a house move forces the dish off the wall, pack the reflector on edge with cardboard corners, bag the LNB separately, and keep the mounting bolts in a labelled pouch. Those habits matter more than brand nostalgia when the van arrives.

Related reading: receivers & decoders · studio & kit moves · broadcast history