5 Tips And Tricks For Discreet Dish Positioning in 2024

‘Wow! That house looks great, but, you know, I bet it would look even better if you mounted a satellite dish right over there’ – said no one, ever, in the history of mankind. It’s safe to say that we can all agree that these words were never said, right?

Regardless of how great and useful satellite dishes are, they just don’t look good. However, we believe there is a way to make them less of an eyesore. We did a little bit of research and find some neat ways to hide it in plain sight since actually hiding it defeats its purpose of receiving a satellite signal. So, without further ado, let’s check out what we found out.

1. Place It Next To The Chimney

Img source: pixabay.com

Arguably one of the easiest ways to hide your dish in plain sight is to place it next to the already existing roof-protrusion called a chimney. That is, of course, if you have one. If you don’t, well, then we’re sorry, but this just won’t work for you. However, if you’re lucky enough to have an entrance for Santa Claus on your roof, there’s a way to place a dish right next to it. If you work the angles and place it on the right side of the chimney, you could almost entirely hide it.

To be perfectly clear, we’re not suggesting that you mount the dish to the side of the chimney. That’s not at all recommended. A large, heavy dish could easily break off a few bricks off of the chimney during the windy storm and that could end up being pretty costly to fix. A mounting pole should be placed in the vicinity of the chimney and you should use the chimney as a mounting surface.

2. Non-penetrating Roof Mount

Flat roofs aren’t only reserved for residential buildings anymore. You can spot many houses with flat roofs nowadays. If you’re fortunate enough to have a flat roof, you’ve hit the jackpot. A flat roof makes it so that you can’t see anything that’s on your roof from the ground level. That means, that instead of mounting a dish to the side of your house, you can place it onto a roof and have it completely invisible. Naturally, just like with any other mounting surface, positioning is important. You’ll have to make sure that things like a chimney or a roofline aren’t blocking the satellite signal.

Non-penetrating roof mounts are essentially mounting poles with a base that you attach to the flat surface. Keep in mind that if want to protect the roof surface, you can use custom made mats to place underneath the mount. You can buy these at the same place you buy the mount.

3. Place Them On The Ground

Img source: pixabay.com

You may not know this, but satellite dishes don’t have to be placed high above the ground. They can work perfectly fine when placed on the ground. We’ve come to believe that they have to be mounted above ground because most of the professional installing companies like tayloraerials.co.uk advise us to do so. The truth is, they advise you to do so because there’s less interference with the satellite signal when it is placed up high. If you’re surrounded by tall objects, you have to raise it. However, if you live in a rural area or just a house with a large yard and nothing to obstruct the path between the satellite and the receiver – ground level will be just as fine.

It’s important to note that unless you have all the necessary equipment, you won’t really be able to successfully mount the thing yourself. Aerial and satellite professionals use precise tools to determine the angles and orientation in order to ensure the best possible reception.

Another bonus if you decide to ground-mount it is that you can easily decorate it with plants or ornaments from the back and the sides. You could make it look pretty sweet and unnoticeable with just a little bit of imagination.

4. Mount It On A Deck

As most decks are placed on the back end of the house, looking at the backyard, it can be a neat place to position your dish without it being too obvious. Decks and patios can provide a solid base for a pole on which you would place the dish. Ideally, you’d work the angles, so that your view from the deck isn’t obstructed by it, but that’s entirely up to you.

One thing to keep in mind is, this is not entirely suitable for large satellite dishes. Ideally, you’d go for a sturdier structure in those cases, but if you’re working with a medium or a small plate, a patio could be just the right spot.

5. Paint It

Img source: pixabay.com

This doesn’t necessarily have to be the last thing you resort to, but if all else fails you can always turn the dish into a canvas. One of the most commonly asked questions is whether you can paint the surface of the dish? The answer to that question is a solid yes. There’s nothing stopping you from painting it any way you like. However, we have to say that you have to be careful with the colours. We don’t mean you can’t use red or yellow, you can go as colourful as you like. We mean that you should stick to the non-reflective, matte colours.

Reflections could interfere with the signal, so if you’re intending on painting it, look for non-metallic, matte paints made intended for metal painting. Now, whether you want to match the colour to your walls or paint something funky and make an artwork out of the dish – that’s entirely up to you. One could argue that if you make it more appealing and interesting, it could even look good no matter where it’s mounted. So, go all out if you wish.

As you can see, there are a few ways to hide the dish. Some more, some less effective. You can even combine a few these for a better result. Whatever you choose to do is fine, just don’t sacrifice a good signal just because you don’t like the way it looks.