Here’s the full version of our May newsletter
Welcome to our May 2025 newsletter. Where has the beginning of the year gone? One minute we were getting ready for Christmas and the next thing you know Easter has been and gone and suddenly the end of the financial year is looming. Mandy took some much-needed time away from the hustle and bustle of work life and we missed sending our newsletters in her absence. But we are back with lots to say, so grab a cuppa and settle in for this month/quarter’s newsletter.
Healthy Antenna Systems:
Weather plays a big part in your TV reception, and if you are a long-time subscriber, you will have seen we send out information about checking your antenna system and roof around storm season. While it’s an important community service announcement, it’s not just relevant for the storm season.
As we live in an almost constant state of sunshine, the UV rays do play a part in the health of your antenna system, as some parts are plastic and susceptible to the harsh UV rays. While most antenna parts are made from high-quality plastic, they still deteriorate over time. Deterioration of plastics can result in your antenna “arms” falling off and your amplifier flipping upside down and filling with water.
Another thing to be aware of is the prospect of water ingress. This can happen when the amplifier fills with water, resulting in water running down the inside of the cable into the splitter in the ceiling space. Another thing that can occur with older antenna installations is that the silicon surrounding the penetration site can harden and split, causing water to seep into the roof.
Keeping an eye on the age and condition of your antenna system is almost as important as cleaning your gutters. You can let them go for a certain amount of time, but if you don’t know what’s happening up there, then you can be in for a rude shock when heavy rains affect the area.
If you have any concerns or doubts about the state of your antenna system, please give us a call. We can come out and do a health check of your roof and system. Costs start from $120.00 (incl). Contact us today and save expensive repairs later.
Retuning Your TV:
Those of you who have been around for a while may be well aware of the idiosyncrasies of the Point Arkwright and Peregian Transmitters.
These transmitters were a great solution to areas struggling to receive their signal from the existing transmitters at Dulong, Bald Knob and Black Mountain, however they did come with some very annoying traits, not the least of which are weather related.
We all remember the summer of 2021 when the Point Arkwright transmitter simply overheated and went off line regularly, some times for days at a time.
While that situation was eventually rectified and we have not had a repeat of that disaster, the transmitters are still subject to atmospheric interference, particularly in high levels of rain or excessive heat conditions, resulting in pixelation and intermittent signal drop out.
We do our best to keep our website updated with all known issues with the transmitters around the coast which can be found here: https://www.sunshineantenna.com.au/transmission_issues/
We recommend, if you are experiencing pixelation or signal drop out, check our website to see if there are any known about issues with any of the transmitters before doing anything else.
Recently, we have had feedback from some of our customers after they had done a Google search to see if there were any outages. Instead of Google immediately popping up websites that mention TV signal outages, it gives you an AI account of the situation. This account is “taken” from websites mentioning outages but doesn’t seem to be accurate to the current scene for the individual. Being the inquisitive type, we did our own research on what Google is now providing to the general public.
We found that, while it looks like useful information, the reference links given by Google AI, in some instances, were taken from outdated reports or outages.
The most alarming thing about the information provided by Google AI was the instructions to re-tune your TV should the signal drop out.
DO NOT re-tune your TV.
Re-tuning your TV when there is no signal, whether it is due to a transmitter outage or failed equipment only results in wiping any information stored in your TV as to channel frequencies. When the transmitter comes back on line, you still won’t have TV because you will have removed all programming, so the TV will no longer be tuned to the channels.
If you are ever in doubt about the current status of your TV service, it’s best to contact someone in the know. Google may have information about a lot of things, but it is no substitute for on the ground first hand knowledge. Besides, your call to a professional installer may be the first indication that there is an existing problem. So really, you’re actually doing a community service by making the call.
New Channels:
Some of you may have found some recent changes to your TV channels. All the commercial channels – 5, 6 & 8, are now being broadcast in High Definition, meaning that the broadcast format has changed to the H264 – which is the new MPEG4 format.
For older TV’s this shows up as sound but no picture. Unfortunately the only solution to this a new TV or the installation of a Set-top-box.
If you are experiencing a loss of these channels or the symptom of sound and no picture but don’t want to outlay for a brand new TV, then we can help with the installation of an inexpensive set-top-box to replace the tuner in your TV.
Starlink:
It seems that Starlink has grown in popularity resulting in a wait list over the past few months for Starlink to open more license opportunities for the Sunshine Coast, amongst other locales in Australia.
The good news is that new licenses are opening up, and the wait is now over for some. However, that good news comes at a premium, with Starlink now charging a “Demand Surcharge” on your new order. Just something to keep in mind if you are looking at purchasing Starlink. We still consider it a better option to go directly through Starlink for your orders rather than Telstra, as that way you are getting your service directly from Starlink rather than through a third-party service provider.
As installers we can provide you with a suitable roof mount for the dish and set it all up for you. However, we still do not deal with after-sales equipment or supplies.
If you are unsure if Starlink is for you, we can do a site survey and advise if you will benefit from their service. Call our office on 0754791999 to organise one of our qualified Technicians to do a site survey.
WiFi Solutions:
Some of you may have experienced that even after improving your incoming internet connection you still have poor internet speeds inside the house (or business premises)
This can be due to the location of the modem and the range is provides as a Wi-Fi service. This is something we can definitely help with.
The installation of Wireless Access Points, or WAP’s can greatly improve the Wi-Fi signal for those areas that still struggle to get signal. These come in the form of ceiling-mounted access points for inside or Point-to-Point systems for sending signal from one building to another.
We recently installed a multiple Point-to-Point system for a farm complex with great results. The applications are many and varied with good results all around.
If you’ve been struggling with your wifi connection, give our team a call on 0754791999 and let us see what we can do to help.
Security:
CCTV is ever expanding in it’s uses and technologies, however security is more than just cameras. For true, piece of mind, protection for your home, installing an alarm system complete with cameras is your better protection.
Camera’s work as a deterrent for intruders and are great for providing evidence of an event. You can access your camera’s via an online app for a live feed as well as a short playback period. The Network Video Recorder (or NVR) back at home allows you to access playback footage for several hours, depending on the size of the hard drive and the number of cameras connected, and it’s from there that you can download the footage of any event that may have occurred.
An Alarm system is an immediate notification that there is an intruder present with the added bonus of a siren to deter any further access to the property.
Hikvision Alarm systems and cameras can be used in tandem through the online app so you not only get notification of someone on site from the alarm, but also video footage of who it is and what they are doing from the camera’s.
If you are away from home the police can be called and they will attend as a priority as you have evidence of an intruder on site.
Alarms can be set up to have motion sensors in locations suitable for your personal needs, with at home settings (Stay) as well as away from home settings (Away). And if local crime is something that is of great concern to you, or you have an elderly relative living on their own, panic buttons can also be installed which can manually trigger the siren if you feel in danger at any time
For peace of mind, call the office on 0754791999 and arrange for our qualified security technician to come out for a free inspection and quote.
Kind Regards, Mandy and the Sunshine Antenna Service team